Post hole auger thinger

2drx4

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Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
This is one of those ideas that on paper is trash, and in reality is not any better. I knew that going into it, but desperation, lack of mental acuity, and curiosity about things that will potentially get you killed in interesting ways, lead to me proceeding with the design (that's stretching that word) and manufacturing of this thing that rhymes with smismortion.

I have an actual 3-point PTO post hole auger, but the B7100 just can't quite do it due to the limitations of the ability for the 3-point to lift at such a length. I also have a hand auger, which is a 63cc piece of Chicom garbage attached to a screwy death thing, and the problem with it is that it tries to violently remove your arms when you hit anything hard, and you often get it stuck so you can't pull it back out of the hole.

Solution, mount hand auger on tractor bucket. Simple? Yes, so simple that if it was really a good idea you'd just be able to buy this commercially, but for some reason it's not available. Hmm.

First, I needed some way to interface a mount. I also use my tractor to move my utility trailers around quite often, and I just have a hitch that I bolt to the bucket, it's not great as it's only a single bolt and all that. So I built a proper receiver that would bolt to the bucket. It's just a PA weld on receiver (which oddly comes painted), with some angle iron welded to the sides. The bucket already had the 4 hole pattern torch cut in it, so there was no modifications required to the tractor.

20240911_215116.jpg

20240911_215130.jpg


I also welded a grab hook onto it for safety chains. I meant to weld a loop on too, but in my excitement to build the auger attachment I forgot.

20240915_220310.jpg


So on to the auger. Some sort of a gimbal is required so the auger will always hang straight up and down. For this I looked in the scrap pile, and I found an old driveshaft from a Jeep TJ. There's a reason I save everything, it's so I can do stupid things later.

20240912_220223.jpg


In my excitement I stopped taking pictures, but this is just some scrap 2" HSS and Sch 40 pipe. I did have to weld some mounts onto the auger itself, which turned out to be a total PITA because the tubing for the auger is paper thin.

20240915_214636.jpg

20240916_211217.jpg


For a throttle I used an Amazon special bike brake lever, and a cable from some sort of ATV or SxS that I modded to fit the brake lever. It mounts to the loader using more scrap pipe, and a hose clamp. There's a few zipties to hold the cable along the loader frame. It just pulls the throttle lever on the auger, so you can still use the throttle lever as normal when starting the auger.

20240915_214651.jpg
 
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2drx4

Member

Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
This actually worked reasonably okay. Assuming you redefine the word okay to be the same as crap.
20240917_102217.jpg


20240917_102223.jpg


20240918_091310.jpg


Then on the second last hole the tractor rolled back while the auger was in pretty deep, apparently I should get around to adjusting the brakes (well, ordering shoes first), and it turned the auger into a banana before I could jamb it back into gear and get straightened out:

20240918_121339.jpg



A new auger is like $40-$100, depending on quality. I have one hole left, so I'll probably just dig it by hand.

Overall this was much better than using that auger by hand, as it was a terrifying tool with more than enough torque to dislocate a shoulder. I think if I had done a better job of the fab work, had a better auger and powerhead, and put some bungees on it to limit how it swings around when you're moving to the next hole, it would have actually been a decent tool. Plus fixing my brakes would be a good idea.

The real issue is that these 2 stroke augers is that they don't produce enough auger speed to properly evacuate the hole. This is the biggest (63cc) Chicom special I could find, perhaps there is bigger/better ones, but at that point I think you've really got to question what sort of absurdity you're subscribing to by spending the money on it.
 
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InTheWoods

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Premium Member

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B7510/FEL, B7100D, ZD18, ASK-R130
Nov 17, 2023
135
75
28
Indiana
I like the way you think. Now, I should add that I'm the guy that can't stop thinking about a Red Green style front-mount mower, consisting of three 21" cheap push mowers somehow ganged together and hooked to my FEL...
 
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2drx4

Member

Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
I like the way you think. Now, I should add that I'm the guy that can't stop thinking about a Red Green style front-mount mower, consisting of three 21" cheap push mowers somehow ganged together and hooked to my FEL...
I debated converting my plow truck to a giant snowblower by attaching 4 or 5 Facebook Marketplace special snowblowers to the blade.

