Jobs you used to do

[Soundguy]

When I worked at the airport we used to have to drive ground rods all over the place for grounding airplanes when fueling. We had air brakes on the fuel trucks, and that meant an air tank. We hooked up a length of air hose to the tank, then used an air chisel with a cupped bit to drive 10' ground rod down through the intersections of concrete joints. Those things would zip right down in just a minute or so. So, I wonder if that type of thing would work with T posts? Put that hand operated post pounder in a couple of eye loops on the side of the FEL bucket, weld an air chisel bit to the top of it, attach the air chisel, then drive up to the posts, put the pounder over the T post and bzzzzt vibrate it down.

Anyhow, don't want to hi-jack the thread.

Interesting idea... I bet you could make one from a jack hammer! air or electric.

soundguy

 

[banjodunn]

G'day there is a pnuematic driver that is sold over herethat works just fine sure you got to cart a compressor around but then you usually have other stuff in the trailer/ute/carryall it also has the advantage of going in reverse and pulling the post out as well


Jon

 

[MossRoad]

Well, with my little tractor being all hydraulic, I'd have to consider building a hydraulically powered air compressor to cart around. That would probably be pretty easy, really. Just swap the electric motor for hydraulic of similar speed. Hmmm.....

 

[Soundguy]

might even be able to get away with lower speed.. just loose some flow.. etc..

soundguy

 

[patrick_g]

When I worked at the airport we used to have to drive ground rods all over the place for grounding airplanes when fueling. We had air brakes on the fuel trucks, and that meant an air tank. We hooked up a length of air hose to the tank, then used an air chisel with a cupped bit to drive 10' ground rod down through the intersections of concrete joints. Those things would zip right down in just a minute or so. So, I wonder if that type of thing would work with T posts? Put that hand operated post pounder in a couple of eye loops on the side of the FEL bucket, weld an air chisel bit to the top of it, attach the air chisel, then drive up to the posts, put the pounder over the T post and bzzzzt vibrate it down.

Anyhow, don't want to hi-jack the thread.

David, I'm 6'2" and have to stand on something to use my electric demo hammer (small electric jack hammer) to drive a T-post. I can do it standing on the ground but it is NOT EASY. The electric demo hammer came with a couple chisels, one of which I cut off and welded on a short piece of pipe plugged at the end where it welds to the chisel. I put the pipe over the T-post and let 'er rip. NOT really fast in hard ground but it will git 'er done when the ground makes hand pounding slow or impossible and trying the FEL just raises the tractor front wheels off the ground and can bend the T-post.

Putting weight in the FEL bucket is NOT the answer as it would just make it so you could bend the T-post before lifting the front wheels.

Pat

 

[Egon]

Here is a post driver!

This is the type I recall seeing used back in Alberta.

 

[Grrrr]

We use one of these things:

But ours is more heavy duty, like this:

We can knock a 12" gate post in a long way no problem

 

[jimmyj]

Like Moss said, wheelbarrow and snowblower are just about retired now. I used to slug so much by hand the FEL has been the greatest tool ever. Sunday I was gathering fieldstone and placing them into a trailer to bring home for a water feature we're making. A few years ago I would have done it all by hand and probably have ruined my feet, fingers and back. But no more.

My only regret is not getting the tractor 10 years ago when we first moved here. Most of my work is already done!

Regarding T post pounders. I find that I take my hands off it just before it strikes and that way I'm not absorbing the force. It makes more noise that way but I just wear ear muffs.

 

[DavidPerry]

I can't find it now but there is a pneumatic t-post driver on the market. I remember someone here on the forum using a generator and air compressor on a carry all with a pneumatic driver to run t-posts. Sure sounded better than the manual way to me.

MarkV

I have a Rhino pd-55

Rhino Tool Post Drivers and Post Pullers

It will drive 2 3/8" steel pipe in the ground 5 ft without difficulty. T-posts are just easy.