T-posts in hard ground - a hack

[mikester]

How about rent or hire a machine to pound the posts for you? At 78 you deserve a break today!

 

[oosik]

I fenced my 80 acres back in '82. 650, T-145 steel posts. I made a pounder. 4" pipe with a 25# blob welded on top. I'm REALLY glad I did it 40 years ago. It has stood the test of time. Now it's twice yearly inspection and rarely any repairs.

I DO NOT envy your having to pound posts at 78. I'm 80, in a week, and pretty sure I'd never get it completed now.

 

[beowulf]

I fenced my 80 acres back in '82. 650, T-145 steel posts. I made a pounder. 4" pipe with a 25# blob welded on top. I'm REALLY glad I did it 40 years ago. It has stood the test of time. Now it's twice yearly inspection and rarely any repairs.

I DO NOT envy your having to pound posts at 78. I'm 80, in a week, and pretty sure I'd never get it completed now.

Yeah, I will get it done, but taking my time now, and the drill hack makes it doable. I am glad I ran out of posts and no trip to town to get more is planned for a couple of days. But, then again, being outside in nice weather and on my own clock is kind of nice. And nothing beats the satisfaction of getting something like this done.

 

[3Ts]

I see powered post pounders for around $300.

Powered T-post pounder

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I've used the bucket to put them in, but with dry rocky clay here in the sierra foothills, the t-posts tend to fold up like pretzels

Use a pipe over the t post with an end cap welded or a screw on cap. Put a chain from it to your bucket so you can pull it back off.

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah - very challenging - without the drill hack I would have not gotten this far - I think I have about 55-60 or so in already. The good news is that from now on the ground is a bit more level - not level - just not so steep. I will get back at it in a few days. I need to pick up some more posts. And they are costing about $1.50 more per post (6') than I recall.

Was wondering if you were buying new and what they cost?

 

[beowulf]

Was wondering if you were buying new and what they cost?

New. TSC - $5.79 per 6' post. I recall getting them not so long ago for about $4.40 each.

 

[ovrszd]

New. TSC - $5.79 per 6' post. I recall getting them not so long ago for about $4.40 each.

Wow. I haven't bought any for a decade or more. $4.40 sucks, let alone $5.79.

I've got 150 used 6' posts. Maybe I need to run a for sale ad.

 

[Fladogman]

We've always used the tractor loader bucket.

 

[beowulf]

We've always used the tractor loader bucket.

I could not do that in my current project because of the steep terrain. I have tried it the past but if the ground is hard they just bend, and if the ground is soft it is almost easier to do it with a pounder - as we almost always seem to be where a tractor cannot safely go when putting in fences.