# Rent or buy? Post hole digger/auger



## DLSkidmore

We bought the tractor not because we can really make it pay it's own way, but because we really got impatient with the contractors available to us. Between the poor layout of our pastures/gates/hay field, and poor communication from the contractors, it was always a huge hassle to get anything done. We do have a reasonable rental place nearby, and besides calling a week in advance to reserve, and having to drive a town out of the way to drop off a weekend rental on the way to work, it's not a huge hassle.

So we bought a Kubota L3901 this fall. 30 HP PTO, Class I 3 pt hitch.
We need to build some fences, and I want to put in wooden corner posts and gate posts. We're kinda slow moving, getting a big project done in one weekend isn't our style. Trying to decide if we should rent or buy a post hole auger.

Looks like a new frame, gear box, and 9" bit will run me about $600-900? And this is a simple enough bit of machinery I could be fairly confident about picking up a used one and having it work well. I've not run the quotes yet on the rental, but it will almost certainly be cheaper to rent, and they might have more robust equipment than the bargain gear box. But there's always the hassle factor, the resale value factor, and the future projects factor.

If I owned one, it would occasionally get use when planting trees and whatnot, and we'd be free to adjust the fence system at any time we wanted...

How much do you use your auger besides the big fence install projects? Do they maintain a good resale value after purchase?


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## pogobill

I went ahead and bought an auger for my tractor out here at the farm, but when I lived in town I rented a skid steer with the auger attachment for a weekend. The skid steer was a dream compared to trying to bore a hole in clay with no down pressure with my tractor. But on the other side of the coin, you can bore holes at your leisure if you own the tractor and the auger, and at the end of the day you could sell the auger and get most of your money back. The skid steer was about $250.00 a day, so 4 days and you would own the auger!!
It's a hard call, for sure. The skid steer bored holes like there was no tomorrow!!


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## DLSkidmore

We have a lot of rock in our soil, is a 3-pt hitch auger even the right tool for the job? Am I going to buy one and end up renting a larger machine anyway?


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## pogobill

I have rock as well, and a lot of it seems to be the same size as the hole I boring! And I have a lot of hard pan clay. When I hit the sandy soil I'm good for quite a few holes, but if I hit the clay, I'm looking at three or four holes a day before I get fed up with it!
You can purchase a hydraulic top link that may give you some down pressure. Just be aware that the auger should go in by itself as it rotates, if you push it or you go too deep before pulling the auger up to clean out the hole, you may be get the auger lodged into the ground and not be able to get it out. Go slow until you get the feel of it!.
On the other hand, it may be worth while to rent if you layout every hole you need first, and then rent the machine to do the work yourself. Not sure how many holes and the urgency there is to get them done, but it sounds as if you are not in a great hurry to get it all done at once. 
I made the right choice for me and i can put a hole in the ground whenever I need one.


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## Hoodoo Valley

I have enough "river rock" in my soil that I just keep sheering pins with my auger, and a fellow we hired to auger some holes, actually broke his auger. Our soil is more like river bed on account of glaciers.


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## bmaverick

I had picked up an IH auger on CL for a mere $300. Added new cutters and a position tip from TSC for under $100. I've used this baby to do over 1,500 holes in 4 years. 

I've had soil that was great to 4ft deep and soil with gravel. On the boom, augers usually have a bar to hang weights to help with the downward push. 

An auger can do much more than just fence post holes. I've done holes to sink in corner posts for sheds and barns, fix mail boxes that the plow hit, and to loosen the ground deeply to then grade out to change the course of a creek. 

On one occasion, I did a hole that hit a natural underground spring. It was like the event of someone hitting a fire hydrant. After 20mins, it was only bubbling on the top soil vs. a steady stream of a few feet. 

There are a few methods for storing a tractor 3pt auger. I use a 2 post method with another post across the top. It's the best I've seen online compared to others. 

Yes, after use, you can sell the auger. Just keep it in good shape.


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## DLSkidmore

Yeah, we're on a ridge made up of glacial till. There is some clay/loam on top, but the deeper you go the more rock you find. 3 holes a day makes purchase and taking my time more appealing.

