Post hole digger for FEL

[Thumbs Up Farm]

OK. Here is the killer question for everyone who has one of these.

How do you store it? I am trying to fab up some sort of stand for it and failing at every turn.

With mine, it is bracket made with a piece of 1 1/2" x 3" chanel iron made into a 90deg "L". This is fastened to a tree/post at about head high (6'). I just pull up to the bracket with the tractor, place the end of the fork on one end of the bracket, undo the chain and hoses from the tractor and slide the rectangular tube mount off of the tractor fork and onto the "L" bracket. It hangs there until the next time I am ready to use it at which time I just reverse the process to re-install on the tractor.

I will try to post a picture if I can remember to take one.

 

[RitchElbe]

These builds are sweet!!

 

[roadhunter]

Impressive work. I sure like the idea of a FEL auger versus my 3 point auger. 3 pt auger is a PITA to hook up, does not have reverse, and has minimal down pressure compared to the auger on the front.

 

[Piston]

Roadhunter,
I think the best of both worlds is to have a hydraulic drive motor, a down pressure kit, and mount it on the 3 point hitch. I don't care much for the FEL mount version, but I also want to be able to reverse the motor if it gets stuck.

 

[crackerjack222]

My 3pt phd has been hanging in a tree for years. I have a Lowe hydraulic unit that I fabricated a bracket for to hang off the side of my fel. Works much better.
However, I have been lusting after a post driver. I have been putting in 2 3/8 and 2 7/8 posts 4 ft deep in concrete. I have had several contractors put in posts for me using their post drivers. I just cannot yet see paying $4k for one. Danuser has recently come out with their T3 post driver, priced at under $2k, that they say can drive up to 3" posts and can be mounted on a FEL. Looks interesting, but I have my doubts about it driving a 3 7/8" post four feet deep in dry south TX clay soil. Anyone have first hand info about the T3?

 

[roadhunter]

Roadhunter,
I think the best of both worlds is to have a hydraulic drive motor, a down pressure kit, and mount it on the 3 point hitch. I don't care much for the FEL mount version, but I also want to be able to reverse the motor if it gets stuck.

I have a 3 point auger with a downforce kit and I really don't understand how you really get downforce all the way down by simply extending that cylinder. I think if it was really doing something like 400+ pounds you would feel it on the tractor, but you don't which likely means there is not differnece in weight on the rear axle and not extra weight on the auger.

I do think you are right as on the back of the tractor you can see relly well but I simply don't know if you can cantually put true downforce on the 3 point like you can with the FEL. That is key when digging in rocky soil and with little downpressure 3 point augers can be useless on tough ground.

 

[Piston]

Have you found it difficult to drill holes in the ground, using the downforce kit? I've never used the downforce kit on a 3 point hitch model, so I can't comment on actual experience in that regard. If the downforce kit doesn't really put much pressure on it though, then ya, I could understand why you'd want to go the FEL route.

 

[Bison]

Most belarus tractors have factory 2 way cilinders on the 3 point hitch for lift and down pressure

Believe me,..it is much easier to have the auger on the fr end loader.

 

[roadhunter]

Have you found it difficult to drill holes in the ground, using the downforce kit? I've never used the downforce kit on a 3 point hitch model, so I can't comment on actual experience in that regard. If the downforce kit doesn't really put much pressure on it though, then ya, I could understand why you'd want to go the FEL route.

I have soft ground here but have been in places where even a skid steer couldn't push down hard enough.

I am unclear how a down force kit can actually give down force and you can't tell a difference sitting on the tractor when you engage that down force cylinder. I'm sure it does something but it's not the same as the real down force you can use with the FEL when you lift the front tires off the ground and put all the pressure on the bit.

 

[jenkinsph]

I used a 3ph auger for many years in the deep south and this worked well enough but when I moved to the rocky mountains it wouldn't work. I finally added a quick coupler hydraulic auger to my 110's backhoe and this has worked out very well, easy to see what I am doing and positioning is much better.