Post driver

sucklerlover

Hi all
Just lookin for recommendations on drivers. What are ye all using. Sick of bumming my neighbours ones. Would like to hear good and bad points.
Thanks.

Miname

sucklerlover wrote: »

Hi all
Just lookin for recommendations on drivers. What are ye all using. Sick of bumming my neighbours ones. Would like to hear good and bad points.
Thanks.

Get a contractor in. Buying a post driver for the average farm is madness. I'd a lad in that done over 700m of fencing for 300 euros and that including putting up the wire. The lads fencing everyday will do it in a fraction of the time and a lot better job too.

ganmo

Get a hand one for the patching

sucklerlover

Miname wrote: »

Get a contractor in. Buying a post driver for the average farm is madness. I'd a lad in that done over 700m of fencing for 300 euros and that including putting up the wire. The lads fencing everyday will do it in a fraction of the time and a lot better job too.

I hear ya but no contractor is goin 2 come 2 drive half dozen posts. I've bulls and you have to keep on top of fencing.so I'm goin to invest and really just want to know what post drivers r good and which are sh#te.

locky76

sucklerlover wrote: »

I hear ya but no contractor is goin 2 come 2 drive half dozen posts. I've bulls and you have to keep on top of fencing.so I'm goin to invest and really just want to know what post drivers r good and which are sh#te.

I've a Malone and it's the best thing I've ever brought into the place, great machine...
Make sure it has the hydraulic top link and the side tilt and you're away for slates.
Great job to have it there whenever you need it, two of us whacked in nearly 100 posts one day, great when you get the swing of it.

paddysdream

sucklerlover wrote: »

Hi all
Just lookin for recommendations on drivers. What are ye all using. Sick of bumming my neighbours ones. Would like to hear good and bad points.
Thanks.

Depends really on what you need it for or how much fencing you intend to do.

Basic one with up,down side shift,hydraulic top link and level adjustment will do all bar the most awkward fencing.Personally hate the drop(Cross etc) type drivers, ie those with a chain which trips and lets the hammer freefall.Prefer the rope type where you can control the hammer fall.

Avoid any used one with an amount of wear on pins etc as nothing worse than trying to straighten a stake or get the driver level and all it does is slop around.Makes a handy job frustrating esp. if your tractor linkage is any way worn as well.

frazzledhome

We've a Malone. Super tool has hyd top link and leveller. Valve trouble in first week rang dealer in a Sat he said he'd call on Mon, no good to me. I rang Malone, boss arrived on Sun with new chest in jeep and a new driver on trailer. He gave me the choice of the new chest or driver. I took the chest, really couldn't have asked for more. Top class

Only down side is the safety cage just couldn't be kept in place.

have2flushtwice

frazzledhome wrote: »

We've a Malone. Super tool has hyd top link and leveller. Valve trouble in first week rang dealer in a Sat he said he'd call on Mon, no good to me. I rang Malone, boss arrived on Sun with new chest in jeep and a new driver on trailer. He gave me the choice of the new chest or driver. I took the chest, really couldn't have asked for more. Top class

Only down side is the safety cage just couldn't be kept in place.

now that's what I call service.

lakill Farm

got the loan of a post driver last night and drove 4 king posts (7ft 6 x 20inch diameter). took 15 mins each to drive with a 350kg hammer.

drove 6ft PDM posts with 3-5 slaps to 4ft 3 above ground.

Buying a 2nd hand one off the brother in law when he upgrades later this year, Its a "cross" one with bells and whistles and that way he can borrow back anytime. He is fencing contractor so he helps me, im the " go-for" lad

annubis

for some reason i dont like the ones that use wire rope or chain to lift weight, prefer the normal nylon rope, if wire ever snapped it could cut a man in 2 or flyin back window, have a major one, similar enough to malone id say, its a handy tool on the farm now, bought 2 x 10 ft posts recently off farm relief to hang gates, should test it to knock them in!

td5man

lakill Farm wrote: »

got the loan of a post driver last night and drove 4 king posts (7ft 6 x 20inch diameter). took 15 mins each to drive with a 350kg hammer.

drove 6ft PDM posts with 3-5 slaps to 4ft 3 above ground.

Buying a 2nd hand one off the brother in law when he upgrades later this year, Its a "cross" one with bells and whistles and that way he can borrow back anytime. He is fencing contractor so he helps me, im the " go-for" lad

Be careful with the cross neighbour lost half his hand with one, he's a very good operator.

MfMan

In the same boat as the OP, been looking for a driver for a while now. Side-tilt + hydraulic top-link seems to be the way to go, as they are / can be a one-man operation. Think Malone, Major, Belmac all in the same boat price wiseish for these models. Firm in Offaly, Rainbow Eng., might be a little bit cheaper. Vector drivers mostly more expensive again and more suited to contractors. Malone seem to have sold quite a few drivers and are being well advertised. All must now come with safety cage attached.

