Bucket Driver for installing T-posts (and 1.25" galvanized pipe?)

[sdef]

This post is primarily directed at folks who have used one of the bucket drivers mentioned below.

From a previous post of mine, along with other posts I have read, I decided I will purchase DRIVER-5 PRICES to attempt to drive the posts into my very dense, very rocky, very hard clay soil. I have purchased a few 24" long, carbide tipped, 1/2" masonry drill bits to use for positioning the posts- rather finding a place in the soil where I can try and drive a post that may allow a T-post to be driven 24" deep. In the end, I may have to hire someone with an impact driver of some type to do this, but am going to try the bucket driver first.

My questions are two fold:

1- I am tying to decide which bucket driver mount(s) to purchase as I am not able to see a good closeup view of any of the mounts except the universal. Do the standard mounts install on the bottom of the bucket (cutting edge area) or do they mount on the side of the bucket, close to the cutting edge? I have a Piranah tooth bar mounted on the cutting edge and would rather not have to remove it unless there is no other reasonable option. Yeah, I know- it is only two bolts...

2- I will also need a well for a hand pump, hopefully shallow but unknown at this point. I plan on driving 1.25" galvanized pipe but do not think it very fruitful to drive it with a hammer and would also like to try and use a bucket driver T-post attachment for this, if I can slide the well pipe into the T-post driver. My guess is the inside of the post driver is not round and hollow and would not allow me to simply slide a pipe up there to drive- or is it? Maybe a #4 driver would work better? Or not.

I do not mind purchasing two of these devices if I can easily modify one to drive well pipe. Or maybe I could just have the bucket driver folks send me a partial unit without the inside pieces, if there are any.

 

[BeezFun]

1- ... Do the standard mounts install on the bottom of the bucket (cutting edge area) or do they mount on the side of the bucket, close to the cutting edge? ...

Side of the bucket.

2- My guess is the inside of the post driver is not round and hollow and would not allow me to simply slide a pipe up there to drive- or is it?

Those look like a plain old hand T-post pounder with some hardware on the top. So that would mean it's round inside, but the diameter might not be quite large enough for 1-1/4" pipe.

I've tried all kinds of things to pound T posts in rock. The only thing I've found that works reliably is a post pounder that goes on the 3pt hitch. It the rocks are round and smaller than about a grapefruit, you can probably push the Tposts in the ground with the heel of bucket. But if the rocks are flat or large, I think your idea of using a hammer drill might be the only way. A Tpost bends pretty easy so even if you have the power to drive it in, the tpost might not survive.

 

[sdef]

Thanks BeezFun. My thoughts also and thanks for confirming. Bucketdriver.com also has an option to help with driving T-posts (the bending issue) in hard soil. But I still think overall the t-posts may end up a difficult project, with the stronger well pipe an easier install

The front half of the property would be impossible to do any type of post/pipe driving as odds are it was the front of the glacial dumping ground where it stopped advancing. Starting at the property mid point, the rocks start to get a lot less dense in the soil and this is the area I will be working these projects.

Attached are a few pics of the front of the property where I recently completed the driveway. Where I am planning on doing these driving projects, I previously had as mini-x dig a bunch of pits looking for ground that would support a state approved septic system (directed by a soils engineer). There were no large rocks dug up and even few small rocks of any type- depending upon the location. It is like two different properties. But I know there is not a fine dividing line between between the two extremes and that is where I will be working these projects.

The second pic I simply turned around from where I shot the first pic and one can see the soil difference. It is still rocky, but far less so. The rear of the property has no rocks on the surface. The second pic is of my base camp which is located in the area the center of the house will be, which is where the fence will begin. The soil is changing to be far less rocky. The last pic is the driveway completed with the slag finish. One can kind of see the grade I cut. The rocks along the sides are from the driveway build, along with the natural deposits. The whole front half of the property looks like this. A neighbor right next to me had a walk out basement dug facing a pond and said he never hit a single rock.

 

[Gary Fowler]

MAN, I thought I had some rocks but your property beats mine ten thousand percent. You might even have trouble with a rock drill in those. You have enough rocks to make a rock fence in that area though which would look good for a thousand years.

 

[sdef]

MAN, I thought I had some rocks but your property beats mine ten thousand percent. You might even have trouble with a rock drill in those. You have enough rocks to make a rock fence in that area though which would look good for a thousand years.

Chuckle, chuckle. Yeah, lots... The fencing purpose is to help control wild critters in the large garden area and to help provide some protection for the cats from the coyotes and foxes. I am expecting to put the crossbow to good use, although I really do not want to. When I first purchased the property a couple years ago, there was a fox living about 100' from where I am placing the home, but I have not seen it in quite awhile.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have seen folks use post that are not buried but surrounded by large stones to support it above grade. I don't see why that wouldn't work and with a little cement mortar to hold them together it would be strong. Another idea is just build a basket of 4x4 net wire fencing and fill with rocks for a post. The diameter would be determined by largest size of rock that you would be using. The net wire would keep larger animal from coming thru which is what I would think you would be using for your fence material anyway. It would have straight sides and the wire would give you some places to attach your fence wire. I saw his being used in Angola for a retainer wall but I don't see why it wouldn't work for a fence "post"

 

[BeezFun]

The front half of the property would be impossible to do any type of post/pipe driving as odds are it was the front of the glacial dumping ground where it stopped advancing. Starting at the property mid point, the rocks start to get a lot less dense in the soil and this is the area I will be working these projects.

Interesting, we're also on a moraine, which is the area you describe where glaciers dump this kind of rock debris. There are stone quarries all around this area because of the rocks.

Anyway, based on what you have in that one area, I'd give up trying to drive anything in the ground. One option since you have so many trees would be to run high tension wire attached to the trees and electrify it. That would be almost invisible so you'd preserve your nice open view. That will keep out coyotes and other predators if you lay the hot/ground wires out correctly.

To make a fence you might think about freestanding stanchions to hold your fencing, which can be made pretty attractive, Or use those barriers they use on highway projects that are basically long slabs of concrete- you could lay them down and shoot concrete anchors into for supporting posts. That looks a bit like a prison though.

 

[dusty3030]

If you can build a fence to keep a cat in and a fox out you are a better man than me.

Also, the post driver linked I think would be frustrating for you in rocks / hard soil. All you will end up doing is twisting up T posts and pushing your front tires up in the air.

The hydraulic type that would support the entire post maybe.

 

[sdef]

BeezFun and Gary Fowler: These are great ideas I had yet to consider and will have to incorporate some of them into the plan, as the situation requires. I should be able to use my original plan with the T-posts across the rear of the fence (maybe 200') but coming back up towards the house is where I will get into trouble. Great ideas...

dusty3030: Ha, ha. I have no misconceptions about keeping the cats in. I am simply trying to make it harder for the predators to get to the cats before the cats can make it to safer ground. These three cats are older, feral, city cats my new wife has rescued over the years and they have no idea what a coyote or fox is. So I am just trying to make do the best I can. Plus there are a lot of deer, turkey and other wildlife that would love to munch in the garden. I am thinking the fence will only be 6' high so the deer will probably jump it- but again, just want to have some sort of control. We have beautiful views and I am trying not to spoil them with this fence in the back of the home site.