Post driver (pounder) for small compact tractors?

[Verticaltrx]

I'm looking for a post driver that will fit my B3200 Kubota. I've been using my fathers Munro digger-driver for the past couple years, but have to use it on his 65hp tractor, which is too big for me to haul. It's a very nice unit, it drills a pilot hole perfectly straight, even in light to moderate rock, all hydraulic, etc. I would purchase one for myself, but it's about 1100lbs and requires about 13gpm hydraulic flow, which is beyond the capabilities of my tractors.

So, I'm looking for opinions and first hand experience with different types of post drivers on compact tractors, especially B-series Kubotas or other small compacts. I would prefer a 3pt hitch model, something with hydraulic tilt. I'm a little hesitant over these small cheap post drivers, because it seems like it's hard to drive a post straight with them unless the ground is just right, maybe it's just the operator. I drive 5-6"x8' posts for braces and 4"x7' posts for line posts, I don't mind putting a point on them if needed.

Any input would be great, thanks.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Anyone use a Shaver HD-8 or Worksaver HPD-16 on a tractor this size? I think it would fit fine, just looking for some first hand experience.

 

[ManAtArms]

I'm not sure if i've seen too many posts on drivers on TBN. I'm currently renting a Wheatheart High and Heavy side mast 3-point driver, but im having problems with driving 4x6x8 posts...they keep twisting on me. Anyway this sucker is very well built and weighs something like 2300 lbs.

I think Wheatheart makes the S2000 for smaller tractors...which I think is like 6 or 7k and I think it weighs like 1000 lbs. Here's the link:

Wheatheart - Products - Fencing Equipment - Product Information - S2000 Post Pounder

-Mark

 

[leonz]

You might want to consider a propane powered
post driver for your tractor and have no issues
whether its big enough for the implement.

The folks who make the propane powered
T post driver unit handle larger posts of
3.5 inch wood.

Post Driver Fort Wayne Indiana | Post Driver Indiana | Post Pounder | T post Driver

 

[Cold Camel]

I have a manual adjust Shaver for my Kubota L39, it is the mid level for 8" posts. The advantage is the posts are set when you drive away, mine would break rather than wiggling out of loam.

Forget unsharpened posts, they don't drive straight. Sharpening posts is a bugger, if you aren't darn perfect they drive crooked, which is worse then not straight. 7" sharpened posts wouldn't start without a 4" post driven till I could just wiggle it free. Then the big post started fine, but took foreve ... as in cut the top to height.
Pounding is a primal pleasure. I want to obliterate post after post, that is fun. But if I do ... it ain't pretty.
So I need (but don't got) two spotters to keep things straight. And I have to remove the pounder from the post to see which way it springs, then pound accordingly. Up, down, adjust, pound three times, repeat until it doesn't need adjustment, then drive it home. Hydraulic controls wouldn't help much.
In hindsight, I paid too much, but now that I own it, I'm going to buy an auger also.
Never had an auger. I'll run a small straight bit to depth and come back a second time to pound them in. That will be faster and fun. If I enjoy the process, I wake up and go to bed happy.
Don't buy a small pounder, it won't work. And don't worry about your tractor, the stress is minor, in fact smaller would be better, manouvering is the hard part.
I have seen a pounder with a pilot auger mounted on a pickup with a bed of posts. Meow....

Cold Camel

 

[Verticaltrx]

Thanks for the replies.

As I mentioned before this is the machine that I have been using for the past 3yrs: Fence Post Driver Hydraulic Steel Wood Plastic Fence Post Drivers

It has kinda spoiled me, you can drive a post perfectly straight and in line in nearly any conditions. My customers demand perfectly straight fences, which is why I'm a bit hesitant about these smaller post drivers without a pilot auger. There are several fencing companies around here that use the Shaver type post drivers and their fences are as crooked as a 50 year old fence with half the post rotten off. What I don't know is if it's a result of the equipment they are using, or they either just don't care or can't properly operate the equipment. Maybe I need to borrow or rent a post driver of this type and see just how good or bad they are.

Keep the input coming. :thumbsup:

 

[leonz]

I'm looking for a post driver that will fit my B3200 Kubota. I've been using my fathers Munro digger-driver for the past couple years, but have to use it on his 65hp tractor, which is too big for me to haul. It's a very nice unit, it drills a pilot hole perfectly straight, even in light to moderate rock, all hydraulic, etc. I would purchase one for myself, but it's about 1100lbs and requires about 13gpm hydraulic flow, which is beyond the capabilities of my tractors.

