Post Hole Auger

[Anonymous-0]

How well or not so well would a 1949 Ford 8N handle a Farm Star Model 500 12" post hole auger?Any thoughts and/or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Den N Ms]

With live hydraulics on a 8N it would handle it good.Without live hydraulics it will work but not very well,and just don't get the auger dug in,real PITA

 

[Jerry/MT]

You really need a tractor with live hydraulics to use a post hole auger. On a N series Ford, you can't raise the auger without it trying to screw itself back into the ground since the hydraulic pump and the pto are driven off the same shaft.

 

[Bruce (VA)]

12"? What size are the posts? That's a huge auger. It's all my N's want to do w/ a 6" auger in very sandy soil. Remember, it's gravity down, hydraulics up, 23hp & no live PTO. And, if it gets away from you, the PTO does not reverse. You will then learn how to unscrew an auger.....BTDT!

I've dug plenty of post holes w/ my N's & a 6" auger; if I had the option of a tractor w/ a live PTO & down pressure on the hydraulics, it would have made life easier. For example, in August after 3 weeks w/o ran, no post hole digging. The auger would just bounce off the ground!

All of the post holes in this pic were dug w/ an N & a 6" auger.

50 Tips

 

[JD Ga]

Here's a pic of my '46 2N with a Northern Tool brand 9" auger and it handles it very well. Three inches could make a big difference though. I guess it all depends on what type of soil you'll be diggin' in.

 

[jiminoystercreek]

If this is an issue, you can always disconnect the auger drive shaft and try to work it free. Sometimes in our local gumbo, you can get them unstuck by rocking the tractor back and forth a couple inches. This tends to wallow out the whole and loosen the dirt around the auger flights, so it can be unscrewed w/a BIG pipe wrench. 12 inches seems like an awfully big auger for any small thractor and especially for one without a live PTO

 

[ericlb]

i have a 12 inch auger and a farm star with a 6 inch, the 12 is almost usless, ive put in miles of fence posts with the 6 inch, the problem with the 12 is its so big that on a regular farm tractor with no power down feature it just spins and makes a nice circle on the ground there is no way to make it dig, the 6 inch will dig real well here

 

[Anonymous-0]

Can a smaller auger (i.e. 6" or 9") be attached to the Farm Star Model 500 auger framework?

 

[Jerry/MT]

I tried to use mine witha 12 inch auger on my TO-30 and when it got stuck it was a PITA to unscrew it from the ground. If you have to do that for each hole......

 

[Dell (WA)]

hiramelu.......yes, you can gitt smaller diameter augers that attach to the 3-point auger gearbox output shaft. Surprizingly enuff, augers all have the same attach socket and grade-#2 shear-bolt attach scheme.

Iff'n you don't like yer auger, sell it again. .....Dell

 

[Danny in CO]

My wife thinks she is Johnny Appleseed and likes to plant thousands (maybe a few less) trees every spring. I regularly use my 12" auger bit to dig the holes. Our soil is fairly loose so the 12" works fine. Plus I am only digging about 1 foot to 18" deep. I have used it to dig a FEW post holes. Probably 1 out of 3 times, I have had to back the bit back out of the hole by hand. That is a PITA!! So now I don"t use for post holes unless I use my 6" or 9" first.

Danny

 

[OH Boy]

Not to discount anyone elses experience, but my 2N turns a 12 inch auger bit just fine as long as the soil is a little moist. I have not had to back the bit out by hand even one time. So I say go for it and try it.