Post Hole Digger question

[jrslick]

I have a question I haven't been able to find the answer too and I haven't had time to hook up everything and figure it out, yet and waiting until the weekend is going to kill me.

When is the PTO shaft the shortest when you are using a post hole digger? I am borrowing my parents PHD and everything will hook up just fine, measured it all, but I am not certain about the PTO shaft length. I am going to be using it on my B7100. I found one place that said the shaft is the shortest when it is in the raised position out of the ground so that would mean that the PTO shaft stretches out as you are digging your hole? Just wondering if anyone know for sure.

I have about 3-4 weeks of work to do in about 2 weekends and spending a day digging all the post holes by hand isn't sounding like much fun.

Jay

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I'm not real sure what it is you're after but I have used a full size PHD on the back of my B6100 with no problems what so ever.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

When is the PTO shaft the shortest when you are using a post hole digger? I am borrowing my parents PHD and everything will hook up just fine, measured it all, but I am not certain about the PTO shaft length.

The PHD will have the shaft at the shortest length when it in the ground and the longest when it's raised.
If you parent have been using the PHD on a standard size tractor and not a sub compact your probably going to have shaft length issues.
The difference between my L and B is about a foot difference on the length required, with the L being longer.

 

[jrslick]

Wolfman: Thanks for the information, that is what I was wondering. I was reading the manual on the PHD and it didn't mention anything about cutting the pto shaft, but it did mention to make sure there was enough overlap in the two pieces. I read another manual for a different digger and it said the shortest distance is when it is in the up position. I will just pull the auger and see if I have enough clearance. If not, I guess I will either return it or see if I can get an older PTO shaft I have to fit. I can't cut it to make it work (unless it is just an inch or two.

Thanks.

 

[jrslick]

I was able to get it hooked up before the wind started to blow and the wind chills go subzero again.



I didn't have any problems with the PTO shaft being too long either. I was going to drop the auger off to lower it all the way to ground, but I decided to just back up to the walk out basement retaining wall and drop it over the side and lower the arms to see what happens to the shaft when I go all the way down. The PTO shaft basically stayed the same length.

I was surprised that it wasn't too long. My dad and brother use this digger on a 4020 John Deere. It is a Cat 1/2 hitch. I even dropped it in the garden to see if it would dig, and I got a nice hole in no time flat and decided to just quit. I do need to be careful and not dig too much at one time, I don't want to get it stuck in the hole and be unable to lift it out. Lots of experience digging holes with this digger, just with a bigger tractor.

Sorry if I confused anyone with my question.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Great to hear!
The main reason your not having any problems is that it's a higher end design.
The cheaper units didn't take the right geometrics into account.
Now go dig some holes!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

When you dig, only go down about a foot at a time, raise partially and clear, then down again, then raise. Do that 3-4 times and you are at full depth. Only adds seconds to the digging time and you never get stuck.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I dunno what in sam hell I got a bit stuck on one time but it bogged the tractor down and shut it off. There wasn't any prior heads up on that it just STOPPED dead in its spin. Could not for the life of me lift it out the ground so I took a pipe wrench and went to the pto shaft and had to unscrew it by hand to get a 12 inch bit back!

 

[Donystoy]

I dunno what in sam hell I got a bit stuck on one time but it bogged the tractor down and shut it off. There wasn't any prior heads up on that it just STOPPED dead in its spin. Could not for the life of me lift it out the ground so I took a pipe wrench and went to the pto shaft and had to unscrew it by hand to get a 12 inch bit back!

That was my concern 25 years ago when I was shopping for a PHD. Thought that I would have problems getting it out of the ground with my small tractor if it got hung up. Ended up purchasing an old Continental similar to the one in the picture below. I have dug a ton of holes with it and it works great.

 

[Tx Jim]

Donystoy
Be sure you keep the cable sheave brake adjusted or your Cont. Belton PHD can lower too fast causing auger to corkscrew into ground thus breaking cable when it tries to raise digger head. Words of caution from a former Cont. Belton dealer. Those old diggers will dig a straighter hole easier than the 3 pt pendulum diggers.

 

[Donystoy]

Donystoy
Be sure you keep the cable sheave brake adjusted or your Cont. Belton PHD can lower too fast causing auger to corkscrew into ground thus breaking cable when it tries to raise digger head. Words of caution from a former Cont. Belton dealer. Those old diggers will dig a straighter hole easier than the 3 pt pendulum diggers.

I had to work on it when I first purchased it. Went down so fast when cleaning out the hole that the cable got slack in it and then yanked tight quickly. Probably why the pulley shaft is bent a bit. Another problem part was the trip leaver that was originally not strong enough and would frequently get bent. This would not allow the drive to dis-engage when at the top.
I am presently operating it from the ground since the assembly to operate it from the tractor is shot (another project that I should move up the priority list). Nice to be sitting on the tractor when it wants to stall the engine (after hitting rock etc.) so you can depress the clutch and take it out of gear.

 

[Tx Jim]

You disengage auger from gearbox from the ground when you shift linkage to raise auger

 

[Donystoy]

I have tried that but when it is stalling there is so much force on the mechanism that it is very hard to disengage by hand. I have been thinking of welding a handle to the operator to give more leverage. I have tried kicking the trip lever but just find it too dangerous. When it hits a rock and stalls it all happens so fast that depressing the clutch is a lot faster. I also feel safer sitting on the tractor when it is operating. It was originally set up to operate from the tractor so I should probably go that route.