Posthole Digger Post Hole Diggers - again

   / Post Hole Diggers - again #1  

W5FL

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2000
Messages
1,558
Location
Central Texas
Tractor
TYM T-1104/TX10 Loader Kubota M6800SD/LA1002 Loader Kubota RTV900
The subject seems pretty easy, but apparently it is not. I have a lot of rock on my place and would really like to be able to fence without it becoming such a time consuming effort.

I saw a solution today, but as usual it costs too much. This guy had just bought the BELLTEC hydraulic digger with 3000# (not a typo)downpressure. I was really impressed with everything except the price. Over $4000 with a couple of rock bits. Sure worked well.

I also have seen the hydraulic units that mount on your bucket. The BELLTEC unit looks like it would work but again costs over $2000 and that is probably without a rock bit (which is about $900). I have heard mixed data on how well this one works and would be afraid to buy one without talking to someone with one.

Found a Rhino unit that has a hydraulic motor in place of the PTO shaft input so it can be mounted on the loader bucket. It gives no data about what downforce it will take - and you can put a lot of downforce on a loader bucket. The cost is considerably less than the BELLTEC but again no one has seen one in operation.

The HD units from Bush Hog with a heavy duty bit seem to work fair for chunk rock but look dangerous when they are flailing around trying to get a bite. Used one once without a slip clutch and sheared 50 shear pins in a day.

My wife found one in the paper today for $350 complete with augar. Wonder if that will work. Could get 12 of them for the price of the BELLTEC and use a different one each month.
 
   / Post Hole Diggers - again
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Well Wen /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif.

None of these guys have any rocks and therefore have never pursued how to dig holes in rocky soil. Wonder where you would find a compact tractor board that was located in California, or Colorado or... Texas that has lots of rocks in the soil?
 
   / Post Hole Diggers - again #3  
Oh no, he's started talking to himself. I knew it was bound to happen...
 
   / Post Hole Diggers - again
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Yep, that is what happens.

I saw a solution to the post hole digger problem last weekend. I walked down and talked to the guy building the fence. He had bought a used 70 HP tractor and a NEW Belltec Rock Driller. He said he paid $4700 for the Belltec unit and $8000 for the tractor. I watched the tractor come off the ground putting downpressure on the auger and it made a posthole in the rock in short order [grin].

So I have found one solution. Just keep hoping for a less expensive one.
 
   / Post Hole Diggers - again
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Oops. [grin] should be /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
 
   / Post Hole Diggers - again #6  
Yeah, I know what you mean. I finally found, after a year of looking, a 4" capacity boom rotary cutter that will work on my L4310HST and was really excited until I got the bad news: $10,200. Ouch!
 
 

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