Posthole Digger Home built post hole digger

Steve C · Oct 4, 2009

I have a chance to buy what seems to be a well made home built post hole digger. It looks like a small automotive rear end was used as a gear box. The support arm is made out of a 4 inch ship channel I beam and the position of the lower link supports is adjustable. It also has a removeable handle that mounts to the housing and extends forward so you can control the entry angle of the unit from the drivers seat.

It has a 12 inch auger that seems to be a production item with replacable cutting edges. What are the chances that this thing will actually work?

I assume that the gear ratio is between 3-1 and 4-1. What is the gear ratio of factory built units that swing 12 inch augers?

The support arm also has a hook welded on to use as a boom pole lift.

The man that owns it told me he bought it used and that he has used it to set several hundred poles with his New Holland tractor.

The PTO shaft seems to be in good shape and is a standard size to fit my tractor.

It also comes with 47, seven and one half foot long ceder posts that have been air dried and have 6" to 8" tops.

Have any of you ever seen such a unit, and if so does it work?

My tractor only has 25 HP and I am thinking that an automotive rear end is probably designed to handle a lot more than that. This unit weighs about 250# and from what I have read the weight is a plus when it comes to 3 point post hole diggers.

The bottom line is this, I can get the digger and the posts for $200. What is your opinion about this? I think the posts alone are probably worth what he is asking for the package, but I haven't bought posts in many years so I am out of touch with the pricing.

jenkinsph · Oct 5, 2009

If the posts are something you need then buy it since their worth more than that. O yeah, get the free phd with them.

Steve

jcaron2 · Oct 5, 2009

Sounds like a pretty spectacular deal to me, especially if you can use the posts. I don't know what the gear ratio is on my PHD, but if I had to guess based on rotational speed at full engine RPMs I'd say it's probably right in that same range of 3-4:1. Presumably your tractor has a 540 PTO and not a 1000.

foggy1111 · Oct 5, 2009

I have seen one of these ph diggers made with a car gear box.....but it was a loooong time ago. From what I know it worked fine. I have heard of others....but have no knowledge on how well they worked. Sounds like you cannot go wrong.....I'd go fo it......especially if you can use the posts.

Ed_Indiana · Oct 5, 2009

Try it out before you buy it if possible.

studor · Oct 5, 2009

Look at the price of new posts, the price of a 12" auger and the price of any PHD that turns and I think you will find it is a pretty good deal. My PHD is pretty much as you describe but the gearbox is from I -do -not -know -what

. I have seen a fair number of PHDs at auction made from car rear ends and they sell for $100 - $200 without the posts and with banged up augers JMHO

Steve C · Oct 5, 2009

jenkinsph said:
If the posts are something you need then buy it since their worth more than that. O yeah, get the free phd with them.

Steve

I have a lot of old fence to maintain. Many of the posts are broken off at ground level and the wire is the only thing that is holding them up. I brought this thing home with me. Along with the trailer full of posts.

BeezFun · Oct 5, 2009

I expect to see your picture on a wanted poster at the post office, you stole that thing.

Steve C · Oct 5, 2009

BeezFun said:
I expect to see your picture on a wanted poster at the post office, you stole that thing.

Actualy I paid to much for it. It was advertized on Craigs list for $160 with the cedar posts. I responded to the add with an e-mail from a burger king in Reed City Michigan, we were on the road on our way to a craft show in Berrian Springs and I used my little Dell 10 inch computer to access the internet. The man called me and told me he had 8 replies to his add. I couldn't get there right away so I offerd him more money if he would hold it for me. He agreed to that. I think we are both happy. I had to make some adjustments to the mounts but I got it in my tractor and it seems to work great. It goes around and wants to dig dirt and doessn't make any strange noises. Cant ask for anything more than that.

Oh and it is a heavy P.O.S. to move around. While dragging it out of the trailer it got away from me a little and almost pinched my finger off. I should have had gloves on. I will have a little scar on the top and bottom of my left index finger to remind me to be more careful.

R W · Oct 5, 2009

I built a digger some years ago using a Ford diff it worked well and as far as I know is still being used.
Didn't notice a slip clutch in the photos, if it hasn't got one I'd fit one. Over all you
seem to be getting a good deal.

