Which post driver?

jj92

I'm looking at getting a post driver. I've compared the Malone one, it has side control hyd top link and the Vector 1+ model as it has side control and hyd top link too. Hammer size is 350 vs 380 respectively. I've heard that the Vector is better quality: steel, valves, hammer mechanism etc. Its about 700 inc Vat more expensive than the Malone though.

Any thoughts on these or any other brands for that matter?

bogman_bass

How much fencing would you do in a year?
enough to warrent a more expensive machine?

Cran

Have a Malone basic model, can't fault it. Not sure how much higher up the model range to get to a realistic one man machine, that or uneven ground only way you could justify more expensive model.

jj92

I've got to do a lot, most of the place needs redoing. Loader bucket not up to job. Need preferably a one man machine.

@cran how much was your Malone driver?

Massey10

jj92 wrote: »

I'm looking at getting a post driver. I've compared the Malone one, it has side control hyd top link and the Vector 1+ model as it has side control and hyd top link too. Hammer size is 350 vs 380 respectively. I've heard that the Vector is better quality: steel, valves, hammer mechanism etc. Its about 700 inc Vat more expensive than the Malone though.

Any thoughts on these or any other brands for that matter?

You should have a look at the Cross they make a good one where the weight is lifted by a chain and drops

hoseman

i use the cross one,hyd top link,it is free fall,2 lugs on a chain that lift weight and then drops,avg about 7 strainers in an hour on solid ground.get it with a 3 bank valve chest so you can put a ram on the lift arm to tilt left and right.which ever you go for make a cage to cover the weight to protect your fingers.Only thing wrong about the cross type is there is a key inside the pump on the shaft that can go and the weight will free fall.We replace that every 6 months ,depending on use.Please be careful as people will always put their hand under them to check if the post is solid!

jj92

hoseman wrote: »

i use the cross one,hyd top link,it is free fall,2 lugs on a chain that lift weight and then drops,avg about 7 strainers in an hour on solid ground.get it with a 3 bank valve chest so you can put a ram on the lift arm to tilt left and right.which ever you go for make a cage to cover the weight to protect your fingers.Only thing wrong about the cross type is there is a key inside the pump on the shaft that can go and the weight will free fall.We replace that every 6 months ,depending on use.Please be careful as people will always put their hand under them to check if the post is solid!

I think a neighbour has an old Cross one, works off a chain anyway. Im looking at about 3500 for the Vector, anyone know prices for any of the others. Its hard to justify that kind of money but Ill have it for years and at least this way I should be able to keep the fencing right.

delaval

We bought a Malone €1200 I think. Bought it Dec 11. One of our best buys. Had bother with valve Malone sent man with new one on a Sunday, even though I asked him to leave 'till the next day. Dealer I bought from made no effort to get me going, so I rang Malone myself on a Sat pm. The guy also had a replacement post driver on trailer as mine was only weeks old. Really impressive back up. I told Malone we were in the middle of a big fence job, and no bother at all, very impressive back up, I would recommend. I am at least 150 miles from them.

charityboy

I have used most types of post driver and am of the opinion that the vector is the only value for money machine on the market ,far superior machine ,one piece of advice I would give you is make sure the return flow goes direct in to the back end not through a valve ,it will drive posts in half the time have drove thousands of posts with a vector which is seven years old and still going strong

jj92

delaval wrote: »

We bought a Malone €1200 I think. Bought it Dec 11. One of our best buys. Had bother with valve Malone sent man with new one on a Sunday, even though I asked him to leave 'till the next day. Dealer I bought from made no effort to get me going, so I rang Malone myself on a Sat pm. The guy also had a replacement post driver on trailer as mine was only weeks old. Really impressive back up. I told Malone we were in the middle of a big fence job, and no bother at all, very impressive back up, I would recommend. I am at least 150 miles from them.

