Crooked posts = crooked fence... Post driver blues

[buckeyefarmer]

Call kencove.

 

[handcuff]

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.

Living just outside of Louisville, I'd have to agree with you. While it's been a bit hot, it is still incredibly wet and the ground is about as soft as it ever is in spring.

I have a lumber mill that I use locally for my needs and he has excellent quality output, but I think your needs are larger than what he typically supplies - you could give him a call and see though: McInturf Sawmill out of Lawrenceburg. I've bot some poplar and a BUNCH of cedar from him.

Good luck and it's nice to see someone on the forums that's 'close to home'
-Scott

 

[goeduck]

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

As r porter mentioned the situation where the posts spring into a different position when you take the post driver away has nothing to do with the posts. It has to do with the ground. If the post is driven through rocks and only has a certain angle to take between rocks, when the post driver is removed the top of the post will be at the same angle that the bottom went into the ground at.

 

[Birdhunter1]

On ground that wants to be troublesome or posts that seem to want to do what you describe I have found that boring a pilot hole in the ground helps alot and you still get a solid driven post. At other times I have taken a chainsaw and sharpened the end of the post, get the wedges as even an angle as possible or the post will tend to want to drive crooked from the get go. Alos I have found if driving on hills the post will want to walk or drive with an uphill lean as the base moves, again a wedge cut and/or a pilot hole help tremendously.

 

[TractorGuy]

I have never seen or heard of pounding a round flat bottom post into the ground until now. I am in awe that this works. I have never seen a bundle of wood posts that were all perfectly round and straight either. Without seeing the post you received it's hard to pass judgement.

The couple of videos I watched on the equipment manufacturers web sight show them pounding a somewhat crooked post in crooked. I honestly don't see how you could expect this to go straight unless you auger the holes and set them with a level.

 

[MH8675309]

I put in about 650 feet of 3 board fence with a diagonal brace between the posts and cover boards over the boards at each post. The posts I got were from the Clare area here in Michigan and average about 6" and most are straight. I pick them up in Bay City and they cost about $9 each. The planks are ash from an Amish saw mill and 16 footers 6" wide and 1" thick cost $6 a piece. I bought a new post digger last year and so far so good. It is time consuming but looks pretty **** good. If my math is right (assuming the posts are set every 8 feet) I could do that fence for about half the cost but it would take forever. I bet there are some Amish there in Kentucky that might be able to help you come up with some better fence materials - and maybe some cheap experienced labor to help you put it up.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I should have added, a post driver is not a precision tool. It puts posts in the ground, it puts them in very solid, and it will put them in very solid in a faster and cheaper manner than drilling a hole and packing one in... but it is not a precision tool.

And if I were doing board fence I would look for posts that have a face that is flat.

 

[Fuddy1952]

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?

View attachment 559986View attachment 559987

I know you said "I won't even begin discussing cost and alternatives", but curious what the fence purpose is? This shows part of fence I recently put up, drilling post holes then steel posts every 10 ft. and woven wire. It's for horses.
In distance second picture is a small part of neighbors white painted board fence that's been up a couple years.
A white painted board fence is beautiful, and we had one all around our home place when I was a kid, but as you know super high maintenance...neighbors fence already has some warped/twisted boards need replacing, soon will need repainting.
Some farms around here they use treated with white plastic wrap so no painting.
Growing up our neighbor had over 1000 acres with split rail fence which I see a lot in Kentucky.

 

[goeduck]

6 miles is a lot of fence.

 

[Dadnatron]

We have thoroughbreds, in the middle of horse country. One injury to a horse resulting in major issue would pay for a large portion of the fence. My wife likes the 'board' look. I do as well, but I'd be happy with the Centaur strap as well. We also might put in V-Mesh in some paddocks.

Steel posts and regular woven wire is not an option.

I grew up with barbed wire and cedar/steel posts with both cattle and horses, so I understand horses 'CAN' be OK in them. But Tbreds are so hot blooded, that they work to find ways to injure themselves. Anything short of Vmesh is not an option. And it STILL requires driven posts.