Post Hole Digger - if stuck

[AlanB]

As with many things on this board, many of us have very different experiences because of the different areas that we work in.

We get the PHD stuck occassionally, while not "often" it happens often enough that we need a way to easily get "unstuck"

Anyway, to the question of "how"

Most often we will pick up the edge of a good sized root and the auger will screw on down, now the root (sometimes a rock edge) is over the flight of the auger and it will not want to come back up...

Catch between two roots, one on each side of the shaft,, and cussing is about to start.

I will caveat that we also almost always have the 18" auger on our PHD but I believe I have gotten them all stuck at some point. (well, maybe not the 6")

I will say though that I never have taken the auger off the phd that I can remember, slight up pressure with the tractor and unscrew it.

 

[johnk]

I second that Alanb. Thats how I do it also.

 

[The Gardener]

I will caveat that we also almost always have the 18" auger on our PHD but I believe I have gotten them all stuck at some point. (well, maybe not the 6")

To own multiple diameters, do you buy one auger [PHD] and then you just buy various size diameter bits that are interchangeable?

Concerning the various sizes [6", 9", 12", 18", 24", etc.], are there specific sizes for specific jobs [typically speaking]?

I would be using our auger for fence posts almost exclusively. However, I could see using it for planting small trees and bushes by, perhaps, making several holes in a cluster to enlarge the hole to the correct /needed size.

I was thinking that the 12" diameter is probably a good match for fence posts.

Thanks,
The Gardener

 

[AlanB]

Depends on the posts that you are using and how big a hole you want, you may want a lot of concrete around them, or maybe you just want a starter hole for a chainlink fence post.

Yes, I have one PHD and multiple augers, you have to watch your mount bolt configuration, there is one pretty common one, that has two cross bolts one above the other at right angles to each other, but there are several others others out there as well. There are also different shafts on the PHD.

There are adapters made, and can be locally fabricated pretty easily, but if you are doing a limited amount of drilling, it would be more straight forward if you had the "common" one. (not really sure what it is called, but it is the one that TSC carries)

We mostly use the 18" but it is 90% of the time used for putting in plants. As you said, when we do tree's, we will drill 3 or 4 holes with the 18" and hand dig between them.

I am about to set some RR ties as fence posts, and will not be concreting them in, so will use the 12" to dig the holes.

 

[The Gardener]

Excellent. Thank You!

The Gardener

 

[patrick_g]

It usually happens with a smaller auger, like a 9" one, but the auger basically screws itself into the ground rather than dig a hole. If you use a smaller auger and slow speed in good heavy clay soil you can get it to happen without much trouble.

Thanks for the warning. I also have a smaller auger that I have never put on the PHD in 5 years of use. It is either a 6 or 9 inch. I'll be careful.

I wonder what would happen if I put a metal bar or wooden 4x4 sideways to prevent the gear box from being sucked below the surface and let the small diameter auger screw into the ground. I'd think it might "strip the threads" formed in the dirt and release it.

I usually dig a little and then retract the auger till the tip is about at the surface and then go again and don't try to dig the full depth all at one time.

I have had the experience of drilling into copper and lead and having the bit thread itself into the metal. I found out that there is a different angle required on the bit for these soft metals.

Pat

 

[Jethro]

I'll post a review of it after I've used it for a while.

Have you had a chance to use the auger much? I am looking forward to your review.

 

[Tom_Veatch]

Thanks for the warning. I also have a smaller auger that I have never put on the PHD in 5 years of use. It is either a 6 or 9 inch. I'll be careful.

I wonder what would happen if I put a metal bar or wooden 4x4 sideways to prevent the gear box from being sucked below the surface and let the small diameter auger screw into the ground. I'd think it might "strip the threads" formed in the dirt and release it.
...

I also express my thanks for the warning. My 12" auger has had a workout, but the 9" has been a total "barn queen".

As far as "strip(ping) the threads" is concerned, I think that would be determined by soil conditions, the maximum torque available from the PTO, and whether or not the PHD gearing could absorb the required torque without stripping a gear or shear pin - assuming the auger itself didn't fail.

I always watch the auger very closely and, occasionally, have noticed it suddenly assume a much faster sink rate. So far, I've been able to stop it soon enough that the 3pt could lift the PHD and "strip the (1 or 2) threads". I hope I remain that lucky since I don't think my setup would survive the proposed solution to a full blown "auger down" incident.

 

[3RRL]

Pat,
What you are doing, clearing it after some depth but not all the way is a good thing and recommended. As far as wondering if yours will strip the dirt threads if you put a wooden block or something down, I don't think so unless it's very sandy. I think your shear bolt would give before that.
Mine is a Ø12" auger and I try to set the position control so it can only work its way down no more than a foot at a time. You can tell the difference when it is "cutting" and screwing itself in. I've had shear bolts pop even after only 1 foot depth of "screw in" if that happens.

 

[patrick_g]

3RRL and Tom V, I guess I must have just been lucky to have started out doing whatever it was that prevents my ever sticking an auger (so far.) I have used it a considerable number of times in 5+ years and did shear the soft shear bolts one time when I was over enthusiastic when I first got it.

Who knows I may eventually find a use for the 9 inch.

I have 40HP to the PTO and the PHD is rated for more so that is a good thing since I don't know what I am doing with it a lot of the time and have to proceed with brute force and awkwardness. This stuff doesn't lend itself so easily to clear concepts like true flight path elevation angle (alpha) and angle of attack (beta.) (Waxing professorial for Tom.)

Pat