Posthole Digger Post Hole Digger Warning

[reasley]

Just a reminder about the danger in using post hole diggers. I think that the most dangerous part of their use is simply getting off the tractor -- once you've done that, your about 60% of the way toward an accident.

Baylor alum and building namesake dies in farm accident

By Chad Shanks | Monday, July 20, 2009, 12:45 PM

Dr. Faber Francis McMullen Jr., a prominent retired Houston-area cardiologist who donated funds and art for the new Baylor faculty center named in his honor, died Sunday afternoon on his Grimes County ranch.
McMullen, 79, died when his clothing, likely a glove, became entangled in an auger when he was digging post holes for a fence, Grimes County Sheriff痴 Lt. Blake Jarvis said.
McMullen was found by his son, who lives across the street.
He was pronounced dead on the scene, Jarvis said.
McMullen, a Baylor College of Medicine graduate, met his wife, Roxana Connally, while both were Baylor students.
The 10.900 square foot McMullen-Connally Faculty Center was dedicated in October 2008.

 

[Sackett2]

Owning a tractor is inherently dangerous; we all know that. Once I got mine I looked at all the implements and wanted them all. After reading this website, I decided that
A) I won't use a post hole digger that much.
B) It's too dangerous

Received a call from a guy a week ago wanting some holes drilled- I explained to him the danger if that implement on a tractor outweighed me wanting one; he understood.
I do appreciate all the advise on this site...

 

[MMagis]

A PHD isn’t all that dangerous, certainly no more so than a rotary cutter or anything else with spinning blades. But, if you get off the tractor while it’s running bad things can happen. I really can’t envision a situation in that I would get off the tractor with the PHD spinning. I really feel for the family, the son in particular.

 

[jenkinsph]

It may have been one of the smaller gas posthole diggers, doesn't specify a tractor mounted unit.

All of these implements can be dangerous, I try to be careful but I'm not going to stop using them either.


Steve

 

[flusher]

A PHD isn稚 all that dangerous, certainly no more so than a rotary cutter or anything else with spinning blades. But, if you get off the tractor while it痴 running bad things can happen. I really can稚 envision a situation in that I would get off the tractor with the PHD spinning. I really feel for the family, the son in particular.

Right, I wouldn't get off the tractor either while the PHD auger is turning.
But frequently you see 2-person teams working a PHD, one on the tractor, the other on the ground trying to put extra down force on the auger via some jerry-rigged lever arrangement. That's risky IMHO.

If I ever need a PHD, I'd spend the extra bucks for a hydraulic-drive PHD that attaches to the FEL bucket. It's in front instead of behind for easier operation and you get downforce from the FEL hydraulics. Sure, you'd pay $2K for that hydraulic PHD rig versus $500 for a 3pt PHD, but that's cheaper than a visit to the ER or worse.

 

[johnk]

You can cut your hand off and bleed to death with a table saw. Sure some tools are more dangerous than others but somebody has to do the job. Common sense is the rule..

 

[JohnDeere4300]

When i worked in the coalmines we would have to move the section up once a week, and that included the belt line... When we moved the belt-line, tailpiece and feeder we had to anchor the 'tailpiece' in the bottom, and that was solid rock.

The auger that was used had two hoses that connected to a piece of equipment,(a scoop)and the auger was hydraulic. It was best if two people held the auger because it would twist one person around.

Getting the hole started was the hardest problem because the anchor needed to be on an angle.. On one side of the auger was a lever that turned the auger on, and i remember when two workers was trying to get a hole started, and the guy on the side with the lever that turned it on was a green-hat.. The other guy was holding the 'auger steel' to get it in place and the new worker turned on the auger, and it twisted his arm around & broke his wrist, arm and shoulder... When we used the auger we always wore gloves.

When the 'new worker' turned on the auger he said he didn't know how to turn it off, and to turn it off you just raised your hand off the lever.. The boss was outside when this happened and said the new worker shouldn't have been running the auger.

It was a frightening thing to witness 6 miles underground.

I know this worker very well and his arm has 3 metal plates and 30 screws in it.

 

[Ken45101]

A PHD isn稚 all that dangerous, certainly no more so than a rotary cutter or anything else with spinning blades. But, if you get off the tractor while it痴 running bad things can happen. I really can稚 envision a situation in that I would get off the tractor with the PHD spinning.

In our wonderful soil here (hard clay), I usually have to stand on the 3 pt arms to get it to dig in at all.

Hmmmm, I've been thinking of getting a skid steer. Keep talking about the dangers of a 3 pt PHD and maybe I'll have to get that skid steer with an auger to go with it.

 

[QRTRHRS]

In our wonderful soil here (hard clay), I usually have to stand on the 3 pt arms to get it to dig in at all.

Hmmmm, I've been thinking of getting a skid steer. Keep talking about the dangers of a 3 pt PHD and maybe I'll have to get that skid steer with an auger to go with it.

I move my tractor back and forth a few inches while scratching through the hard clay. Makes a pretty sloppy hole on the top but it gives the auger less surface area to work on.

Eventually, the auger breaks through but it sure does eat the teeth up. Even my electric jack hammer struggles to break up the clay.

A quick disconnect hydraulic auger is on my list of "wants" to use with my front end loader on the tractor.

Bottom line, get off of the tractor, shut off the PTO.

 

[Charlesaf3]

hydraulic auger is nice on the tractor. seems like it would be safer, though that may be my imagination. But I cut the flow, and it stops. When somebody is "ground crew" for me, I use the switch deadman style.

 

[GreenLawnFarm]

that's something i still do by hand. i found that when i hit a big rock (every hole) that i still have to get in with a breaker bar to remove the stones. digging through the first foot of topsoil is easy enough with a hand post hole digger.

