Posthole Digger SSQA post hole digger

STx · Jul 4, 2015

We're getting close to ready to build a post frame building on our land and plan to do pretty much all of it, except the slab, ourselves. I've got a New Holland TC40DA that I'd like to put a front mounted hydraulic post hole digger on so that I can watch my holes and control the angle, as well as have the option to reverse out if I hit something. My hydraulic pump is rated at 9.8GPM though and it looks like the PHD's that I'm seeing need 10GPM at a minimum, most are more like 15 - 30... We'll need to dig probably 12" diameter holes about 4' deep.

Is there a good choice that will work well with my machine for this? Or should I plan to rent a skid steer with PHD for this part?

bdog · Jul 4, 2015

A belltec NC-150 will work fine on your tractor. I have one and have used it on a tractor with 10-12gpm and a skid steer with 20gpm. Drilled about 300 holes with it on the tractor and it did fine.

I think they recommend 6-15gpm.

RedNeckRacin · Jul 4, 2015

Imo, unless you have a spotter, using the phd on the loader is tough to keep a straight hole. I think ea.Com has a low flow phd but I can't recall.

jenkinsph · Jul 4, 2015

STx said:
We're getting close to ready to build a post frame building on our land and plan to do pretty much all of it, except the slab, ourselves. I've got a New Holland TC40DA that I'd like to put a front mounted hydraulic post hole digger on so that I can watch my holes and control the angle, as well as have the option to reverse out if I hit something. My hydraulic pump is rated at 9.8GPM though and it looks like the PHD's that I'm seeing need 10GPM at a minimum, most are more like 15 - 30... We'll need to dig probably 12" diameter holes about 4' deep.

Is there a good choice that will work well with my machine for this? Or should I plan to rent a skid steer with PHD for this part?

I have a hydraulic auger on my backhoe with 16 gals/min and it turns slow but still makes hole fast enough. I rented a ssqa unit but found it hard to see as the tractor blocks the view.

I suspect you would be better off renting a skid steer and phd to drill your holes when ready. Lot cheaper way to go.

STx · Jul 4, 2015

jenkinsph said:
I have a hydraulic auger on my backhoe with 16 gals/min and it turns slow but still makes hole fast enough. I rented a ssqa unit but found it hard to see as the tractor blocks the view.

I suspect you would be better off renting a skid steer and phd to drill your holes when ready. Lot cheaper way to go.

I agree for one time use but we've got 36 acres and I'd like to put in some cross fencing when we move down there so I'll have use for it again. I have a one person, gas powered PHD but I don't really like running that. If it catches something, it will knock me on my butt and I'm really afraid that one day it's going to seriously hurt me.

You might be right though, for this application, I might be better off renting. I think all of us would rather own stuff though, even if we only use it once every 3 years...

STx · Jul 4, 2015

bdog said:
A belltec NC-150 will work fine on your tractor. I have one and have used it on a tractor with 10-12gpm and a skid steer with 20gpm. Drilled about 300 holes with it on the tractor and it did fine.

I think they recommend 6-15gpm.

How large of a diameter hole have you drilled with it? Would it handle a 12" auger?

jenkinsph · Jul 4, 2015

Drilling line posts with a low flow hydraulic system has other problems. At least what I have found is it doesn't turn fast enough to sling the dirt off the auger. The model I have is a Frontier PA30 planetary auger which will turn a large bit, has a 15 to 30 gpm design. You can get models with less torque and higher speeds but these are easier to stop in hard rocky ground. I decided to go with the heavy duty model and it works well but thought you should be aware of these issues.

If you have a 3ph auger and smaller augers along with the planetary auger rental you might be better served. I have both and can tell you they sit for the most part and that is about $5000 tied up. Just something to consider as their are lots of attachments that might be more useful to you.

Rustyiron · Jul 4, 2015

Even with a skid steer with over 20gpm, the dirt does not fling off the auger. Repeated digging until the auger flights are full, then backing away from the hole and spinning it off is necessary. Getting the auger back in the hole without pushing the surrounding dirt back in would be hard with a tractor because of the visibility. (and the radial lift that a tractor has) I would recomend a larger hole for alignment reasons and if you are adding any concrete or cross pins to prevent uplift. An 18" or bigger auger can get pricey and is overkill for fence work. I think renting might be wise, see how it works on a SS, then make your decision about a purchase for later fencing chores with a little bit of practical experience behind you.

bdog · Jul 4, 2015

My auger is a 9". The manufacturer rates this model for up to a 18" auger. It does perform better and is easier to see on the skid steer but digging was easy on the tractor. We literally drilled at least 300 fence post holes with it probably closer to 500. We had a helper line up the bit and tell the operator if it was straight. It was no big deal because they were there anyway with a hoe pulling the spoils away from the hole.