Help selecting a Post Driver

[byrd]

I've recently had a quote provided for the installation of about 150 4x4 fence posts. After receiving the quote and doing a little research and pricing, I've learned that I can purchase a post driver for my tractor for about the same cost as the price of labor that I was given. Knowing that I have another 200 or so posts to do after the initial bunch and I'm sure many more over the years to come, a post driver seems like a reasonable investment. As I've been looking, I've been primarily considering the Shaver HD-8 or HD-10. For new drivers, it looks like Kencove has some of the best prices.

I have a Kubota L4400DT (2009). According to tractordata.com the L4400 hydraulic system provides 10.6 gal/min (gear) and 11.9 gal/min (hydro). I'm not sure which is the critical number to consider for a post driver, but I think either is close enough that even the HD-10 should work pretty well.

I'm in south eastern VA on roughly 26 acres, about 9 of which is fenced with 3 board fencing for horses. For the most part, our soil is pretty loamy; a little clay heavy in a few areas, but nothing too bad. We don't have any rocks, gravel, or hard pan.

I had a few questions that I was hoping those with experience with post drivers could help with:

1) Based on my soil type, is it even worth considering an HD-10? I primarily use 4x4s, but I use 6x6s at my corners and as gate posts.
2) Has anyone here ever put a Shaver HD-10 on a Kubota L4400? Is it possible? The L4400 is a Cat I tractor. The Shaver manual says the HD-10 is for Cat II and III tractors.
3) If anyone has used an HD-8 or HD-10 on a Kubota L4400 or similar can you provide any insight on where the return should be plumbed to? I have one rear remote that I can use for the supply side.
4) Since I have pretty easy soil, would it be worth considering the HD-8 with hydraulic adjustments over the HD-10 manual adjust? I'm not sure I can swing the cost of the HD-10 with hydraulic adjust and am not quite convinced that I need the heavier driver.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[oldnslo]

I believe Danuser in Missouri makes a driver that is quick hitch compatable for your FEL and only needs around 10 GPM to operate. Never used one myself but have seen a couple in use here in the midwest. They have a clamp so that you can pick the post up and also a tilt function for when the tractor is on a side slope and you want to drive the post vertical. No clue on the cost Vs Shaver.

Post Driver | Fence Post Driver | Danuser

 

[r porter]

even with the best of soil the secret it to wait till spring after the last frost. you can drive about anything then. driving 50 posts before lunch makes things go fast.

i have made a pilot hole and drove 12 in telephone pole stubs for corners. [with a shaver 8] mine has the manual adj and i dont think the hyd will be worth it. mine will drive a 6x6 just as fast as a 4x4 in the spring.

this was with an old farmall too. so the gallons per min aint as important as you think. all it has to do is raise the ram and gravity takes over from there.

i once drove a 21 foot light pole with it.

i bolted a 3 ft stub on the side and wacked it till i broke off the stub. it was over 3 ft deep so i quit.

 

[RickB]

Not sure why one could not put a Cat 1 hitch crossbar on an HD10 and go. An 8 would certainly fit your tractor and probably drive posts in your soil, especially in spring. A 10 will have a LOT more wallop. Hydraulic flow only relates to how fast the hammer RAISES. 10 GPM is fine for either model Shaver. If you can get an HD10 pinned to your Kubota, that is what I would do.

 

[EddieWalker]

I致e recently had a quote provided for the installation of about 150 4x4 fence posts.

Why would you use 4x4's for fence posts? Nothing twists or bends more then modern day treated 4x4's. Even 4x6's bend. Why not use round treated posts?

 

[JimRB]

I used an old Shaver post driver on my JD 870. That is a small 28 hp tractor. It worked fine. As others have mentioned it worked fine once we had rain. Posts bounced on the Georgia clay when it had not rained in three months. Square 4x4 posts went in pretty fast after some rain.

 

[byrd]

Why would you use 4x4's for fence posts? Nothing twists or bends more then modern day treated 4x4's. Even 4x6's bend. Why not use round treated posts?

Because I already have a mile, maybe two, worth of 3 board fencing that was done by a previous owner using 4x4 posts. I'd like to stay consistent with what is already there. I've put another 80 to 100 in over the past year, and I can only think of one that really stands out as having bowed as the post dried. The bending posts is much less of a bother than leaning posts caused by the previous owner's poor tamping ability. The boards keep that post fairly straight, although I agree that it is not always the case.

 

[byrd]

I believe Danuser in Missouri makes a driver that is quick hitch compatable for your FEL and only needs around 10 GPM to operate. Never used one myself but have seen a couple in use here in the midwest. They have a clamp so that you can pick the post up and also a tilt function for when the tractor is on a side slope and you want to drive the post vertical. No clue on the cost Vs Shaver.

I took a look at these. You ca get a skid steer adapter for the Shaver as well. Unfortunately, I only have lift and tilt control on my FEL, so I would have to plumb another supply and return line up front. On the back end I already have a rear remote that I can hold open as a supply and I would only need to route a return line. Although I'm not sure how best to route the return on my Kubota just yet, so that might be just as much work.

 

[byrd]

Not sure why one could not put a Cat 1 hitch crossbar on an HD10 and go. An 8 would certainly fit your tractor and probably drive posts in your soil, especially in spring. A 10 will have a LOT more wallop. Hydraulic flow only relates to how fast the hammer RAISES. 10 GPM is fine for either model Shaver. If you can get an HD10 pinned to your Kubota, that is what I would do.

Yeah. I just found that Kencove sells a "Universal 3-Point Mounting Bracket". It comes with Cat I and Cat II pins. It's a wide bracket so the pins would need to get mounted inward, but that's no biggie. They also sell the HD-8 and HD-10 as "complete" drivers with the mounting bracket.

Kencove has the HD-10 with hydro adjust and mounting bracket listed at just under $4K. It seems reasonable from what snooping around the net that I've done so far. I've looked for used drivers as well, but the only one I've seen within a 2 hour drive is a manual adjust HD-10 that looks like it's been chained to a tree for a few years and the owner wants $3K for it.

 

[byrd]

Makes sense about the 4x4 posts.

Have you talked to any fence builders in your area to see what they would charge to come and pound the posts in for you? If that's all they are doing, it's probably a day job for them.

I did... I got a quote for about $23 (labor) per post for about 150 posts (about $3450 total labor). I've easily put in well over a few hundred posts before, so I don't mind doing the work myself. However, in the past year or so I've started having some lower back issues, noting serious (yet) if I'm kind to my back, so I've started looking into other options. Tamping posts all day with a steal tamping rod isn't really in the cards for me anymore. That's why I started looking at other options.

After I got the quote, I figured that there's got to be a better way to invest that $3450. I have one small paddock to fence in the immediate future (the one I got quoted). Later, we plan subdivide two larger pastures into smaller paddocks, then there are a couple aisle ways to paddocks that the wife would like added, as well as some repair work on a partially fenced paddock. Soooo... I think I have the future work to make me feel like the purchase would be justified... even if I find a better quote on the immediate work that I need to do.