I need a new T-Post pounder.

[QRTRHRS]

I still have another 150 or so posts to set having already pounded in maybe about that amount already. This is in addition to the 250 or so wood posts I put in with my 3pt, whew!

I bought this new spring loaded one to replace my old deadblow which keeps cracking apart. The spring loaded one sends shock waves through my body and does not have enough weight to do the job.

Neither of them really suit me length wise either. I happen to be tall with proportionately long arms so they both will come off of the post if I try to really whale on it.

Any suggestions where to buy one worth buying?

 

[texasjohn]

Do you have a FEL on your tractor?

I use mine to drive T posts....use a pipe sheath to keep them from bending so easily.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Do you have a FEL on your tractor?

I use mine to drive T posts....use a pipe sheath to keep them from bending so easily.

Yes, I have a FEL but for the same reason that I could not drive wood fence posts into the ground, I do not think the bucket would push T-Posts in either.

That is, the hard dry soil here in south central KY. For various reasons, when I moved here last winter, I missed the window of opportunity when the ground was like butter. Now, the clay is so hard, one needs to rock a 3PT auger to keep it chewing through.

 

[tallyho8]

Post drivers are one of the easiest things to make if you have a welder. All it takes is a piece of metal pipe in the diameter and length you want with a cap on it and a piece of 1/2" rebar to make handles with. You can Google -images- post driver and see a lot of different ones to give you ideas. I like the ones with the handle going the full length of the pipe to fit various size people and I also like the handles about 160 degrees apart instead of 180 degrees. You would probably benefit from one with a longer pipe than the ones they sell.

The one I made is very heavy and long pipe and hard to lift onto the post, but it drives the post in quick and easy without as much shock to your arms as a lightweight one has.

As texasjohn says, a fel is nice to use but I have a harder time getting the posts exactly straight with the fel. On a small tractor be sure to fill the loader with bags of sand for the extra weight needed to drive the posts.

 

[texasjohn]

wood posts won't drive that way.... T posts....will... I press them down until they stop... then kinda hammer away at them with FEL until it is clear they are STUCK either in rock or some really, really hard near-rock material. The sheath goes full length of the post stopping just short of the spade and has a flat top.

Yes, an imperfect line SOMETIMES occurs using this method... BUT... it's just a fence and mine set by hand are just as barely wavey as those set by FEL... and I get to sit on the tractor seat to do it

 

[sodamo]

Texasjohn

You got a pic of that setup? I've got a couple hundred T posts to drive and like your idea. I've driven wooden posts with my FEL, although wife isn't always too keen on it. I should be able to press the T's in most of the way unless I hit a rock.

Now if I could find a hogwire stretcher...

David

 

[weldingisfun]

Texasjohn

You got a pic of that setup? I've got a couple hundred T posts to drive and like your idea. I've driven wooden posts with my FEL, although wife isn't always too keen on it. I should be able to press the T's in most of the way unless I hit a rock.

Now if I could find a hogwire stretcher...

David

Two 2X4's (length dependent upon the fence height) with bolts running through them (the number would depend upon the number of horizontal runs)), washers, wingnuts (for easy install and removal), a length of chain (length again dependent upon fence height) and a good old come-along.
I>- It works!

 

[QRTRHRS]

Yes, an imperfect line SOMETIMES occurs using this method... BUT... it's just a fence and mine set by hand are just as barely wavey as those set by FEL... and I get to sit on the tractor seat to do it

If I was just fencing in the back forty, wavey lines would be acceptable but I am doing a highly visable fence for our horses so I want it to complement the property. I went with what works for the ground conditions and winter winds here for wire fencing. That is, to alternate wooden posts with T-Posts on sixteen foot centers.

I do not yet have my welder set up nor do I have much scrap steel around having given most of it to my neighbor when I moved last winter. Maybe I will drop the old dead blow pounder off at a weld shop to get repaired. The handles were made with tube stock rather than solid and are prone to cracking. I loaned it to a friend who gusseted the tubes which held up a number of years but now the tubes are cracking next to the welds. The other issue with the design is rather than a loop, there are horizontal tubes in the middle which I suppose are meant to reinforce the handles but they get in the way of your hands.