I didn't do it, but I think it's something of an affront to science that I didn't try it, just to see if it would work.
 
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JimmyJazz

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B2601
Aug 8, 2020
1,212
734
113
Pittsburgh, Pa
This actually worked reasonably okay. Assuming you redefine the word okay to be the same as crap.
View attachment 138050

View attachment 138051

View attachment 138052

Then on the second last hole the tractor rolled back while the auger was in pretty deep, apparently I should get around to adjusting the brakes (well, ordering shoes first), and it turned the auger into a banana before I could jamb it back into gear and get straightened out:

View attachment 138053


A new auger is like $40-$100, depending on quality. I have one hole left, so I'll probably just dig it by hand.

Overall this was much better than using that auger by hand, as it was a terrifying tool with more than enough torque to dislocate a shoulder. I think if I had done a better job of the fab work, had a better auger and powerhead, and put some bungees on it to limit how it swings around when you're moving to the next hole, it would have actually been a decent tool. Plus fixing my brakes would be a good idea.

The real issue is that these 2 stroke augers is that they don't produce enough auger speed to properly evacuate the hole. This is the biggest (63cc) Chicom special I could find, perhaps there is bigger/better ones, but at that point I think you've really got to question what sort of absurdity you're subscribing to by spending the money on it.
Stihl makes an auger that has a safety brake feature that stops the drilling/augering when the auger encounters too much resistance. Keeps you from dislocating your shoulder. Nevertheless I am nominating you for the September 2024 "MacGyver of the Month Award".
 
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NCL4701

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Apr 27, 2020
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1. Impressive you were able to fabricate a working front auger with a mount out of your scrap pile.

2. The whole thing is a low speed, light duty set up. (Not a criticism, just a fact.) In light of that, I’d probably put some effort into straightening that auger close enough to work.
 

Russell King

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Jun 17, 2012
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I think you may have inadvertently inspired me to try rigging something similar onto the 3PH for my similar auger.

Thank you!
 
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GreensvilleJay

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Hay , it's GREAT to see another Canuck support Princess Auto ! You should post your new PHD in their 'customer build it' section !!
Repurposing 'stuff laying around' is always a challenge but nice knowing you didn't have to open the wallet. I've got a few (30-35) section of 7by7 thick walled tubing 6'6" long I keep wondering what to do with........
 
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timsch

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'49 8N, L275DT
Jun 11, 2018
113
21
18
Houston, TX
Good luck. Biggest challenge will be keeping the auger vertical. You'll have more forward motion than down with the bucket arms at the height shown and will have to continually counter with dipping the bucket down or up at the same time depending on the direction you're going. Any time you get off, the auger will bite into the walls and shear the pin and/or bend the bit.
 

D2Cat

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Mar 27, 2014
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1. Impressive you were able to fabricate a working front auger with a mount out of your scrap pile.

2. The whole thing is a low speed, light duty set up. (Not a criticism, just a fact.) In light of that, I’d probably put some effort into straightening that auger close enough to work.
I agree. I would straighten the auger enough to do the last hold, and use it n the future. It doesn't have to be perfect because it would only waller out a bit bigger hole if it isn't.
 
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2drx4

Member

Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
Still makes an auger that has a safety brake feature that stops the drilling/augering when the auger encounters too much resistance. Keeps you from dislocating your shoulder. Nevertheless I am nominating you for the September 2024 "MacGyver of the Month Award".
Man, that Stihl one is 1300 Canuckistani Copecks. Interestingly, it has a 36cc engine and it makes as much power as a Chicom 52cc engine, or as much power as the Chicom engine claims to. There is something to be said for 2 strokes built by a company that actually knows how to build them.

This one technically will slip the clutch at a certain point too. If that's before or after your shoulder dislocates, well, ehhh.
 

2drx4

Member

Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
1. Impressive you were able to fabricate a working front auger with a mount out of your scrap pile.

2. The whole thing is a low speed, light duty set up. (Not a criticism, just a fact.) In light of that, I’d probably put some effort into straightening that auger close enough to work.
Turns out I had another auger in the same size, but much more heavy duty. I didn't remember that until after I dug the last hole by hand. Anyway, I guess if I have to do more I will remember that.
 
