Posthole Digger Speeco field master PHD?

[jokerman]

Hello,

I've been looking for a while ate different PHD and can't decide on what the best value for money is. I've got a Kubota B7510 and need it for installing fences and generally digging holes instead of doing it by hand!

I've got some clay to go through but otherwise don't see myself doing much real heave duty work.

Is the Speece Field master sold at Tractor supply store any good? WIll it let me down just because I dont' want to spend an arm and a leg? I've seen a bunch of Leinbach for sale on Ebay lately, would that be abetter option or should I go for something completely different?

Grateful for any help!

John

 

[reasley]

Good afternoon, John --

I have owned *both* of the Speeco post hole diggers that Tractor Supply sells -- first, the yellow "lighter duty" one (probably the one in stock at your store that you are considering) and, after returning it, the red "heavy duty one (that may need to be ordered by your store manager).

Here are the differences between the two, with the main one (to me) being the first difference:

1. The light one has a 5/16" Grade 5 shear bolt and the heavier one has a 3/8" Grade 5 shear bolt. Sounds inconsequential and a mere 1/16" difference in diameter, but I am sure that an engineer would tell you that the strength difference is more than additive.

2. The heavier one has a much beefier gear box.

3. The heavier one has a larger diameter frame (both the upside "U" and the main arm).

4. The price difference is less than $200.

5. Both take the same augers.

6. However, the yellow one is limited to 12" augers and the red one will take larger.

I took the yellow one back because it was shearing bolts too easily to my thinking. I have not had that problem with the heavier one.

My guess is that a lot of post hole diggers are sourced to the same manufacturer, though I may be wrong. Certainly, I think that the gearboxes and driveshafts are sourced similarly.

One of the advantages of the TSC augers (as discussed on this site) is that they will pull themselves into the ground nicely because of the screw head and auger design and, I believe that there have been complaints on the site about Leinbach augers having a weakness in that area, though I do not have personal experience with them. Also, both the screw tip and the auger tips are replaceable -- a very nice feature.

Let me point out one weakness (not insurmountable, though) with the Speeco TSC diggers, though: they have a "ball" type fitting that attaches ot the mounting for the top link on the tractor and it is designed by Speeco so that it can simply be turned by the operator and used by either Cat 1 or Cat 2 owners. Good design for Speeco -- simplifies inventory, but bad design for the consumer.

Here's how it's fixed -- there are two ways, one temporary (but can be used indefinitely) and one permanent:

1. Temporary: Get a medium set of vise grips and push the digger's arm to the far left. Then, clamp the vise grips to the right "wall" of the top mount bracket and make sure that the "outer" (hump back) portion of the vise grips is facing the digger arm.

2. Permanent: Have a welder align the ball at either the Cat 1 or Cat 2 position and weld it in place.

Why do you need to do one of the above? Because the torque of the digger will turn the arm in a clockwise direction which alters the alignment of the arm -- a terrible design feature for the consumer. The vise grips will keep the arm straight and the welded ball will do it permanently.

Also, some on the site have cautioned against drilling a hole to store the auger in, but I disagree. The key is to put drill the auger in the ground just far enough to hold it upright -- it sure makes disconnecting/connecting easier!

Richard

 

[reasley]

To answer my own question about the differences in shear strength b/t the 5/16 and 3/8 bolts, I found this site:

ROCKCRAWLER.com - Grade 5 vs. Grade 8 Fasteners

The 3/8 shear bolt is 20% larger in size, yet it has 44% more shear strength than the 5/16 shear bolt.

Richard

 

[crk133]

bought the yellow one a few days ago with both 12" and 18" augers for my 7610. the tractor turns both just fine in my sandy soil. one caution if using the 18" keep it spinnning fast of it has a tendancy to drill in the ground and get stuck making me get off the tractor and help it unscrew itself from the ground with a pipe wrench (the main draw back i see it the limited 3pt lifting capacity when using the larger auger). hope it helps

Hello,

I've been looking for a while ate different PHD and can't decide on what the best value for money is. I've got a Kubota B7510 and need it for installing fences and generally digging holes instead of doing it by hand!

I've got some clay to go through but otherwise don't see myself doing much real heave duty work.

Is the Speece Field master sold at Tractor supply store any good? WIll it let me down just because I dont' want to spend an arm and a leg? I've seen a bunch of Leinbach for sale on Ebay lately, would that be abetter option or should I go for something completely different?

Grateful for any help!

John

 

[jokerman]

Thank you very much. I didn't even know they had a "red" heavy duty one available so that was a great help and for less than $200 extra seems like a good deal. I like buying things locally just in case something goes wrong so that's why I'd like to be able to get it through the TSC.

I will look into what they can special order and take things from there!

 

[SnowRidge]

Buy your "Speeco" at TSC with caution.

I bought an auger recently at Tractor Supply. I had to return it and get another one because the bolt hole (there was only one) was bored off center. Long story, short, the store manager and I went through all of their in stock PHDs and augers trying to find a decent auger. Not a single one was a Speeco.

They appear to have changed suppliers, and not for the better.

Your local TSC may have different stock.

 

[reasley]

Interesting. You are talking about the auger (drill) itself and not the post hole digger, right?

The reason that I ask is that I think that it is pretty standard for them to have two holes for the augers and not one. On the other end of the gear box on the digger itself, though, there is only one bolt hole (for the shear bolt).

Richard

 

[SnowRidge]

Right. The augers had only one hole, but the PHDs themselves had two on their output shaft and one on their input shaft. I was concerned enough about the single hole on the auger that I drilled a second one.

 

[chadincolo]

For a while last spring one TSC distribution center was buying non-Speeco augers, that did indeed only have one bolt hole. It sounds like the DC had some sticking around and got them sent out...

The HD diggers haven't been well publicized, but TSC DC's do have them, if you ask and order them you should have them quickly, they don't have to come from Speeco's warehouse in Colorado, they come from your nearest DC.