Timber
Veteran Member
don't be such a *****Ductape said:That sounds like work !!
Posthole Digger Can I use a 24 inch auger on a PTO powered PHD?
- Thread starter andrewj
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Farmerford
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2006
- Messages
- 733
- Location
- Columbus, Georgia
- Tractor
- Kuborta B2400, L2900, L4330; Caterpillar D3B, John Deere 455D
I have a 10 year old Bush Hog brand PHD. I bought the "light duty" model because the dealer told me I did not need the heavy duty model (and he did not have one in stock). The only difference between the light duty and heavy duty model was the class of the pto shaft and the type of shear pin (3/8" in each case, but the light duty was very mild steel, in order to protect the rather long and light PTO shaft). The light duty model was rated for a 9" auger and the heavy duty model for a 24".
I later bought a 24 " auger and put the PHD on a Kubota B2400 (18hp PTO). At any engine speed much above idle it would shear the pin, but at idle the tractor would stall first. If you hung about 300# of weight on it so it would dig in most ground by itself, and so that the TPH could be used to "hold" it out of the ground while it was digging, you could dig okay. I have dug at least a couple hundred holes in Georgia clay (mostly for planting trees) and broken only half dozen shear pins.
Slightly moistening the ground helps, but too much water and you make mud that holds the auger very tight. One center hole with a smaller auger doesn't help much. A small hole (6") doesn't remove much dirt, and a larger hole (12" lets the 24" auger wallow around too much.
What works best for me if the ground is real hard, is to drill four 6" holes evely spaced around the inside of a 24" perimeter. This leaves the point of the 24" auger plenty of soil in the middle to keep it centered in the hole and also keeps the bit from digging in too much when it crosses the existing 6" holes. Weight on the auger ( I made a bracket to hold 300# of weights) really helps because it makes the auger dig on its own so that you can actually use the TPH to hold it out of the ground. That way you can drop the lift just a little (say1/2 to 1" ) and the auger will take a bite, but the lift keeps it from going down any further and stalling.
I later bought a 24 " auger and put the PHD on a Kubota B2400 (18hp PTO). At any engine speed much above idle it would shear the pin, but at idle the tractor would stall first. If you hung about 300# of weight on it so it would dig in most ground by itself, and so that the TPH could be used to "hold" it out of the ground while it was digging, you could dig okay. I have dug at least a couple hundred holes in Georgia clay (mostly for planting trees) and broken only half dozen shear pins.
Slightly moistening the ground helps, but too much water and you make mud that holds the auger very tight. One center hole with a smaller auger doesn't help much. A small hole (6") doesn't remove much dirt, and a larger hole (12" lets the 24" auger wallow around too much.
What works best for me if the ground is real hard, is to drill four 6" holes evely spaced around the inside of a 24" perimeter. This leaves the point of the 24" auger plenty of soil in the middle to keep it centered in the hole and also keeps the bit from digging in too much when it crosses the existing 6" holes. Weight on the auger ( I made a bracket to hold 300# of weights) really helps because it makes the auger dig on its own so that you can actually use the TPH to hold it out of the ground. That way you can drop the lift just a little (say1/2 to 1" ) and the auger will take a bite, but the lift keeps it from going down any further and stalling.
dangerdoc
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2007
- Messages
- 354
andrewj said:
I wouldn't want to run an auger that big without a powered reverse for when you get stuck.
davey4000
Bronze Member
Farmerford, would you happen to have a photo of your bracket and weights, or a more detailed description of your setup?