I have horses in Northern California and want a power post driver

[Brad_Blazer]

First, peruse Craigslist and look for a used Shaver or similar machine. For a DIY pile driver, check out the power hammer mechanisms used by blacksmiths.
anvilfire Power Hammer Page for Blacksmiths and Ironworkers
Search youtube for "homemade power hammer" It should be possible to run one with a hydraulic motor.
power hammer - YouTube

 

[Taylortractornut]

It is some mad max stuff lol. I guess they have been around since the fifties. Its a good cheap way to make a fast dropping winch. Also you can use one side of a floating rearend for a similar winch. I have a pic of that setup on here. His is an old stick wood loader they winch type on this one was more common on the side loaders as it offers no holding capability. Well this one did , not pictured it has a loop weded to the drum and a chain with a circle hook that was dropped into the loop. Most of these loaders used the car axle set up like I mentioned.

 

[Shield Arc]

Look at a Shaver. They are impossible to beat in design.

I found one of their manuals on line. I really like their method for plumbing the driver. But I didn't see a good view of their trip system. It would be interesting to see how the weight is tripped to free fall from the hydraulic ram.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

On a Shaver, the hydraulic ram is single acting, not too big of an OD, and it drops with the hammer. There are springs that enhance the drop speed.

 

[Shield Arc]

Hard to believe the hydraulic fluid can transfer that fast. I would think there is a mechanical trip system, where the hydraulic ram picks a frame, and at the top of the stroke there would be a dog that trips a pawl that would let the weight free fall. Maybe I'm over thinking this?

 

[Shield Arc]

I found a manual for a Delmag hammer. This is the trip system I'm most familiar with.

 

[J_J]

Post driver built by a TBN member Spike-MI . Very well made.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/212291-hydraulic-post-pounder.html

 

[Shield Arc]

Post driver built by a TBN member Spike-MI . Very well made.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/212291-hydraulic-post-pounder.html

That is a very nice build! I'm not use to working with drivers of this scale. So I have a hard time believing these post drivers do not mushroom / splinter the tops of the wood post when the blow count goes up! Not that I've ever drove many wood pile, but drove literally 100s of thousands of concrete piles, and steel piles. In every system there is some kind of cushion. At the very least a striker plate that goes on top of the wood pile. The lump / weight of the hammer never impacts the top of the wood pile without a striker plate on top of the wood pile.
I don't seem to have any good close up pictures of the type of equipment I'm trying to describe.

Here is a picture of some 54-inch dia. pipe pile we drove for a bridge. 1750 blows per foot to get these pile to grade. There is a unit that goes under the hammer that looks like a big bowel, this unit is called a follower, inside the bowel is some type of cushion. Blue Ice is very popular, miecarta is another cushion that is used. On top of this cushion is usually a 4-inch thick plate, the bottom of the hammer sets on this 4-inch thick plate. Attached to the bottom of the follower is an adapter that holds onto what ever type of pile you are driving. Pipe pile you use what is called a wedding cake follower. Concrete pile, use a different type of follower.

The next picture is of some concrete pile we drove of a container ship dock. If you look close you can see the plywood cushion block still on top of some of the concrete pile. That is my granddaughter when she was a small girl, a grown woman now.

The next picture is a driver set up to drive wood pile.

 

[J_J]

You don't want to strike the post directly, there should be a steel plate that fits the post you are driving, and the weight drops on the adapter .

On the last strike, you hook a chain to the adapter and raise it up for the next post. The adapter should cover and surround the post so it does not mushroom, be it wood or steel.

Here are some videos showing the striking plate.

http://youtu.be/lrISPDu91ec

http://youtu.be/wnoGET3Uxq4

 

[jkis]

i started to make a hydraulic type, and was offered a cable one for the parts, it was easyer to just fix a few parts on the cable type and use it, its not as fancy as the hydraulic types, but it works good, a simple design and easy to repair, i have to make covers ect for safety, they still make the cable type today but there a heck of a lot pretty'r than mine, Post Drivers by FARMFORCE if you like i can take pic's of mine of any section that will help you.
cheers stuart