Hard to get them second-hand, not many up on DD. Those that were are usually sold quickly, for the same reason - no more work for them.

lakill Farm

td5man wrote: »

Be careful with the cross neighbour lost half his hand with one, he's a very good operator.

will do. I probably end up driving the tractor as he drive the post driver
the functons on the post driver

* hydraulic top link
* hydraulic slope control /tilt
* hydraulic slide (approx. 30 inch)
* hydraulic square post turner and cramp (6x3 timber post)
and there is something else also he was saying

and big advantage its the handy type post driver, not he one with the counter balance weight that's 8ft wide

visatorro

just wondering has anyone a post driver mounted on the front loader? seen them on DD. i would have though it was hard on loader but maybe with soft ride it might cushion it ? the weight is also only 250kg. how much of a differnce would this make?

9935452

visatorro wrote: »

just wondering has anyone a post driver mounted on the front loader? seen them on DD. i would have though it was hard on loader but maybe with soft ride it might cushion it ? the weight is also only 250kg. how much of a differnce would this make?

My main fear would be it could strain/warp the headstock of the loader.
Weight wise being 250kgs wouldnt bother me. you probably can spec it heavier or add weight if the frame is strong enough. but you probably would struggle a bit with esb poles
The extra reach of the loader over dykes and into tight corners would be the selling point there, plus you would have the transport box on with all your stakes /supplies

visatorro

loader would be taken a fair impact alright. it's hard enough to keep play outta bushings wide just a shear grab. you'd want to be greasing after every post

Zr105

visatorro wrote: »

just wondering has anyone a post driver mounted on the front loader? seen them on DD. i would have though it was hard on loader but maybe with soft ride it might cushion it ? the weight is also only 250kg. how much of a differnce would this make?

Have an old parmiter post driver on the loader, the weight is off to the left and could probably do with a bit of counter weighting, but it is very handy, much easier to drive post on top of the ditch rather than having to run along side it if it's a banky/steep ditch. Or if you need to put the posts in across a gripe etc.
It's also very easy to see where your placing them and a smal turn of the steering can move you an inch or 2left or right.

The weight is fairly small on it, probably around the 250, but I'm not actually sure, it managed to drive 7ft strainers in the spring, but wouldn't have a hope this time of year, there's an adjustable pair of legs on the frame and we'd always have them sitting on the ground when driving(or atleast the one closest the post) takes the knock out of the loader

Reggie.

annubis wrote: »

for some reason i dont like the ones that use wire rope or chain to lift weight, prefer the normal nylon rope, if wire ever snapped it could cut a man in 2 or flyin back window, have a major one, similar enough to malone id say, its a handy tool on the farm now, bought 2 x 10 ft posts recently off farm relief to hang gates, should test it to knock them in!

Same here

upload picture
Hydraulic toplink and side tilt also. Good heavy hammer on it but don't know exactly the weight plus it's the nylon rope aswell. You just reverse right upto the post as the weights behind ya. Helps get them awkward posts.
Drove 60 posts with it in 90 mins on my own one evening.

Bullocks

What kinda money are new drivers ? I don't see alot on DD second hand and I wouldn't mind buying new if it would hold reasonable value when selling after a year or two .
Do you need many spools on the back of the tractor to work one with side tilt and that kind of jazz ?

Zr105

Bullocks wrote: »

What kinda money are new drivers ? I don't see alot on DD second hand and I wouldn't mind buying new if it would hold reasonable value when selling after a year or two .
Do you need many spools on the back of the tractor to work one with side tilt and that kind of jazz ?

Not sure of cost but only 1 spool needed as the rest are generally ran from a valve chest on the machine

Bullocks

Zr105 wrote: »

Not sure of cost but only 1 spool needed as the rest are generally ran from a valve chest on the machine

Not too bad , I'd probably be able to work it on the smaller tractor if needs be so .
Also I'm looking for a new sprayer , would there be any dealer around the west that might sell both that I could get a good deal off

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

Not too bad , I'd probably be able to work it on the smaller tractor if needs be so .
Also I'm looking for a new sprayer , would there be any dealer around the west that might sell both that I could get a good deal off

PM sent

ABlur

Bullocks wrote: »

Not too bad , I'd probably be able to work it on the smaller tractor if needs be so .
Also I'm looking for a new sprayer , would there be any dealer around the west that might sell both that I could get a good deal off

Jarmet sprayer from this crowd:

http://www.whitesofbocombra.co.uk/farm-machinery/new-machinery/sprayers/

Delivered to your door. They do post drivers too but I can't vouch for it.

sucklerlover

Bullocks wrote: »

What kinda money are new drivers ? I don't see alot on DD second hand and I wouldn't mind buying new if it would hold reasonable value when selling after a year or two .
Do you need many spools on the back of the tractor to work one with side tilt and that kind of jazz ?

