Building fences... I cheated.

flashpuppy · Dec 20, 2018

Have been augering, pouring in a bag of Quikrete, tamping, filling with some ABC gravel, tamping, filling with dirt for putting up posts. Feels just grueling. Everything is so muddy here and the red clay is so gooey that my boots weigh about 10lbs each. I had about 60 done this morning and needed another 20 for this pasture I am working on. I have around another 500 to do, but I wa planning on waiting.

Well... I called the folks I bought the posts from (Pasture Management in Mt. Pleasant, NC. Great folks.) and asked if they rent their post drivers as well as sell them. They are the much fancier ones than I was looking at buying with hydraulic everything adjustable. Much to my surprise, they DO rent them and had a trailer mounted one available.

Made the hour and a half drive and got there around noon. They had a brand new one waiting for me to take home.

What a dang difference! Holy cow I cannot believe how easy this is now. Just slams that thing right in and they are stronger than my cemented ones are. I like it so much, I may not return it at all. Not sure if I can justify the $14k expense though!

mddorange · Dec 20, 2018

Hey, you didn't really do it! Cause, if you had, there would be pictures!!!! :laughing:

flashpuppy · Dec 20, 2018

mddorange said:
Hey, you didn't really do it! Cause, if you had, there would be pictures!!!! :laughing:

Man... if my internet and/or cell signal was strong enough to upload a picture, there would be. &#55357;&#56834;

bunyip · Dec 20, 2018

Friend of mine bought one for about the same money, has about 10,000 posts to put in then will sell it, said it works out a lot cheaper than getting in a contractor and expects to get about $11=12k back.

mddorange · Dec 20, 2018

bunyip said:
Friend of mine bought one for about the same money, has about 10,000 posts to put in then will sell it, said it works out a lot cheaper than getting in a contractor and expects to get about $11=12k back.

With that many post, I don't blame him. What a time and effort saver.

flashpuppy · Dec 20, 2018

Post driver.

japody · Dec 20, 2018

I wish there was a place around here where I could rent one.

flashpuppy · Dec 20, 2018

japody said:
I wish there was a place around here where I could rent one.

Call some fence places that wholesale bundles of posts. The place I got this one did not advertise they do this. Have a feeling many others do not advertise it either.

stuckmotor · Dec 20, 2018

I saw a post driver at work over 40 years ago and have wanted one ever since.

QRTRHRS · Dec 20, 2018

Around my area, I see people taking a chainsaw to the posts and putting a chisel point on them to ease them in so they do not split. Years ago in another state, I had an outfit pound them in and they just went at it with blunt ends. Wow! When I went to relocate one to make a change, I actually pulled the post in half with a loader trying to yank it straight up out of the ground.

stuckmotor · Dec 20, 2018

The crew that I watched 40 years ago pointed their posts, too. I believe the posts were eastern red cedar. The other day, I drove by that fence and noticed that most of the posts had been replaced with metal T-posts.

robbyr · Dec 20, 2018

Late father in law had a 3pt post driver. He would operate levers from tractor seat while I would keep everything lined up. After every second or third pounding of the post I would check with a level. Most were off kilter by the time it was done. They were pretty tough to pull back up if needed to.

Birdhunter1 · Dec 21, 2018

The one I have will put them in very quick and very solid but it is no where near a precision tool for getting one perfectly straight up and down.
But its very solid and fast.

MH8675309 · Dec 21, 2018

I have never used one just a hand digger and now a point auger. I have heard they are not the best for a good straight fence though.

Ford850 · Dec 21, 2018

From most posts on here from users, they seem to be fast but crooked. There must be better options for straight drivers though. Maybe just more expensive professional models? Guardrail posts are driven in the same way, only larger diameter posts, and they are mostly dead on straight, for miles. I wonder what one of those trucks cost.

flashpuppy · Dec 21, 2018

Ford850 said:
From most posts on here from users, they seem to be fast but crooked. There must be better options for straight drivers though. Maybe just more expensive professional models? Guardrail posts are driven in the same way, only larger diameter posts, and they are mostly dead on straight, for miles. I wonder what one of those trucks cost.

So this is the expensive model. Posts look pretty darn straight to me. I am sure that the amount of care you take when lining them up matters as well as hitting big roots or rocks would have an effect. The ground is really wet here right now as well, which can not be hurting.

The only other thing that would really make sure it is any straighter is to have the 4” rock auger that frills a smaller pilot hole and bored through any obstructions before setting the post. I have a hard time believing there would be a single crooked post with that.

Ford850 · Dec 21, 2018

^^ That sounds like a good one.

bunyip · Dec 21, 2018

Had them driven in"" here by different contractors, spring and winter just thump them in blunt, summertime a pilot hole and chainsaw a wedge off to give them an edge.
6' post goes in 2' seems to be the norm, generally we use 6" posts as the 4" seem to break too easily wiith cattle and horses.

flashpuppy · Dec 21, 2018

bunyip said:
Had them driven in"" here by different contractors, spring and winter just thump them in blunt, summertime a pilot hole and chainsaw a wedge off to give them an edge.
6' post goes in 2' seems to be the norm, generally we use 6" posts as the 4" seem to break too easily wiith cattle and horses.

I am using 6”x8ft posts. They are being set 42” deep. The corners an gates are 8”x8ft. All blunt, no sharpening.

bunyip · Dec 21, 2018

Yes, our corners and gates are 8" also, when we moved in there were a lot of 4" posts and they were hopeless, horses lean over them to get grass and they just break, we replaced a few ourselves with the 3PL auger but nowhere near as good as banging them in, we have not had too many done and I cannot justify a ram or a bigger tractor to put it on.
I have seen arenas where the posts are driven at an angle so they lean out a bit, supposedly to protect the horse and the rider.