BX1500 auger or handheld auger?

joesmith123

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L295DT, BX1500
Mar 18, 2023
313
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I need auger to dig post holes for different jobs

Do I get the gasoline handheld auger or do I put an auger on the BX1500?

bx1500rear.jpeg


bx1500rear2.jpeg


While searching for the correct auger, what measurement will work for this machine?

The flaw with the gasoline auger: they break and have trouble starting

I would rather put auger on the back of the bx1500

Let me know which way I should go, or any other words of advice,

thank you
 

Vlach7

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L47 305DT JD500C
Dec 16, 2021
273
181
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Frazier Park Ca
I have used both, if you're going to be doing many holes get the 3pt/tractor one, easier on the body but not cheaper, if you're doing hard ground/clay let it soak and use some penetrant, I tried pounding it up and down and just bent my teeth, had to pound them back and weld them stronger. Soft ground you will have a good time.
 
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joesmith123

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L295DT, BX1500
Mar 18, 2023
313
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earth
I have used both, if you're going to be doing many holes get the 3pt/tractor one, easier on the body but not cheaper, if you're doing hard ground/clay let it soak and use some penetrant, I tried pounding it up and down and just bent my teeth, had to pound them back and weld them stronger. Soft ground you will have a good time.
How do I know if the 3 point auger will fit this machine?

What measurement is important to keep in mind to make it fit?
 

Vlach7

Active member

Equipment
L47 305DT JD500C
Dec 16, 2021
273
181
43
Frazier Park Ca
How do I know if the 3 point auger will fit this machine?

What measurement is important to keep in mind to make it fit?
I am not familiar with your specific tractor, you may have to manufacture it to fit/cut the pto drive shaft, I would first get yours to new specs, it looks like you could be missing some parts and the strain you will put on it will be very bad if you break some casting.
 
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PoTreeBoy

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Mar 24, 2020
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It does work, I can lower it and raise it, and I can turn on that rear pto

there might be some brackets missing, but it does work
If you go the 3ph route, make sure you have enough lift for the auger to clear the ground. BX's are limited in lift height.

You're missing part 50 and the stabilizers. You could make a spacer out of a piece of pipe.
Screenshot_20240508-125817-694.png
 
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GreensvilleJay

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curious...
1) is 10 PTO HP enough to drill holes ?

2) will 3PH auger go DEEP enough yet be able to lift to transport ?

an option ?
Around me, it's cheaper to have someone else drill holes, also FASTER. If you can line up(no pun) all the holes , it's fast work for a pro using pro equipment.

other option
rent a QUALITY 1 man machine ( Dingo + auger )

it boils down to 'time vs money'.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
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North of Pittsburgh PA
I need auger to dig post holes for different jobs

Do I get the gasoline handheld auger or do I put an auger on the BX1500?

View attachment 127876

View attachment 127877

While searching for the correct auger, what measurement will work for this machine?

The flaw with the gasoline auger: they break and have trouble starting

I would rather put auger on the back of the bx1500

Let me know which way I should go, or any other words of advice,

thank you
My BX2200 has limited lift capacity and the post hole digger I use on my B2910 would never work, due to the limited lift capacity of the BX 2200 three-point hitch arms.

I’m not sure what measurements you might need to take to be sure that a potential post hole digger would work on your BX 1500.

I suggest you start another thread and ask specifically “Who uses a post digger on their BX“ and would it work on your BX 1500.

Another thing I personally don’t think I would like is the fact that my BX does not have a foot clutch for the PTO. To start and stop the PTO you have to move the lever that activates it.

With the foot clutch, I can stop the auger, lift it out of the hole while it’s holding spoils, and then start it spinning again, and it flings the dirt away from the hole. Reduces the need for manual removal of loose dirt at the bottom of the hole, if removal that dirt is desired. I suppose you could do the same thing with the hand lever though…

edit: Another thought is that without top and tilt, the auger may not go into the ground vertically on two planes. I believe that my post hole digger hangs vertically with respect to the front and back of the tractor, but it’s probably on an angle if the tractor is tilted due to the slope. With top and tilt, I have pretty much all the adjustments needed to have the auger hang vertically. As it sits right now, with your BX you would not have this functionality.