So, I'm looking for opinions and first hand experience with different types of post drivers on compact tractors, especially B-series Kubotas or other small compacts. I would prefer a 3pt hitch model, something with hydraulic tilt. I'm a little hesitant over these small cheap post drivers, because it seems like it's hard to drive a post straight with them unless the ground is just right, maybe it's just the operator. I drive 5-6"x8' posts for braces and 4"x7' posts for line posts, I don't mind putting a point on them if needed.

Any input would be great, thanks.

short of using B-E spudder drill to pound posts you dont have a lot of options
where you could use it to drive the posts and its all mechanical and you can spud the hole and then drop the post in and then pack dirt around it.




Why not bypass the capacity issues and buy an independent hydraulic reservoir/pump and use the rear PTO of your tractor by mounting the driver on a steel skid wheel set to haul the pump reservoir and driver and solve the issue with your tractor?

 

[Verticaltrx]

short of using B-E spudder drill to pound posts you dont have a lot of options
where you could use it to drive the posts and its all mechanical and you can spud the hole and then drop the post in and then pack dirt around it.




Why not bypass the capacity issues and buy an independent hydraulic reservoir/pump and use the rear PTO of your tractor by mounting the driver on a steel skid wheel set to haul the pump reservoir and driver and solve the issue with your tractor?

Building a trailer type post driver is another option, then I could mount the driver I want to it. The thing that's been holding me back on that is that a lot of the terrain where I work is pretty steep and rough, and I imagine maneuvering a trailer would be pretty tough in those situations. If I were doing all open fields that would work great. My hope is that the small Shaver type post drivers aren't really that bad, and its just the operators around here that make them not work.

 

[Cold Camel]

You won't be happy. Without the pilot, it takes English to pound straight. I described the process. If you fence for a living, time is money. Buy the right device and get a vehicle to suit.

I couldn't imagine pounding with a trailer.

 

[Verticaltrx]

You won't be happy. Without the pilot, it takes English to pound straight. I described the process. If you fence for a living, time is money. Buy the right device and get a vehicle to suit.

I couldn't imagine pounding with a trailer.

Even with a pilot hole a fair bit of 'english' is required to get the posts the way I want them. I also point every post regardless of size or ground condition. The digger-driver I've been using comes with a 4' pry bar that engages on a slot or chain to push the post the way it needs to go while driving. Fencing is one of the services I offer, but probably only accounts for 30% of my business at most, so spending $8,000-10,000 on a post driver wouldn't be fiscally responsible IMO.

 

[leonz]

Building a trailer type post driver is another option, then I could mount the driver I want to it. The thing that's been holding me back on that is that a lot of the terrain where I work is pretty steep and rough, and I imagine maneuvering a trailer would be pretty tough in those situations. If I were doing all open fields that would work great. My hope is that the small Shaver type post drivers aren't really that bad, and its just the operators around here that make them not work.

========================================================


You would not need to build a trailer- a heavy 4-5 ton two axle that is low profile can carry supplies, the driver, fuel etc. and if if you put a front hitch kit of the tractor you will not have manuevering issues if you have chains atached to the trailer limiting its turning arc.

You would simply have the independent hydraulic pump and tank on the three point hitch and if need be you could load it on the trailer if it can be modified with a removable side board or two to allow easy towing with the drawbar of the tractor.

 

[Verticaltrx]

========================================================


You would not need to build a trailer- a heavy 4-5 ton two axle that is low profile can carry supplies, the driver, fuel etc. and if if you put a front hitch kit of the tractor you will not have manuevering issues if you have chains atached to the trailer limiting its turning arc.

You would simply have the independent hydraulic pump and tank on the three point hitch and if need be you could load it on the trailer if it can be modified with a removable side board or two to allow easy towing with the drawbar of the tractor.

I understand what you are saying now. I think that idea would work for about 50% of the areas I do, but like I mentioned before a lot of my work is on rougher terrain or tight quarters, so a trailer would be out of the question there.

 

[leonz]

It will work for 100% of the areas if you secure the front corners of the
trailer hitch frame to the front hitch to keep it from from turning to easily. Its been done and I have done it with trailers that are very heavy or light as the chains limit the trailers ability to turn on its own and you will be able to locate the post driver on the rear of the trailer-if you mount it on the trailer tail gate it gives you a stable platform to work from and the PTO pump on the back will allow you to run hoses to the pounder and then disconnect them to move again if you are backing out to start driving posts in a another location.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I found online what looks to be a great little post driver so I thought I would update this thread and get some more input. What I found was a unit made in the UK called the Protech P30 contractor model. Unfortunately the website they have is pretty poor, and I don't think there are any dealers in North America.