Wow 1200 is cheap but probably low spec, no side tilt, ex Vat?

jj92

charityboy wrote: »

I have used most types of post driver and am of the opinion that the vector is the only value for money machine on the market ,far superior machine ,one piece of advice I would give you is make sure the return flow goes direct in to the back end not through a valve ,it will drive posts in half the time have drove thousands of posts with a vector which is seven years old and still going strong

People say the Vector is fast... bigger valves or something. Only 1 return from the post driver, right?

Fermec

We Have a Major Post Driver, But Seldom use it Because its Just Easier & Quicker to Fill the Bucket of the Digger With Earth & Drive a Few Stakes When we Want to. . Iv Even Consided Selling it But i Know id Regret it if i did. Payed 2,ooo for about 3 years ago. Just Wondering have any of ye Come Across A Post Driver on a Front Loader?, If I Could Adapt mine for the The Loader id Defently Make More Use of it, How Would the Oil Flow Work? & The Spools ? Etc....

49801

Seems to me that a post driver is something that you should be able to hire or group buy. €1200 "or more for something most places would only use for 10hrs a year is far too expensive

DMAXMAN

49801 wrote: »

Seems to me that a post driver is something that you should be able to hire or group buy. €1200 "or more for something most places would only use for 10hrs a year is far too expensive

a group of us that are in a buying group together bought a vector a number of years ago. we would all use it for 1 or 2 big jobs a year.i use it all winter strip grazing rape with sheep and used every week for that.we decided to buy a prety high spec one when there was 5 of us involved and it has an attachment for post and rail too. it also has an electric self levelling unit which makes fencing a doddle, we recently drove 2 strainers and 30 posts on ground which was very up and down in 45 minutes. 2 man job ok . ours has a 400 kg hammer. have to agree with previous poster as regards oil return, it cant be fast enough. we knocked out the nipples on the return pipe on ours to speed up oil return. ours was north of 7000 plus vat about 7 years ago

delaval

jj92 wrote: »

Wow 1200 is cheap but probably low spec, no side tilt, ex Vat?

Side tilt, hyd top link and controls on post driver price inc. vat

charityboy

jj92 wrote: »

People say the Vector is fast... bigger valves or something. Only 1 return from the post driver, right?

One flow in and one return for the controls the trick is all in the direct return ,would drive a ten foot esb pole in two or three minutes in the right ground

nhg

We bought the Vector +1 last August, well able to handle 9' Esb poles for hanging gates from. We have a lot of fencing work done with it since we bought it & still lots more to do. My late uncle had pigtails everywhere so we are replacing them around the bounds & using the pigtails to divide paddocks to see how they work out & setting some in concrete to use around the yard etc.

Very pleased with our purchase, we also bought a hitch attachment for it so that we can attach a small trailer to the back of it if we want to bring a lot of wire, posts etc up the fields with us it cost an extra €60.

jj92

nhg wrote: »

We bought the Vector +1 last August, well able to handle 9' Esb poles for hanging gates from. We have a lot of fencing work done with it since we bought it & still lots more to do. My late uncle had pigtails everywhere so we are replacing them around the bounds & using the pigtails to divide paddocks to see how they work out & setting some in concrete to use around the yard etc.

Very pleased with our purchase, we also bought a hitch attachment for it so that we can attach a small trailer to the back of it if we want to bring a lot of wire, posts etc up the fields with us it cost an extra €60.

Did you buy from a dealer/direct and what price was it inc. Vat?

limiter12

+1 for the vector.
We have ours for inexcess of 15 years and has done an untold amount of work on fencing contracts and is still inactive use.

nhg

jj92 wrote: »

Did you buy from a dealer/direct and what price was it inc. Vat?

We bought direct from Brennan Fencing, the manufacturers up in Urlingford -€3500

jj92

nhg wrote: »

We bought direct from Brennan Fencing, the manufacturers up in Urlingford -€3500

Ordered it today, delivery next Thursday:-)