Trench digging

[RalphVa]

I tried various trench digging wording in the search and didn't come up with what I thought is what I want. So, I'll ask.

One good tool for digging trenches is the Gravely rotary plow. You can also get a longer shank for it and use it to dig post holes. Since I have a rotary plow and am planning to get a 4wd tractor, I'm wondering how the post hole digger shaft is attached. Could I put the octagonal (or hexagonal; forgot; too cold to go out and look) shaft of my rotary plow into where the shaft goes on a PHD? This would allow me to use my rotary plow on the 3ph of the 4wd tractor. This is even better than the Gravely, as the plow would tear up the dirt AFTER the tractor wheels go over it.

The rotary plow, for those who haven't seen them, is 4 small plow blades attached to a cast iron piece on the end of a octagonal/hexagonal shaft. It normally goes into a gear box sleeve. The gear box attaches to the PTO of the Gravely via 4 bolts.

Ralph

 

[grandad]

The shaft on my PHD, and I think on most of them, is round with 1/2" through holes to attach the auger with shear bolts. Don't have the diameter handy, but it's something between 1 and 1 1/4", if memory serves. If you have a Tractor Supply store or the like nearby, or a tractor dealer, you could go in and measure one. Also, if there's no hope for attaching it directly, a machine shop might be able to make an adapter.

But, how much of a trench are you trying to dig? Will the rotary plow remove the soil or simply break it up and you still have to extract it?

 

[Taylortractornut]

Ralph is the rotary plow the one that is tapered to a blunt point with the four blades. I have a friend that plants his shrubs with one. The only thing about trenching with a phd is the way it mounts and the stress on the gear box bearings, and also the toplink mounts on your tractor where the phd mounts.

 

[RalphVa]

The rotary plow has 4 tiny blades that resemble miniature plow shares. It would throw the dirt out of a shallow trench, but I think most use it to loosen the dirt and then shovel it out. Same for drilling fence posts and planting shrubs. Use it to loosen and then shovel out.

I was also wondering about use of it in a PHD to make mounded garden rows. The rotary plow on the Gravely does a great job of this and would be even better if it was on the rear such that the tires didn't run over the mound. I may have a rig built to mount the rotary plow rig to a 3 pt when I get my 4wd tractor. Would just have to duplicate the 4 bolt attachment and run some stuff out to connect the 3 pt to and figure out how to attach the PTO shaft. Use of a PHD to take the rotary plow shaft might be far easier.

Ralph