Anyone drive T-posts with FEL?

[oosik]

Put in 1.5 miles of barb wire fence & posts around the entire property. All with 65 lb home made pipe pounder for the T-posts. About 1/3 needed the jack hammer to get a hole in the rock (basaltic lava). July thru October what little dirt there is becomes almost as hard as the bedrock. I don't even have to try to know the T-posts would just bend if I used the FEL. If there is some way your T-posts can be pushed in, you are very fortunate.

 

[bullbreaker]

I know its not OP'S original question but thought I'd mention Speeco use to make a T-Post puller that one would mount on FEL or boom pole too extract T-posts by oneself without getting off tractor. I bought one about a year ago at Northern for under $3 on clearance. Original price was $69.99 plus tax. Sold mine, had no use for it for quite a hefty profit and buyer still made out good.

Boone

All U had 2 do was add rope 2 pull release.

 

[Notforhire]

and doing this doesnt dent the FEL?

I haven't damaged anything so far. I try to line up on a wear plate, where the bottom is heavier.
I guess it all depends on how strong the bucket/loader is. My neighbor has a JD crawler loader. After picking up a large rock, we drove wooden fence posts with it.

A small CUT that was designed to lift five or six hundred lbs. is going to have thinner material on the bucket, and I imagine it's possible to bend something. Judgement call.

Best, Bill

 

[sodamo]

Yes, possible, but my wife said she isn't doing the holding any more

David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[JJZ 109]

I watched a fence crew working one time at the prison I retired from. They had a plate tamper attachment on a skid steer. The tamper had a piece of pipe welded to the bottom sticking down vertically. One guy would hold up the fence post and have a level in his other hand. The guy on the machine would slide the tamper/pipe over the post and vibrate as he lowered the lift arms. He'd drive it a short distance and lift the attachment while the other guy plumbed the post. Then he'd drive it down the rest of the way. Worked pretty slick, but we're talking wet clay. Don't know how it would have worked in more disagreeable soils.

 

[two_bit_score]

I've tried the "push it with a bucket". It worked once or twice but is prone to failure with our ground.

I bought the Rohrer pneumatic driver. I haven't put in too many posts since I got it, but it seems to work well although I don't know about how well it goes through rock

Ken

Might low it down a little but they say it still works. Guess it depends on the rock it hits.

If you leeway have a compressor and a generator the expense isn't that bad for what it saves you in time and effort.

 

[fredhargis]

I do it every year, but not with too many posts. I put up about 150' of snow fence. Drive the T posts in with the FEL which has about 400# of concrete blocks in it. I take an earth auger and 1/2" drill cut a hole about 6" deep and place the T post in it. That holds it fairly perpendicular, then I set the bucket on it and let 'er down. This is in heavy clay, and the only problem I have is if the posts hits a rock. If it hits it dead center, I usually have to relocate the post, if it hits the edge, it usually goes in a little out of plumb.

 

[sparc]

Yes, do it all the time.
Solution to all problems noted so far is:
Get metal pipe just large enough to slip over post.
Cut pipe length so that when bottom end hits ground T post is driven to exact depth you want.
Pipe length prevents catastrophic bends in post.
Cap end of pipe so it is now a post driver. Weld or screw cap end on pipe.

Use flat of bucket, centered, to pressure post+pipe into ground.
Go slow, raise FEL every few inches to reposition pressure point and keep post reasonably straight. Keep FEL bottom almost flat.
Need ground person to position post+pipe. Have them hold just to get it started then back off.
Watch carefully. When a rock is hit, front wheels WILL start to come off ground. STOP immediately.

Drive post until pipe end touches ground. Move to next post.
Sometimes hard ground/small rocks can be penetrated by briefly tapping top of driver with FEL. Try it. if it works, continue, else live with it or move post.

Good luck...this is absolutely easiest/cheapest way to drive posts. Small investment, big returns.

I like this method.

Did you ever try adding a flange to the bottom of the pipe so it would
contact the ground and stop any further insertion or is that not a problem.
Seems to me the end of the pipe would not offer much resistance, but the
flat face of the flange would.