Post Hole Digger Converted Into Mobile Drill Press

Post Hole Digger Converted Into Mobile Drill Press FARM SHOP Tools 23-2-36 As my "made-it-myself" projects have grown larger, it has become harder to do some jobs with my regular drill presses. So I decided to convert a heavy-duty post hole digger into a mobile drill press. It attaches to a home-built forklift I mount on the 3-pt. hitch of my Deere 4520. I started with a heavy-duty Hyline post hole digger. Everything from the hydraulic gear drive down is home-built, including the adapter mandrill I designed and had made for me out of hot rolled steel by Heritage Machine Works & Welding (1001 West Locust, Bloomington, Ill. 61701; ph 309 828-0400). I welded up the adapter, which has four face plates (two on top and two on bottom) myself. The mandrill allows the drill to accept up to a #6 Moris-taper drill bit which I use to make holes up to 3 1/2 in. in dia. and 12 in. deep. A solid steel 4 1/2-in. dia., 40-in. long shaft keeps the bit from chattering when it's being used. The Hyline drive attaches to the forks on the lift, which is equipped with a three-stage, 15-ft. Hyster mast. When not being used as a drill press, the rig can still be used as a posthole digger for sinking holes up to 10 ft. deep and 20 in. in dia. The converted digger is really handy for mobile drilling and cost only about $1,400 to build, including $1,100 for the used post hole digger. If you'd ever consider building a machine like this yourself, I have just one caution: Don't buy cheap drill bits; a rig like this will eat them for breakfast. (Roger Wessels, RFD 1, Box 26, Fairbury, Ill. 61739-9705; ph 815 692-2008)

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