Driving posts

LongTail

Folks,

Has any one on here used one of these post drivers? (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31CgnG1dMQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) Are they any use?

I've some wiring to do on land that wouldn't be the flattest or safest place to venture in with a tractor so that rules out the big hydraulic drivers.

I'd usually sledge them in but that’s usually a two man job as you need some one to hold the posts as they are liable to go skeewif. Maybe some one has a way around this?

reilig

LongTail wrote: »

Folks,

Has any one on here used one of these post drivers? (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31CgnG1dMQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) Are they any use?

I've some wiring to do on land that wouldn't be the flattest or safest place to venture in with a tractor so that rules out the big hydraulic drivers.

I'd usually sledge them in but that’s usually a two man job as you need some one to hold the posts as they are liable to go skeewif. Maybe some one has a way around this?

Have one for a good few years. The secret to easy driving is to use a crow bar to make an initial hole for the post, drop the post into the hole and then drive it home. Its easy to keep the post straight with this type of driver and there's no need for a second person.

Vandy West

No tractor so usually use the sledge myself. Open up hole with 5' nail bar, few taps one-handed with the sledge, and then a few good shots with two hands.

Was thinking of getting one of those yokes above - would they be better at driving the post without splitting the top of the post?

Attie

reilig wrote: »

Have one for a good few years. The secret to easy driving is to use a crow bar to make an initial hole for the post, drop the post into the hole and then drive it home. Its easy to keep the post straight with this type of driver and there's no need for a second person.

Longtail
Reilig is right great buddly but remember you need plenty of horse power and don't forget to feed it well ye will sleep well after a day on her

Rovi

We have one that appears to date from around the retreat of the last ice age.
It has driven thousands of stakes, and is well capable of driving many thousands more.

They can be used single handed or by a team of two.
Two reasonably well matched operators can really drive stakes at a heck of a rate, but it demands a bit of co-ordination and teamwork.

They do far less damage to the top of the stake than a sledgehammer, especially as fatigue sets in and accuracy suffers.

The Health & Safety bit:
These things will really test your power and aerobic fitness, especially if you're knocking in more than a few stakes. Think of it as a workout
Keep your back straight and lift with your legs, and pull down with your arms and shoulders.
Be careful as the stakes gets lower that you don't 'over-lift' the driver past the top of the stake. It's very possible to catch the lip of the driver on the top of the stake and you could loose your grip/control over it with possibly dire results.

reilig

Rovi wrote: »

The Health & Safety bit:
These things will really test your power and aerobic fitness, especially if you're knocking in more than a few stakes. Think of it as a workout
Keep your back straight and lift with your legs, and pull down with your arms and shoulders.
Be careful as the stakes gets lower that you don't 'over-lift' the driver past the top of the stake. It's very possible to catch the lip of the driver on the top of the stake and you could loose your grip/control over it with possibly dire results.

The first day we got ours, the old man got a bit excited with it and did as you descibed above. He ended up with 4 stitches over his eye :eek:

Tora Bora

I have one with 20 years, and as others said it's a great job.
I have the advantage of being six foot two, which helps when walloping a tall stake.
But, a few years ago I hired a little Brazillian lad, for a few weeks during the summer, doing a bit of fencing and tidying around. No more than five foot six tall, but a great bit of stuff to be fair to him.
However I saw he just couldn't cope with the post banger, so every time I got a chance, I used to hand it to him when we had a good high post:cool:

Just to see the look of terror on his face used to make my day:D:D
Eventually he coped on, and had a right laugh at it.

LongTail

Plenty of good posts there folks. Much appreciated.

The bed is always soft after a day with the crowbar and sledge in your hand. Certainly gives the core and shoulders a good work out. You wouldn't need to do any gym work if you were doing that all day

I'm based up in Tyrone here and was looking at our local farm supplies store. They are offering one at 45 sterling + vat. She's a 12kg steel job so that should offer plenty of poke - http://www.fanevalleystores.com/product/131089/Bulldog-Post-Rammer

I don't know if links to actual products are allowed admins so feel free to remove if a rule has been broken.