The new spring loaded pounder I bought has solid handles. Perhaps that is why it hurts to use it? Anyway, my coffee cup is empty, out to work on the fence I go, ho ho.

 

[texasjohn]

Here you go re t post drivers.

Simple, really... get some metal pipe, heavy walled...just larger than T post shaft. Cut to length just short of the spade such that when you have driven post and bottom of driver is at ground level, you have driven it to your desired height. CRITICAL that pipe sheath be as long as possible... else when you start pushing it will bend and gets dangerous. Place a really heavy metal cap on one end, drill hole in that piece of metal... good to let water out... or get dirt out...these things get left in the elements. Grind off any sharp edges and points for safety. Find some sort of handles... or not... depending on your materials availability.

Technique:

select length of t post for fence height

select driver sheath to match post and desired driven length

find trusting buddy

buddy holds properly positioned post while you GENTLY lower FEL with tractor at 90 degrees to fence line

bottom of my FEL has strengthening structures creating a pocket into which I can place the top of the driver..pocket REDUCES slipping.

once driver is captured under SLIGHT down pressure, buddy MUST BACK OFF.. safety issue

lower FEL a short way, driving post into ground. Angle of bucket bottom will change and you will need to raise and lower bucket onto post several times... experience is best teacher here.... I kinda try to keep my bucket bottom just SLIGHTLY angled up or flat.

when resistance is encountered such that post no longer slips into ground, CAREFUL, front of tractor can and will raise off of ground and slip to the side, bending post and causing dangerous situation. This is EASILY AVOIDED by very attentively noting behavior during down pressure

you can raise FEL about 4 inches and suddenly drop it onto driver to provide impulse to get thru hard layers of material. BUT, when you have hit impenetrable rock, STOP. extra weight in FEL bucket can be helpful, but make sure it can't fall out on your buddy. Also, you can carry extra t posts in FEL (I do), but, again, worry about them tipping out on your buddy.

If impenetrable rock is on surface, move over a few inches and try again..it's just a fence..who's going to be out there measuring with a micrometer?

have short piece of chain available to pull improperly placed t posts using the centered bucket chain hook or bucket teeth..you do have this, don't you?

Also, have long handled pipe wrench at the ready...some posts WILL twist some during entry...simply place wrench at ground level and twist t post until it is aligned properly with direction of fence travel.

I find my hydrostatic transmission to be PERFECT for this application.. can crawl toward my buddy in lowest gear.. safety issue

PM me or respond with any detailed questions....happy post pounding!

 

[sodamo]

Yep, it sure does. Course, I only did short sections with the previous one I did. Guess what I had in mind was more a way to carry, unroll, and stretch with minimal wear on my body. Thinking there may be a way I can build a carrier either on my bucket or forks where I can drive (or reverse) the tractor and the wire unrolls, stays vertical, and I can tension when appropriate.

David

Two 2X4's (length dependent upon the fence height) with bolts running through them (the number would depend upon the number of horizontal runs)), washers, wingnuts (for easy install and removal), a length of chain (length again dependent upon fence height) and a good old come-along.
I>- It works!

 

[sodamo]

texasjohn
Thanks, that sounds simpler than I expected. Might have to start convincing the wife, but she's already asking why she can't do the tractor part? LOL


Wonder if maybe a way to attach it to bucket, assuming pressing, not pounding with bucket would work?

David

 

[weldingisfun]

Yep, it sure does. Course, I only did short sections with the previous one I did. Guess what I had in mind was more a way to carry, unroll, and stretch with minimal wear on my body. Thinking there may be a way I can build a carrier either on my bucket or forks where I can drive (or reverse) the tractor and the wire unrolls, stays vertical, and I can tension when appropriate.

David

David, I saw just what you are looking for at TSC a short while back. Tractor Supply Company - FarmForce Wire Unroller 3 pt Take a look at this, it may be just what you are looking for.
Here it is being used by a TBNer http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/115349-fence-unroller-stretcher.html

Saw another one built by a TBNer that mounted to the FEL.