I priced few and there all about the €2850 mark from the dealers I asked.

9935452

ABlur wrote: »

Jarmet sprayer from this crowd:

http://www.whitesofbocombra.co.uk/farm-machinery/new-machinery/sprayers/

Delivered to your door. They do post drivers too but I can't vouch for it.

I have used a jarmet sprayer, and know several people with them, If you are doing any amount of spraying stay away from them, Constantly losing heads , t's are cracking, booms are light and with the paint flaking off them from day one. Even when you lock the booms level , when you hit a bump they goo off level. The bolts locking the boom will shear .
When you hit a bump with the booms opened out they will turn inwards
Pump struggles to get up pressure.
The build quality is poor. they are cheap to buy for a reason

9935452

sucklerlover wrote: »

I priced few and there all about the €2850 mark from the dealers I asked.

A malone one about 6 years ago with hydraulic top link and side tilt was 2500

Jimlh86

Hijacking another thread, but how does this sound?
Pdm strainer €20.50
5ft post €7.25
7ft turner €13.50
Imported cresoted post 5ft €6.50

Probably no need for strainer as 7ft turner loads for 1 strand HT..

Count Mondego

Thinking of buying a post driver and have a few prices. What's the story with the stability legs that hang out from the frame? Most of my fencing would be done against a stone wall and I'd want the post right in against the wall. These legs would keep me out a foot or more. Would you make a bollix of it if you used it without the legs?

raypallas

Count Mondego wrote:

Thinking of buying a post driver and have a few prices. What's the story with the stability legs that hang out from the frame? Most of my fencing would be done against a stone wall and I'd want the post right in against the wall. These legs would keep me out a foot or more. Would you make a bollix of it if you used it without the legs?

On the malone ones the two legs can be taken off by removing two spring clips and put back on when your finished.

Bullocks

Count Mondego wrote: »

Thinking of buying a post driver and have a few prices. What's the story with the stability legs that hang out from the frame? Most of my fencing would be done against a stone wall and I'd want the post right in against the wall. These legs would keep me out a foot or more. Would you make a bollix of it if you used it without the legs?

What about a driver that swings out the side? Would it be handier than having to reverse into every post .

Count Mondego

Bullocks wrote: »

What about a driver that swings out the side? Would it be handier than having to reverse into every post .

I'd say you'd be paying for the contractor model there! The one I'm looking at with hydraulic top link and side tilt is around 2800.

Bullocks

Count Mondego wrote: »

I'd say you'd be paying for the contractor model there! The one I'm looking at with hydraulic top link and side tilt is around 2800.

Ya it would be and the Vector one at Tullamore was about 7k +VAT so it's a fair difference.
The farmer version of Vector was €3400 including VAT and I thought it was way ahead of the other makes for the few pound extra and was worth it .
I was thinking of getting one aswell but I'm half thinking of just tapping them in with the track machine instead as I'd have to do a nice bit of clearing with it anyhow and I'm not gone on having to back the tractor into every post in awkward spots

Willfarman

They are the number one breaker of back windows of tractors... Not that I'd do anything so stupid.. Twice...��

Count Mondego

Bullocks wrote: »

Ya it would be and the Vector one at Tullamore was about 7k +VAT so it's a fair difference.
The farmer version of Vector was €3400 including VAT and I thought it was way ahead of the other makes for the few pound extra and was worth it .
I was thinking of getting one aswell but I'm half thinking of just tapping them in with the track machine instead as I'd have to do a nice bit of clearing with it anyhow and I'm not gone on having to back the tractor into every post in awkward spots

Thanks Bullocks. Is it worth the extra 500 for the Vector? Probably not for the bits I have to do. Friend who is a contractor offered me his one anytime but I hate borrowing anything. Have a 3CX so looking to tidy up a few walls with bushed this winter and putting up a decent bit of wire around it.

Bullocks

Count Mondego wrote: »

Thanks Bullocks. Is it worth the extra 500 for the Vector? Probably not for the bits I have to do. Friend who is a contractor offered me his one anytime but I hate borrowing anything. Have a 3CX so looking to tidy up a few walls with bushed this winter and putting up a decent bit of wire around it.

I think it is , it was actually €3700 Inc VAT so a bit dearer than I posted first . His sales pitch was a bigger valve chest that would mean faster blow of the hammer for driving .
It looked better put together than the other makes and I'd say it would hold its value well if you wanted to sell after a few years aswell which is what I would intend to do once I had my fencing under control