Crooked posts = crooked fence... Post driver blues

[Dadnatron]

I have about 6 miles of new 4 board fence to put in on my place. I won't even begin discussing cost and alternatives, as I like my marriage and a divorce would cost me more than the fence... (although not much more I think... heh).

The first quote I received for only a part (periphery of one portion) 2miles, was $118,000 installed and painted.

After I quite choking, I recognized there was a Beverly Hills tax, for my address and I realized this was the going rate in my area. So... having grown up putting in fence by hand... and I mean by 2 hands and a pair of fence post shovels, in the mountains, on the mountain side where no machinery could get to (at that time). I believed I could put this in, on my own time schedule, for a cheaper price.

So, I purchased a top of the line, WRAG OPUS, out of the UK, from Iowa Farm Equipment. And it seems to work very well.

The problem I've run into... is the quality of the posts I am trying to drive. I began WAY BACK IN THE BACK of my property, thinking I'd make my learning curve mistakes where they wouldn't show too badly. And am I glad I did. I purchased (through a local and well respected vendor) 1200 posts and 5000 poplar planks. (The good thing is, I've only taken possession of 1 small load of posts (7 bundles I think). But THESE POSTS SUCK!

Out of the 50 in a bundle, at least 1/2 of them are crooked to the point that my driver, even with checking for level 3-4 times per post and adjusting accordingly, cannot put them in straight. When I remove the driver, the post 'SPRINGS' into whatever direction its natural inclination deems. I try to compensate, but I'm frustrated.

My wife and I put in about 100 posts over the weekend, and at the end, I looked at it, and am unhappy with about 25 or so. I realize that I can't use inferior materials and expect superior results. So, I need to find straight posts!

What do you look for when you are purchasing posts... (sight unseen)? And actually, strapped in a bundle... I couldn't have tole how crooked these posts were to begin with even if I would have picked each bundle myself.

Does anyone have a good source for straight posts in the KY/Southern IN/Southern OH area?

 

[oosik]

WoW -Oh, my God. The first thing that comes to mind - I put in a mile and a half of five strand barbed wire fence. 7.5 miles of barbed wire and 565 T-131 posts for less than $3000. Drove ALL the posts with a hand pounder and strung all the wire by hand. Took almost two years - worked at it almost every day. That all happened in 1982-1983 and with normal routine maintenance the fence is in good condition today.

There must be a TREMENDOUS reason you need that expensive a fence.

Anyhow - now that the shock has worn off - - there has to be a source of good, straight, wood posts. I see huge semi-loads of pointy green posts traveling both directions on I-90 all the time.

 

[Fuddy1952]

When did you buy the 1200 posts? I would call them today...talk with the manager only... I'd be very polite about it assuming they'll make it right. You need straight posts, for that amount of fence you ought to have another helper (my opinion).
If manager can't help I would call home office. You cannot work with crooked posts!

 

[EarPlug]

When you break open a bundle of post's your set aside the crooked ones. Then you have the vendor replace them.

 

[plowhog]

No help, just sympathy. Can you determine the straight from bent when unloading, or do they bend and tweak as they go in the ground?

 

[rgr33]

I put in about 1000 treated pine posts in 1998, that I bought from Panhandle in Idaho.
Starting about 3 years ago, I am replacing about 4 to 5 a year from rot below grade. Didn’t receive any crooked posts, but I thought they slipped in a few extra small ones here and there.

I agree with EarPlug, you paid for good quality posts, and those that aren’t, should be exchanged.

 

[sixdogs]

We get loads of round fence post here that are pressure treated and come from the southern US somewhere. I've seen hundreds of bundles open and while there are a few crooked posts I don't recall any more than that. There is a place in Pennsylvania--Kencove Fence-- that sells fencing supplies and posts and that I have found to be honest and reliable over maybe 25 years.

You aren't a customer there but could be so I would call, say you were referred for an honest opinion and ask what to expect with fence posts. They'll give you a straight answer. Just a thought.

 

[r porter]

you will probably not be happy with the driver. even with perfect posts the ground will cause the posts to lean. drivers are great for wire fence but a board fence needs the holes drilled.

also you have missed the time to install with a driver. summer and hard ground are not your friend. think spring and wet weather.

 

[Dadnatron]

Everyone around here uses a driver. Just today, I saw 3 crews putting in fence. I don't think anyone uses a post hole auger, unless they hit rock and can't get through with a rock spike.

We've had 3" of rain this week.

 

[Dadnatron]

I went to the supplier and talked about the posts. He was very nice and understood we weren't happy. He offered to take them back and asked if we had a way to load them on a truck or should he send something out to load them along with the truck.

I'm going to look around here. There are a couple places that I've found that make milled/true round posts. What I received were extremely variable. They were peeled branches... and they were crap. It is hard to see how some of them could have made it through any sort of QC.

The supplier said they get their posts from 2 different suppliers.

I looked at their treated poplar planking, and it looks pretty good. Measures out 16'2-3". Looks straight and no warpage. I think I will either have them refund the posts and I will just take that cost elsewhere or just have them add more planking when I need it, and get the posts elsewhere separately.

Luckily, I have a Danuser Intimidator, and can pull those crappy posts very easily. But it still frustrates me to need to do so. Realistically, I shouldn't even have tried to put them in. But, I thought I might be able to get them straight with the machine. I could... until I released tension... then they sprang back into