Can you drive in a post with a FEL?

[tallyho8]

I drive 3" wood posts with my fel. I don't have any rocks and I wait till the ground is soft after a rain. I sharpen the posts on one end and I fill my fel with wet sand.

Just resting my fel on the post will usually drive it in the ground a foot or two. If it needs to go further, I raise my fel about 2 inches and drop it squarely on the post. I have never had to pound it more than a couple of times since the weight in the fel is so heavy. I don't ever hit it hard enough to cause damage to my tractor.

If the post is starting crooked, I can maneuver it straight with my tractor and then push it further. I can make a nice looking pasture fence this way but it would not be straight enough for a fancy front yard fence.

I have a friend who drives in railroad crossties the same way with his old Bobcat without even putting a point on them. They are much larger than 6" posts.

If working in drought conditions, start the hole, then pull out the post and pour in 5 gallons of water and let it sit a while then continue to drive it.

 

[jimgerken]

My Dad and I used to make a lot of fence that way. He'd scoop up a big bucket of dirt first. I'd hold the post, he'd set the flat part of the bucket squarely on the post top, and lower the bucket. The post would go in half a foot or more. I'd step away as soon as th bucket put any pressure on the post. He'd raise and drop to push post in further. One post in 25 would break when pushed hard. It is hard on the tractor. Probably not really safe either, with a person involved under a loaded bucket.
Personally, I prefer to drill a hole, a nine inch diameter hole. Tamp crushed stone in around the post to set it. It sets quite ridgid immediately, and the stone makes the post last longer due to reduced water saturation. Posts end up straighter, 'cause you have control over that instead of pounding them in when they can go haywire and are not adjustable. Also, can be a one-man operation, and fairly low labor effort if you have a bucket of crushed stone on the front of the tractor, and a post-hole drill on the back.

 

[Ken45101]

Wow! I'm flabergasted at the soil some of you guys have! Heavy clay with rocks here

I can drive a t post with the loader when the ground is soft. No way to get a wood post in without digging a hole first or getting a hydraulic post pounder.

If I'm lucky with the PHD, I don't hit rocks. One fence line I averaged one shear pin per hole. I have one post where I spent 4 hours with a spud bar busting the rock to dig the hole. I am no longer using that fence but I refuse to take out that post!

Ken

 

[capi75rs]

Using a FEL is a common practice in central IL. However we have nice black dirt. Once put in they are solid as an oak tree. It takes two people to get them set nice. One holding the post with a level while the other operates the FEL. All depends on the size of you FEL. I used my HD 5 to push in some 9' telephone post for my corner posts. Did have to do a little digging for those though. Give it a try.