We are not in a hurry at all. The first project for auger is something we've wanted to do for a few years and am finally making a priority. I think I bought the posts 2 years ago and they've just been sitting... Putting off some other normal annual projects to get it done this year. Even so, won't buy the auger until I have cash for it, might be midsummer by then. The fence has been holding, mostly, the dog can slip through it but livestock have not. We need to replace some aging posts, enlarge the pasture a wee bit, survey the property line more closely, add gates that proper equipment can actually fit through, put up a smaller mesh that lambs won't get their heads stuck in... After we've done all the external fences, there are internal fences that need upgrading as well. We'll do most of the fence with T-posts, but doing wood for the corner assemblies and gate assemblies.


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## DLSkidmore

I have put a watch on CL for a used one. Current offerings is one missing the guard on the PTO shaft, one that has a hydraulic feature we can't use (and costs more used than I can get a new one) and one that's far away. Something could come up later though.


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## pogobill

Get yourself one of these, a 60" pinch point pry bar









And one of these to fish the rocks out of the hole!








I think I used these as much as my auger to get the post holes in!


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## Hoodoo Valley

YUP! I have a 6 footer that I use. 



pogobill said:


> Get yourself one of these, a 60" pinch point pry bar
> 
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> And one of these to fish the rocks out of the hole!
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> 
> I think I used these as much as my auger to get the post holes in!


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## crawdaddy

DLSkidmore said:


> We bought the tractor not because we can really make it pay it's own way, but because we really got impatient with the contractors available to us. Between the poor layout of our pastures/gates/hay field, and poor communication from the contractors, it was always a huge hassle to get anything done. We do have a reasonable rental place nearby, and besides calling a week in advance to reserve, and having to drive a town out of the way to drop off a weekend rental on the way to work, it's not a huge hassle.
> 
> So we bought a Kubota L3901 this fall. 30 HP PTO, Class I 3 pt hitch.
> We need to build some fences, and I want to put in wooden corner posts and gate posts. We're kinda slow moving, getting a big project done in one weekend isn't our style. Trying to decide if we should rent or buy a post hole auger.
> 
> Looks like a new frame, gear box, and 9" bit will run me about $600-900? And this is a simple enough bit of machinery I could be fairly confident about picking up a used one and having it work well. I've not run the quotes yet on the rental, but it will almost certainly be cheaper to rent, and they might have more robust equipment than the bargain gear box. But there's always the hassle factor, the resale value factor, and the future projects factor.
> 
> If I owned one, it would occasionally get use when planting trees and whatnot, and we'd be free to adjust the fence system at any time we wanted...
> 
> How much do you use your auger besides the big fence install projects? Do they maintain a good resale value after purchase?


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## crawdaddy

I bought one used 4 yrs ago and its lyingright where I offloaded it...Hopefully I will have time to use it this summer,putting in some deer fencing around my trees and garden


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## DLSkidmore

We definitely have a long pry bar and manual post hole digger. Sounds like I should have a young man in duty too.


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## pogobill

DLSkidmore said:


> We definitely have a long pry bar and manual digger. Sounds like I should have a young man in duty too.


Yes, I wish my wife had one of those young fellows before we started digging holes!!
I see crawdaddy has one that has been laying around for a few years!! LOL, mine isn't getting to much wear and tear these days either. I must say that I have struggled to get holes bored in my bit of paradise, but I have also had an easy go of it as well. My auger has more than paid for it's self, and I do have plans to add another paddock or two in the near future..... the auger is here and ready to go. I've also used my auger to plant fruit trees as well, so it is handy to have around. Make sure you have yourself a bag full of shear pins / cheap low grade bolts for when you snag a rock! Go slow and if your auger starts banging and bouncing, immediately back off and pull it up or you will shear a pin if it's a rock or a root!


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## DLSkidmore

pogobill said:


> Yes, I wish my wife had one of those young fellows before we started digging holes!!


I don't have one of my own, but I know a couple parents that think their children should learn the value of a paycheck early. I've got one that even had 4 H tractor certificate and can run equipment, but I think for something this delicate is rather be there one making the mistakes. (He probably has more hours in a tractor seat than I, but not operating this implement.)


