Using post hole digger on existing fence

[Silly question]

Hi everyone, this is the first of my silly questions on TBN after joining up this morning. I've been reading for a few months though and many of you have already helped me enormously!

I have just bought a PTO driven PHD and will need to use it to replace fence posts on existing barbed wire fences. I have read many many safety related articles on using PHD, and watched all the youtube clips I can find, but have not yet found anyone talking about replacing fence posts, just digging holes in clear ground for new fences. What safety tricks can I use to avoid getting the auger tangled in the wire. Do I need to take the wire off first? I was wondering whether I could make some sort of guard that could be placed between the wire and the auger, then braces to the tractor to push the wires back from the auger to create some clear space between guard and auger. Not sure where it would brace to yet.
Please let me know if this is highly unrecommended!

Any tips would be really helpful.

 

[coralhead]

Do not try to post hole dig in an existing hole if you pull out the old post. It will firmly screw itself into the ground. I would use a 2 x 4 near to where you are digging to hold the wire away from the area after un-stapling the wire.

 

[Silly question]

Thanks for the quick reply Coralhead. Good tip on not using the existing hole, lots of people warn about avoiding screw in!
Do you mean to use the existing post to brace the 4x2 against to give it the clearance? e.g., place the 4x2 between the existing post and the wire to push wire out 4inches?

 

[bcp]

You aren't using steel posts that can be driven without a hole? Every post is wood? Or only corner and brace posts wood?



If this was just an occasional post I would drive a T-post (star picket) about 2 ft away and pull the wire to it while hole digging.

If not a property line fence, and replacing most of the posts, make a new row of holes parallel 3 feet away and move the wire to the new row of posts.

If the fence has to stay where it is, and it is lots of posts and you can drive on both sides, I'd have another vehicle with a bracket to pull the wire aside for each new hole.

One side only access and lots of holes, I would try to think of something on the tractor to push the wire away.

Tell us more.

Bruce

 

[Wagtail]

If this was just an occasional post I would drive a T-post (star picket)...

Bruce

Good on'ya Bruce for remembering that, here in Australia, the standard metal post is a 'star picket'. :thumbsup:

 

[Silly question]

Thanks BCP, lots of ideas and options there!

We have 30+ year old fencing using wood posts all the way along, with droppers (star pickets) in between posts on some fences. Many of the posts are rotting through and have been replaced by hand over the past few years, but more and more to do as time goes by. The droppers are still okay as long as I don't try to pull them out.

It is a combination of a few of the situations you covered. We have boundary fences, as well as internal that need posts replaced. Some we have access to both sides, others have either neighbours property or thick bush on the outside. I'd like to keep the fences where they are and only replace the posts as needed rather than repositioning the fence (on internal runs).

I like your idea of placing a star picket away from the hole and using that to hold wire back, and a bracket to another vehicle where possible.

Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, greatly appreciated!

 

[Silly question]

Okay, I have a bonus question on this topic. If I have to access a fence from the wire side, rather than post side, Would I do the same as BCP suggested - using a star picket to hold wires back while digging. I am suggesting using the star picket to pull the wires back past where the hole will be, away from the tractor. I ask because this will obviously be more dangerous if the star picket fails, than if I have access to the post side of fence using this method.

Not sure if the makes sense at all.

 

[dougtrr2]

How many posts are we talking about? If it is just a few then the methods talked out would be fine. If there are quite a few it might be well worth the time to fabricate an integrated "guard/wire pusher".

Doug in SW IA

 

[Silly question]

How many posts are we talking about? If it is just a few then the methods talked out would be fine. If there are quite a few it might be well worth the time to fabricate an integrated "guard/wire pusher".

Doug in SW IA

Hi Doug, thanks for your message. We are talking about replacing around 40 posts initially, but then there will be more and more to do as the existing fences age, so I'm thinking to put in some time to rig up something that can push the wires out as I back up to the fence. I'm not 100% sure on the design yet, but I'm thinking it will be some sort of frame that protrudes out past the auger from the tractor, possibly braced to the ROPS, not sure yet, I'll have a better look at how it would work over the next week or two when I have time.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I always just used a digging iron to hold the fence back, easier to get in the ground and one person held the top while the other dug the hole. Ed

 

[Creamer]

The technique we always used in replacing a wood post is to try to get the old post pulled out - usually a couple of crow bars jammed into the stub over wood blocks. Then we used a long handled shovel or crowbar which go into the ground easily to hold the wire back - one guy holding the top end. the other guy operating the tractor. It doesn't matter which side of the fence you are on just push the wires away from the tractor.

If you cannot get the old stub out just dig a hole beside it - far enough away that the new post is not affected by the old one rotting away - 12" or so.

Never had much trouble with barbed wire getting caught in the auger as it is not turning fast and doesn't really grab it. Just stop it or push it away again quick.

The auguring in problem is a problem with the operator - don't let the 3 pt go down that fast the augur is turning faster than the 3 pt is going down so you are lifting the dirt and cleaning the hole as you go.

 

[kthompson]

Creamer may be very right smooth auger may not catch the wire but what came to my mind the moment I read it was cut a barrel or tank open to get a semi circle and mount it between the auger and the wire so the tractor pushes it into the wire and from the post. The auger could fit inside the semi circle depending on the amount of dirt piling up. May could mount it to the phd head but would need links to the lift arms or such to give solid push.