Post Hole Digger Options?

[SOS]

I need to build 2 fences: one is about 1,500 feet long boarding my property line on one side to keep the crazy neighbor from encroaching on my land and to make sure my dogs do not roam over to his property & the other is about 300 feet to keep my Great Danes in during the day. I’m thinking of a 4 foot 4 rail fence in the front with a 6 foot chain link in back (about half the distance would be a chain link.

What are the better (meaning easiest to maneuver, use,…) post hole diggers to fit my tractor?

Note that I have no rocks just a lot of pine and clay and the land is a rolling hill in VA. I did not want to clear a lot in building the fence but to get the tractor in position, this will require an 8 foot path probably.

 

[rmonio]

SOS - 2 years ago I put over 1300 feet of 3-rail PVC on my property. To do so, I used my JD4600 with a PHD on my 3-pt. It worked very well and I'm going to put in another 700 feet of fence this spring. In some spots, my soil is rocky and hilly - but we were able to clear and manuever where necessary to make things work.

I'd look into buying one of the 3-pt PHD units from Speeco, Frontier, Green, etc... TSC sells them as does Fleet Farm and most tractor dealers. Make sure you get the larger auger (as the extra hole size helps) and most of all, take your time when drilling until you get the hang of it. Some people say you need downward pressure on your PHD, but the 3-pt units work just as well if you take your time.

Good luck on your project!

-Bob

 

[witel]

SOS,

I'm still in the initial phases of determining my requirements for a tractor and PHD for putting in a fence myself around and in a ~12 acre pasture ... my first ... so take my novice words with a grain of salt. I started out looking at the 3pt-hitch PHDs; however, I've heard that you cannot reverse them if you hit an obstruction such as a rock or a root. You mentioned that you have no rocks. That's good. What about roots? You mentioned pines. Look-out! Also, I keep reading about sheering pins on the 3pt-hitch PHDs, so keep that in mind. If you think you're only dealing with clay, then like rmonio says, just take your time with the 3pt-hitch PHD. I have no roots to deal with, but I have rocks. For that reason, I've decided to get a hydraulic PHD that is reversable. I see that a lot of people like to mount them on the FEL for the down-pressure; however, I plan to mount it on the backhoe. That way, I can have down-pressure, better visibility, the dexterity for placement, and the ability to plant the tractor between two posts and drill two holes just by swinging the boom and without moving the tractor.

On a side note, I'm still trying to track down my own fencing materials for my home-equestrian operation (strength and low maintenance). Thought I'd pass on some of the most recent links that I've found that may be useful:
440 Fence
Gardner Fence

I wish you the best of luck with your PHD and your fence project.

 

[SOS]

I'll look into the hydrolic post hole digger. I already have a rear remote. Have any of you used a post drivers for wood posts (4x4) or steel posts for a chain link?

 

[Slippy]

I have a PHD from TSC. Had it for years. Have two augers. One about 8" the other about 24. It is not the toughest PHD but it sure works and I have not had any problems with it. The key is to go slow and let the weight of the auger determine the speed of the digging. When I first started using it I would break a sheer pin per hole. Then I learned to slow down. I let my tractor just idle as slow as possible, set the bit, and let it work. If it hits something like a root or rock, it will start bouncing and chewing through it. It will take it out in small pieces. I also like to pull it out of gound now and then to get the dirt out of the hole. Hope this helps.

 

[Fug1000]

I just drilled my first Post holes with my new tractor today.

I have a ...well...read my sig .


Anyway my blade is a 12 incher and I was thinking it was going to be too big but the previous poster hit it right on the head, the extra hole size does help.

Since I'm a total rookie with both my tractor and ANY implements, I used extreme caution and I was so presently surprised.

I just backed up to the spot I wanted the hole, with the blade NOT spinning, I lowered it until the tip just broke ground where I wanted the hole. Then as per the instructions in the manual, I pulled the tractor forward about 6 inches to get a slight 3degree angle on the auger bit. (The auger curves on a arc as you lower it, buy starting 3 degrees plus off center, you compensated for that arc.)

Then with the blade still not in motion, I revved PTO RPMS up about halfway and then started the auger bit.
It basically dug itself in. Every foot or so I would raise the blade out of the ground to clear the dirt then lower it back in.

Each hole took about 30 seconds to 1 minute, it was literally like slicing into warm butter! (Ohio clay)

I can not tell you how impressed I was with this machine and how easy it was for someone with no experience and NO one telling me how to do it, just reading here at TBN and the owners manual is all I got and it was more than enough.

I've rented hand augers in the past (The big ones that you pull on a trailer hitch) and of course I have used my trusty HAND PHD but they are mere toys compared to my rig now.

I can't wait to put my huge-arss fence up this spring!

 

[Fug1000]

QUESTION....

As I mentioned above these were my first post holes and my PHD worked like a champ but the sound it made surprised me.

Having never heard a tractor PHD in operation, I didn't know what to expect but I assumed it would be a smooth WRRRRRRR sound.

Instead it was more like a click click click click, very smooth with a little shaking when I hit a rock or root but for the most part, pretty smooth.

How is it supposed to sound?

