Powered Post Drivers

[Oregon Tractor Jack]

Since I have reached the age that lifting heavy things over my shoulders is hard and painful, I am looking at powered t-post drivers. I am leaning toward a Man Saver pneumatic post driver. They are lighter than gas powered ones and I already have a generator and compressor. I have been using the old misery manual pounder but that up and down is getting real rough. Has anyone used one or these?

OTJ

 

[urbancase]

Looked at them a few times but have not pulled the trigger. However it would be the one I would go with.

 

[Tony in SD]

I prefer to use our skid steer to push the posts in. The down side is that it does require a person to set the post in place but the effort is minimal for both of us.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

I prefer to use our skid steer to push the posts in. The down side is that it does require a person to set the post in place but the effort is minimal for both of us.

Yes tractor bucket makes a great post driver.

 

[trackrat]

get a piece of pipe to slip over the post and use a frontend loader to push it in the pipe keeps the post from bending

 

[showcrop]

get a piece of pipe to slip over the post and use a frontend loader to push it in the pipe keeps the post from bending

What length of pipe have you found works well?

 

[Fawteen]

When I looked into them, one of the things that put me off was the weight. The idea is to SAVE what's left of my shoulders, not blow them out trying to lift a 25# (or more) machine over the top of a 7 foot post.

I wound up hiring it done. Not too much strain on my shoulders peeling off a couple of twenties...

 

[trackrat]

What length of pipe have you found works well?

depends on post length cover most of post just to let you put more pressure on post without bending it

 

[Oregon Tractor Jack]

Thanks for the replies. I have a t-post pusher i made for my loader tractor and yes it works really well. The only problem is it takes two people. I tried it with SWMBO once and it didn't go well. Plus, we have pretty rocky soil and I bent a lot of posts using the loader. As far as the weight of the pounder, I always lay the post down and slide the pounder over the post and then tip both up so I don't have to lift the pounder. I just don' want to have to lift it up and down pounding the post. Getting old sucks, but its better than the alternative...

OTJ

 

[Texasmark]

Yes tractor bucket makes a great post driver.

Just brute force so the post and the soil have to be suitable, unlike a pounding type that uses Impact to do the dirty work.....Impact over brute force makes a big difference.

 

[trackrat]

As long as it isn't hard rock, here we have hard limestone rock we have to bore a pilot hole to set t posts, or drive them with a jack hammer hold a 90 pound jackhammer up with a bobcat works good

 

[Ray,IN]

Thanks for the replies. I have a t-post pusher i made for my loader tractor and yes it works really well. The only problem is it takes two people. I tried it with SWMBO once and it didn't go well. Plus, we have pretty rocky soil and I bent a lot of posts using the loader. As far as the weight of the pounder, I always lay the post down and slide the pounder over the post and then tip both up so I don't have to lift the pounder. I just don' want to have to lift it up and down pounding the post. Getting old sucks, but its better than the alternative...

OTJ

I made my own T-post driver from 30" of SST sch 80 3" pipe, with a plug of solid SST welded into one end, and handles on each side. It works great IMO, but I too must slide it over the post while laying on the ground these days. I'd estimate it weighs about 30#. I could never use my FEL to push in posts, the stone shelf under my soil is often only a foot or so underground.

 

[Texasmark]

As long as it isn't hard rock, here we have hard limestone rock we have to bore a pilot hole to set t posts, or drive them with a jack hammer hold a 90 pound jackhammer up with a bobcat works good

Ouch!

 

[wp6529]

Titan Post Pounders, forget the model, perhaps 2875. At any rate it is generally amazing if a bit heavy. Bent used T post, no problem, drives it in straight in seconds. 2 7/8" used drill stem for corner posts, 10' lengths pounded 5' into hard clay, through some tree roots, not seconds, more like 15 minutes but just did seven of them with no issues. Step ladder strapped down in bed of truck to get to the 10' starting height. Line t posts, marked and dropped along the route, me in truck bed, 10yo son walking along to stand up the posts for driving, wife moving the truck along to the next post, on down the line fast and easy.

 

[Keith True]

I bought one at an estate auction here years ago.I don't think many knew what it was.It was 3 point hitch,and used the tractor hydraulics too.It was really just a drop hammer.Raise the weight with the hydraulics,then trip it.Lower the hydraulics,and the lift part would click onto the hammer again.Pick it up and trip it over and over.It had some adjustable folding sleeves to kind of hold the lower part straight when you were using it.The hammer part of the sleeve was adjustable too so you could leave whatever amount you wanted sticking out of the ground.I sold it to a horse woman,she has used it for years,but she has sand,virtually no stone.

 

[Texasmark]

Titan Post Pounders, forget the model, perhaps 2875. At any rate it is generally amazing if a bit heavy. Bent used T post, no problem, drives it in straight in seconds. 2 7/8" used drill stem for corner posts, 10' lengths pounded 5' into hard clay, through some tree roots, not seconds, more like 15 minutes but just did seven of them with no issues. Step ladder strapped down in bed of truck to get to the 10' starting height. Line t posts, marked and dropped along the route, me in truck bed, 10yo son walking along to stand up the posts for driving, wife moving the truck along to the next post, on down the line fast and easy.

Nice family project....the way it ought to be.

 

[Texasmark]

I bought one at an estate auction here years ago.I don't think many knew what it was.It was 3 point hitch,and used the tractor hydraulics too.It was really just a drop hammer.Raise the weight with the hydraulics,then trip it.Lower the hydraulics,and the lift part would click onto the hammer again.Pick it up and trip it over and over.It had some adjustable folding sleeves to kind of hold the lower part straight when you were using it.The hammer part of the sleeve was adjustable too so you could leave whatever amount you wanted sticking out of the ground.I sold it to a horse woman,she has used it for years,but she has sand,virtually no stone.

People here use a similar method to build bulkheads on their lake lots. A floating barge with a lifting mechanism and heavy hammer drive huge treated wooden posts into the lake bottom mud to secure the planks making the bulkheads.....don't remember the dimensions but on the scale of 10"x12" and long......15' comes to mind. Used an old engine, may have been steam driven to lift the hammer like 20' or so in the air inside a containment that fits over the post and let her rip.....a huge "thunk" and back at it again......impact at work again.....gets the job done.

My Inlaws bought a lake lot on a lake that hadn't started filling (Livingston). FIL used to tease about having a 65' x 5 mile lot. As that was filling they said that you wouldn't believe what it stirred up as it filled....all sorts of critters.