Tuesday, July 17, 2018

The Country Line post hole digger

If you need something that will hang straight without adjusting your 3 point hitch arm 6" up- don't get this.

If you want something that will last more than 100 holes in clay- don't buy this.

I was digging the last hole for the donkey shelter when I caught that heavy clay again, so I hooked the chain between the ROPS and the power head as usual. Then revved up the tractor, (it's a little 30 horse LS) and turned on the PTO which spun the bit and dug it in farther....bogging down the engine until I turned the PTO off and on again...........with no power loss. I watched the PTO shaft spinning for all it was worth.

Oh and it was buried to the U-joint.

CRAP! I sheared that bolt on the shaft.
So I pulled out handsfull of dirt until I could get to the bolt heads that were still firmly attached.
Double CRAP.

Today I shelled out $130 for a 4 hour mini-ex rental so if I couldn't get it fixed, I could at least get it out of the hole.



Something is broke inside the gearbox.


AND, as long as I had something, I'll get water to the shelter.


You can never dig a trench without the inspectors giving their once-over.

ETA-(since I can't comment on my own blog)

B- as soon as the bit starts digging this clay that hasn't seen water since Noah's flood, it starts grabbing. It's like it's one stage away from being sandstone.

1 comment:

  1. That's pretty much ALL post hole diggers of that type. Same issue. I Pre-weaken the shear bolt with a file cut around the edges so it will snap more easily.

    If you are needing to chain it up, you are using it too hard.

    I find keeping a pipe wrench (like a 24", or a 12 with a piece of pipe) handy to make sure I can reverse the auger out of the ground if I catch something is a good thing.

    Might try taking smaller bites and lifting the auger often so it can clear itself. That often is the only way I can dig in hard/heavy clay.

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