 

[CurlyDave]

If I ever need a PHD, I'd spend the extra bucks for a hydraulic-drive PHD that attaches to the FEL bucket. It's in front instead of behind for easier operation and you get downforce from the FEL hydraulics. Sure, you'd pay $2K for that hydraulic PHD rig versus $500 for a 3pt PHD, but that's cheaper than a visit to the ER or worse.

You have just convinced me. I had been wavering on PTO vs. hydraulic, and now I will just bite the bullet and get the hydraulic. I know will need one in the next year or so, and I will keep my eyes open for a used hydraulic. I have already had a lifetime worth of ER visits and I don't need another one.

 

[Ken45101]

that's something i still do by hand. i found that when i hit a big rock (every hole) that i still have to get in with a breaker bar to remove the stones. digging through the first foot of topsoil is easy enough with a hand post hole digger.

Wow! Will you please send your soil here? There's a reason we don't have earthquakes here, the ground is too tough for one ;-)

Ken

 

[MMagis]

If I ever need a PHD, I'd spend the extra bucks for a hydraulic-drive PHD that attaches to the FEL bucket. It's in front instead of behind for easier operation and you get downforce from the FEL hydraulics. Sure, you'd pay $2K for that hydraulic PHD rig versus $500 for a 3pt PHD, but that's cheaper than a visit to the ER or worse.

You have just convinced me. I had been wavering on PTO vs. hydraulic, and now I will just bite the bullet and get the hydraulic. I know will need one in the next year or so, and I will keep my eyes open for a used hydraulic. I have already had a lifetime worth of ER visits and I don't need another one.

No offence to anyone, but making a decision like that based on comments from someone who doesn't even own a PHD doesn't make much sense to me. 3 PT post hole diggers aren't that dangerous, and down pressure isn't going to be worth the cost of a hydraulic unit, IMO. As mentioned, when the auger stops digging, moving forwards or backwards a couple inches usually does the trick. Sometimes all the downforce in the world isn't going to make a difference. There is no safety difference between the two that I can imagine, and I really can't understand why so many people thing that PHDs are so dangerous. I would consider them one of the safer PTO attachments, as long as common sense is used. Stay on the tractor and there's very little chance for an accident. Again, I don't mean to offend anyone, but I'd hate to see someone scared into spending 4x the amount for no logical reason.

 

[cowboy357]

It may have been one of the smaller gas posthole diggers, doesn't specify a tractor mounted unit.

All of these implements can be dangerous, I try to be careful but I'm not going to stop using them either.


Steve

In the full article its called a tractor accident . But I agree with some here about getting off of the tractor while the auger is running is kind of asking for trouble .

I was really nervous & extra cautious when I first got mine Because of accidents like this I,ve heard of . But I never had any problems thankfully . Because of the info I read here on how to do it without risk .

Its still a shame to here though . Bob

WHITE HALL - A prominent retired cardiologist in the Houston area died in a tractor accident at his farm in Grimes County.

Sheriff's Lt. Blake Jarvis on Monday said 79-year-old Dr. Faber Francis McMullen Jr. was dead at the scene.

Jarvis told the Associated Press that McMullen, who practiced in Bellaire, died Sunday when his clothing, likely a glove, became entangled in an auger.

 

[Duffster]

No offence to anyone, but making a decision like that based on comments from someone who deosn't even own a PHD doesn't make much sense to me. 3 PT post hole diggers aren't that dangerous, and down pressure isn't going to be worth the cost of a hydraulic unit, IMO. As mentioned, when the auger stops digging, moving forwards or backwards a couple inches usually does the trick. Sometimes all the downforce in the world isn't going to make a difference. There is no safety difference between the two that I can imagine, and I really can't understand why so many people thing that PHDs are so dangerous. I would consider them one of the safer PTO attachments, as long as common sense is used. Stay on the tractor and there's very little chance for an accident. Again, I don't mean to offend anyone, but I'd hate to see someone scared into spending 4x the amount for no logical reason.

I would agree for the most part.

Machinery by it self is not dangerous, it only become dangerous when you put an operator on it.

We almost always have a second person to help with ours, but we have made some custom mods, it does all boil down to common sense and a attentive operator.

IMO there is not $1500 worth of added safety in a loader mounted digger.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have a question for some of you. Why do you think that a PHD waaaaay out in front of you is better than one on the 3PT?

First off I can see things a lot better just in back of me a few feet rather than way out on the loader.

Second, everybody usually thinks of a hydraulic PHD as being on the front, they make hydraulic PHD for 3PT hook up also.

If you feel that you need down pressure, there are down pressure kits for a 3PT PHD.

If you have a hydraulic side link, you then have full control of the angle or straightness of the hole to be dug.

Myself, I would prefer a 3PT vs the loader mounted type. Easier to carry the stuff that you are going to put in the hole along with you. Nice not to worry about the auger and the stuff in the bucket.

Just my take on this.

 

[LBrown59]

Wow! Will you please send your soil here? There's a reason we don't have earthquakes here, the ground is too tough for one ;-)

Ken

What county in Ohio.

 

[tuna]

Since I was 12 I've stood on post hole diggers to get them to dig, I'm 40 now. I've also put a bar between the gearbox and the support over it to get it to dig. I've dug alot of holes. I've been a machinist for 20 years and use my hands and ears to feel and hear chatter and balance on end mills, grinding wheels, ball mills, etc. Grab your stuff and get the job done. You're not gonna make it outta this life alive. Dig by hand if you're scared.

 

[Midsouth]

It all boils down to using common sense. A PHD is no more or less dangerous than any other PTO powered tool IMHO.