3 point post hole digger

[nh8260]

Hey guys, I bought a 3 point hitch post hole digger, the decals are very faded so I can't see anything there, I did find a photo of one like mine and it was sold new by Tractor Supply, but some company made this for TSC and that is what I'm trying to find out, when I need parts for it a make and model would help out a lot. This one sorta looks like the Speeco model 70, I heard they made these for tractor supply for a period of time as did other companies. A picture of mine is below, any help would be appreciated.

 

[Ray,IN]

I asked AI, this is the result.
"Based on the specific loop-style shape of the red frame and the layout of the adjustment brackets, this unit strongly resembles a Speeco or Country Pro (a brand manufactured by YTL International and widely distributed through Tractor Supply Company).
Similar models using this exact frame geometry include:

• Speeco Standard/Heavy Duty series 3-point diggers
• Country Pro
  
  
  3-Point Post Hole Diggers (such as the YTL-007 series)
• Older Howse Implement or Leinbach models, which also utilized similar tubular red arch frameworks. [1, 2]"

 

[Ultradog MN]

Edit
Never mind, Ray,IN beat me to it.

 

[Johnnypopper]

Hey guys, I bought a 3 point hitch post hole digger, the decals are very faded so I can't see anything there, I did find a photo of one like mine and it was sold new by Tractor Supply, but some company made this for TSC and that is what I'm trying to find out, when I need parts for it a make and model would help out a lot. This one sorta looks like the Speeco model 70, I heard they made these for tractor supply for a period of time as did other companies. A picture of mine is below, any help would be appreciated.

I have one like that. Mine is a Bush Hog brand, I can look up the model numberi if that would be of any help, I do have the manual that came with it. I do not know who the actual manufacturer was.

 

[Texasmark]

What do you need? Do you work alone? If so the best thing to do is to hang it up somewhere...old swing set cross bar or good tree limb. If the auger won't come off it's more of a problem getting the auger vertical and the tip touching the ground. I have 4 augers for mine: 6, 9, and 12". I have Ford tractors with "Live PTO" and that PTO drive is absolutely perfect for building a fence, or a long, straight string of holes.

If you have operated them before you don't need what I'm fixing to say.....if not here is what I learned over the years:

When the auger tip is lowered to touch the ground the tractor will be in a certain (distance) relationship to the hole. The boom being at approximately a 45* angle. As you dig the hole, that angle decreases to like 0*. If you don't keep inching the tractor forward as you dig the hole it will be slanted toward the rear.

I always preferred slow speeds, at or just above idle. My soil is clay so this dissertation is for hard to remove soil....sandy loam takes a lot less effort.

If digging holes in turf, the first cuts are usually clogged with turf....stop and remove the turf stuck in the blade when you get to clean soil.

I use constant up and down motions to limit the amount of soil accumulated in the blade....PTO running all the time, up and down, up and down.

When you get all the way down...I usually go till the top of the auger blade is even with the top of the soil......stop the auger......on Live PTO just push in the clutch......it's full of dirt.....raise the auger out of the hole, increase the tractor RPM say up to 1500 for a number, and pop the clutch. This will sling the dirt off the full auger and save you a lot if time and trouble to get the cut soil out of the hole.

Then RPMs back to idle, let the clutch all the way out, move forward to your next hole and repeat the process.

What you don't want to do is to start digging the hole and fail to clear the clippings out of the blade as you go down as I mentioned above. If you don't do that, when you get the auger all the way down.....you may lift the front of your tractor or worse, trying to pull the auger "packed full" of soil out of the hole.....in learning this lesson I had to disconnect the auger from the boom and with a very large pipe wrench and a longggg pipe, go through the laborous process of "unscrewing the auger......you don't want to have to do that!!!!!!!

Enjoy.

 

[Tony in SD]

To each their own but as I have said many times, If you ever use a PHD mounted to a skid steer, you will never use a 3pt PHD again. I strongly recommend you buy, beg, borrow or rent a skid steer with a PHD before you consider using a 3pt PHD.

Pros
The work is right in front of you
You can adjust the pitch of the hole in any direction as you are digging.
If you hit a rock, you can simply reverse the auger
The holes are much straighter and cleaner.
Work time willl be count in half
Safer

Cons
You need a skid steef to operate it

 

[joeysmith]

To each their own but as I have said many times, If you ever use a PHD mounted to a skid steer, you will never use a 3pt PHD again. I strongly recommend you buy, beg, borrow or rent a skid steer with a PHD before you consider using a 3pt PHD.

Pros
The work is right in front of you
You can adjust the pitch of the hole in any direction as you are digging.
If you hit a rock, you can simply reverse the auger
The holes are much straighter and cleaner.
Work time willl be count in half
Safer

Cons
You need a skid steef to operate it

I have used a have acess to both an still perfer the tractor when working alone.

Just so much easier to hop off the tractor than climbing out of a skid steer

 

[Ray,IN]

When I was a kid, I seem to remember dad bought a PHD that had a reversing lever on the gearbox.