- Thread starter Bkpigs
- Start date
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Better than a trip to an amusement park . The free ride comes fast and unexpected .
grandpa Love
Well-known Member
We have had several different ones
over the years. General makes a
nice 2 man. But no reverse.
Earthquake 2 man in cheap but ok
for small jobs. This is an awesome
piece of equipment..... hydraulic
, reverse,one man. And has
removable tow bar. We got it used
from home Depot tool rental. For
about 1000. It has more than paid
for itself. And unlike a tractor
mounted 3 point auger it can go on
a lawn for residential work.
over the years. General makes a
nice 2 man. But no reverse.
Earthquake 2 man in cheap but ok
for small jobs. This is an awesome
piece of equipment..... hydraulic
, reverse,one man. And has
removable tow bar. We got it used
from home Depot tool rental. For
about 1000. It has more than paid
for itself. And unlike a tractor
mounted 3 point auger it can go on
a lawn for residential work.
Larry EC-OH
Member
The question is not if they have plenty of umph, but rather how much umph do you have?
It's easier and less work to dig the holes by hand.
BTDT
It's easier and less work to dig the holes by hand.
BTDT
Biggest concern is safety. two man operation and if you hit a big root or rock it will twist your arms if not real careful. just for safety alone they should be outlawed. 100 percent better control with a 3 pt. look around should be able to find one or maybe even rent one for a day.
I agree with your Groundhog. Really nice units but they are still not a tractor mounted unit. If you a trying to dig in very hard or crappy ground you better get a Danuser tractor mount. Sand or reasonable ground that groundhog is just peachy. Take your time. Don't rush it. Those two man power heads in the softer ground conditions are ok but it is fun when they hit something.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
Do a ‘run away post auger’ search on YouTube.
I have 2 of the gas powered ones in the shed. One no longer runs. How many holes are you gonna dig. If its
more than 1 or 2, buy a 3 point digger. I bought a used 3 point digger with a 6" and 12" auger for $230.00
last fall. I dug 5 holes two weeks ago, all 5 were at least 1 foot deeper than I could ever dig with the gas
powered auger. I do not think I will ever start the gas powered one again.
more than 1 or 2, buy a 3 point digger. I bought a used 3 point digger with a 6" and 12" auger for $230.00
last fall. I dug 5 holes two weeks ago, all 5 were at least 1 foot deeper than I could ever dig with the gas
powered auger. I do not think I will ever start the gas powered one again.
Rented a 5.5hp 12" auger to drill holes for
a small polebarn. Was all two guys wanted
to do. Could have had a third. Especially
since you are lifting it head high and
lowering it ankle height. If it catches on
a rock or a root it will painfully twist
the power unit right out of your hands. I
went out and bought a 3 point unit from
TSC. Cheaper unit, but has held up well. Is
possible for one man to run, no wrenched
shoulders, wrists. I can't imagine a self
powered unit is any cheaper than a 3pt unit
I will grant they have gone up
substantially over the several years since
I bought mine.
a small polebarn. Was all two guys wanted
to do. Could have had a third. Especially
since you are lifting it head high and
lowering it ankle height. If it catches on
a rock or a root it will painfully twist
the power unit right out of your hands. I
went out and bought a 3 point unit from
TSC. Cheaper unit, but has held up well. Is
possible for one man to run, no wrenched
shoulders, wrists. I can't imagine a self
powered unit is any cheaper than a 3pt unit
I will grant they have gone up
substantially over the several years since
I bought mine.
Rob_Yesterday
Member
Rent the homedepot model unless you're fencing fields. There is no twisting and the motor is a counterweight, so it's not bad to operate.
carvel minne farmer
Well-known Member
if you have time BK shop online and locally for a 3 point type, if you don't have time rent one. my son in law and his dad rented a 2 man gas powered one for his dads lake lot to put some piles in, it jammed up on a rock they think, he's had 2 operations on his right shoulder to repair the rotator cuff muscles. and he's a good size guy in good shape.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
Agree with many of the others if you are going to be drilling holes where there is rock or many tree roots get a 3pt digger.Funny how people 'drill' a well but 'dig' a post hole when they are doing exactly the same thing the only difference is depth.
