Storing 3PH post-hole digger

[73jeep]

I bought a Leinbach Post Hole Digger with 12" auger and so far I've planted 7 trees, and 17 bushes. It works wonderful. Now, how in the world do I store it? Hook-up and unhooking is very awkward for me. I had someone say just to drill it in the ground and let the hitch hang. I would like to store it in the shed. Does anyone have pics or suggestions on some kinda custom rack made to hang it on?

 

[roxynoodle]

One guy rigged something up to hang it from his trusses. Made hookup and unhooking a lot easier. Maybe he will chime in here. I wouldn't leave it sticking out of the ground either, soil can cause metal corrosion pretty fast. I posted a thread on making dollies for implements and I believe he posted a drawing of how he hung his PHD. I will try to link you to it.

 

[radman1]

3 pt PHD is the most difficult attachment to hook and unhook. They are much easier to manage with the auger unbolted and removed. Also easier to store with the auger off. Some companies do make a stand for them but I have never seen one. Most people either hang them from something or lean them against a wall.

 

[MrJimi]

The best design for storing a PHD was posted by one of our members and it was 2 uprights with a cross piece, kinda like an old time hitching post in the western days. I found picture

Jim

 

[EddieWalker]

I doubled up a rafter on my lean-to and wrapped a chain around it. This worked really good at both unhooking it and hooking it back up again. The only thing I didn't like it it took up the entire front of one of my storage bays. Because of the ROPS, I couldn't back in all the way, so I had to leave the post hole digger near the front and middle of the bay. This took up a HUGE amount of space.

I sold that property and don't have the same setup at my new place. For now, I'm drilling it into the ground and leaving it there. It's still easy to hook up, but in time I'm gonna have issues with rust. So far it's been over a year and no sign of rust yet.

One of my up and coming projects will be to build a storage shed. I'm going to use a 6x6 post for one of the posts and build a metal bracket that will swing out and back onto the side of the post. It will only stick out four feet, but then rotate back into the shed. I'm going to hang my post hole digger from this bracket. This way I can have plenty of room to attach or take off the post hole digger, but then I can swing it into the shed behind the post so it wont be in the way.

Eddie

 

[AndyMA]

The best design for storing a PHD was posted by one of our members and it was 2 uprights with a cross piece, kinda like an old time hitching post in the western days. I found picture

Jim

Jim

I don't remember that post. How in the heck do you get the PHD down off of that to hitch up. It seems awfully high to me.

Andy

 

[MrJimi]

Jim

I don't remember that post. How in the heck do you get the PHD down off of that to hitch up. It seems awfully high to me.

Andy

Andy, I have no idea how it gets down? I did a search on here for ( post hole digger stand ) and I found this. Ya gotta admit, its simple and strong
Jim

 

[Tom_Veatch]

Jim

I don't remember that post. How in the heck do you get the PHD down off of that to hitch up. It seems awfully high to me.

Andy

Doesn't look like there are any bolts holding the cross piece, so I'd guess it's back up, hook up, lift, pull the cross piece, drive away.

 

[73jeep]

Thanks for pictures and suggestions. I may just try to hang it using a chain. I feel like I need lots of support with that much weight hanging around for months.

 

[Timber]

I back my tractor against the wall and chain the auger to the wall and pull the top pin and lift the boom off then I take the boom and point hitch apart and hang them next to it. Takes just a moment to do and it is out of the way







I do have a small piece of 3/4 plywood on the floor to set the tip on.
I have to tell you this is by far the easiest way to hook and unhook a PHD.
It is easy to put just the boom into the 3 point hitch by hand and then just
use the hydraulics. Leave you your lift arms loose so you have some play with
the boom. Then back it over the auger and set it down. Then you just slide
the pin in. There is no down pressure so you can lift the boom and wiggle the
pin in. Unhook the chain and drive away.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Mr Jimi, thanks for the complement, it is very simple, cost effective, and actually compact storage.

Tom Veatch, you are correct. Hitch up, raise phd, remove 4x4 and drive away.

