Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket

   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #1  

Dave5264

Gold Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
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374
Location
Near North Ontario Canada
Tractor
08 Montana C5264, 2011 McCormick CX100 XS
Hi Folks, well, aside from the 170 cedar posts I pounded with the rented post pounder, i may need to put a hand full metal T-Posts in to make another fenced area (along witha bunch of Temp Fencing posts).

I've heard of some folks using the FEL to press the T-Posts in, how can this be done safely? i dont want a helper holding the T-post while push it in with the bucket...way too dangerous. What have you guys done safely ?

thanks
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #2  
the only way i know how to do it using the front end loader is the way which you have stated you do not want to do it. Anytime I have done it this way I, or the holder, is standing to the side and you are lowering the loader slowly. Other than that most farm supply places sell a pipe with a weighted cap that you can use to pound them in, not too aweful difficult unless you have rocky or really dry and hard soil, in which case go out and pound them after a rain.
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #3  
I do it with mine, well at least this year. I think it depends on how hard the ground is and if you have the good tposts vs. the el cheapos that bend when the wind blows.

How I do it, this is not necessarily the best way, I tap them in with a 5lb sledge, just enough to keep them from falling over. I then take my bucket up and ensure it's level with the ground and not the FEL level indicator. I position it so that it is directly center on the bucket, and I start lowering the bucket watching to see if the post begins to bend. The T post is on the thicker part of my bucket in the middle of the bucket (width wise) and towards my toothbar. The toothbar acts as a stop to keep it from going forward.

It sounds long, but it takes about a two to three seconds once the post is tapped in and the bucket is there. You may need to slightly curl/extend (adjust) your bucket when lowering so that you don't put them in crooked, especially on uneven terrain.

Good luck, and I'll be checking this thread to see if someone has a better way.
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #4  
I haven't done many T posts, maybe 80, but the hand held pipe with one end welded shut is just too easy, maybe 8 or 10 hits and the post is in a long way. I have some pretty solid clay, but it is no match for the post driver. It would be a lot more trouble to move the tractor and get set up. I use my FEL to carry all the tools, posts and wire. Of course if you have a lot of rocks then that would be different. The manual post drivers are pretty cheap and sold in lots of places. Good Luck
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #5  
I cut and pasted this from my response last year in another thread


first set your corner posts. then use a string and marking paint to make a line at each post location perpendicular to the proposed fence line. Set a post by each line. Then it takes three people to do it right. One to drive the tractor. One to hold the post and the broomstick (pre-cut cut to the desired post length above ground). The third to crouch and sight the previously driven post, the post being driven and the far corner post in a straight line. The tractor driver drops the fel until the post height is the same as the broomstick. Once the lines are marked and the posts set around two friends and I drove 200 posts in 90 minutes straight as an arrow. This was for 3 strand electric tape for horses with 10 foot spacing. Here in Kansas it is near impossible to pull a string tight enough to overcome the wind.
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #6  
I built a piece of pipe that will slip over the T-post the length I wanted the post to be high. By doing this it puts each post the exact same hight. You just push down on the top of the Tpost pipe, with your front end loader on the Wood until the pipe is down to the ground. The plate on the bottom will stop when it gets the ground. The pipe keeps the post from bending, The wood keeps the frontend loader from slipping since metal to wood will not slip like metal to metal will. This is a diagram of it.

tpost.jpg
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #7  
I took a PVC pool drain and some 3 " pipe, measured how high I wanted the T-Post and assembled.
It will work with the FEL or a TSC manual T Post driver.
I pounded 10 posts by hand(not fun) and did another 27 with the tractor and FEL, no helper, using this gizmo and it worked great. All the posts down the row were very close in height with only a half inch or less variation.
Cost was $13 and 15 minutes to put it together.

Warhammer



Hi Folks, well, aside from the 170 cedar posts I pounded with the rented post pounder, i may need to put a hand full metal T-Posts in to make another fenced area (along witha bunch of Temp Fencing posts).

I've heard of some folks using the FEL to press the T-Posts in, how can this be done safely? i dont want a helper holding the T-post while push it in with the bucket...way too dangerous. What have you guys done safely ?

thanks
 

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   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks Guys, Ill give it a go.
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #9  
I made something similar to what Tim Stuart did above.
I had a leftover steel adjustable jackpost from a house, and I used half of it (40 inches?) and made a plate at bottom , I went cheap and used wood with a hole a shade smaller than the jackpost diameter, and used wood braces on four sides attached to plate and steel pipe.
Now I bring that contraption and my t posts to the fence.
place the contraption on the ground as level as possible , through t post into the contraption from the top, making sure its thru the plate hole too , then get on tractor and using bucket push the t post down to depth I want . Works pretty good, no hammering on my shoulder, and if it went in slightly crooked, pull and bend straight ......done like dinner.

jake
 
   / Putting in T-Posts with the FEL/ Bucket #10  
I have done it before and guess did not feel that dangerous compared to many other things on the farm. as soon as it is in the ground a little stand back. Let the tractor get in to position before the holder moves in to put it in place. Are you on the tractor or is your brother in law driving it then may be a different issue
 
 
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