Looking at buying post driver any advice welcome Thanks

Hugh 2

Anyone here any advice on post drivers
I am thinking of getting one for the front of loader.
Have noticed that I can standard one with converting brackets for loader similar in price to one specifically made for loader.
Some seen to have a wire mesh guard (which to me looks dangerous)
I am imagining that I will get away without buying a tilting version.

Any recommendations or comments welcome.
Thanks

Floody Boreland

discussed here..

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056917831

Hugh 2

Floody Boreland wrote: »

discussed here..

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056917831

I was going to say that i did a search for "post driver" and found nothing (apparently nothing on first page of results )
I will have a look

Thanks

vanderbadger

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Anyone here any advice on post drivers
I am thinking of getting one for the front of loader.
Have noticed that I can standard one with converting brackets for loader similar in price to one specifically made for loader.
Some seen to have a wire mesh guard (which to me looks dangerous)
I am imagining that I will get away without buying a tilting version.

Any recommendations or comments welcome.
Thanks

bought a new major one there a week ago and myself and the brother did some fencing today, was driving 6ft posts about 5 to 6" diameter, good strong posts, banged them in not a bother, its a very useful tool i must say..
some points to note
that safety cage is a balls of a yoke, might take mine off, the major one has a hook type system to lift the rubber hat off post and its very difficult to get hook on and off with cage
also wouldnt be hugely impressed by build quality of the major, the main ram seems to have a small weep already, also the hook system i mentioned, there is a hook either side of the weight, one of the hooks broke off of trailer ride home from dealer, hook looks like some cast iron rubbish
also it doesnt come with hydraulic toplink but it has the 3 lever block so you can plumb in your own toplink to the controls if you wish

but as i say it sure made fencing easy
if you get one for a loader try it first, you would really know you have this on the back of the tractor especially when the mast is up, its 800kg all in

slippy wicket

I have a Cross post driver about 7 or 8 years at this stage.
Some machine. IMO best one on the market as it has a continuous loop of chain to raise weight.
Its done some amount of fencing, and bar having to replace a hydrolic pipe due to my own mistake its good as new.

only things is that its not suited to driving post and rail as pin cant stick in post.

Reggie.

vanderbadger wrote: »

bought a new major one there a week ago and myself and the brother did some fencing today, was driving 6ft posts about 5 to 6" diameter, good strong posts, banged them in not a bother, its a very useful tool i must say..
some points to note
that safety cage is a balls of a yoke, might take mine off, the major one has a hook type system to lift the rubber hat off post and its very difficult to get hook on and off with cage
also wouldnt be hugely impressed by build quality of the major, the main ram seems to have a small weep already, also the hook system i mentioned, there is a hook either side of the weight, one of the hooks broke off of trailer ride home from dealer, hook looks like some cast iron rubbish
also it doesnt come with hydraulic toplink but it has the 3 lever block so you can plumb in your own toplink to the controls if you wish

but as i say it sure made fencing easy
if you get one for a loader try it first, you would really know you have this on the back of the tractor especially when the mast is up, its 800kg all in

+1

frazzledhome

vanderbadger wrote: »

bought a new major one there a week ago and myself and the brother did some fencing today, was driving 6ft posts about 5 to 6" diameter, good strong posts, banged them in not a bother, its a very useful tool i must say..
some points to note
that safety cage is a balls of a yoke, might take mine off, the major one has a hook type system to lift the rubber hat off post and its very difficult to get hook on and off with cage
also wouldnt be hugely impressed by build quality of the major, the main ram seems to have a small weep already, also the hook system i mentioned, there is a hook either side of the weight, one of the hooks broke off of trailer ride home from dealer, hook looks like some cast iron rubbish
also it doesnt come with hydraulic toplink but it has the 3 lever block so you can plumb in your own toplink to the controls if you wish

but as i say it sure made fencing easy
if you get one for a loader try it first, you would really know you have this on the back of the tractor especially when the mast is up, its 800kg all in

, the main ram seems to have a small weep already,
It's a breather at the top of ram. I have a Malone and its the same but breather is piped back to keep mast lubricated

Greengrass1

Bought a second hand Malone about 5 yrs ago. Lot if work done when we bought it but super machine. V hard to get them second had. We got it for 800 quid. I'd say if it gets used about half a dozen times a ye that's it. But a good piece of kit. Especially when the neighbours wife gives out when you borrow theres

paddysdream

slippy wicket wrote: »

I have a Cross post driver about 7 or 8 years at this stage.
Some machine. IMO best one on the market as it has a continuous loop of chain to raise weight.
Its done some amount of fencing, and bar having to replace a hydrolic pipe due to my own mistake its good as new.

only things is that its not suited to driving post and rail as pin cant stick in post.