PS… I hope that Bolt you’re using in place of the pin on the left lift arm is not threaded all the way through… Suggest you get the proper pin.
 
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Russell King

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If you’re even considering a hand held auger I assume you don’t have too many holes to do.

I suggest you get a rental post hole hydraulic powered auger so it can be run in reverse if it gets stuck. There are manually operated lift and hydraulically powered lift (like the Dingo)

Home Depot and other commercial rentals have the towable hydraulic ones for around 100 dollars per day. If you’re a hard worker they can dig a lot of holes in one day unless you have a lot of large rocks and no auger will work in that condition.

If you also need to clear a fence line rent the Dingo or a skid steer and they can move rocks and small trees out of your fence line and grade the high spots out
 
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GreensvilleJay

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also... if you do rent a machine...
dig ALL the holes FIRST... then return machine, THEN put in posts.
sounds crazy and obvious
but I know someone who drilled a hole, put a post in ,backfilled, then onto the next site, drilled hole.....
he rented machine for THREE days when it should have been done in 1/2 a day.......
 
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Bri-Guy-GA

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Kubota BX1880
Sep 10, 2020
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Villa Rica, GA
If you go the 3 pt route make sure you get the shorter 36" augers anything longer is likely to scrape the ground due to the limited lift of the BX. Kubota makes a specific PHD for the BX as does Tractor Supply.
 
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GeoHorn

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I rented a hand-held auger from Home Depot…used it about 30 minutes… Got tired of it “snatching” as it got stuck or hit a rock or got into clay…etc etc….. Nearly broke my wrists each time. It can Hurt You!

NO MORE HANDHELD AUGER for me!

I went to TSC and bought a PTO auger and am Happy Happy Happy. Drilled 14 holes and enjoyed doing it.

If you insist on a hand-held…. I recommend you simply Rent One…. and you’ll quickly see what I mean.
 
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joesmith123

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L295DT, BX1500
Mar 18, 2023
313
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image_67510785.JPG

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I tell you what happened: I finally completely broke the bucket

Ok I read all the responses and from what I am gathering:

3 point post hole digger is not the best for the bx1500 because:

It will not go down and up with enough clearance

Flaws of handheld: could be dangerous, could break a wrist, not good for many holes

In response to the parts missing: I remember taking off that part you referenced, since it was dragging on the ground and I was just using the bucket, those parts should be available

Another good point I read: If the bx is on a slight hill, the post hole digger will not go down straight into the ground, since it does not have a tilt

Renting a machine: I do have many holes to do now, but many more in the future and renting always puts me in hurry and I never get my money's worth, it seems

For now: I need to weld a strong frame and reinstate the integrity of that bucket, I need to go mark where I am putting the holes, I also need to go through tons of lumber and get the posts ready while I am deciding

I rented a hand-held auger from Home Depot…used it about 30 minutes… Got tired of it “snatching” as it got stuck or hit a rock or got into clay…etc etc….. Nearly broke my wrists each time. It can Hurt You!

NO MORE HANDHELD AUGER for me!

I went to TSC and bought a PTO auger and am Happy Happy Happy. Drilled 14 holes and enjoyed doing it.

If you insist on a hand-held…. I recommend you simply Rent One…. and you’ll quickly see what I mean.

You are happy with the 3 point post hole digger? Is it on a bx? Do you have the tilt feature so that you can dig straight down on a hill? Do you have trouble digging deep enough?

I am just tired of spending 100s on crappy tools just for them to sit in the rain, I did find a harbor freight used post hole digger for $200, but I am hesitating to go get it until I have more clarity

Yall are amazing
 

Russell King

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L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Jun 17, 2012
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Your soil looks fairly good for digging but I don’t think your tractor is really large enough for an auger to work well and get the holes deep enough without having to worry with extensions.

