Stuck PHD!

[creeper]

I buried a 12" auger in some grey clay over the weekend. It happened fast and I think I made a big mistake. When it burried itself , I clutched the tractor out of habit, this allowed the auger to stop and would not raise up. I spent 2 hrs digging it out then to find out I bent the shaft from rocking it back and fourth. Thats $130 lesson. I read some old post here about using pipe wrenches to back out a stuck auger , any one have some experience on do's and dont's and what to do when you have trouble. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[dliston]

That's the way I've done it in the past. Just decouple the PHD from the auger and put the pipe wrench to it. Had a few where I had to slip a persuader pipe over the handle of the pipe wrench just to be able to turn it... Would be nice if a PTO worked in reverse, but unfortunately, they don't.

The best thing to do is to go easy on the PHD - when it starts to drop too quickly, you know you're in trouble. Keep the power to the PTO, but raise the 3pt to keep it from augering in...

Doug /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[creeper]

Thanks Doug, the bad part is if I knew it was bent I would have just left the darn thing in the ground. I am having trouble finding a replacement auger local. Most are a 2" shaft and this one is 1 1/2". It is a green Em500. I can get one frome the mfg. but it will take a while.

 

[Soundguy]

We use a pipe wrench..

Don't let the auger fall too fast.. I like to use the 3pt to control the depth of the cut, and then lift to clean out a real deep hole.

Soundguy

 

[Junkman]

Take the auger to a machine shop that has a large press. A good machinist can straighten that shaft like new in less than an hour. He might also be able to weld new fishtails to the end to make it work better than new. Doesn't hurt to ask for a quote on repairing it..... asking is free, buying a new one cost more usually if you can find a replacement. If not, possibly they can make you an adapter to use the 2" auger design.....

 

[InlineDieselFan]

Had our 12" auger caught in the clay and on a tree root at the same time. Used the pipe wrench and 3'cheater bar, we could not just turn it out we had to do some pushing and tilting of the auger to get it to spin out.

After that we now go down no more than 6-9 inches without raising it back up at least just a little bit. then back down into the hole.

steve

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> Had our 12" auger caught in the clay and on a tree root at the same time. Used the pipe wrench and 3'cheater bar, we could not just turn it out we had to do some pushing and tilting of the auger to get it to spin out. </font>


Take the cheater bar off, if you are married, have your mother in law lean on the pipe wrench, that should spin the auger out (as long as she doesn't break the pipe wrench). If you are not married, I'm sure I could arrange to rent you a M-I-L (cheap). /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[txhawg]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Take the cheater bar off, if you are married, have your mother in law lean on the pipe wrench, that should spin the auger out (as long as she doesn't break the pipe wrench). If you are not married, I'm sure I could arrange to rent you a M-I-L (cheap). /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )</font>


Heck, If my mother in law so much as looked at it, it would spin itself out /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[johnk]

When i use the auger I go down a foot or so and bring it up to pull the dirt, drop her down and keep doing the same thing. When I'm at the bottom of the hole I usually give it some throttle andand raise the 3 pt to clean the hole out good. Like everyone else has stated..... Take a 24" pipe wrench with you and you only have to back it up a little to get it unhooked. I don't diconnect anything, I just shut the tractor off when using the pipe wrench.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> ( Take the cheater bar off, if you are married, have your mother in law lean on the pipe wrench, that should spin the auger out (as long as she doesn't break the pipe wrench). If you are not married, I'm sure I could arrange to rent you a M-I-L (cheap) </font>

<font color="green"> Heck, If my mother in law so much as looked at it, it would spin itself out </font>


Wow Hawg, I hate to break the news to you, but you must have one mighty nice looking/pleasant disposition Mother In Laws.

The really mean M-I-L's have to sneak up on the auger bit or they spin themselves DOWN into the earth so deep that they pop out on the other side in China, where they are polished up and sold as "Chinese" made auger bits, imported back here against their will, and sold at a Homier traveling implement show!

 

[InlineDieselFan]

No further comments from me, the boss lady was the one that thought we needed a back hoe, so I need to be nice.

 

[cisco]

Aside from mother-in-law stuff, lots of folks seem to have buried their PHD ---- 1 time, and then they learn (or they can read the misadventures in the archives on this web site re. PHD and learn BEFORE they bury the auger).
My good friend and neighbor bought a PHD, put it on his tractor (surrounded by admiring family and friends who had come to help with building a fence that day), and promptly buried the auger; he had tilted his tractor backwards enough that the front wheels were off the ground. Not a real good maneuver with everyone watching. Indeed, he only related the story to me after a few "pops" (aka scotch).
Anyhow, a buried auger comes out the same way it goes in (a real surprise), whether you choose a large wrench or similar to grasp the yoke of the auger and screw it out.
When on my tractor, I pull up the auger out every foot or so of digging depth, just to make sure I don't have it hooked around the root of something (the roots from large oaks in my area can extend out for 50 feet, and if you get a auger against such, you're toast). I had read some of the stories re. augers on this site, and knew what sort of grief could ensue.
Sounds like you've solved the issue. Have fun with the PHD - it's great for fences, grape arbors (which I'll do this weekend), and so on.