Sunday, October 27, 2013

Putting in a New Gate





Seriously. Pounding in 60 some odd T-Posts by hand is child's play. Why, I put in 50 T-Posts by hand  when I put in the tomatoes each year. Not a sore muscle or anything from pounding posts (ok a small blister on my thumb) but man-handling my new post hole auger, well I am going to feel that one tomorrow.

This morning the auger was completely in pieces. I had stripped all the parts off of the thing re-oiled, lubed and had new sheer pins ready. The guy I bought the thing from had it hooked up to a much bigger tractor than my little 8N so it was going to need to be adjusted to fit in order to get the proper depth.

My Father came out to run the tractor as he still cannot really use his arm for much but I still rely on his mechanical know-how. He is a wiz with anything mechanical, always has been. Me? Well I am passable but it took almost 40 years and I still cannot stand the smell of lube grease. I really do not like slightly flammable burnt odor.

I should have taken a picture with the auger all apart and then hooked up to the tractor but I didn't. I get too focused on the problem at hand to take pictures and never think about them until the job is done.

It took us less than five minutes to sink each of those 8inch x 9foot posts four foot into the ground. As you can tell the one on the left didn't go as far in as the one on the right but that shouldn't hurt anything. I will place my X-Support wires and connecting planks across them tomorrow to complete my first new gate on the Small-Hold.

The tall weeds you see beyond the new posts is about a quarter acre section that has gone to waste for years. It was outside the old hayfield fence but not an area that got any mowing or attention other than collecting old junk. I cleaned it out and now it is a part of the hayfield and even if it doesn't get mowed the horses will get some grazing use out of it each Winter. Eventually as the old nags go to that great pasture in the sky and are replaced with useful stock other animals will graze it.

The hole on the right gave me some trouble. The auger went in about 2 foot and then ran into a layer of dry compacted clay that came out hard as a rock. I had to do some serious pushing on the control rod to get it to break through. The hole on the left went in like a drill bit without even thinking about stopping.




There was a bit of a learning curve to using this piece of equipment but after we got it all figured out I could never dig another post hole by hand again. Above is the the auger back together and set up in it's storage configuration. I hang it off the rafters with the weight mostly supported on the cinder block. When I want to hook her up all I have to do is back the little tractor up to it and lift/pivot the back up to fit into the three point then raise the hydraulics.

Once we got it all set I unhooked it and then hooked it up a couple of times solo to test my system.

Since I am using this auger on an 8N I am keeping the drive shaft off the PTO until I get to the location I want to drill, otherwise it runs constantly. On the old Ford 8N's the PTO must be running to raise the three point hitch and shutting off the PTO will cause the hydraulics to bleed down slowly. I don't want to drag the auger on the ground while moving it.

This is a monumental moment for the Small-Hold. It has taken us years of clearing junk, mending buildings, fixing ruts, pouring concrete, clearing brush, painting barns etc. etc. etc. but we are now finally making it into the fields and fencing. By next year we maybe seriously adding livestock to our overall small farming business.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!




12 comments:

  1. That's a nice piece of equipment. Any post holes I have to dig, I do it using the old post hold digger you slam down on the ground, then push the handles together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harry - I know everyone thinks they live on hard soil but having traveled and worked in a fair bit of North America trust me when I say there is no way in Hell anyone could use a scissor post hole digger by hand around here. I have seen high dollar ones literally fall apart when they get down to the compacted clay just under the surface here in Missouri.

      Some area around here have enough loose soil on top to get by but I'm afraid most of my acres required that little piece of equipment or I would never get a post sunk far enough to hold.

      Delete
  2. Like Harry noted, a lot easier than doing it by hand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your 8N sounds like my Ferguson. You have built a lot of fence and driving T posts by hand will give you something like tennis elbow. I usually end up putting posts in places that I wouldn't want to take a tractor so I still dig them by hand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SF - There are some places around here that can be done but in the open areas with little leaf litter to give a loose top soil the auger is required.

      That clay is as hard as rock about 2 foot down.

      Delete
  4. for a small farm the 8n is the greatest thing ever invented. I loved our 8n for our 50, now 100 acre, spread.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have had an 8N since I was in diapers. It was the first thing I ever learned to drive actually. The one I have now was purchased in 52 I think and has had only two owners. My Dad's best friends family, then my dad and now me.

      I love that tractor.

      Delete
  5. PP don't forget to check for water in the trans/rearend grease on the 8n. It can freeze and bust the pump.

    Dirt Dobber

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip DD. I lubed the entire thing and checked allt he fluid levels and tested the anti-freeze yesterday as well. Put the blade back on her in prep for Winter too.

      Let's hope I don't need her for snow removal this year :)

      Delete
  6. Just interesting.
    http://www.theatomsplitter.com/cms/
    Log splitter for the auger.
    Dennis in Iowa

    ReplyDelete
  7. I told you that you would love that PTO auger didn't I? I don't think any small tractor for a farm or homestead should come without a front end loader, next up is a bush hog, then a post hole digger!

    ReplyDelete

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