PHD Almost Worthless

[GeoHorn]

Central Texas Hill Country …50M years ago … was a shallow sea about 50’ deep, with a barrier island-chain which ran E/W between San Antonio and Austin….. (which some folks wish was still underwater)…. and therefore has a shelf of limestone at or beneath the surface.

This makes great ground-water… good beer and whiskey…. lousy for drilling fence-post-holes.

I had to use a jack-hammer to break up the rock… then the PHD to further break it up…then a scissor-type post-digger to pull the 6-inches of dirt out of the hole…. then repeat…repeat….repeat… for 2 hours each hole just to get down 3 ft. (wanted 4 ft but got tired of this…… two days to make 6 holes.)

The last hole top-soil was clay….and the 6” augur wouldn’t even penetrate it at all because the tip of the PHD was by-now nothing more than a smooth knob for the first 3 inches.

This has been a truly disgusting chore.

I ordered a “rock drill/augur” from TsC….. then when my helper showed up with his jackhammer, I tried to cancel the TsC order within 15 mins of placing the order….. and cannot get it cancelled before they claim its been shipped.

I hope the local store will let me return it. ( no longer need it and doubt it’d do any good anyway).

I don’t know why I’m creating this thread other than to hope someone has a better idea for the next time.

 

[JonM]

sorry my solution was moving from texas to wisconsin 25years ago

 

[GeoHorn]

Sorry, that’s too cold (we only had 22-degrees this A.M.)….but at least we don’t have ICE all over the place…… You’re Too Close to MN.

 

[JonM]

Sorry, that’s too cold (we only had 22-degrees this A.M.)….but at least we don’t have ICE all over the place…… You’re Too Close to MN.

lol it was -4 this morning

 

[Botamon]

Please explain to ignorant me what a "PHD" is???

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Central Texas Hill Country …50M years ago … was a shallow sea about 50’ deep, with a barrier island-chain which ran E/W between San Antonio and Austin….. (which some folks wish was still underwater)…. and therefore has a shelf of limestone at or beneath the surface.

This makes great ground-water… good beer and whiskey…. lousy for drilling fence-post-holes.

I had to use a jack-hammer to break up the rock… then the PHD to further break it up…then a scissor-type post-digger to pull the 6-inches of dirt out of the hole…. then repeat…repeat….repeat… for 2 hours each hole just to get down 3 ft. (wanted 4 ft but got tired of this…… two days to make 6 holes.)

The last hole top-soil was clay….and the 6” augur wouldn’t even penetrate it at all because the tip of the PHD was by-now nothing more than a smooth knob for the first 3 inches.

This has been a truly disgusting chore.

I ordered a “rock drill/augur” from TsC….. then when my helper showed up with his jackhammer, I tried to cancel the TsC order within 15 mins of placing the order….. and cannot get it cancelled before they claim its been shipped.

I hope the local store will let me return it. ( no longer need it and doubt it’d do any good anyway).

I don’t know why I’m creating this thread other than to hope someone has a better idea for the next time.

How about forget the tractor except for transportation? Drill holes with hammer drill, maybe 1" diam 12" deep, and use metal tee posts?

 

[85Hokie]

Please explain to ignorant me what a "PHD" is???

Post Hole Digger

 

[Hugo Habicht]

A diamond core drill may work.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

Please explain to ignorant me what a "PHD" is???

PHD = post hole "digger"

this is a story of using how choosing the wrong tool for the job doesn't work.

 

[Botamon]

Post Hole Digger

Thank you! To me a PhD is an education degree...."Doctor of Philosophy"!

 

[johnjk]

Well. I have 2 PHD’s. Both manual and both suck in this Ohio clay

 

[William1]

I could easily do it with a PHD. His name is Dave.

My solution for problems of this magnitude was people. Pay people to do the jobs I cannot or can't.

 

[McMXi]

A 6" rock auger works for me in combination with the HD25 PHD and M6060. The standard 9" and 12" augers work great at my friend's rock free place along the river but are next to useless at my place.

 

[GeoHorn]

PoTree…. Good suggestion. NEXT TIME
…. Actually, I had paid a fence company to build 1200 feet 6-ft high goat-wire fence…using T-posts every 10-feet…and a drill-stem pipe (with stand-off/kickers) every 100 feet.

I SHOULD have had THEM do the two gates I wanted…but figured I‘d save some money and make & install two gates myself…. and THAT is the reason for my attempting 6 holes for these pipe gate-openings. (I should take a pic for you guys.)

But the task got so overwhelming…. I ended up hiring help anyway…and haven’t saved a dime…and lost a few days in the process.

 

[Bearcatrp]

A stick of dynamite would have been quicker.

 

[GeoHorn]

Well, The Bottom Line is…. A 3-pt PHD is not a wonder-tool for easily drilling holes in the ground.
But It’s only useful for soil/dirt without large rocks. Real ”gummy” clay can also diminish performance and add to frequent need to ”clean” the clay off the tip to gain penetration.

These PHDs are very Very VERY Dangerous, as well due to the rotating things that can grab you and your clothing and wrap you up in the machinery.. Their existing weight upon the rotating augur is the only thing that drives it. Adding weight to them is a useless and hazardous activity. If the augur doesn’t grab, and drill itself down into the ground…. Any attempt to add weight to it will only risk you getting hurt.

A PHD is difficult to mount/dis-mount single-handedly. They are tricky to store when not in-use. (Many owners use a chain to hang them from a tree or rafter…and that is the simplest. Some owners drill them into the ground a few feet and leave them there between jobs….. and that is a lousy solution and can lead to loss of augur from corrosion. (I constructed a roll-around/casteirng storage-frame that has been very helpful to single-hand mount/dis-mount…..but it takes-up floorspace, and I’ve only had a use for this $900 tool a few times. (PHD = $700, plus extra size augur $200)
I’ve used it (with 12” augur) to plant 4” sq-tubing uprights concreted into holes for a boat shed. That was ordinary soil and worked great.
I’ve also used it (with a 12” augur) to plant a row of ten bushes the wife wanted.
I bought it for convenience …and glad to have it, ….even for the few times (20) over the last 5 years I needed a hole in the ground…..but it’s not for everyone.

I’m hoping this is useful info.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

You’re Too Close to MN.

But then you could start a “Learing Center” , make millions off .Gov, then pay someone to do it.


(Sorry no serious suggestions here)