Never liked the cross type freefall machine to be honest.Always prefer one where you control the drop of the hammer as feel its both safer and much easier to tap a stake rather than give it whack.
This mightn't matter in some cases but doing post and rail or even sheep wire or barbed wire its nice to have the stakes drove evenly and not be going with the chainsaw to top them.

td5man

paddysdream wrote: »

Never liked the cross type freefall machine to be honest.Always prefer one where you control the drop of the hammer as feel its both safer and much easier to tap a stake rather than give it whack.
This mightn't matter in some cases but doing post and rail or even sheep wire or barbed wire its nice to have the stakes drove evenly and not be going with the chainsaw to top them.

Neighbour lost half his hand with a cross post driver.

paddysdream

td5man wrote: »

Neighbour lost half his hand with a cross post driver.

That's the danger with a drop machine.You have less control over it due to the fact that once the hammer trips thats it ,no stopping.At least with a vector or other make you can control the rate of fall and stop it.

Hugh 2

Thanks for the useful information

Vanderbadger. I suspect that I would not like the cadge either. From what I see in DoneDeal drivers made in the south seem to have them while ones made in the north don't seem to have to fit them.

The loader I have in mind would have Matbro headstock so the weight would not be a problem but being able to see what I am doing or how far stake driven ( when operating from cab)

Slippy wicket I had a look at the cross and it certainly seems different. Is the chain raised with some sort of hydraulic pump.?i
I was amazed to see on the "Cross"website on their post driver brochure they feature a pic of a stake been driven sideways (unless intentional for some reason it is a real bad pic I drive enough stakes as it is with loader bucket that look skew ways )

Green grass I am looking at a few Malone type machines ( same design )- one from the north a tractor type with a attached fitting for Matbro headstock and one made in cork cheaper but looks quite well made.

Muckit

I also prefer the weight raised on a pulley and rope rather than a chain.

rangler1

td5man wrote: »

Neighbour lost half his hand with a cross post driver.

If you put your hand on the top of a stake, you're liable to lose it.....doesn't matter what post driver you're using.
You can do short stroke with the cross as well.....just by reversing the hydraulic motor ,you can let it down from any height

Hugh 2

Turns out buying a post driver might not be as easy as I thought

Health and safety seems to have caused a few changes.

One comany reputedly have given up making them due to these changes.

Another company has stopped making their basic modell which used to cost 1700 with a 3000 euro model these changes include the safety cadge another is not being allowed to make machines that can be operated from inside the tractor

For some reason loader operated machines return oil flow needs to be piped directly back to the machine without the oil having to flow through a valve.

Not that I understand all these but plated ce stamped Irish made machines are a heck of a lot more expensive than they used to be
I haven't phoned every manufacturer but I have only found 1 Irish driver that would happily supply for a front end of a telescopic loader without the need of running a special return pipe

paddysdream

rangler1 wrote: »

If you put your hand on the top of a stake, you're liable to lose it.....doesn't matter what post driver you're using.
You can do short stroke with the cross as well.....just by reversing the hydraulic motor ,you can let it down from any height

True enough I suppose,no accounting for idiots.

But as regards the free fall type driver,not a patch on the rope and pulley ones.Try using one for a day to fence with and then use a proper one and you will see that there is no comparison.