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## Hoodoo Valley

That's what I do as well. I run mine almost at an idle on the engine to avoid damage, and pop the auger out of the hole as soon as I hit a large rock, which is fairly quickly and often. I have a box of lag bolts that I use as shear pins. Lighter than even the required shear pin, but I'd rather go under rated that over. I've also used my auger to hog out holes for the wife's plants and tree's as well as my pole buildings and so on.




pogobill said:


> Yes, I wish my wife had one of those young fellows before we started digging holes!!
> I see crawdaddy has one that has been laying around for a few years!! LOL, mine isn't getting to much wear and tear these days either. I must say that I have struggled to get holes bored in my bit of paradise, but I have also had an easy go of it as well. My auger has more than paid for it's self, and I do have plans to add another paddock or two in the near future..... the auger is here and ready to go. I've also used my auger to plant fruit trees as well, so it is handy to have around. Make sure you have yourself a bag full of shear pins / cheap low grade bolts for when you snag a rock! Go slow and if your auger starts banging and bouncing, immediately back off and pull it up or you will shear a pin if it's a rock or a root!


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## pogobill

Lag bolts or Carriage bolts? I used cheap galvanized carriage bolts that I can pick up at the hardware store.


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## Hoodoo Valley

They are lag bolts. I happened to have had a full box on hand, but they do shear fairly easily on account of the gritty threads.


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## RC Wells

Rent your first auger, see how it performs, then decide. Once you have one and are comfortable with its use, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. They do wonders for early season garden draining as well as post holes, digging out boulders, punching farm road and driveway drains that can be filled with 3/4 crushed rock, digging drain pits in horse stalls, and convincing the mother-in-law it is time to leave when the little tractor fires up and rolls her direction with the auger rocking!

I use a Harbor Freight engine cherry picker to store my auger. Got the cherry picker off Craigslist for ten bucks, squirted on new paint, and now can roll the auger out of the way in the storage barn. Also makes it a snap to connect to the tractor.


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## DLSkidmore

One of the more expensive brands had a slip clutch to reduce the number of shear pins and engine abuse you go through.


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## T. Cruit

I bought an auger from Titan Attachments. Went with the 60hp model because it listed a lower gear ratio. It has a slipper clutch. Came with a 9in auger for about $750. Also the angle iron it shipped with came in handy for making a cart.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Nicely done with the cart. I use a hoist on the corner of my shop which works okay.




T. Cruit said:


> I bought an auger from Titan Attachments. Went with the 60hp model because it listed a lower gear ratio. It has a slipper clutch. Came with a 9in auger for about $750. Also the angle iron it shipped with came in handy for making a cart.


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## Newell

Everytime I use one of these for a couple or a few holes I swear I'm getting
a post hole digger/auger attachment. (as I nurse my shoulders and arms,
and whimper..). I'm at that "in-between" age: to old to work, and too poor to buy:
too cheap to invest, and too young to die.


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## DLSkidmore

T. Cruit said:


> Went with the 60hp model because it listed a lower gear ratio.


The vendor video I watched was recommending most people stick with the higher gear ratio to dig holes faster, unless using a large auger, but since the subject of rocks came up, perhaps I do want the lower gear ratio. If we're talking only being able to do a few holes a day because I'm doing so much hand work to get around rocks, reducing hand work with stronger tools sounds like a good idea.


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## DLSkidmore

Newell said:


> I'm at that "in-between" age: to old to work, and too poor to buy:
> too cheap to invest, and too young to die.


The nature of how you make a living also comes in to play. There were times in my life where I had more time than money, and other times that I had more money than time. I'm to the point now where I have a little cash and admit my frialities, so I hire out the manual labor, so I can see the cost of doing things the hard way pretty quick.


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## DLSkidmore

T. Cruit said:


> Also the angle iron it shipped with came in handy for making a cart.


Some day one of us is going to learn how to weld. Gotta rewire the garage to support a welder first. (Detached, so that may mean opening up the trench between the buildings.)


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## Newell

Back in 1981, which still doesn't feel all that long ago to me,
when we bought this place, I wisely ran 110 out to the barn, underground. 

And I wisely invested in procuring an oxy/acetylene rig.

Like all descriptives, "wisely" only has value in comparison to other things. 
===============_(clever segue follows}_++++++++++++

So, making the best out of relatively stupid past decisions,
I purchased a cheapo-110V wire-feed unit from Harbor Freight 
which is WAY useful
as long as the work is sheet-metal-or-thinner. 
Or, damn near useless, I mean to say:
unless your work is 
re-tacking a muffler hanger back on the pickup bed. 
Really, in 8 years, that's the only time it's been used. 

And as for the 110V underground line I ran so excellently 
when yet a callow youth??