Steve C · Oct 5, 2009

BeezFun said:
I expect to see your picture on a wanted poster at the post office, you stole that thing.

Actualy I paid to much for it. It was advertized on Craigs list for $160 with the cedar posts. I responded to the add with an e-mail from a burger king in Reed City Michigan, we were on the road on our way to a craft show in Berrian Springs and I used my little Dell computer to access the internet. The man called me and told me he had 8 replies to his add. I couldn't get there right away so I offerd him more money if he would hold it for me. He agreed to that. I think we are both happy. I had to make some adjustments to the mounts but I got it in my tractor and it seems to work great. It goes around and wants to dig dirt and doessn't make any sttrange noises. Cant ask for anything more than that.

Steve C · Oct 5, 2009

R W said:
I built a digger some years ago using a Ford diff it worked well and as far as I know is still being used.
Didn't notice a slip clutch in the photos, if it hasn't got one I'd fit one. Over all you
seem to be getting a good deal.

That bothers me a little. I think I need to put a shear pin or slip clutch somewhere in the driveline.

Diamondpilot · Oct 5, 2009

I have one that is identical but black. I mean IDENTICAL! I have used it to dig about 100 post. As for the gear ratio mine is a 3.53 and the factory ones are 3.5 so it works perfect. I only have a 9" auger but need to get a 12". I gave $100 for mine about 5 years ago and it runs great off my Jinma 254.

Mine has a shear pin on the auger and the pto shaft to the gear box.

Chris

R W · Oct 6, 2009

Steve C said:
That bothers me a little. I think I need to put a shear pin or slip clutch somewhere in the driveline.

I used a slip clutch from a disused header, fitted to the gearbox input shaft,
and always used a 1/2" soft bolt to to hold the auger on.

studor · Oct 6, 2009

Look at the drive shaft and there is probably a shear bolt in it around the first universal joint

. Like RW I use a soft bolt to hold on the auger and there is a shear bolt in the driveline right after the PTO coupler.

kebo · Oct 6, 2009

Steve C said:
Actualy I paid to much for it. It was advertized on Craigs list for $160 with the cedar posts. I responded to the add with an e-mail from a burger king in Reed City Michigan, we were on the road on our way to a craft show in Berrian Springs and I used my little Dell 10 inch computer to access the internet. The man called me and told me he had 8 replies to his add. I couldn't get there right away so I offerd him more money if he would hold it for me. He agreed to that. I think we are both happy. I had to make some adjustments to the mounts but I got it in my tractor and it seems to work great. It goes around and wants to dig dirt and doessn't make any strange noises. Cant ask for anything more than that.

Oh and it is a heavy P.O.S. to move around. While dragging it out of the trailer it got away from me a little and almost pinched my finger off. I should have had gloves on. I will have a little scar on the top and bottom of my left index finger to remind me to be more careful.

You got yourself a great deal it would seem! Congrats to you, I'm a craigslist junkie myself and have made many great deals though it over the years, even turned around and resold some of them for small profit.

I have always thought of a PHD as the most unwieldy and rather dangerous imlement to ever attach to a tractor IF you are picking it up off the ground (with it assembled). It can fold up quite easily and pinch not just a finger, but a whole hand. Yours looks like you could attach the main I-beam first, then attach the gearbox. Next time get someone to help you! Better yet, build a A-frame type rest out of wood to park it on.

I would like to see a picture of it attached to the tractor, if you get a chance.

Big Bri · Oct 6, 2009

That thing just looks neat! ! !

buck12 · Oct 6, 2009

My Grandfather had one that I helped him use as a kid. I new it was in a pile at the farm but hadn't tried to use it because I got a PHD and two augers with my used tractor. I went to see my cousin's new land a couple weeks ago and there was Granddaddy's PHD on his tractor. Glad someone is getting some use out of it. Best I remember it worked fine.

Diamondpilot · Oct 7, 2009

kebo said:
Yours looks like you could attach the main I-beam first, then attach the gearbox. Next time get someone to help you! Better yet, build a A-frame type rest out of wood to park it on.

Like I said I have one identical. What I do is chain the auger/gear box to a pole in my pole barn. I then hook up the beam and back the tractor into position, slide in the pin between the pole and gear box, and hook up the pto shaft. Works good and I can hook it up in 5 minutes by myself.

Chris