There are separately powered augers that can be purchased like this one that is hydraulically driven and could be adapted to being moved around by your tractor. There are other types and options for manual and hydraulic versions that can be purchased. Rental yards may sell them as used products or you might be able to find them used in your area.

These are probably the best tractor mounted augers
 
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GreensvilleJay

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Apr 2, 2019
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
Curious... is that concrete glued to the bucket ??
Also , btm of bucket came off at the 'welded' portion ??
 
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BXHoosier

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BX24
Jan 21, 2018
460
517
93
Indiana
I have a Land Pride PD10 for my BX24. The factory auger will only dig 26” deep. I made an adjustable 6-8-10” extension to get 36” deep. The tip of the auger just clears the ground by a few inches with the extension
IMG_0260.jpeg
IMG_0306.jpeg
 
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GeoHorn

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@joesmith123 : When drilling a hole on a “slope”…. to obtain a vertical hole…. do not face the tractor along the slope… face the tractor UP or DOWN slope…. (which is safer anyway from a roll-over risk)…. and the hole will be vertical.
 
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joesmith123

Member

Equipment
L295DT, BX1500
Mar 18, 2023
313
23
18
earth
I have a Land Pride PD10 for my BX24. The factory auger will only dig 26” deep. I made an adjustable 6-8-10” extension to get 36” deep. The tip of the auger just clears the ground by a few inches with the extension View attachment 128117 View attachment 128118
Yes thank you for these pictures, they are helpful because now I can imagine what I need to find for my bx1500

My plan: find some used parts someone is not using and selling for low cost, and put together something similar to what you are showing in these pictures


Curious... is that concrete glued to the bucket ??
Also , btm of bucket came off at the 'welded' portion ??
It is dirt, I did wash it off after this picture, the bucket was never welded, it is just destroyed from being used too aggressively. I have put that thing through way more than it was designed.

@joesmith123 : When drilling a hole on a “slope”…. to obtain a vertical hole…. do not face the tractor along the slope… face the tractor UP or DOWN slope…. (which is safer anyway from a roll-over risk)…. and the hole will be vertical.
Yes, after a few days of imagining, I did realize what you are saying to be true

You can face the tractor in a fashion that makes it more level, and even if the hole is not perfect plumb, you can still make the post plumb when setting it in concrete

My plan now: Take measurements of the back area and see if the 3 point attachment will fit on

I am assuming the sizes are standardized, I have never used a 3 point anything before

Then I will go and search through people's used equipment to find something that matches the measurements

Also: I will take the bucket off, cut steel to reintegrate the bucket (not perfectly), then take it to a welder and have them put it together into a solid structure

I would like another bucket, but cannot spend the money at the moment, I'll try to fix the current one

438310107_1156842942034908_2016787030583102989_n.jpeg


Here is one close to me that I might try to make it work
 
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joesmith123

Member

Equipment
L295DT, BX1500
Mar 18, 2023
313
23
18
earth
3point1.jpeg


3point2.jpeg


3point3.jpeg


Ok yes, I found that missing part that yall told to me get but,

#1 and #2 I do need, the problems:

part #1: that link, I cannot unscrew the bolt in it, and you can see I sheared the bolt trying to pry it out

Part #2: That bolt is bent on one, and completely broken on the other

I will order quantity 2 of each part, I will look at the diagram and see the part numbers, and get those ordered

I did put a regular pin with cotter on the top, I know its not the right part but it fits properly

3pointmeasurement.jpeg


Ok now I am looking on amazon for an entire adjustable stabilizer, the measurement is about 15 inches


This is the exact part intact: K2561-38300

Ok yes I ordered one assembly from messick

The other that is bent: I will try to salvage it

Am I missing anymore parts?
 
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