post hole borer success

[flashdognz]

Hi,
I picked up a post hole borer a month ago and finally got it hitched and tested on my Super major. Took some figuring out as i am a complete novice. The biggest revelation was I had to have the PTO engaged for the rear hydraulics to work (lift). Reading the manual actually helped a lot for once. I felt safety should be no.1 and disengaging the PTO to mount the borer seemed the right thing to do!

After taking the photos (which I'll upload shortly) I think I am going to have to paint the post hole borer a nice blue.

What a satisfying feeling watching all the hard work being done, Super Major style. My partner didn't quite share the same feelings of excitement as I did. So I am posting pictures here to share with people who might understand better!

This implement will hopefully open up a 'hole' new set of possibilities. 1st will be digging holes to plant the fruit trees I have ready to go in (mid winter here in nz and the clock is ticking). 2nd will be digging holes for concrete piles for a new shed to house the tractor and other vehicles. I like how circular number 2 is as the shed will also give me a space to do some actual maintenance on the old girl.





Thanks
Heath.

[blackbob]

Had to sign in to Yahoo to see your photos because of the 'Adult Content'... and, right enough, when I had a glance through a few of your photos, I did find two of your big sexy injection pump... Phwoarrr....

What make would that post hole borer be, do you know? Interesting that it has a handle on the back so that an assistant/wife can guide it, mine only just clears the ground when raised, so it makes it a bit tricky to start the hole in the right place if there is much vegetation.

We have some stony soil and I have had the borer jam, and had to pull it out of the ground with the tractor/loader.. but yes it is a useful tool, and I plan to paint it Fordson blue too Photos here: http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... =post+hole

Incidentally I find that if I don't take the thing off the tractor in the right way, supported at the right height with suitable blocks, it can be a pig to put back on, needing lots of brute strength and risk of back injury.. I see yours is slightly different in design and maybe even more awkward to fit, do you have to take it off with the auger horizontal behind you, because of that handle? Or just drill a hole and leave it planted in there?

[flashdognz]

Haha,

I have decided to relent and create a photobucket account to post the pictures.

I'll check the make of the borer, itll be a New Zealand built machine. Generally importing anything into NZ is obscenely expensive due to distances.

The handle is a customisation someone before me has added. Id be so lucky to get the wife to assist. She is safest with a shovel. But yes, it will be useful hopefully for accuracy. I am thinking of somehow making a handle for me (the driver) to use for optimal accuracy, so I don't need an assistant.

We have a layer of sandy soil for about 700mm then it goes to compacted river bed which might prove to be impenetrable. It was good to read about you running at idle to try and prevent damage when hitting hard stuff. I am using that technique also as I am unsure if I have any safety features in my setup to prevent shearing of drive train parts.

As to mounting the borer, it only took me about 2 months to mount the first time. But am hoping the second attempt will be faster. I am lucky to have a young boy with a swing set which he lent me. This helped imeasurably to the mounting process. I was designing something in my head to support the borer for the mounting process and then realised I could just repurpose (nothing like having 2 uses for one piece of steel). I noticed yours looked a lot simpler to mount. Oh well, hopefully there is some worthwhile purpose to the design I have, even if I never discover it!

Another thing I am winging it with is how to travel with the borer attached. My Super major rear hydrualics don't work without the PTO engaged, so I am going to just detach the PTO drive shaft while driving so I can still use the lift arms to raise it off the ground. Seems like a sensible way around the problem. Better than have it flailing about in the wind!

THis picture shows it before I have started attaching it. Hence the limp look about it.


THanks

Heath.

[fenhayman]

Please put a guard on the PTO shaft. It only takes a loose coat tail or sleeve. Got caught in one once.

[Dandy Dave]

That looks like a real heavy duty unit. Most of the ones I've seen, and used, hook right in the 3 point hitch arms. As long as you have a proper sheer bolt in the right place you should be good to go without tearing up the tractor inners. Should be a grade 3 bolt in the drive line. If someone put in a grade 8 at some point then you be asking for trouble. Dandy Dave!