Post hole digger: EA or Titan?

[Z-Michigan]

I'm planning to buy a post hole digger with a 12" diameter auger. This will be used on a Kioti DK5010 (50hp, 45 pto) initially for digging 24" deep holes for fence posts, about 100 to 150 holes, and then for digging 12-24" deep holes to plant trees, maybe 50-100 holes a year. I will probably never want to dig deeper than 24" due to bedrock and lack of need, and for now I'm not planning to get any auger besides the 12". I have thought about renting a PHD but I can't get the project done in a weekend and because of that the cost of renting would approach the cost of buying very quickly. However, I do see relatively light and limited use of the PHD.

I am focused on two models, the HD model at Everything Attachments:
Tractor 3 Point Post Hole Digger For Up To 18 Inch Hole

And the 60hp model at Titan / Palletforks.com:
6HP Posthole Digger with 6", 9" or 12" Auger

The EA model is, as far as I can tell, US-made except for the gearbox, while I assume but don't know that the Titan one is probably mostly or all Chinese made. I read EA's specs and watched their video and they certainly sound good, but again I'll be using this only on a limited basis. The Titan is about $200 less (based on shipped cost to my house).

Does anyone have personal experience with either one of these and have good or not so good things to say? I'm mostly trying to decide if any quality difference is worth an extra $200 for my light use.

 

[Btown]

I have a post hole digger from Tractor Supply Co. I have dug hundreds of holes. I just changed the replaceable teeth this year, the rocks up hear wear them down. Mine is less beefy than those , so either would easily handle what you throw at it.

 

[roadhunter]

I just went through this exact decision. I had a really nice bushhog post hole digger with cat 2 hookups and a down force cylinder but I sold it before we moved as I hadn't used it in a while. I have a 70 HP JCB with a cat 2 hitch with down force so I wasn't worried about finding a post hole digger with down force but wanted something that would handle the tractor within reason. In the end cost won out as with a coupon the 60 hp Titan was just over $600 including freight. When it arrived I was shocked at how little it was compared to my last unit. Even the bit was about a foot shorter. IT has however worked just fine as I am careful with it since my tractor could snap the pipe by simply putting too much down force but it sure makes these work a whole lot better. I found that putting it on in pieces was quite easy as nothing weighs that much and it's simple to get pins lined up. When I was finished I broke it back down and slid it under a work table for storage.

So overall it works and I got what I paid for. I used it to set about 6 fence posts 4 ft deep and dug a 75 ft long x 24" deep trench by making a line of holes.

 

[Fallon]

For under 300 holes I'd just find whatever is cheapest, probably something used. Even if the seals are shot you can fill it with grease & get a few thousand holes out of it. The only thing that will wear out is the cutting teeth on the auger, so make sure those are replacable. Depending on the soil they may last under a hundred holed or a few hundred. A good auger is $300+, a cheap farm store auger is $100-200 & will easily last a thousand holes or so if you keep good teeth on it.

 

[sdef]

The ground type may dictate which model you purchase. I have drilled holes in sandy loam and dense, hard, rocky soil. I think the TSC/Speeco HD PHD is a great bang-for-the-buck being used in soil that is not dense and hard rocky clay like I have. I destroyed one SpeeCo standard 12" auger and damaged a 9" auger in my soil. The HD SpeeCo augers (not available at TSC) are a good add on.

I have the ETA and it is a good piece of equipment. It comes standard with the HD SpeeCo auger. I have bent flights on the 12" auger as well as breaking off the auger tip.

From a build quality standpoint, the ETA is stronger. On the borrowed TSC unit, I had to redrill one of the the auger mounting holes at the PHD mounting point as it was drilled a bit off center and only one of the two auger mounting bolts could be used. Otherwise a decent unit. It also is setup for Cat 1/2 tractors. SpeeCo has a down pressure hydraulic cylinder as an option but its operation did not mesh with my needs. I seem to recall it only supported ~ maximum 2000 PSI hydraulic pressure and my CUT uses ~2700 PSI and I did not want to do the mods necessary to adapt the down unit for my needs.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know those brands, but have learned that the most important part of a post hole digger is the cutting teeth on the auger. You get the right one, and it does all the work. You get the wrong one and you are hating life. I found the right one on my third try. It took me awhile because I tend to avoid Tractor Supply, but out of desperation, I gave their Countryline 12 inch auger a try and was blown away by how quickly it dug!!!! I also learned that having a good auger meant paying attention more to what you are doing because it will quickly bury itself into the ground. Never having had a really aggressive, go through anything auger before, this surprised me.