Turns out there is a significant ground leak somewhere:
not enuff to trip a breaker, but enough to make me wonder 
??WTfrick??? is making these electric bill so damn high??

Well, now I know, and I turn on the juice 
only when I need the air compressor to run..

==================

Which means I have _*another shot at excellence*_
when repairing the failing underground line,
to upgrade to 240v lines!!

And I'm going to do it POST HASTE.,
sometime after I get the 3 pt hitch fixed,
and paint the barn,
fix the dam,
hoe out the sand-filled creek,
install the bidet I got 5 years ago,
and put away my clothes on the floor.

I'll probably start with the clothes,
since there's a woman carping in my ears about it..


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## Hoodoo Valley

"Procrastinate Now" I always say! I do it more and more, the older I get. 

When you re run your underground electrical, be sure to, in addition to using "direct burial" wire, also run it in conduit so that it's protected from rocks and gophers, and you can easily remove and or replace it without having to dig. 


Newell said:


> And as for the 110V underground line I ran so excellently
> when yet a callow youth??
> 
> Turns out there is a significant ground leak somewhere:
> not enuff to trip a breaker, but enough to make me wonder
> ??WTfrick??? is making these electric bill so damn high??
> 
> Well, now I know, and I turn on the juice
> only when I need the air compressor to run..
> 
> ==================
> 
> Which means I have _*another shot at excellence*_
> when repairing the failing underground line,
> to upgrade to 240v lines!!
> 
> And I'm going to do it POST HASTE.,
> sometime after I get the 3 pt hitch fixed,
> and paint the barn,
> fix the dam,
> hoe out the sand-filled creek,
> install the bidet I got 5 years ago,
> and put away my clothes on the floor.
> 
> I'll probably start with the clothes,
> since there's a woman carping in my ears about it..


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## Hamiltonville Farm

I posted a video about my choices for implements when we got our property. An auger was on the list. The video that comes out Thursday is the overview of it. I did a video overview of what all I bought, now I'm breaking each one down to show how I use them. The auger is super handy if you have a.lot o holes to.dig for sure! 

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tractor Forum mobile app


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## DLSkidmore

Hoodoo Valley said:


> in addition to using "direct burial" wire, also run it in conduit


And put warning tape a bit above the conduit so whoever digs there next has warning before they hit it.


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## DLSkidmore

Newell said:


> I wisely invested in procuring an oxy/acetylene rig


I've been of the mind that that is much more portable should we want to go weld on farm gates in place, but hubby _really_ doesn't want to deal with gas bottles.


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## DLSkidmore

Newell said:


> I purchased a cheapo-110V wire-feed unit from Harbor Freight
> which is WAY useful
> as long as the work is sheet-metal-or-thinner.


My primary need would be to tack weld sheep fence panels to gates. Should I bother with 110V?

Upgrading the garage panel to 220 is on the very long term list.


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## Hamiltonville Farm

DLSkidmore said:


> My primary need would be to tack weld sheep fence panels to gates. Should I bother with 110V?
> 
> Upgrading the garage panel to 220 is on the very long term list.


I would think a 110v would work for that. I use my 110 Lincoln for thin jobs and it works good. 

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tractor Forum mobile app


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## FredM

If you are going to run wiring to your garage, and are thinking of going to 220v later on, why not lay the required cable to carry the 220v and hook this to your 110v feed.
I cannot understand why you would want to do the job twice, if you were to run 220v and had electric tools that run 110v, why not use an inverter to run the 110v tools off of the 220v feed.
I was always under the understanding that the States and Canada used only 110volts, not so it seems, in Oz., we use 240volts or 415volts 3 phase.


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## DLSkidmore

I already have 110 to the garage. Was that way when I moved in. If I dig that up it will become 220.


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## DLSkidmore

FredM said:


> I was always under the understanding that the States and Canada used only 110volts, not so it seems,


Common household items run on 110. Stoves, clothes dryers, and heavy shop equipment runs on 220. The line to the house has a neutral line and 2 110 lines on opposite phases. Connect to both poles and they add up to 220.


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## FredM

DLSkidmore said:


> I already have 110 to the garage. Was that way when I moved in. If I dig that up it will become 220.


sorry, I missed the one about having power to the garage in one of your previous posts.


