Posthole Digger m59 with posthole digger on backhoe (and rock rake up front)

[Charlesaf3]

For those interested (there've been a few discussions on it) I finally got my hydraulic PHD rigged up on a quick attach to my m59 backhoe. The parts, and the hydraulic auger, all came from Neil messick. Auger mount from mcmillen and Quick attach earch from kubota were put together by a local welder. (Note - I made the spacing precise, and the ears bent in from heat shrinkage after grinding, giving me the opportunity to invest in and use a new grinder. Better to allow for this up front... )

The auger is running off the flow from the backhoe thumb. I had messicks put in pioneer quick connects in line at the thumb when I ordered it, under the theory I'd get to this eventually.

Rigged up is the 2 foot auger. I can barely dig with this - which is fine, I got it as a tree/shrub planter. First test, in between 2 oak trees, with lots of roots, went well.

I have a bobcat landscape rake 6b on the front (made by rockhound, btw, just rebadged). Happenstance, but its REALLY heavy, and thus makes a nice counterweight. The PHD on the end of a hoe is a big levered weight, I would be really careful swinging it.

As an aside, the ability to run the m59 as a big skidsteer is great, and often overlooked on here. I feel I have a skidsteer, tractor, and backhoe, all in one. There are some tradeoffs involved, but the flexibility is awesome.

pics in next post. Hyrdraulic post hole digger is McMillen x975. Theoretical flow on m59 is 15, but I think the qcs knock me down to 12 - not sure

 

[Charlesaf3]

pics.

 

[Charlesaf3]

and more pics... (am I imagining things, or is there an automatic resizer? nice!)

 

[Charlesaf3]

I'd say so far the PHD works as well on the hoe as on the front ss QA. It's a low flow model, which I originally got to run off my b3030. Speed is fine, I wouldn't mind more torque, but down pressure and reverse more than make up for it. I gather I'd have more torque if the relief in my system was set higher, but not sure and would welcome feedback

 

[955er]

That is one bad-*** looking machine with the auger and the power rake attached. Nice!

 

[Stonehaller]

I gather I'd have more torque if the relief in my system was set higher, but not sure and would welcome feedback

Higher pressure will give you more torque, but you do not want to set your system relief higher than spec's. There may be a cross port relief on the PHD motor to protect it that is limiting the torque. Also, hydraulic thumb circuits often have their own relief so that the bucket curl will not damage the thumb cylinder.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Thanks stonehaller, that makes sense - thumb circuit does have a lower relief than bucket curl now that you mention it.

 

[Charlesaf3]

popped for RFB.

I've been using the 2 foot auger to punch tree and hydrange holes. Its a planting machine (pun intended) wife and I got 6 3 gallon hydranges planted in untouched forest soil in around 15 minutes - longest thing was moving the machine.

Be tough to go over a foot or 2 down with the 2 footer - think the 9" would do a lot better but haven't tried it yet

 

[ManAtArms]

pics in next post. Hyrdraulic post hole digger is McMillen x975. Theoretical flow on m59 is 15, but I think the qcs knock me down to 12 - not sure

Charles,

By QCS do you mean the quick connects? I'm about to rig up a log splitter to my hoe and I was wondering if I had enough flow to run it off the thumb lines. It's gonna be a 4 or a 4.5 inch cylinder, and it calls for 11gpm. Cutting it close I suppose.

How much are the QA bucket ears?

-Mark

 

[MtnViewRanch]

popped for RFB.

I've been using the 2 foot auger to punch tree and hydrange holes. Its a planting machine (pun intended) wife and I got 6 3 gallon hydranges planted in untouched forest soil in around 15 minutes - longest thing was moving the machine.

Be tough to go over a foot or 2 down with the 2 footer - think the 9" would do a lot better but haven't tried it yet

Why? I dig full depth all the time with my 2 footer.

 

[RFB]

Charles,

Thanks buddy!