 

[texasjohn]

Sodomo, down pressure with FEL bucket works for 95% of the t-posts.... pounding is ONLY for those situations where it hits a rock and you want to get a little more depth. sometimes, this breaks a small rock or moves it out of the way and you can go on down further....

So, down pressure is the primary method of driving... call it pressing... t posts into the ground...and driving/pounding is only a last resort.

I considered some sort of attachment... could never figure out how to make it work.. try a few and you'll be surprised how well it works with somebody holding the post while you just GENTLY lower bucket onto its top... then YOU get out of the way and let the wife press it on in. It'll give her a sense of power..... strong suggestion... develop the habit of resting the elbow on arm rest somehow while operating the FEL lever... makes operation much more smooth, much less prone to sudden slips... and this is a place where you don't want slips

 

[orezok]

If you have too much money, how about one of these?

Propane Hammer by Tippmann

 

[QRTRHRS]

If you have too much money, how about one of these?

Propane Hammer by Tippmann

Heck, if money was no problem, I would be paying someone else to do my fence, ha!

texasjohn, I appreciate your input but I am doing all of this solo. Having just moved here, I don't know a lot of people yet and pretty much have no neighbors. Those I do have are out working. My wife is a pretty good sport about helping me with some things but she is not mechanically minded and she happens to be hearing impaired. Not a good combination for either end of the deal.

I did extend the spring post pounder with an 18" long piece of 2" PVC conduit just to see how it would work before I had it modified by welding. Using both PVC cleaner and glue, I hammered the bell end on and it has held up for about 30 posts so far. Now at least I don't pull it off of the post top while hammering and the long extention does not damage my galvanized T-posts.

I also tried wrapping the handles with "horse tape" but that did not dampen the vibration so today, I picked up some anti vibration work gloves at Tractor Supply. Have not used those yet though.

 

[texasjohn]

OK..I do understand the problem of being short handed... and agree that this is an activity best supported by your wife from afar.

Final idea... just START a post, then get in tractor and proceed as indicated... this gets it placed by you, minimizes the sweat of pounding and gives you a chance to use the tractor.... I've done it this way.... biggest problem is that post may go in a little crooked... but you can always bend it back in line after moving tractor out of the way...

Best wishes with your fence building!

 

[sodamo]

Thanks for all the info guys.

I'd like that TS unroller, just don't know how to get one here in HI. To me $400 for 3000+' of fence sounds like a reasonable tool. Haven't found another on the internet yet. May have to consider a homemade version. I've noticed each roll of wire seems to be heavier than the last.

As for the wife - she's really pretty good. In building our house, we used the tractor for placement of 10', 4in pipe supports, a lot of beams 4X10, 4X12 etc and she was the finesse person. I'd get the piece in general vicinity then turn the tractor portion over to her so I could due the manual guiding. She also helped unload the roofing panels using boompole from 40" containers. She just says I yell a lot. Of course, we all know I just had to speak loudly to be heard over the tractor.

I will use the "press" method as described, but will be pondering some way to mount the pipe.

David

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have been pounding in a sharpened steel rod to about six inches with a sledge in order to get a good straight start on the T-posts. That is just enough along with a couple of whacks to get the stabilizing plate started then the posts generally run pretty true.

The thought just came to me that I can pound them down with the loader bucket after that working alone. Have to try that in a day or two when I finish up some other things.

 

[QRTRHRS]

texasjohn,

I tried finally gave the bucket method that you recommended a shot and I gotta' hand it to you, it worked pretty well. Like I mentioned, I used a metal rod and made about a six inch starter hole then pounded the post in until the guide plate was started.

The posts were seven footers too! I put my grapple bucket on since it is pretty heavy duty. I found it best to center the bucket else a little twist could cause a post to slide sideways. A few of the small percent that needed hammering bent from hitting rocks.

Having a set of forks for my loader, I was thinking one could weld up a rectangular box to slip over the forks with a piece of pipe on the bottom to stablize the post and have at it.

 

[texasjohn]

GOOD JOB... and now you know why I put a metal pipe just slightly larger than the T post itself over the post before I start driving the post.. since using this technique, I have not had a bent post.

Glad you tried it... beats manpower muscle