When you wear out the cutting teeth, Tractor Supply has then there for a fair price.

Why only 24 inches for fence posts?

I go 3 feet because I have very stable soil, but in other areas, it's 4 feet at least or they will move and lean on you in just a few years.

 

[newbury]

For under 300 holes I'd just find whatever is cheapest,<snip>

What he said.
I bought a cheap Dale Phillips Equipment

Well I now know the brand, quality, difficulty of assembly and if it will work on my B7610.
First of all - This might be lengthy.

My travels brought me within about 2 miles of the Petersburg, Va store so I decided to swing by and maybe get a PHD.

Agrisupply now lists 3 tractor posthole diggers:
#48598 Heavy Duty Post Hole Digger $359.95
#31391 Posthole Digger 50 HP $339.95
#69499 3 Point Post Hole Digger Frame With Gearbox $349.95

I thought any one of the three would do for me, but I like to see things before I buy them.

SO I get there and look. They only had 1 set up, the #31391, and I was told they others in crates, but no #48598's, just #31391's and #69499's, the store guys referred to the #69499's as the "black ones". (They said the metal shroud on it was much cheaper).

Well the #31391 Posthole Digger 50 HP looked ok to me (definitely no Bush Hog but hopefully sturdy enough). So I bought it, a #56932 (9" auger for Dale Philips), and a #56933 (12" auger for Dale Philips). Then also a handful of shear bolts of both sizes. Agrisupply carries 2 line of augers, these looked like the heavier duty ones.

I forgot gear oil, had to buy that later.

Assembly was straightforward. The only problem was I couldn't get the oil drain plug out, but I'll get that later.

Quality - The metal looks good, heavy. The paint job is less than adequate. It's like an afterthought. Big drips, bolts painted solid. Almost reminds me of a rattle can paint job.

So I put it together and found that everything fit and with my 3 PT raised to the max I had about two or three inches of clearance for the point of the auger to miss the ground
View attachment 312493

View attachment 312494

Drilled several hole in fairly soft soil. Seems to work well and a good bang for the buck.

 

[neopheous]

Looks to me like the Titan has a slip clutch whereas the EA one is using a shear bolt. So for 200.00 less and a slip clutch, I'd go with the Titan... looked like the weight specs were identical as well if I read it right.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Funny how I place my order yesterday then get a bunch of new posts!

I ordered the EA, mostly because after staring at photos of both designs, I thought the EA auger design looked better. I'll find out soon.

Re: slip clutch, I actually prefer shear bolts for this application. A slip clutch has to be maintained yearly (or more) to work, while the shear bolt simply sits there until needed, and never grows in strength unlike a seized-up clutch. A slip clutch has its place for mowers and tillers, but for this use I prefer the shear bolt. YMMV.

 

[Fallon]

Funny how I place my order yesterday then get a bunch of new posts!

I ordered the EA, mostly because after staring at photos of both designs, I thought the EA auger design looked better. I'll find out soon.

Re: slip clutch, I actually prefer shear bolts for this application. A slip clutch has to be maintained yearly (or more) to work, while the shear bolt simply sits there until needed, and never grows in strength unlike a seized-up clutch. A slip clutch has its place for mowers and tillers, but for this use I prefer the shear bolt. YMMV.

I concur. Annual maintenance on my tiller's clutch is a pain. Unless you pop a lot of sheer bolts they are superior. Knock on wood I've never popped a sheer bolt on a PTO shaft in the past 6 years I've owned a tractor. The only bolt was on a subsoiler I had to replace a few times. I run a hydraulic PHD now so no sheer bolts anymore, but I didn't pop one in 30-40 acres of fencing with the 3pt PTO PHD.