PT-425 Tree Auger Tips

[BigDaddyEureka]

Spent the day working with the PT-425 planting poplar trees and dogwoods using the pivoting "post hole auger head." Since this was my first time out using it I thought I'd write down a few things I learned and see if anyone else has things to add.

• The pivoting head moves fore/aft and left/right. It's a lot stiffer left/right, so if it doesn't seem quite plumb it's best to gently place the tip on the ground and turn the steering wheel to get it right BEFORE powering up the PTO. Fore/aft seems to find plumb just fine on it's own, but if you are working with someone they can double check for you too by standing off to the side.
  
  
• I found the unit spun up better if I lowered the engine speed to idle, switched on the PTO, let everything get moving, then throttle up. You don't have to do it this way but it's good to be sure everything is going to turn like you expect it to with the speed down instead of up and it's easier on the hydraulics too.
  
  
• There's two ways to move the head up and down: with the tilt function or with the lift function. You want the lift function. For small moves you can get away with the tilt function but it's really not going to be enough travel to be useful on a PT-425, because you really want to...
  
  
• Keep the mounting plate for the head perpendicular to the ground whenever possible. This means you need to combine a little tilt with a little down motion on the lift to keep things square with the ground as you move. If you don't do this and you come in contact with a hard spot while going down the auger will skitter off axis and you'll get an angled hole. No one is gonna know once it's filled back in, but you lose a lot of cool points with your spouse and anyone else who sees your sad mess of an earthwork. Worst case you COULD break the auger or drive bolt, but you have to try pretty hard or be real unlucky for that to happen.
  
  
• In my case I was digging through turf to make the hole. On the 6" auger this is no big deal but on the larger 24" auger there's one heckuva whack when the pilot auger transitions to the main auger and comes in contact with the turf. You can't throttle down because you need full engine power to spin the auger in the dirt, so you have to be REALLY gentle and smooth with the downward motion to cut off the turf and move into the soil. Don't rush it, because if you go too fast you can get the big auger walking around the diameter of the hole and then all chaos ensues.

High engine speed, slow downward lift arm motion, keep the mounting plate square to the ground with the tilt, and you're in like Flynn. Once you get it mastered it does an AMAZING job and it certainly beats the pants off planting 18 trees by hand!

 

[cqaigy2]

Nice write up.

 

[mikester]

Good post but I can't get me head around someone planting poplar on purpose. I just spent the day using my root rake to tear out mostly poplars and dogwood impinging on my fields. Poplars are invasive and keep sending ground shoots that are near impossible to kill.

All you need to do is plant one poplar and forget the auger.

 

[agjones]

Good post but I can't get me head around someone planting poplar on purpose. I just spent the day using my root rake to tear out mostly poplars and dogwood impinging on my fields. Poplars are invasive and keep sending ground shoots that are near impossible to kill.

All you need to do is plant one poplar and forget the auger.

Agreed. I've battled my share too.

What we all commonly call Poplars are actually a lot of different trees. He may have been planting tulip trees, called yellow poplar frequently... often planted w dogwoods.

Certain varieties of true poplar are often used in the landscape. There are modern hybrid varieties of true poplars where the suckers have been bred out... that are commonly used as hedge and windbreak.

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

Agreed. I've battled my share too.

What we all commonly call Poplars are actually a lot of different trees. He may have been planting tulip trees, called yellow poplar frequently... often planted w dogwoods.

Certain varieties of true poplar are often used in the landscape. There are modern hybrid varieties of true poplars where the suckers have been bred out... that are commonly used as hedge and windbreak.

You got it @agjones - What I planted isn't your wild and crazy poplar (because I'm totally with you @mikester - those can be a giant nuisance) but a hybrid that supposedly doesn't sucker and provides some nice color in the landscape. That plus the dogwood plus some lilac I'm moving a little later in the year is going to become a living snow fence and provide some screening between my place and some new houses being built. Should solve two problems with one solution.

That said the poplars are the riskiest part of the plan for sure. We'll see if they live up to their billing!