Planting a 150 ft row of bushes. What is the best attachment to use?

[flyerdan]

If you don't want to buy any equipment or can't find anything suitable to rent, you might consider getting a bid from a fence company. They have all the stuff to make holes and can send a couple guys with a Groundhog auger for up to around 10", if I recall, or a skidsteer with a hydraulic unit for over 12" Two lines four feet apart would only take a couple hours with a skiddy, counting loading and unloading.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Wheel barrow and a set of post hole diggers.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm thinking drain spade and a regular spade to clean out the hole. Yes. Those are Harbor Freight images. That drain spade is $15 compared to Lowe's which is something like $54. I can break a couple and still be ahead buy from HF.
View attachment 754970View attachment 754971

If you don’t currently own a shovel, skip the Harbor Freight shovels and get a good, heavy, quality shovel that will last you a lifetime. I bought one when we got married in 1985 and still use it. I have my dad’s shovels as well.

But, yes, I have on occasion purchased Harbor Freight tools and figured them into the cost of the project, and if they survive the project, then, yes, I’m ahead!

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

You could also try one of these, but be ready for bruised ribs sore arms & back.

Gas Powered Earth Auger

Amazing deals on this Gas Powered Earth Auger 50:1 at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I have owned one of those..... beat us up big time! I had my 2 strapping strong adult sons give up faster than I did.....

We don't have a single rock here, primarily sandy loam with clay mixed in. Gets hard as concrete when dry.

Hung on the wall in the garage for the last six years.... just gave it away to my neighbor a few months ago.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

The PHD's at TSC are quite capable for your needs. Their augers are actually very good. I purchased my 12" from them.

My PHD is a Continental Belton, made by Ag-Meier brand, got it with a 9" auger. The augers from TSC are identical, right down to the tip. They dig very well.

In our soil, the 12" actually ends up making about a 14-15" hole (the upper foot or so), from lifting the auger up and down in the hole to clear.

 

[big bubba]

i agree with the post hole digger thought. rent one for a day, get a buddy to assist, drill all 50 holes. seems to me from experience enlarging by hand to your size would be easy. i would keep it very simple, unless you are trying to justify new equipment. btw, how will you irrigate? any deer problem with your chosen shrubs? deer & drought are the big challenges...regards,

 

[future_vision]

i agree with the post hole digger thought. rent one for a day, get a buddy to assist, drill all 50 holes. seems to me from experience enlarging by hand to your size would be easy. i would keep it very simple, unless you are trying to justify new equipment. btw, how will you irrigate? any deer problem with your chosen shrubs? deer & drought are the big challenges...regards,

Shrubs are deer resistant. As for watering I currently have a few 50 gallon barrels to water and I typically haul out 20-25 gallons when I go in 5 gallon buckets. Ideally I'd like to get a tote and gravity water everything from the tractor.

 

[Diggin It]

Me personally .... one, maybe two scoops per bush ......

That was taking one out. Putting them in would be quicker and less mess.

 

[M59]

You say New England and your picture shows a lot of rocks.
My limited experience with 3 pt mounted augers in rocky ground with hardpan is that they are just about worthless.
Every time you catch a rock 4" or larger they jump all around digging an oval hole and then it starts just bouncing up and down.
If I was going to try and auger the holes I would rent a SSQA mounted hydraulic powered unit, if your tractor
can't power it rent the skidsteer that can.

future_vision,

You mentioned chain sawing aggravated your wrists so digging by hand ( shovels, clam shell post hole diggers, or manual augers including posts 23 and 24 ) are all going to be hard on the wrists due to lifting and torque when you hit rock and New England has lots of rock unless you are working in river bottom silt/ sand and your pictures show upland and lots of rock.
LouNY is correct about 3 pt augers. They only spin in one direction and get easily bound up by catching the cutting edge on buried rock. Auger heads come with two types of cutting edges, spade and rock or bullet teeth. Spade teeth tend to bind easily on large roots and rocks that the torque won't bring up out of the hole.
That leaves you with a SSQA mounted onto a small riding skid steer/trackhoe or a walk behind skid steer. The SSQA mounted augers can be run in clockwise for digging and counter clockwise for unbinding an auger that catches rocks or roots. There are plenty of mentons in TBN of people using 3 pt augers that had to hand dig an auger out because it got too bound up to pull it back out of the hole.