It is a weighted hammer type, offset, post driver with full hydraulic tilt, offset, fore/aft movement, and hydraulic stabilizer leg. Can be outfitted with different weight drivers up to 400lbs. Looks like it is even set up on a B-series Kubota in the pics:

Website: PROTECH MACHINERY


Anyone have any more info on these? I'd like to know the overall weight, driving force, height etc. Doesn't it seem like it would put an awful lot of stress on the right side lower link when lifting it to move? Any North American dealers? Anyone have any other input on this?

 

[Rustyiron]

Kinda sounds like you answered your own question. I had a Shaver type and found that pounding at my old place in MD only worked when I drilled a 4" pilot hole with my skidsteer. There was a dealer in Fredneck MD that sold the Wheathart trailer post pounder and I think it had a pilot drill. It had a rack for carrying post around .. nice unit.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Kinda sounds like you answered your own question.

lol, yes and no. Still don't know of any dealers in the US...

 

[JimRB]

I used an old Shaver I borrowed from someone. I had to put new springs in it. I have JD870 which is a little 3,000 pound tractor with a 28 hp engine. I grab fluid from the loader control and returned fluid back into the fluid fill plug. First time I tried to pound the posts bounced going nowhere. After some rain and pointing the posts I seem to recall 3 minutes per post. Lots of english and most posts went in straight. Occasional field rock caused major deflection. Georgia red clay which is pretty hard when dry, butter when good and wet. Kind of scary process. I have seen better looking driver rigs at the big ag show in Moultrie but I had little interest as I already pounded my 4000 feet of fence.

 

[Mounted Madness]

Anyone use a Shaver HD-8 or Worksaver HPD-16 on a tractor this size? I think it would fit fine, just looking for some first hand experience.

Here's my experience with a postdriver on a BX24. I bought a Shaver HD8 two years ago, based on its weight and hydraulic flow requirements, figuring it would fit on my BX24. Since I had the backhoe on it, I concluded that it would handle the weight...basically plug and play.

At the time, I was very new to tractor ownership and operation and discovered that (according to advice I received from 2 hydraulic sources) I'd likely have to plumb the return line into my machines transmission, since there wasn't a seperate tank, and the normal return line wouldn't work properly.

I opted for an alternate (and more expensive) route. I had a hydraulics company fabricate a return tank, and added a hydraulic motor/pump onto/for the postdriver ram. I bought the postdriver for $1800 plus taxes, got it home and added $1600 plus taxes in fabrication.

Once I got the postdriver home, I discovered a variety of things.
1. On a BX24, the weight AND height of the unit increased the 'tippy' factor considerably. The center of gravity changed quite a bit and made operating the postdriver on anything other then unrutted pavement, a bravery test.

2. Due to the 3pt configuration and geometry of the BX24, it was a challenge driving a 10foot post perfectly straight. My helper is a fanatic for vertical and being on the bubble and was able to do quite well once he got used to the machine.:thumbsup:

3. It will drive a 10 footer without hesitation and worked like a charm...not easily configured and a pain in getting the post plumb, but time and effort overcame most issues. I had to re-do my fence posts, so we experimented with the unit. Due to the clay here, it was best to use 10 footers, and put them in 4 feet. None have moved, which is more then I can say for the neighbours traditionally installed posts.:thumbsup:

4. I traded the BX24 in Feb and now have a B3030HSDC. I am looking forward to seeing how the postdriver operates on this new tractor, both in performance, hook-up and the 'pucker' dynamics.

Being a newbie, I didn't know what questions to ask, and I wasn't overly familiar with TBN...you know, new tech and all that. I learned a lot, didn't listen to some advice, accepted other advice and concluded with my expenses doubling over all.

The postdriver does what it is supposed to do, very well with both 4inch and 6inch posts...though not too easily unless you have a tractor larger then a BX24...and maybe larger then a B3030. Following the hydraulics fabribation, I have had to modify some controls on the postdriver, again, more so then expected. On the other hand, I've (we've) put in 2-300 posts and it is a lot easier then an auger, set up, gravel/concrete, etc.:thumbsup:

Time will tell if the postdriver actually 'earns' its keep or if it just turned into another expensive and little used tool.

 

[niemeyjt]

You won't be happy. Without the pilot, it takes English to pound straight. I described the process. If you fence for a living, time is money. Buy the right device and get a vehicle to suit.

I can undertand most words in most variants of the English language, but this one has me baffled. Does it mean I can have a job helping with your fencing?

Seriously, another approach adopted by one manufacturer to stop posts going in askew is to use a tube: Postpuncher - the safest postdriver on the market - although their website is also not good at listing overseas dealers.

J

 

[Haywire]

I can understand most words in most variants of the English language, but this one has me baffled. Does it mean I can have a job helping with your fencing?

Actually it's english with a small 'e'....

a. The spin given to a propelled ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist.
b. Bodily movement in an effort to influence the movement of a propelled object; body english.