post hole digging machines

Search the term "mini skid".

The one man units are very difficult to get aligned properly. The two man units are the one to go with if you need one. Get extra teeth and never have your thumbs inside the handle bars. If one of those things hits a big rock or worse, a root, you'll break your thumbs!!

Unless you are doing this all the time, I would sub it out to someone with the auger on a bobcat. That is if there is access. If we only need a few holes we hand dig them.

Bobcat MT55, it'll do a lot more than dig post holes.

We have one... We call him Jed and he digs any size hole, trenches, moves material, and fetches tools... Cant beat them laborers are great.

I have a old 2-man General Auger, it's a piece of crap. The clutch prevents it from digging through anything harder the pudding.

We used to have a great Stihl Auger (it was stolen:sad. They were dangerous, because they don't stop for anything. Well, the bit stops, but not the machine head. Kind of like riding a bucking bronco. Unfortunately, Stihl stopped making them. Probably because of law suits.

Those Stihl augers are great. I found one at a pawn shop that had a frame attached to it. It slid into the 2 inch receiver of my truck and kept the power head from spinning. Got stolen too. Same guy?

bbgcarpentry said:

Hi im looking to buy a post hole hydrolic one or two man machine for 10 inch holes for decks in toronto any suggestion??????????????????????????????

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I have a Bobcat MT52. Before I had it I always subcontracted the hole/concrete work out.

The two-man machines do nothing but turn people into helicopter propellers.

As mentioned, you could always hire someone locally.... like me

get a little beaver auger 8hp its almost like the HD hydraulic auger but more powerful even with less HP or bump it up to 11HP, only problem with them is, the head is quite heavy to move around, but good weight for down pressure, plus you can get different bits for different digs

DecksEtc said:

The two-man machines do nothing but turn people into helicopter propellers.

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:laughing:

I've been on a few of those flights.

Without investing in a real machine, I favor the hydraulically driven head attached to a motor ass'y with a "trailer tongue". That pretty well solves the anti-torque problem. But you still need a fat dude to give it negative vertical encouragement.

I did seven holes with my mini skid in 30 minutes today.

I don't think there is a faster/better way to do it.

Just purchase a new mt 55. Never want to use my two man digger again. Saves so much time.

Greg Di said:

I did seven holes with my mini skid in 30 minutes today.

I don't think there is a faster/better way to do it.

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:thumbup:

anything but a bobcat with an auger is worthless.

Stone Mountain said:

I took Greg's and Terry's advice and bought a digger. We went a slightly different route and got a Ditchwitch Zahn. The main difference is that unlike a skid steer it is articulated in the middle and can steer without tearing up the grass.
Very happy with it.
By the way, that's not me on the machine.

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Would you care to share price info for the machine you bought? PM me if you would like. I have been looking around for something similar to your Zahn but have been worried about tearing up HO's grass.

I have rubber tracks on mine and if you don't zero-turn, you can't tell the machine was on the lawn more or less. Obviously, if the ground is soggy (ie all of June), there will be some wear.

Generally, our foot traffic is more impactful than the skid though.

Like greg: Rubber tracks and gentle turns.

I always just laid out a path with plywood sheets anyway if the ground is not firm.
Even with no machine and we're walking around a lot or wheelbarrowing a lot.

Winchester said:

Like greg: Rubber tracks and gentle turns.

I always just laid out a path with plywood sheets anyway if the ground is not firm.
Even with no machine and we're walking around a lot or wheelbarrowing a lot.

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The plywood is a good idea in wet conditions.

I can't speak to Stone's machine but I have rubber tracks like Greg and as long as you don't make quick/sharp turns any damage is minimal.

Like my cousin says "You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet"

Buy a used one from Home Depot