 

[rmonio]

These are all good responses - and as most have said, take your time and you'll be in good shape as you work the PHD. There is no reverse - of course - but even in rocky and rooty soil I found that if you take your time you'll do alright. Lifting the unit out every so often to clean the dirt, then taking it back down slowly and digging again seems to help handle any binding issues. At first I did also shear a few pins - but after a little experience I found that even that wasn't a problem. If you think you're popping rocks (the auger starts jumping), then stop - pull it back up - and take a look.. sometimes it's just as easy to pop them out by hand or adjust your digging if it is truly a rock that can't be addressed (had a few of those kinds).

About the clicking - I never heard that on mine. I bought a GREEN Manufacturing unit from my local JD Dealer - so I can't speak to the TSC or other units. But all of the $500-$800 units look the same. For the price I can't see getting one for the FEL given the performance and success I've had with mine.

As for fencing - my fence was a Gardner PVC fence and it is what I will continue with this year. I found the process to be very smooth (picked up the materials at a local drop-off yard), and if you follow the simple instructions from the website you'll find it goes very well. The biggest issue is alignment - but with a 3foot level, concrete string, and an extra pair of hands you'll be able to get it done. The nice thing about Gardner is that the product is cheaper to acquire and the same quality as RAMM or Buftech (which are the other popular vendors out there). We will be using this for our horses, too, and I'll be stringing electric on the inside. Weather-wise, it's also very stable (I live in MN) and many neighbors have the same systems from Gardner, also.

-Bob

 

[MtnViewRanch]

QUESTION....

As I mentioned above these were my first post holes and my PHD worked like a champ but the sound it made surprised me.

Having never heard a tractor PHD in operation, I didn't know what to expect but I assumed it would be a smooth WRRRRRRR sound.

Instead it was more like a click click click click, very smooth with a little shaking when I hit a rock or root but for the most part, pretty smooth.

How is it supposed to sound?

Fug1000, not to sound insulting or anything, but do you have oil in the PHD gear box? That might be the source of the clicking. I can't think of anything else that it might be at this time.

 

[SOS]

SOS,

On a side note, I'm still trying to track down my own fencing materials for my home-equestrian operation (strength and low maintenance). Thought I'd pass on some of the most recent links that I've found that may be useful:
440 Fence
Gardner Fence

I like the 440 Fence... let's see what their quoted price is.

FUG1000, thanks for the advice... the rule is allow for extra time and let the digger do the work.

 

[Slippy]

That was my thought, do you have gear oil in it? Also, make sure you have the drive shaft on all the way with the ball keeper snapped into place. Also, have you greased the U-joints on the drive shaft. To help test, AND WITH EVERYTHING OFF, have the PHD out of the ground and turn it by hand until you get to the point in the rotation of the click. This might help you determine its source. One last thing I can think of, are your lower arms tight so that the auger will not move back and forth?

 

[rmonio]

Good luck with the fencing. I see that it is steel with PVC on it - let me know what kind of price you get. I had once looked at PVC-wrapped treated lumber as an option, but the pricing and looks just didn't cut it. I like the look of PVC and the maintenance on it is easy.

-Bob

 

[Fug1000]

PHD is fine. Turns out the safety chain was too close to the top u-joint and it was rubbing as it turned creating that click-click. Moved the chain a bit and now it's as quiet as a church mouse. A really BIG church mouse that likes to dig dirt!

 

[witel]

I like the 440 Fence... let's see what their quoted price is.

SOS,

I recently received brochures/information from both Gardner and 440 as well as a sample from Gardner. A sample from 440 is on the way.

I absolutely love the way the white vinyl 3-rail fence looks. However, everyone that I've been talking to says that it looks good and has low maintenance, but it's not practical for horses (or large animals). The story that I've been getting is that the rails easily pop out if a horse leans against it, so it doesn't really do a good job at containing animals. I've also heard that vinyl turns brittle with sun-light and cold temperatures and will basically shatter under slight pressure. Another complaint is that they easily melt with small grass-fires. Now, all that makes sense, but I'm wondering what they are basing their information on ... the first vinyl fences that came out ... or the most recent possibly improved vinyl fencing. Gardner specifically addresses a lot of these issues. Their installation DVD shows a horse leaning against the fence along with a stories of wiping off soot from grass-fires et.al.. Gardner is showing the 3-rail at:
$6.10/ft for 500ft
$5.85/ft for 1000ft
$4.65/ft for 2000ft
$4.50/ft for 3500ft
$4.35/ft for 5500ft

All I've heard about from horse people is that pipe is the way to go for horses. When I see pipe fencing, I see paint peeling and rust. So, when I saw 440 Fence, I had to ask for information. The guy called me and told me of someone locally that has a black fence. I think I'm supposed to get his contact information when I get the sample he sent. 440 looks really good, but is more expensive. The 3-rail (in 10ft sections) is $111.30/10ft. If there's a specific one you're interested in, I can quote that one out of the information he's sent to me.

 

[vallyfarm]

The clicking could also be the chains on the PTO driveshaft slapping something as it rotates. Mine is from TSC when it was farm & family, no ticking/ clicking at all. Mike

 

[witel]

SOS,

Here are the 440 Fence prices.

 

[SOS]

For the 10th of an acre dog fence, I went with a wood horse type fence (the dogs are small horses -- great danes). Almost finished but got caught in some freak snow today.

I'm still considering the 440 for boarder fence.

 

[Timber]

I would have put the planks on the inside. Horses scratch there fat asses on the planing and knock it off. The also kick the boards off. always plank inside the paddock

 

[SOS]

here are my horses

 

[Timber]

Those arn't horses those are cows whats wrong with you LOL