Hi everyone. I'm new to the forum and also just bought my first excavator, a used Takeuchi TB070 with a 30 inch bucket and a hydraulic thumb. Basically I had a question about attaching a hydraulic auger to it to dig some foundation pier holes. I have to dig 197 18 inch by 10 foot deep holes in sandy clay soil. Before I invest in an auger unit I was looking for some advice on issues that might come up from some of you who are experienced in using one. I am only experienced in using an auger on my Bobcat 773. Any recommendations on various units available for my type of machine, how they attach, pros and cons, things to watch out for, features that are nice to have, and so forth. Thanks in advance.
I've installed a couple and might have a couple of tips. The first is to get the right match in flow and pressure to run the thing properly. The first one I did had a way to big of driver motor for the flow the machine had available. The customer got the thing at an auction and wanted it installed anyway. The issue is that the auger came under a load and slowed down almost to a stop. The next issue was to use a simple on and off solenoid valve to run the thing. A different machine had an auxiliary pedal on the floor and the owner wanted to use that. He called me a week later for the solenoid because his leg kept getting cramps from being on the pedal for so long at a time. Probably the only operational thing I can say is about trying to keep the auger straight up and down when drilling holes. The problem is that the boom goes up and down in an arc so you have to continually adjust as the auger goes down. From the seat of the machine you can't see the front to back angle that happens so most people had to have a person at the side guiding the operator. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your thoughts and tips.