73Jeep, that is the largest phd that Land Pride makes, rated at 75 pto hp, it has been hanging on that 4x4 for about 20 months now.

AndyMa, my 7520 hitches right up at that height. your TN75 should be about that height also.

Now all I need to do is find a way to store the 4 other sized bits.

 

[AndyMA]

Doesn't look like there are any bolts holding the cross piece, so I'd guess it's back up, hook up, lift, pull the cross piece, drive away.

Tom I suppose that's a possibility, however none of my tractors including a Cat II TN 3pt hitches will go anywhere near that high. The only way I could get it down is with a loader.

BTW, mine is apart and I just manually hook up gear box and then attach auger. I suppose it I used it more I woulod build a nice rack, but it would have to hold it at "normal" 3pt hitch heights.

Andy

 

[MtnViewRanch]

AndyMa, I guess that the picture is deceiving. The 3ph lower bars need to be about 24" at the ball ends to hitch up. Plus the phd is balanced as it hangs there and pushes down very easy. Hope that is clear now.

 

[Tom_Veatch]

Andy,

I think the perspective in the picture is misleading. Notice the point of the auger is not that far off the ground. My Cat 1 3pt will lift my PHD auger higher than that. True, when you pull the near end of the boom in the picture down to connect it, the auger ground clearance will increase but not all that much.

Also, notice the rear blade in the picture's foreground. If you project the top of the blade's boom back toward the PHD, it doesn't seem to be very much below the PHD's 3pt pins.

And they say "pictures don't lie". Maybe so, but they sure can obscure the truth.

 

[ovrszd]

I back my tractor against the wall and chain the auger to the wall and pull the top pin and lift the boom off then I take the boom and point hitch apart and hang them next to it. Takes just a moment to do and it is out of the way







I do have a small piece of 3/4 plywood on the floor to set the tip on.
I have to tell you this is by far the easiest way to hook and unhook a PHD.
It is easy to put just the boom into the 3 point hitch by hand and then just
use the hydraulics. Leave you your lift arms loose so you have some play with
the boom. Then back it over the auger and set it down. Then you just slide
the pin in. There is no down pressure so you can lift the boom and wiggle the
pin in. Unhook the chain and drive away.

Now there you go Timber!! Being all organized and taking care of your equipment again!!!

I don't have a digger, but if I did, I would use your idea. I don't like to store my stuff outside. Might take you five minutes to put it back together for use but that still beats storing it outside and mowing around it all summer. And as MtnViewRanch admits in his post, his has been hanging there for 20 months. Thanks for the idea Timber!!!

 

[Neophyte]

I bought a Leinbach Post Hole Digger with 12" auger and so far I've planted 7 trees, and 17 bushes. It works wonderful. Now, how in the world do I store it? Hook-up and unhooking is very awkward for me. I had someone say just to drill it in the ground and let the hitch hang. I would like to store it in the shed. Does anyone have pics or suggestions on some kinda custom rack made to hang it on?

I have attached a few pictures of the optional Bush Hog stand from their manual. It seems like it would be easy to modify any PHD with a similar stand.

Here are a few other storage stands that I have seen around. These are basic yet functional. Very easy to make as well.
BEFCO PHD with Storage Stand
Howse PHD with Storage Stand
.

 

[BB_TX]

Here is one I made from 2" sq tubing. A little hard to see from tha angle, but it is a 3 legged stand with a tube running from the center of the front cross member to the rear leg. PHD is hanging with a piece of plastic coated chain.

 

[firemanpat2910]

I have backed mine up to a tree and chained it to a V but lately I just drill it into the ground and leave it.

 

[john_bud]

This is what I built. Makes the hook up fast, easy and NOT awkward. Sorry for the fuzzy picture quality...

 

[k7oi]

Does anyone have pics or suggestions on some kinda custom rack made to hang it on?

73jeep,
I struggled with all the posts about how to store the PHD - it is (was!) the hardest attachment to put on/take off (for me) - until I built this simple holder. I wrote about it in a thread titled "Yet another Post Hole Digger support"

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/79999-yet-another-post-hole-digger.html

Hope this helps!
Terry