 

[Charlesaf3]

Charles,

By QCS do you mean the quick connects? I'm about to rig up a log splitter to my hoe and I was wondering if I had enough flow to run it off the thumb lines. It's gonna be a 4 or a 4.5 inch cylinder, and it calls for 11gpm. Cutting it close I suppose.

How much are the QA bucket ears?

-Mark

Yeah, I think the pioneer quick connects have a max flow of 12. Why run it off the thumb - do you have any other remotes? I find the front remotes REALLY useful if you don't have them, as you can run a lot of bobcat stuff - basically makes it into a big skidsteer. I'd tend to put the splitter on a FEL QA blank for ease of movement too.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Why? I dig full depth all the time with my 2 footer.

Yeah, I could dig that - big oak roots and boulders though I doubt. Its really convenient to have the auger on the hoe, but you lose a lot of horsepower by doing so - I forget the math, but I bet I'm running the auger off 1/3 the hp you are effectively (W.A.G)

 

[TWD]

Awesome :thumbsup:

 

[ManAtArms]

Yeah, I think the pioneer quick connects have a max flow of 12. Why run it off the thumb - do you have any other remotes? I find the front remotes REALLY useful if you don't have them, as you can run a lot of bobcat stuff - basically makes it into a big skidsteer. I'd tend to put the splitter on a FEL QA blank for ease of movement too.

Charles,

No, I don't have rear remotes.

I thinks its about 2k to add them or so. So I was figuring I could put quick disconnects to the thumb rod and use that instead. Are the factory also limited to 12GPM (i.e. are they pioneers)?

 

[jenkinsph]

Charles,
Once you make a few holes you will really like that setup, I have a similar unit on my 110tlb and it works well.

 

[ME83]

This past weekend I just picked up a Mcmillen X1475 for my 110 tlb. Right now it is setup with a SSQA to go on the front loader, and the couple of "new toy" holes I dug with it went great, much better than a 3 pt hitch type I used before and I won't even mention how much better than digging by hand!!!

Have you guys ever used a hyd phd on the loader also? I am just wondering how it compares to on the backhoe? I need to line up some fun projects for winter, so is it worth making the swap? I would be making the mount myself.

 

[missingstexas]

Yeah, I think the pioneer quick connects have a max flow of 12. Why run it off the thumb - do you have any other remotes? I find the front remotes REALLY useful if you don't have them, as you can run a lot of bobcat stuff - basically makes it into a big skidsteer. I'd tend to put the splitter on a FEL QA blank for ease of movement too.

Dude- I'm soooo jealous! I would love to have that setup. I'm about to dig about 150 or so holes for a horse fence and man that setup would be sweet!!! Very nice looking rig!

 

[Jay4200]

popped for RFB.

I've been using the 2 foot auger to punch tree and hydrange holes. Its a planting machine (pun intended) wife and I got 6 3 gallon hydranges planted in untouched forest soil in around 15 minutes - longest thing was moving the machine.

Be tough to go over a foot or 2 down with the 2 footer - think the 9" would do a lot better but haven't tried it yet

You can actually dig a foot or two with that thing? What, no rocks where you live? I'm fairly sure that I could never use an auger for anything.

Your machine does look pretty nasty. I am kind've surprised that you can run that rake up front though - I would've thought that 15gpm isn't enough.

JayC

 

[Charlesaf3]

This past weekend I just picked up a Mcmillen X1475 for my 110 tlb. Right now it is setup with a SSQA to go on the front loader, and the couple of "new toy" holes I dug with it went great, much better than a 3 pt hitch type I used before and I won't even mention how much better than digging by hand!!!

Have you guys ever used a hyd phd on the loader also? I am just wondering how it compares to on the backhoe? I need to line up some fun projects for winter, so is it worth making the swap? I would be making the mount myself.

Yeah, came rigged for the FEL. Backhoe is MUCH nicer, for obvious reasons.