I live in the mountains of NC where you can't put a spade into the ground without hitting rock. Digging holes with backhoe means moving rock and boring holes requires a rock auger.

If you really want to do this yourself then consider the skidsteer and SSQA auger option or hire a landscaper or fence installer to dig some holes.

pics. rock auger, spade bit auger, SSQA McMillen auger on FEL of M59 tractor

 

[alexpops]

If you're sure you'll never dig another hole again after this job, you could probably rent a small mini ex ($300/day around me) + fuel & transport & be done with it. More than 2 rentals, & owning the PHD makes more sense. I've got both & for some jobs I prefer the Mini for others I like the PHD.

 

[future_vision]

Me personally .... one, maybe two scoops per bush ......

That was taking one out. Putting them in would be quicker and less mess.

Got one on order. Still supply chain issues. If I had it I wouldn't have to ask this question. Regardless, I've gotten some great info as always.

 

[future_vision]

If you're sure you'll never dig another hole again after this job, you could probably rent a small mini ex ($300/day around me) + fuel & transport & be done with it. More than 2 rentals, & owning the PHD makes more sense. I've got both & for some jobs I prefer the Mini for others I like the PHD.

Not so cheap around me but then again my idea of a useful mini excavator is upwards of 18K lbs. I have no experience with the smaller ones.

 

[shooterdon]

That terrain looks challenging. There is stuff there that might need moving before a tractor with a 3 pt PHD can do what you want. BTW, a PHD can be a dangerous tool. I would not operate one alone but I have never used one. All the more reason I would want someone else there if things go south.

I have operated a gas powered two man PHD and they get the job done but it will still be a work out. IIRC we rented a 9" diameter unit.

Looking for a solution a week before you want to do the job is going to limit your options. Likely impossible to contract the job out and renting the "right" tool may be a challenge. The military calls it the 7 P's.

 

[M59]

A quick check of Home Depot excavator rental. Don't know your New England location so couldn't use zip code. See pic for rentals.
All of the walk behind skid loaders ( Toro, Vermeer, Bobcat, Kubota, etc ) are capable of running a SSQA auger. See pic.

This would be my preferred route since machine does the work and you don't do any lifting or straining of your wrists. These machines are all heavy enough to bore your holes.

 

[Eagle1]

Sure you guys are not politicians? Seem really good at spending other peoples money.

 

[ljjhouser]

They are generally expensive even for the cheapo ones and I don't think I can get my hands on one in short order. I'm hoping/needing to get the bushes in the ground sooner than later.

Wonder if you could rent a 12" 3pt auger.

 

[M59]

Sure you guys are not politicians? Seem really good at spending other peoples money.

Always fun to vicariously, however I have all the stuff I comment on so just some real life hard earned experience.

 

[M59]

Wonder if you could rent a 12" 3pt auger.

Not fond of 3 pt auger for reasons indicated in post 49. Drilling in rock laden ground is a education in frustration.

 

[MossRoad]

Another vote for a hydraulic auger with reversing valve. Mount it on the FEL for down pressure, too.

 

[M59]

Sure you guys are not politicians? Seem really good at spending other peoples money.

Eagle and future_vision,

Here is where I get to vicariously spend other peoples money. Future_vision has a Kioti DK6010 which will take a front end loader, but I don't know if loader has the SSQA attachment feature for bucket. With a loader with SSQA and a 3rd function valve you can do all sorts of fun stuff with that 57 hp tractor like use a grapple, 4 way snow plow in New England weather, run a hydraulic auger on FEL, 4in1 bucket, skid steer receiver hitch ( pic attached ). The receiver hitch is the best way to move any trailer around because you can see what you are doing and never any chance of losing a trailer like the bucket clamp on mount hitches.

The implements and attachments to the tractor are what make a tractor useful.