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## RC Wells

Pict of the ten buck picker holding auger, auger is dirty because it was snowing when put away.:


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## DLSkidmore

FredM said:


> sorry, I missed the one about having power to the garage in one of your previous posts.


It was subtle. I said rewire instead of wire.


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## T. Cruit

DLSkidmore said:


> The vendor video I watched was recommending most people stick with the higher gear ratio to dig holes faster, unless using a large auger, but since the subject of rocks came up, perhaps I do want the lower gear ratio.


 The Titan 30 HP and 60 HP model aren't too far apart in quoted gear ratio. Something like 2.92:1 an 3.18:1 respectively. I'm using a Craftsman with an 18.5 HP engine so I have to run close to full throttle, but if you have more torque, lower RPM can be nice. Running 540 RPM sometimes the auger likes to chatter in the hole.


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## T. Cruit

DLSkidmore said:


> Some day one of us is going to learn how to weld. Gotta rewire the garage to support a welder first. (Detached, so that may mean opening up the trench between the buildings.)


 Someone already mentioned it but run conduit if you're going to make a trench. If using PVC go Schedule 80 where it meets the ground and through it. Also use expansion couplings at buildings. Previous owner of my place didn't do this and also ran 6awg aluminum wire to garage. So... got to rewire my garage. Lol


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## T. Cruit

pogobill said:


> I went ahead and bought an auger for my tractor out here at the farm, but when I lived in town I rented a skid steer with the auger attachment for a weekend. The skid steer was a dream compared to trying to bore a hole in clay with no down pressure with my tractor. But on the other side of the coin, you can bore holes at your leisure if you own the tractor and the auger, and at the end of the day you could sell the auger and get most of your money back. The skid steer was about $250.00 a day, so 4 days and you would own the auger!!
> It's a hard call, for sure. The skid steer bored holes like there was no tomorrow!!


I have never tried post hole digger without positive down force. Here in central IL it's probably not a issue. Here is a video from last weekend. It's been really wet here.


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## Newell

As a half-way effort I bought a 2-stroke powered one-man unit to dig a bunch of 8" deep holes
to plant some small bushes and trees. I got a week's worth of goodness out of it, and leaned it up against the house, out of the weather.
Then I hurt my right shoulder, and blah blah blah, am recovering from a double cervical spinal fusion.
So, I can't start the dang thing, (last run about 6 months ago...)
and probably can't operate it if i could.

There is a moral to this story, but it eludes me.
It is what it is..


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## alex25

Newell said:


> As a half-way effort I bought a 2-stroke powered one-man unit to dig a bunch of 8" deep holes
> to plant some small bushes and trees. I got a week's worth of goodness out of it, and leaned it up against the house, out of the weather.
> Then I hurt my right shoulder, and blah blah blah, am recovering from a double cervical spinal fusion.
> So, I can't start the dang thing, (last run about 6 months ago...)
> and probably can't operate it if i could.
> 
> There is a moral to this story, but it eludes me.
> It is what it is..


Newell,
I also have back problems and it shows when I try to do many things. My solution is to hire a person who lives at a local gospel mission where my wife volunteers and the people there are trying to get on their feet on the ground after not handling life so well. 
Anyway, I am paying a man 20.00 an hour to weed eat and help put some fence posts in and it has been a godsend for getting some things don around the house.
As for storing the post hole digger I just drilled a hole in the ground next to my other implements and set a plastic drain pipe in the hole. After throwing some big rocks in the bottom I dropped the auger into the pipe where it stays straight so its easy to hook up when I need to use it again.


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## Just Wondering

I'm not sure what you call it, but I have a really nice helper arm (lever arm) made from 8 foot of drill stem.
Had a friend weld it and two flat plates with holes so it could be bolted to the top of the auger arm.

This means, hubby can run the tractor and auger.
I can help by pulling down on the extension arm.
I am as far away from the augur as possible so I don't get caught up in the auger.
Providing 'down pressure' assist.

I mention it because we had a friend that was putting in fence post , one guy running the auger and another setting posts. Kid (19 yr old) setting posts was wearing a long sleeve shirt. He turned the wrong way or the guy on the tractor started the auger before he cleared -- whatever happened, that 19 yr old died after the auger wrapped him around twice. They had to cut his shirt to get his body out of the auger. Sad.

I'll post pictures of the downward assist bar once I get the other things from in front of it.

JW


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