Borrowed one for a week a few years ago when my own was out of action and to be honest a sledge would be preferable.
Case of; hammer up,trip,bang,wait till hook came round ,hammer up etc.Slow,no control to tap stake an inch only if needed.

onyerbikepat

Hugh 2 wrote: »

...Not that I understand all these but plated ce stamped Irish made machines are a heck of a lot more expensive than they used to be
I haven't phoned every manufacturer but I have only found 1 Irish driver that would happily supply for a front end of a telescopic loader without the need of running a special return pipe

All machines sold now in Europe have to be CE Plated. It's the law, simple as that. You've only to look through the likes of Donedeal to see a lot of back-yard manufacturers selling what are essentially lethal machines with no safety features. Logsplitters are an obvious one.
How many stakes will you drive per year. I drove a dozen or so there during the week with the hand held whacker. Home made one, 25 Kgs.:D
I was surprised how easy it was to drive them. Took a break and drove them over a few nights but job done now.

td5man

td5man wrote: »

Neighbour lost half his hand with a cross post driver.

Just to add that this man is a very careful operator and he got caught out, so be careful with all postdrivers.

Muckit

I know some lads won't agree with me but I still say it's hard to beat getting in a good lad on a tidy ex60 sized track machine and just push them down with the bucket. You need a second person anyway. It might ad well be someone who knows what they're doing.

Have your stakes spaced out in advance and just walk along and hold them up until bucket rests on them, then stand well back. Driver just crabs along. He's always facing the work. He can level the ground or pull a bit sticking out of a ditch. You'll do them ad quick ad you can walk. Your on the ground controlling the work and position of fence.

Tractor whackers are too slow and awkward. All that reversing and b*llo**ng with a farmer machine that doesn't drive from the side or have side shift.

Then it's just standing up in the yard for most of the year.

Reggie.

Muckit wrote: »

I know some lads won't agree with me but I still say it's hard to beat getting in a good lad on a tidy ex60 sized track machine and just push them down with the bucket. You need a second person anyway. It might ad well be someone who knows what they're doing.

Have your stakes spaced out in advance and just walk along and hold them up until bucket rests on them, then stand well back. Driver just crabs along. He's always facing the work. He can level the ground or pull a bit sticking out of a ditch. You'll do them ad quick ad you can walk. Your on the ground controlling the work and position of fence.

Tractor whackers are too slow and awkward. All that reversing and b*llo**ng with a farmer machine that doesn't drive from the side or have side shift.

Then it's just standing up in the yard for most of the year.

Excellent point

MfMan

Muckit wrote: »

I know some lads won't agree with me but I still say it's hard to beat getting in a good lad on a tidy ex60 sized track machine and just push them down with the bucket. You need a second person anyway. It might ad well be someone who knows what they're doing.

Have your stakes spaced out in advance and just walk along and hold them up until bucket rests on them, then stand well back. Driver just crabs along. He's always facing the work. He can level the ground or pull a bit sticking out of a ditch. You'll do them ad quick ad you can walk. Your on the ground controlling the work and position of fence.

Tractor whackers are too slow and awkward. All that reversing and b*llo**ng with a farmer machine that doesn't drive from the side or have side shift.

Then it's just standing up in the yard for most of the year.

True, but in an emergency when cattle break out and you're trying to secure the field again at short notice, where are you gonna get a man with a track machine? Like most farm implements there's a fair cost involved in buying something you only use occasionally but the pay-off comes when you can do something at short notice or in your own time.

Hate working against the clock when using a machine that's hired out, e.g. a mini-digger, not the safest way to work at the very least.

Hugh 2

Here is an unusual one that apparently would work on the front of loader




http://http://youtu.be/pWnZvijS5nE

rangler1

MfMan wrote: »

True, but in an emergency when cattle break out and you're trying to secure the field again at short notice, where are you gonna get a man with a track machine? Like most farm implements there's a fair cost involved in buying something you only use occasionally but the pay-off comes when you can do something at short notice or in your own time.

Hate working against the clock when using a machine that's hired out, e.g. a mini-digger, not the safest way to work at the very least.

I agree, a lot of fences up here 20yrs, you need a post driver in the yard when a king post breaks or as you say to fence at short notice.
If you buy one at the start of your fencing, it'll be paid for by the time it's standing in the yard for emergencies

Hugh 2

That last link only seems to work sometimes

Try this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2VtOzn8tIc
Thanks

(apparently would work on the front of loader)