Jksnvly
Silver Member
I need one to put in fencing and plant alot of small trees (transplants) What is my best bet?
post hole digger
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kennyd
Advertiser
TSC sells one.
ChrisJD4320
Bronze Member
I have the TSC PHD (Speeco) I have dug 8 holes for a deck and it worked great. I noticed a previous post said to "be careful." What are the dangerous things I should worry about? I can think of the obvious: rotating shaft, underground wiring, and the weight of the PHD itself. Is there some other thing(s) that can happen that I'm not aware of?
AKfish
Super Member
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Whew! 500 holes and that ain't all of 'em! You'd be wise to invest in as "hurky" a unit as you can find. I'd be lookin' at buyin' something that was really built to last --- forget the penny's.
I think that "cheap" and be careful means you should be cautious about puttin' your dollars down on a piece of equipment that might not hold up and do the job you want to get done.
That said, like any other PTO driven equipment -- be very careful. Couple that with the fact that the spinning auger bit can wrap your clothes (like the PTO shaft) as well as flip up and outward striking you any number of places.
Starting holes, stopping the hole digging; are all opportunities to get in trouble if you're not(or the person on the ground) paying attention.
I've seen guy's "cleaning out" the hole by leaving the auger spinning and pulling up on the 3pt. Whoa, that baby comes up and dirt is just flying and the auger goes swinging upward (centrifical force) and outward.
Long and short --- common sense and a bit of caution --- goes a long ways.
AKfish
I think that "cheap" and be careful means you should be cautious about puttin' your dollars down on a piece of equipment that might not hold up and do the job you want to get done.
That said, like any other PTO driven equipment -- be very careful. Couple that with the fact that the spinning auger bit can wrap your clothes (like the PTO shaft) as well as flip up and outward striking you any number of places.
Starting holes, stopping the hole digging; are all opportunities to get in trouble if you're not(or the person on the ground) paying attention.
I've seen guy's "cleaning out" the hole by leaving the auger spinning and pulling up on the 3pt. Whoa, that baby comes up and dirt is just flying and the auger goes swinging upward (centrifical force) and outward.
Long and short --- common sense and a bit of caution --- goes a long ways.
AKfish
.ChrisJD4320 said:
Like AKfish said, and you want to have another person assisting you or around incase you need help. Getting those thing on and off can be quite a job. Some use winschers in their garages to assist. Then you got to think of where and how to store this heavy set of equipment.
Lobo56
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Have been digging holes with the TSC Speedco PHD for a couple of years now, and probably dug 550 to 600 post holes without a problem. It's a pretty heavy duty unit for the money.
rmonio
Platinum Member
I have the Green Manufacturing Unit that I bought through my local Deere dealer. I dug about 300+ posts for my fencing last year and will do more this year. It does a nice job and is priced about the same as the Speeco's are.
There are some general rules of thumb about using 3-pt PHD's.... There are many threads in TBN about it - search under "PHD" and you'll find them. Some of the major one's are:
- safety around the auger (of course)
- take it down slow and raise it up occasionally to clear the dirt (based on the ground you have, you may have to do it more often)
- if you start to hit rocks, slow down the auger, lift it up, and check to see if the rock is too big and it has to be taken out by hand (you'll shear a bolt otherwise)
- you don't need to run the auger very fast to dig as it will do the work for you. This also helps you to control the digging in case of the occasional rock, etc.
As I said, there have been many threads on this subject in TBN. Good luck and good digging!
-Bob
There are some general rules of thumb about using 3-pt PHD's.... There are many threads in TBN about it - search under "PHD" and you'll find them. Some of the major one's are:
- safety around the auger (of course)
- take it down slow and raise it up occasionally to clear the dirt (based on the ground you have, you may have to do it more often)
- if you start to hit rocks, slow down the auger, lift it up, and check to see if the rock is too big and it has to be taken out by hand (you'll shear a bolt otherwise)
- you don't need to run the auger very fast to dig as it will do the work for you. This also helps you to control the digging in case of the occasional rock, etc.
As I said, there have been many threads on this subject in TBN. Good luck and good digging!
-Bob
AKfish
Super Member
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Very good advice. I don't think I run my PHD more than about 1,200-1,300 rpm on the tractor.
Tree roots and a few good rocks can bind you up tighter than a 3lb block of cheddar cheese!
AKfish
Tree roots and a few good rocks can bind you up tighter than a 3lb block of cheddar cheese!
AKfish
aesanders
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I have a Bush Hog brand for my 2320. I have dug a coupole hundred holes now and it has worked verygood. The Bush Hog is pretty well built and you can get a stand (which I haven't done yet but should) that makes taking it on and off a lot easier. Of all the implements to hook up, the post holedigger is the biggest pain in the rear.
PeterT
Bronze Member
Bush hog make one with a cylinder on it for down pressure now. Has anyone seen these?. I looked at one and it seemed pretty clever how they did it.
PeterT
PeterT
chadincolo
Silver Member
PeterT said:
Something similar available for the Speeco unit TSC sells, not very well advertised though. Ask the TSC store manager about it, well worth the money if you have tough soil to dig in. Don't know why they don't stock them in the stores in areas with "tough" soil...
Here are some similar links:
