The ground is hard

[stuckmotor]

We haven't had much rain lately and I've got my post hole auger stuck up to the gear box. I expect to find some roots when I try to dig it out. Boy that ground is hard!

 

[TomSeller]

Yikes! The top of the auger is underground level? When I used to have a 3 pt auger I had a long bar attachment that I would reverse turn it with. It would take some digging to do that if the auger head was below grade. Maybe I am not understanding.

 

[TMGT]

Dry here too, been leveling an area for my new shop and had to remove a decent size white oak, had to rip and dig with the track loader and skid steer down over 4ft before it would budge.
Clay ground is like concrete right now.

 

[bcp]

Could you use a bar through the rear PTO U-joint? Accessible and gear reduction.

Bruce

 

[stuckmotor]

Tom,
You understand perfectly. Last time this happened, I made one of those long bar attachments and couldn't screw the auger out. I managed to dig down a few inches on one side of it and poured a couple of gallons in the hole. If I can dig down far enough to attach the bar at an angle and twist it, I might try that again.

 

[stuckmotor]

Could you use a bar through the rear PTO U-joint? Accessible and gear reduction.

Bruce

That might work. Right now the whole unit is together and off the tractor. I guess I could chain the frame to another post and try turning it with a bar through the u joint or if I can lock the drive shaft to the frame, I might be able to use the frame for a lever. If that doesn't work, I'll probably be two tired to do much digging. This is going to require some thought.

 

[stuckmotor]

Dry here too, been leveling an area for my new shop and had to remove a decent size white oak, had to rip and dig with the track loader and skid steer down over 4ft before it would budge.
Clay ground is like concrete right now.

I'm just thankful my hay man got rain earlier in the season.

 

[Egon]

If you are close to a water supply hydro jetting may be worth a look at.

 

[Snobdds]

We haven't had much rain lately and I've got my post hole auger stuck up to the gear box. I expect to find some roots when I try to dig it out. Boy that ground is hard!

You should change your name to Juststuck...

kidding, of course.

 

[DieselBound]

If you are close to a water supply hydro jetting may be worth a look at.

^^^ THIS!

Just saturate the heck out of that hole (and its contents). Lift up and turn and material should slough off the bit.

I just completed a fencing job and out of fear of getting a PTO auger stuck I ended up renting a skid steer and auger. Having a reverse flow capability was essential, as I was burying the head and managed to get the auger stuck numerous times, at which point I merely reversed a bit and then pulled up and out.