I don't mind the fencing work as its very satisfying looking back over your work at the end of the day. Especially if you have removed some God awful wire that’s been in place ten years too long and replaced it with the new stuff.

yog1

LongTail wrote: »

Plenty of good posts there folks. Much appreciated.

The bed is always soft after a day with the crowbar and sledge in your hand. Certainly gives the core and shoulders a good work out. You wouldn't need to do any gym work if you were doing that all day

I'm based up in Tyrone here and was looking at our local farm supplies store. They are offering one at 45 sterling + vat. She's a 12kg steel job so that should offer plenty of poke - http://www.fanevalleystores.com/product/131089/Bulldog-Post-Rammer

I don't know if links to actual products are allowed admins so feel free to remove if a rule has been broken.

I don't mind the fencing work as its very satisfying looking back over your work at the end of the day. Especially if you have removed some God awful wire that’s been in place ten years too long and replaced it with the new stuff.

only thing i found was that i couldn't use 5ft 6" split post with it, need to be aware of the size of the post at the top and the size of the piping, 6ft full post were no bother, it could be the quality of the post more than the the driver

Username John

Bought one of those yokes myself there last year - it wasn't as good as I was expecting to be honest. For heavy stakes, you wont be better off with the mallet I think... for lighter stakes, it drives em good enough.

The big difference is tis easier on the man than a mallet, but that's not a bad thing... We're not all 6ft 2 am afraid, some of us are barely bigger than a Brazilian

A sledge will split posts very easily - whereas a mallet wont. We made one from the ring of a tree years ago, about a foot high, not too wide a ring drilled out a hole in it - put a handle on it, job done.

Tora Bora

Username John wrote: »

Bought one of those yokes myself there last year - it wasn't as good as I was expecting to be honest. For heavy stakes, you wont be better off with the mallet I think... for lighter stakes, it drives em good enough.

The big difference is tis easier on the man than a mallet, but that's not a bad thing... We're not all 6ft 2 am afraid, some of us are barely bigger than a Brazilian

A sledge will split posts very easily - whereas a mallet wont. We made one from the ring of a tree years ago, about a foot high, not too wide a ring drilled out a hole in it - put a handle on it, job done.

Even at 6ft 2, I sometimes call in reinforcements:D As you say, depending on ground and size of stake, the "yoke" as you call it can be ineffective.

What I do there is drive as far as I can with the yoke, then leave it sit down over the timber stake. Reach for the auld reilable heavy sledge hammer, and cycle into it:o
The timber wont split, as the yoke absorbs the impact, you get to make a lot of noise, the stake goes into the ground:cool:

The Brazillian, if you have him, keeps well back out of the way:D

shot_ov_a

got one there afew weeks ago good job alrite, but ya know u were working when ya use it for a full day

Belongamick

Best thing I use is an antique crowbar. It is about 5 foot long, it has been around since the the days of the Titanic! It is made from some sort of cast steel and weighs in at a solid 35Kg's. I use it to open up the ground a wee bit drop the fence post in, take a few good swings and the fence post surrenders to the earth everytime! Its not elegant by any means but effective and I've broken every sledge hammer handle I've ever used - including the neighbours!

fodda

Beats a sledge every time and doesnt knacker the tops of the posts.

pakalasa

I made one up from scrap last year. Weighed it at 24 Kgs. Bit of a workout, alright. Good job though...

fodda

If anybody is interested in a new post driver pm me.

Muckit

The only place I seen these growing up was on 'Dallas'

Twas always the crowbar and the sledge standing on an upturned half barrel

ps. bought another hayes wire strainer today... 90 yoyos. Some great vids on youtube of kiwis using them

1chippy

track machine with a bit of rope and a weight hanging on to the bucket to give your height. just push them in

djmc

Ye must all love hard work
I just stand posts with one or two taps of that post driver yoke just enough
that they dont fall over then push them all in with the tractor loader after.
As chippy said a digger would do just as well

johngalway

djmc wrote: »

Ye must all love hard work
I just stand posts with one or two taps of that post driver yoke just enough
that they dont fall over then push them all in with the tractor loader after.
As chippy said a digger would do just as well

Would like to see you fence with a tractor loader where I have fenced

Would need to be more John Goat than John Deere