Post hole auger on lawn tractor

[Reverend Blair]

I build fences and decks for part of my living, and yard access is always a problem. In addition to that, I have some issues with my knees, so I was kind of hoping to get away from traditional augers.

I was thinking of getting a lawn tractor with a post-hole attachment, but the dealers offer no such thing. The closest they offer is a the JD 2305 or the Kubota 1600 series. Both are too large for my needs, plus hauling them is problematic.

Does anybody of a lawn tractor that has a post hole attachment?

It doesn't have to be new, but it does have to be reliable.

I know I've seen a JD 318 with a PTO and 3 point hitch. Will something like that handle an auger digging 3 1/2 foot holes? Is such an auger available? A mini-loader for the front would be cool too.

 

[Wis Bang]

I've seen them for skid steers.

 

[CATMAN]

Have you looked at the Toro Dingo "walk behind" hydraulic crawler with post hole augers. They rent them at rental stores. They look pretty narrow to me, so I think they would go thru a 36" gate into someone's backyard. Might be something to look into.

 

[zzvyb6]

I have a little EarthQuake brand gas powered digger with a 6" auger. Works great in sandy soil, but if you hit a rock, it can be a problem on your shoulders. Seems to me that you could use the tractor frame as a restraint and hook up some type of 4 bar linkage to raise and lower the digger. Something with a counterweight so that all you need to do is start it off. If you had a decent front loader, then a hydraulic motored phd would be a possibility. Need an oil supply of sufficient flow rate to get the job done.

 

[stevem5215]

I've seen them for the sub compact tractor Steiner brand. They are on ebay. Just do a search for Steiner and you'll see one listed in Ohio for $1650 used very little it says.

Steve

 

[Reverend Blair]

I've seen them for the sub compact tractor Steiner brand. They are on ebay. Just do a search for Steiner and you'll see one listed in Ohio for $1650 used very little it says.

Steve

There are no Steiner dealers that I can find in Canada, so parts and service are likely to be a problem with those. Too bad, it looks like a pretty cool little machine.

Have you looked at the Toro Dingo "walk behind" hydraulic crawler with post hole augers. They rent them at rental stores. They look pretty narrow to me, so I think they would go thru a 36" gate into someone's backyard. Might be something to look into.

That looks a lot like what I'm looking for. Small, maneuverable, and easy to trailer. There's a dealer not to far from here too. I'll have to check one out, but with an auger and a loader, I think that might do the trick.

 

[Tvern13]

You could look at a small gray market. I have a Yanmar 1610D that I have a PHD for does a good job. It will fit through a 48" gate (103" long by 44" wide). If that's too big you could maybe look at a Yanmar 1401 or F15 these are only 84-85" wide by 38-39" long. I think either of these could handle a PHD on the 3 point but you could check with a gray market dealer to be sure. Mine handles the PHD pretty good.

 

[Redneck in training]

Get one with down force option. I have one without DF and it is a pain to start a hole in grass.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Get one with down force option. I have one without DF and it is a pain to start a hole in grass.

Excellent advice. I didn't know that option existed, but I've felt that same pain. The grass mixes with the clay, sticks to the auger, and you might as well be trying to dig with a butter knife.

You could look at a small gray market. I have a Yanmar 1610D that I have a PHD for does a good job. It will fit through a 48" gate (103" long by 44" wide). If that's too big you could maybe look at a Yanmar 1401 or F15 these are only 84-85" wide by 38-39" long. I think either of these could handle a PHD on the 3 point but you could check with a gray market dealer to be sure. Mine handles the PHD pretty good.

That's about the same size as the JD 2305. I'm keeping my eye out for a used one (my niece's husband happens to be a JD mechanic) for larger jobs, and if I get one of the contracts I've bid on (long shot), I can just go buy a new one with the deposit money. Right now I rent one from a friend as needed.

Those are too big and hard to transport for most jobs though. I do a lot of residential stuff in established neighbourhoods. They don't want you taking down the fence if you are doing footings for a deck, and they don't want anything they perceive as heavy on their precious lawns. Often the fences require fighting your way through trees, and I'm constantly twisting my way through flower beds. Then there's the gazebos...don't get me started on the gazebos.

 

[bontai_Joe]

"Back in the day", Danuser (a leading mag. of post hole drills) made attachments for several leading brand garden tractors. Among them were tube frame Bolens machines, the Deere 140H3, Cub Cadet. Keep in mind that these were made over 30 years ago, and are rather rare, and I have no idea as to parts availability. The last Deere one I saw on Ebay was over 2 years ago, and it sold for well over $1000 (tractor not included).