Stuck PHD auger removal

[AlanB]

Digging some holes for planting for the missus yesterday and ended up plugging a 12" auger between a ground stump, and a large 4" diameter root that was running at angles to the stump.

Gave me a wonderful opportunity to check the shear bolt on the PHD I just put together and check that the retainer bolt worked as well. It did /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It was so wedged in, I could not lift it out, basicly it had screwed itself between stump and root and was thoroughly stuck.

So there I was, no tools, no pipe wrench, no pick etc. I ended up chopping the root out with a claw hammer, boy was that fun, getting the thing up and changed the shear bolt and went on and did the rest of the holes. (about 25)

My wife is a Landscaper by the way so the tractor is not operated near the shop usually.

So here was the thought, I think I will take a piece of say 2" pipe and weld it too my auger at the top edge laying flat on the flights, at right angles to the shaft, maybe in line with the lower auger bolt hole.

I do not think that it will interfere with anything there, I seldom dig to the top of the auger, and it would have given me a point that I could have stuck a bar or shovel handle through and backed the auger out with.

Has anyone done this, or have suggestions as to what it will interfere with?

I realize many people will say just bring a wrench, but the reality is when the crew goes out too work, we do not always think through well enough what all will be potentially needed. The more that I can have fixed in place or permanently mounted the easier it is to get the job done.

 

[Freds]

If I'm reading you right, you want to weld some "ears" to the auger bit that would spin around as the bit drills?
I'm not in favor of it from a safety standpoint. I know you aren't supposed to have anyone that close while you are drilling, but anything that is another potential grabber of loose clothing and such doesn't sound like a good idea.

I would rather see you drill a couple holes in the shaft, at the top and across from each other that you could stick a small diameter pipe or digging bar through. I don't think a couple holes would weaken it anymore than the heat from welding would.

 

[AlanB]

I did not post that as clear as I should have.

About a 4" piece of 2" pipe. It would remain inside the flights of the auger. It would allow me to have a larger hole than I could drill into the shaft.

It would be inside the spinning diameter of the auger, and the top of the flight which is currently a square edge would catch you before the pipe.

 

[BB_TX]

Sounds like a great idea to me. So simple. And a whole lot better than a claw hammer or a pipe wrench.

 

[RonR]

I've worried about that also.

I thought about seeing if my biggest pipe wrench (yes, I'm OLD) would fit on the auger tube. If it did that would be one way to back it out--using a cheater........

 

[Freds]

Oops, gotcha.
Sounds like it would work. Post a pic when it's done. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[GerardC]

Doesn't hurt to try. Let us know.

 

[Rch]

This happened to me and I was able to back it out with a cheap chinese 24" crescent wrench after disconnecting the auger from the gearbox. If no flat surface maybe a big pipe wrench. I paid ~ $20 for it at some liquidation/discount store. Toto Indiana, actually. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[EddieWalker]

OK, so you weld on the piece of pipe to the auger and now you have to keep a piece of metal with you all the time in order for it to work. You could easily also weld on a bracket to the PHD to hold your rod, so it's always there. Sounds like a decent project for a couple of hours.

Then again, you could buy an extra wrench and keep it on the tractor for repairs AND removing your auger.

 

[AlanB]

I was figuring on sticking the shovel handle in there. Almost always have a shovel handy in her line of work.

 

[Dargo]

Ha, since I've drilled a few thousand holes with a 12" auger in the last few days, I have managed to break nearly everything there is to break on my PHD. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif For example, I can tell you that if you replace the shear bolt with a slip clutch, and don't adjust the slip clutch correctly, you can twist a 12" auger in half. That sort of sucks! Right where the first twirl ends is the weakest point in the actual auger shaft by the way.

Also, those two bolts that bolt the auger bit to the gear box will also shear nicely. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I backed the bolts out on my slip clutch and put grade 5 bolts in there. They don't twist off quite as easy; but yes, they too will break off! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I'd have to assume that it wouldn't take too much to back a 12" auger bit out though. The ears should work as long as you weld them through the auger bit. If your auger bit is made of steel as mild as mine, the 4" piece of pipe will simply break off of the auger if only welded on, and not run through and welded on both sides.

Since I have enough power to twist an auger in half, I guess that is why I haven't had any issue with mine ever getting stuck. Sometimes I think stuck would be better.

 

[SPIKER]

IF and I say IF I was to do this I would weld 2 hunks of square tube onto the auger, near top one on each side so that is does not run straight through it but rather the two hunks of tube would form an "H" with the auger being in the middle of the "H" then a 2nd H welded into the first H 90 degrees out and above the first so that the sq tubes are welded around the auger forming a SQUARE with open ends on all sides. two up and two under if you follow me.

anyhow that would be a bit less catch feature on it but anyhow keep thinking.

Markm

 

[kenneyz]

We hava a LOT of gravel and rock where I live, I use my phd all the time. I was thinking of making a tee handle. You remove the powerhead, then a section of pipe goes either in or outside of the auger and connects with the same bolt used for powerhead, on top of this pipe would be another, say 3' ( 1.5' either side) then you could just back the bit out of the ground.....yes ...sounds like it would work just have to git 'r' done. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bully]

It's just too bad we don't have reverse on our pto's, That would sure make life a lot easier digging stubborn holes.

 

[AV8R62]

using your shovel handle is a great idea,
when you go back to the shop to fix your broken shovel handle you can also pick up a pipe wrench to turn your stuck auger . /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[TN75Jason]

Alan, I don't understand why you would want to attempt to unscrew the auger directly without the benefit of the gear reduction already available to you. When I have stuck an auger in the past, I replace the shear bolt, if necessary, then used a pipe wrench to twist the PTO shaft backwards, unscrewing the auger with very little effort. If the particular tractor has a PTO brake, just unhook the PTO shaft before turning it.

 

[TN75Jason]

I just read your last post about not having a wrench handy and planning to use a shovel handle. Been there too. Stick the shovel handle through the yoke on the PTO driveshaft to turn it. A shovel handle will turn the auger with the gearbox reduction, but will most likely break if you auger is stuck like mine has been.

 

[oliver28472]

How about if we just unhook from the tractor and get Mith to bring his.

 

[AlanB]

Well, I guess I am not tracking on quite how to hook a shovel into my PTO to turn it, but either way, I did weld on the pipe, and Hanna went out and dug about 120 holes yesterday with it. Had to use the pipe once to back it out.

As far as changing Shear bolts and then backing it out, I could take off the gaurds on the machine, but being a commercial business and an OSHA 501 safety trainer I generally frown on that. Our luck is that usually when the bolt shears it is in a position that you need to rotate the yoke to get the bolt out.

Anyway will try and get some pictures tomorrow or something to show where I put it, but it does seem to work fairly well.