post driver?

amacca

Any advice on post drivers gratefully received. I do need to buy one as I have a lot of fencing to do + tidying up cleaning hedges before I do and hate the rush when you rent one out........4/5 hours a day for a couple of days here and there over a couple of years I'm thinking so renting probably not an option - or getting in contractor really.

Have seen a lot on the market but just wondering are there any brands/types to avoid - i'm not going to be contracting so dont think I want or need the fancy ones that do out to the side and have every kind of levelling on them you can imagine....but what options above a basic one make your life so much easier you probably shouldn't do without them?

also...like the look of the ones that mount to a front loader but are they up to the tougher jobs? ---- some companies say they do straining posts + they come with a 380kg hammer but I'm just wondering are they as good as the ones that go on a 3 point linkage?


Anyway all opinions welcome......

1chippy

get a contractor in. cheaper faster and will probably leave a better job. you can hire them but you are as well of having all your posts lying in position and everything ready. if your properly set up you will drive hundreds of posts in a day.
The other option may be to get a good lad on a 12 ton machine, you wont be long pushing them down either.

paddysdream

Personally would avoid trip type machines ie those that go up with hydraulic ram and then trip and free fall.Always found them dangerous compared to those that you have to hold oil lever in opposite position to drop.You can control height of fall (amount of bang on post) with these ie can give a few gentle taps instead of full force of hammer.

3 point linkage is best for 99% of jobs,side driving is prob. easiest to use ie hammer mounted on side so you drive alongside fence instead of reveresing up to each stake.Bit of an overkill though for a farmer just doing his own.380 kg hammer plenty heavy for strainers.The more movements you have on the driver the easier it is to drive stakes straight.By this I mean hyd. top link, sideshift and side tilt are pretty handy (essential) Rear shift,legs etc useful but not really necessary unless you intend to use it on a regular basis.

Depends really on how much you consider a lot of fencing.For anything less than say 1000 meters or so it would prob. be cheaper to hire in someone in with a good postdriver by the hour.By good I mean a person who does it regularly and aint messing about .Takes 2 people to drive stakes ie one on tractor plus one working the driver.It aint as easy as it looks to do it PROPERLY .By that I mean have the stakes straight ,in a proper line,all at correct depth and distance,strainers drove right. Nothing looks worse than an expensive fence(materials) with crooked lopsided stakes all at varying heights and uneven distances.(whats known in the trade as a farmers fence!!!)

blue5000

Just a couple of things to add.

Get one with a heavy channel across the bottom, very handy for shoving briars back into the hedge. Also the channel can be used to store tools, staples etc.

Have a ball hitch on it too so you can pull a handy sized car trailer with it.

Hydraulic top link is a must, hydraulic levelling, can do without on flat ground, but would be good on a hill.

Don't forget to grease it, and carry a spare cable.

Attached is two pics of one we get, it isn't driving a stake, it is the pin of a volvo loader about 3'6'' long, we use it to break rock, this hole was for a H iron gate hanger.

49801

just pace out the posts and come along later with a contractor to knock them in. some contractors even get you to drive their tractor and they operate the knocker.

its a two man job anyway as you will get fair sick of getting in/out of tractor if it is just yourself.... for me i'd like a two man operation anyway for a knocker from a safety point of view.

Figerty

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/cFb0nLCKypg?rel=0


try this....

Muckit

If you are cleaning up briars etc and have a man+digger in to do same, just get the digger driver to push down the stakes after he has it cleaned. It's just one less thing to have rotting away in the corner of the yard.

I've done it every which way and I find this the best

Going forward...

Some merchants will give you the post driver when you buy the posts off them. FRS do it too.

Hard to beat the lad at it everyday though and they're not bad value either.

For the odd post that needs replacing, front bucket and if it's dry, have something in the bucket.

quadboy

Sledge hammer

Going forward...

hoseman

Use the proper tube for insulating the wire to the post,count the posts allow 4" of tube per post push the wire through the length of tube,then walk out the length of wire and cut the tube as you walk back.-make sure you have the wire on the right side of post especially around a long bend so as the wire is not putting pressure on the staple-only use 12 gauge hi tensile wire-use a stick to measure the finished height of post and the height of wire-Do not spare the gaps,easier to open them then to drop wire think of the hedgecutter/machinery coming afterwards-Worth having a 2 entrances into paddock off roadway one in top of paddock and the other at the far end -before you drive the first post draw a map,think off how you move cattle and machinery then walk it and walk it again .As regards post driver type,the one made by cross engineering,chain driven via hyd pump.free fall weight,and well made.had a wire type worked via ram,ram leaked took longer to drive strainers more akward around trees and hedge as ram opened you need clearance for the extra height.

liam7831

He wants feedback on types of machines that are good or bad, im sure he had the noggin to think of getting a contractor himself

delaval

Op this is ours and really good. Hyd top link side tilt Malone

larthehar

I have a vector post driver for a good few year.. things to look out for;
- rubber cap; takes the shock out of it an controls the stake
- side tilt & forward to rear tilt; a must to drive them straight
- how weight is lifted; look for one that pulls doen to lift the weight then you don't have to worry about hitting trees overhead
-material in rope; chain is the best (costly), normal rope is next and stay away from wire ropes

Fyi; pipe the return directly into the back end without couplers and this with reduce resistance of oil return hence more bang for your drop! Also helps jn keeping oil cool..

amacca

Thanks all, appreciate all the info......lots to think about.

All in all it will be way over 1000 metres and I will be redoing internal divisions carrying double strands of wire from an electric fencer on top of this so even though I could knock these light ones in with a sledge it will help speed up this job too so have thought about the contractor but I think its much better I practice beforehand and do the job piecemeal on my own time.

Not to labour the point but whats the general consensus on the front loader mounted ones?......better to get the rear mounted 3 point linkage ones?

paddysdream

If its mostly internal electric fencing then a simple 3 point linkage mounted model is prob. the best.With stakes 15 m apart and all mostly straight runs ie only strainers on ends,a handy simple post driver is all you would need.

As regards the trip type ones, would run a mile from them.Always found them not as safe to use as the other types plus lack of control on the drop meant that it was quiet difficult to give a stake or strainer a gentle tap.

td5man

paddysdream wrote: »

If its mostly internal electric fencing then a simple 3 point linkage mounted model is prob. the best.With stakes 15 m apart and all mostly straight runs ie only strainers on ends,a handy simple post driver is all you would need.

As regards the trip type ones, would run a mile from them.Always found them not as safe to use as the other types plus lack of control on the drop meant that it was quiet difficult to give a stake or strainer a gentle tap.

Local man lost half his hand with a trip type driver

PN14

We have a malone one three point linkage mounted. Has external hydraulic controls and hydraulic toplink so can tilt forward & back & side to side. similar to the one below but it doesn't have cage around drop hammer. Very handy if your tasty or working in your own. It allows a bit of manovering once you have backed in if on your own. Like most things much easier as a 2 man job. Get one with a least the tilt controls so at least you have that bit of adjustment also great for driving post & rail etc.

We paid 3k for new one a few years ago now maybe 7-8 years. Great for strainer posts corners etc although the old lad says he never had as many posts in the place which need driving. If one is loose or broke now he says I'll get that the next day the post driver is on rather than getting the mallet and driving new post there and then like was done pre the post knocker.

crackcrack30

Unless you have nothing else to buy...get someone in.