Post hole digger on an 8n

Rodeo man

Member
I'm picking up a used post hole digger tomorrow. I guess I've lived an underprivileged life, because I've never really ran one. 1. I suspicion I'm going to need to do some modifications, because not just every toplink I pick up will fit my tractor. (It's the. brand they sell at tsc). 2. I have an orc, I'm also guessing it will make the driveshaft to long. Just knock a llittle off one end with a chop saw? If I do that, will it fit my modern tractors?
 
You shouldn't need an ORC for a post hole digger so take it off and maybe you don't need to shorten the shaft.
 
You don't need the ORC with a post hole digger,
so you can remove it and not need to modify the PHD.

Be ready on the clutch at all times. If the auger catches
a root or a rock just right they will lift the front end quick.
In some cases, you may need to support the front end in
the air with a jack to take the pressure off the PHD and
unscrew the auger (turn it backwards) with a pipe wrench.
That doesn't happen all the time, but it has happened.
 
Remove the orc.

I fenced my 3 acre pasture as well as my neighbors 2 acres w/ a phd on my N's. Success w/ a PHD on an N depends on soil type & trees.

I've got very sandy soil, no rocks & no trees. But, once the ground got rock hard w/ no rain in 6 weeks, no more digging. Remember, 23 hp, hydraulics up, gravity down. And, no reverse on the phd, so when you auger it in, you will learn all the tricks to get it out!
75 Tips
 
(quoted from post at 08:54:27 12/15/17) I'm picking up a used post hole digger tomorrow. I guess I've lived an underprivileged life, because I've never really ran one. 1. I suspicion I'm going to need to do some modifications, because not just every toplink I pick up will fit my tractor. (It's the. brand they sell at tsc). 2. I have an orc, I'm also guessing it will make the driveshaft to long. Just knock a llittle off one end with a chop saw? If I do that, will it fit my modern tractors?

You need to be careful when cutting some shafts, especially round shafts that slide over a square shaft. The round shafts have a piece welded onto the end of them that engages the square shaft.

That piece is only about 6" long. You don't want to cut anything off of that piece. The pic below shows one of those end pieces that they use to weld onto those round shafts. It would be better to cut the old square piece off, then cut off some of the round shaft and weld on a new square receptacle piece.

squareShaftPiece.png
 
(quoted from post at 19:39:04 12/15/17)
(quoted from post at 08:54:27 12/15/17) I'm picking up a used post hole digger tomorrow. I guess I've lived an underprivileged life, because I've never really ran one. 1. I suspicion I'm going to need to do some modifications, because not just every toplink I pick up will fit my tractor. (It's the. brand they sell at tsc). 2. I have an orc, I'm also guessing it will make the driveshaft to long. Just knock a llittle off one end with a chop saw? If I do that, will it fit my modern tractors?

You need to be careful when cutting some shafts, especially round shafts that slide over a square shaft. The round shafts have a piece welded onto the end of them that engages the square shaft.

That piece is only about 6" long. You don't want to cut anything off of that piece. The pic below shows one of those end pieces that they use to weld onto those round shafts. It would be better to cut the old square piece off, then cut off some of the round shaft and weld on a new square receptacle piece.

squareShaftPiece.png

I didn't know that. Thanks.
 
There may be a good chance that your tractor's PTO has a 1 1/8" shaft and your ORC is stepped up to a 1 3/8". I doubt that the phd has the smaller shaft so you may have to use the ORC. There's also a good chance the phd will still work without having to remove the orc but if not, cut the shaft.
 
All that pto hookup stuff is important and you will get it sorted out,

Big thing to remember in hitching up and unhitching your PHD, do not let this thing fall over on you,
A PHD has to be one of the more dangerous tools to hookup, if you do not have it properly braced, as it is top heavy,

Note most people chain them up so they are easy to move around as you are hooking up, then lift them up and unchain,
Done with no danger of falling over,

Just keep everyone away from the auger as it?s digging and keep a supply of soft shear bolts handy, #2

Great machine compared to digging a hole with a hand digger,
 

Make sure you keep one hand on the hydraulic lift lever, and you foot poise over the clutch peddle while you're digging a hole. At some point the auger will screw itself into the ground. The quiker you stop the PTO, the less you'll have unscrew out of the ground. Never leave the tractor seat while the auger is running. You want to dig a post hole, not a grave. Tying the phd to a post or tree when you' done using it. Makes it a lot easier to hook it up to the three point the next time you want to use it. I junked out my phd after I used it. Now I hire someone with a hydraulic post driver to set any post I need in the ground. It's a lot safer, and I don't have to pound the dirt back into a hole.
 
Fwiw,
The ONLY 3 point implement you need an
over running clutch for is a brush mower.
As for cutting the drive line I suggest
you take the long view.
You Might buy a newer tractor someday that
doesn't need an orc. I cut the driveline
on a new finish mower once. A year later I
bought a tractor with live pto which
doesn't need an orc. Had to buy a new
driveline too as without the orc on the
tractor it was too short.
Grrr
 
I run a PHD on my 8N. If I were you I would keep the ORC. If (and that could read WHEN) the auger gets stuck by a rock or a root, you can use a bar or pipe wrench(with tractor turned off) to turn the PTO shaft backward to free it up. Not an easy task if you have to remove the shaft to do it. Just my 2 cent worth.
 
I find PHD is much easier to put on if you remove the auger
first. I hook the top link first. Then the two lower ones. Raise
it up and the. Install the auger. Then the PTO shaft. Take it
off in reverse order.

When your using it. STAY IN THE SEAT! Do not stand next to the
auger.

My neighbor had a digger hanging from his tree for 20 years. He
advertised it in the newspaper. Local guy bought it. Killed
himself with it the next day. My neighbor felt bad about that
for years.

If you remove the ORC I doubt you will have to shorten the
shaft.
I used my digger on a 62 4000 RC. I never got the auger stuck.
Once with a hand held gas powered digger got caught in buried
woven wire fence. HOLLY CRAP!!!!
 
If with your ORC the shaft is too long they do make a shorter
adapter that will slide over your 1 1/8 PTO shaft. It will also
have a groove for the quick disconnect on your implement. As
others have said no need for an ORC.

Kirk
 
I quit using the PHD on my 8N when I got the Jubilee. I do NOT use an ORC. If you have the small pto
shaft there are splined sleeves that do not make the pto longer.
If you encounter a stone or root, the Jubilee/NAA can lift the PHD without the PTO in gear. An 8N will
try to screw deeper when you are trying to lift out of the hole. Just my $.02. BE SAFE.
 

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