BarnyardEngineering
Well-known Member
- Location
- Rochester, NY
I rented a one-man post hole digger to put in 9 posts for a privacy fence about 12 years ago.
It's 12 seconds of abject terror, and that's in sandy stone-free ground. When it catches a stone, God help ya, because the thing tries to rip your arms clean off no matter how big and tough you are. More than once in those 9 holes, I ended up with my arms twisted around and my wrists bent in awkward directions. I could not return the thing to the Home Depot quick enough.
Next time I am renting one of those ground units.
It's 12 seconds of abject terror, and that's in sandy stone-free ground. When it catches a stone, God help ya, because the thing tries to rip your arms clean off no matter how big and tough you are. More than once in those 9 holes, I ended up with my arms twisted around and my wrists bent in awkward directions. I could not return the thing to the Home Depot quick enough.
Next time I am renting one of those ground units.
Tony in SD
Well-known Member
Do your self a favor, rent a skid steer with an auger sized for the job. Safe, straight, clean holes. If you hit a rock, just reverse the auger. I?ve
used all 3 type and can tell you the skid steer is by farrrrrrr superior
used all 3 type and can tell you the skid steer is by farrrrrrr superior
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
Reverse would be great,my 'reverse' is a 4ft pipe wrench(LOL)
I rented a small gas powered one a while back to drill post holes for the machine shed addition and was trying to make the holes perfectly on center and nearly the some size as the posts. I was drilling in some real gummy clay with my 12 year old helping run the machine. 9 holes and an hour so later we done and hauling it back to the hardware store. No rocks but it wasn't the horror story many are reporting - it sure beat the **** out digging them by hand.
If I were doing a lot of posts the unit shown below with its own set of wheels and a 8hp engine would be the way to go if I didn't have a tractor mount post hole digger.
If I were doing a lot of posts the unit shown below with its own set of wheels and a 8hp engine would be the way to go if I didn't have a tractor mount post hole digger.
Yes. . .
We used them on road construction projects to plant concrete right of way marker posts in inaccessible locations that a tractor mounted digger couldn't get to. When you see a two foot tall right of way marker, there is four feet of that marker in the ground. Obviously, you don't dig the entire four foot deep hole, then contemplate lifting that miserable thing out to clean the hole. You dig down just a little, then lift to clean. When you're starting the hole, the top of the engine is above your head, so it's like a team bench press. Everybody has to work together. Tree roots are your enemy.
Those diggers are interesting. I remember one in particular that had a disabled dead man switch. The engine had been replaced with a larger and heavier version. It was a two-man digger, so it had four handles, and the larger engine required a man on each handle. One of the handles had a prominent bend in it, and we always assumed that somewhere there was a laborer with a matching bend in his ribcage. We always joked that we needed a shotgun to kill it if it ever got away from us. They are a young man's machine.
I know you aren't talking about a monstrous digger like we used, but your question brought back the memories.
We used them on road construction projects to plant concrete right of way marker posts in inaccessible locations that a tractor mounted digger couldn't get to. When you see a two foot tall right of way marker, there is four feet of that marker in the ground. Obviously, you don't dig the entire four foot deep hole, then contemplate lifting that miserable thing out to clean the hole. You dig down just a little, then lift to clean. When you're starting the hole, the top of the engine is above your head, so it's like a team bench press. Everybody has to work together. Tree roots are your enemy.
Those diggers are interesting. I remember one in particular that had a disabled dead man switch. The engine had been replaced with a larger and heavier version. It was a two-man digger, so it had four handles, and the larger engine required a man on each handle. One of the handles had a prominent bend in it, and we always assumed that somewhere there was a laborer with a matching bend in his ribcage. We always joked that we needed a shotgun to kill it if it ever got away from us. They are a young man's machine.
I know you aren't talking about a monstrous digger like we used, but your question brought back the memories.
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