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2drx4

Member

Equipment
B7100
Jul 24, 2023
57
87
18
PG, BC, Canada
www.4x4north.com
Good luck. Biggest challenge will be keeping the auger vertical. You'll have more forward motion than down with the bucket arms at the height shown and will have to continually counter with dipping the bucket down or up at the same time depending on the direction you're going. Any time you get off, the auger will bite into the walls and shear the pin and/or bend the bit.
Well, seeing as how I managed to use it to auger out the 14 more holes I needed, and only bent the auger because the tractor rolled back 2 feet while it was in the hole, I'm sure I will take into consideration how it won't work.
 
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Smokeydog

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M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
662
614
93
knoxville, Tennessee
Joy! Did what you wanted. Novel idea. Reasonable safe, maybe safer. Using what you got with some skill and imagination is rewarding. Well written explanation. The bent auger should be fixable. I would prefer hydraulic on a 3pt auger for the FEL Too many rocks and roots on my ground not to have reverse. Also adaptable to other interesting possibilities.
 
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Gaspasser

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L6060, FEL, forks, front snowblower. KX033 mini ex. Dump truck, Husqvarna saws.
Dec 16, 2023
172
226
43
NH
This is one of those ideas that on paper is trash, and in reality is not any better. I knew that going into it, but desperation, lack of mental acuity, and curiosity about things that will potentially get you killed in interesting ways, lead to me proceeding with the design (that's stretching that word) and manufacturing of this thing that rhymes with smismortion.

I have an actual 3-point PTO post hole auger, but the B7100 just can't quite do it due to the limitations of the ability for the 3-point to lift at such a length. I also have a hand auger, which is a 63cc piece of Chicom garbage attached to a screwy death thing, and the problem with it is that it tries to violently remove your arms when you hit anything hard, and you often get it stuck so you can't pull it back out of the hole.

Solution, mount hand auger on tractor bucket. Simple? Yes, so simple that if it was really a good idea you'd just be able to buy this commercially, but for some reason it's not available. Hmm.

First, I needed some way to interface a mount. I also use my tractor to move my utility trailers around quite often, and I just have a hitch that I bolt to the bucket, it's not great as it's only a single bolt and all that. So I built a proper receiver that would bolt to the bucket. It's just a PA weld on receiver (which oddly comes painted), with some angle iron welded to the sides. The bucket already had the 4 hole pattern torch cut in it, so there was no modifications required to the tractor.

View attachment 138043
View attachment 138044

I also welded a grab hook onto it for safety chains. I meant to weld a loop on too, but in my excitement to build the auger attachment I forgot.

View attachment 138045

So on to the auger. Some sort of a gimbal is required so the auger will always hang straight up and down. For this I looked in the scrap pile, and I found an old driveshaft from a Jeep TJ. There's a reason I save everything, it's so I can do stupid things later.

View attachment 138046

In my excitement I stopped taking pictures, but this is just some scrap 2" HSS and Sch 40 pipe. I did have to weld some mounts onto the auger itself, which turned out to be a total PITA because the tubing for the auger is paper thin.

View attachment 138047
View attachment 138049

For a throttle I used an Amazon special bike brake lever, and a cable from some sort of ATV or SxS that I modded to fit the brake lever. It mounts to the loader using more scrap pipe, and a hose clamp. There's a few zipties to hold the cable along the loader frame. It just pulls the throttle lever on the auger, so you can still use the throttle lever as normal when starting the auger.

View attachment 138048
Innovative and entertaining. Thanks for sharing.
 
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Runs With Scissors

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Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
Jan 25, 2023
2,399
2,754
113
Michigan
This is AWESOME!!!!

I for one love the design. It's just dangerous enough to be fun, yet it satisfies my inner "fat and lazy guy"

It certainly beats the hell out of digging all those holes by hand, that much is for sure.

I agree, I would straighten that bad boy out and get one more hole out of it.

Off the top of my head, the only thing that I might change would be the "drive shaft 4 way" swivel mount.

I think the "left to right" needs to be fixed in place, so the angle of the auger is only adjustable "fore to aft" with the tractor movement to try and keep it vertical??????

Nice job sir!
 
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