Posthole Digger Post Hole Digger?

[newtothis]

I'm not far enough along yet to have a handle on how many or what size trees I'll plant next spring but it's safe to say it'll be a few hundred white pines minimum. I've been given the verbal okee dokee of acceptance into a federal program for wind breaks next year.

I know this is a dumb retorical question but is it worth the investment? I've past up a couple PHD's at auctions this spring and am kinda kicking myself! I feel like you can never have enough equipment but I'm actually running out of space for what I already have! My tractor sits in the 3rd stall of the garage with everything else outdoors. After major planting is done this coming spring I don't know as though I'd use one much anyway.

 

[viking65]

I have used my Woods PHD to dig 45 holes so far. At $695 for the PHD and 12" bit that's $15.44 per hole. As rocky as my soil is it's been worth every penny. The cost per hole just keeps getting cheaper the more I use it. With all the landscaping I plan to do I'll have the cost per hole under $5 by the end of the summer. A great investment in my opinion (beats the **** out of a digging bar, manual post hole digger and a shovel). If I get to the point I want to sell it within a year or two (I doubt I will, I hang on to everyting) I could probably get at least half back what I paid for it then the holes will be really cheap.

 

[johnday]

Jack; Please buy the next one you run into, then sell it to me when your done, as long your reasonable. Where in Michigan are you? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Dargo]

I've now planted over 5000 trees this year. Most have been white pines and oaks. I planted the last 2000 or so by hand. It was much faster than using a PHD. My soil was very rocky and I was constantly replacing the shear bolt. The PHD itself is a beast. It's just much faster to plant them by hand. If you want a nice used PHD with a 12" auger, let me know. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[johnday]

Hey Brent; If newtothis doesn't want it, what would be good price, and what kind of PHD is it? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[newtothis]

Go for it, it seems like I've got all that I can handle on my plate right now. Got lots of new (used) equipment for planting food plots and haven't even used some of it to date. Very nice of you to even defer to me in the first place.

I'm about 13 miles west of Lansing in the boondocks. Had I known I coulda called you from the auctions I've been to in the last 45 days with real time bidding. I don't remember exactly how much they went for, just have this nawing feeling that I should've bought them for the reasonable prices they both went for. Oh well, ended up with 2 other units I need sooner so it worked out OK.

 

[fractal]

I have a post hole digger on my cut. I would guess a hole takes me 10-15 minutes to auger. That is 4 trees an hour. 8 hours a day is 32 trees a day. 200 trees means the last tree would be dead before I got it planted.

I was involved in a "tree day" at kids school. They dug the holes with a back hoe. Dig a hole, drive the stakes, back fill to height, drop the tree so it is 6 inches above grade, backfill to rootball, cover with mulch, tie to stakes, move to next tree. The kids had a great time. The school got a bunch of trees.

My vote would be a back hoe. You could probably hire a local backhoe operator to dig 200 holes for less cost than purchasing a post hole digger and all the trees would be planted. Then again, you could always just convince the CFO that you needed your own back hoe /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[newtothis]

As luck would have it a backhoe actually came with the tractor when I bought it. The CFO had her doubts about the big expense but it has proven invaluable when we built the house and the chores that come afterward.

 

[FL_Cracker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would guess a hole takes me 10-15 minutes to auger. That is 4 trees an hour. 8 hours a day is 32 trees a day. 200 trees means the last tree would be dead before I got it planted. )</font>

I don't understand. Why so long. I just finished 8 acres of fence and when I digging a series of holes in a streight line it goes fast. I would think you could dig all the holes in 1-2 days.. If you had some follow up labor they could put the tree in and cover as fast as you could dig. When I'm digging it takes longer to get set up on the hole then to drill it......

I would thing the PHD would be the way to go.... Nice round hole (like the pot or root ball) and all the dirt is evenly spread around the whole....