Posthole Digger Need 3pt hitch post hole digger

[boblibido]

Since I have been reading these forums for a while, and the advice is always great, I figure it was time to ask a real question.

I have a Kubota L3800 and need a post hole digger for it. I have a relatively rocky soil in the middle of Kentucky and need to put in at least 50 posts for the first fence and then hundreds more for the next project.

So I have been looking at king kutter, land pride, and everything attachments.

Anyone have any experience or advise?

Thank you in advance.

 

[unimog_jason]

In my case, I had about 60 posts to set, so I rented a hydraulic unit for a skidsteer, worked like a charm (I've got SSQA on my tractor). I have a lot of sandstone and I was able to drill right through the stones since I was able to load up the bit with plenty of down pressure.

Jason

 

[Woody65]

I just completed a fence project which entailed putting in 70 locust fence posts in rocky soil. I would recommend sizing the PHD to your tractor and either gat one with a slip clutch or have plenty of sheer bolts on hand. I went through about 50 sheer bolts for 70 holes. It helps to have a helper with a digging bar to get the larger stones while you stay on the tractor.

 

[buickanddeere]

The EM5000 I bought at TSC is not beefy enough for hard clay soil with a few rocks . The cutting tips in the lower flights of the auger are forever being bent. Just broke the 1/2 bolt holding the spacer sleeve and auger onto the gearbox. Bolt broke with a burr and it's been a challenge to remove the sleeve without using a cutting torch.
Next PHD will be hydraulic, mounted on the loader bucket and have a HD rock auger.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Hydraulic auger drives are more expensive, but will save you time and aggravation in rocky/difficult soil conditions.
The Danuser EP6 hydraulic auger drive should work great if you have a universal skidsteer quick attach loader and hydraulics to feed it. There are many guys on here with the knowledge to tell you how to provide the hydraulics.
For a tractor, i'd go with an offset mount so you'll be able to see what you're doing. It is the same price as the center mount.
Shipping is free to a commercial business or supporting freight terminal within 1,000 miles of Newton, NC.

If you want to stick with a 3pt hitch phd, the ETA Post hole diggers are great quality and will ship free to your home within 1,000 miles of Newton, NC. I would use a 6900HD model for your tractor.
I hope this helps.
Travis

 

[boblibido]

Thanks everyone for your input. I was hoping to stick with the 3ph since I think I need another set of remotes to power the hydraulics.

I have a quick attach set up for my loader though...

 

[Haoleguy]

One followup question regarding post hole digger type. It seems to me that the bucket tractor attachment Danuser would allow for angled holes whereas the 3pt hitch type would not...is that correct? There are some situations(hillsides, vineyards, etc) that would require an angled approach.

Woody65 - Nice fenceline ! Those are pretty straight locust posts. Do you have a good commercial source for these?......Gary

 

[KYDan]

I have a Shaver that I have used some here in the Eden Shale of Central KY. It works fairly well and is pretty tough although it requires a lot of spud bar work to get through the rocks. I use a 9" auger as it seems to work a little better than a 12" in this soil. Spare bits are a must and lots of shear bolts. You can buy them by the pound at Tractor Supply.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

One followup question regarding post hole digger type. It seems to me that the bucket tractor attachment Danuser would allow for angled holes whereas the 3pt hitch type would not...is that correct? There are some situations(hillsides, vineyards, etc) that would require an angled approach.
.....Gary

That's true about better angling. There are several advantages that a front phd will give you over a 3pt model if the budget allows.

If you have SSQA, the skidsteer models provide a much better value vs. the bucket mounted in my opinion because you don't have to bolt onto your bucket, and they have 2" hex output shafts instead of 2" round or 2 9/16" round.
They're also less expensive than the bolt on models.

 

[SSdoxie]

If you know you will be fighting rocks constantly, hydraulic is the better way to go whether you buy or rent. If you have a rear remote, run set of hose to the front and try it. If it is to cumbersome then you can add 3rd function up front for the bigger project. No remotes at all, I would invest in remote and rent auger for first project. Then you will have a fair judgment for the next bigger project, if buying or renting is better way to go.

 

[Beltman60]

look into having them pounded
I have a Shaver PH8 and pounded 300 posts (4-5" 8' long) in a long weekend (fri, sat, sun) and was done setting them
no need for concrete in the bottoms and fill and tamp, just pound smaller side into ground
works like a charm and you can put them in at an angle
we live on nothing but rock and blew up about 18-20 posts that rocks got the best of (that can put a load in the old shorts)

 

[Beltman60]

I did do my mud lot with a hydraulic post hole gigger front mounted on a skid steer my nieghbor let me barrow
but that was work setting all those posts
much easier pounding
and the ones that were pounded seem to stay better with the freeze that the tamped ones

 

[Woody65]

One followup question regarding post hole digger type. It seems to me that the bucket tractor attachment Danuser would allow for angled holes whereas the 3pt hitch type would not...is that correct? There are some situations(hillsides, vineyards, etc) that would require an angled approach.

Woody65 - Nice fenceline ! Those are pretty straight locust posts. Do you have a good commercial source for these?......Gary

Haoleguy,

Thanks for the compliments. I got the posts from a local guy who goes into the woods and cuts all his own stuff. Found him on Craigslist.

 

[Elkins45]

I have a Leinbach (sp?) that I bought off a guy on Craigslist. It's about 30% useful here in northern KY. Between the heavy clay and the limestone rocks I find that I can successfully finish about 1 out of 3 of the holes I start without having to get off the tractor and hammer away with a breaker bar. Something with downforce would definitely be better, but since I only have $200 in my used 3pt unit I guess i got what I paid for. The unit itself works just fine, it just isn't the right tool for the job.

 

[boblibido]

I sure would love a hydraulic model but I think the 3ph model will have to do. As well as a lot of back breaking work. Now I just have to decide between models.

 

[Oliver1655]

I understand the cost factor between 3pt vs hydraulic. However with the number of post holes you want to dig....

Advantages of hydraulic mounted to loader: 1 - Downward pressure, especially important in hard, dry ground. 2 - The ability to to reverse direction of rotation. Have you ever had one stuck on a root, rock, ... & had to manually turn it backwards with a 3' pipe wrench? Definitely not fun. 3 - Better control of the speed of your auger. Sure you can adjust the pto speed by the RPMs of the tractor, but think of having additional control while working at close to idle not to mention the lower noise level. 4 - Saves time & fuel thanks to the downward pressure ability. 5 - Your back! bringing able to face forward while digging vs twisting in your seat for that many holes is much, much nicer. In summary, with the number of post holes you plan to dig, a hydraulic digger is a very worthwhile investment!

If you do get a 3pt digger, strongly consider making sure it has a strong back welder on the top side of the long tube or add one yourself. It is amazing the number of diggers I see at farm sales that have a bent tube or have been repaired. When the auger gets stuck, rather than get off the tractor & try to unscrew the auger, some folks will just keep trying to lift with the 3pt & ...

Wish you the best!

John

I have a very self-sufficient attitude. "I can do it myself!" With this said, I have a 3pt digger for my tractor, but instead of fighting it in the sand stone for the above reasons, I have a local contractor come over with his loader mounted hydraulic digger for my post holes.