Post Driver Usage Observations

[Robert_in_NY]

How much did you pay for your post and how expensive was the shipping? Thanks for the link to the website also.

 

[reasley]

How much did you pay for your post and how expensive was the shipping? Thanks for the link to the website also.

Good evening, Robert --

I think that you are referencing my earlier post, but I'm not sure. Locally, the post prices are as follows for the brand mentioned: 4.5" x 8' are $9 and 6" x 8' are $14. The company mentioned in the previous methods sells in any quantity to anyone, though and they gave me a quote the other day on the 6" x 7'6" and 6" x 8'. They are $9.35 and $9.75 each, respectively and, from Tyler, Texas to me is about 155 miles and their shipping quote was $500 for a full semi truck load. (Note that they come 28 to a bundle and a semi load is 560 posts). Also, note that they produce all over the country -- Ohio, for example, is, I think, their home office. I also got a quote on the 1" x 6" x 16' "corral boards" for the horizontals on the fence and I thought that it was a great price (mixed oak, rough full sawn green) at $6.25. These come from Monroe, LA. and the freight quote was $750, with a full load of 945 pieces.

Back to the posts -- one thing to note: I compared the ones from the company listed in my previous post to the ones at my local TSC and there is no, zero, comparison between the two. The TSC posts are crooked, knotty, and probably 50% the quality at best of the other posts. So much different in fact, that I will probably contact TSC's purchasing guys and recommend that they check these out.

 

[MikePA]

For that price I could see it being worth while, but for the new price, you would need to set a lot of poles to make it worth while. I still can hardly believe that you are able to pound a wooden post into the ground without it shattering.

I agree with what reasley wrote. A driver is not cheap, but I had 227 posts to put in by myself. With the soil we have here, it couldn't have gotten them all in in a summer. So, it was either pay someone to do it or buy a driver. It was cheaper to buy a driver. People are always amazed when I tell them it pounds in 4 x 4 posts. "Don't you have to 'sharpen' them?" is the typical question. Nope. Works like a charm.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Good afternoon, Larry --

I agree on the crowning idea -- that should fix the problem. I just got in after using the driver again and I tried the metal "cap" that I mentioned earlier. It works great at concentrating the force on the top of the post, but the posts are still splintering a bit, even with it in use. So, what I think that I am going to do is a slight modification of your crowning idea. Instead of driving these 8' posts so that the height of the top of the fence post is where it needs to be, I think that I'm going to leave them about 2-6" long (depending on amount of splintering) and, before installing the horizontal boards, run a line and trip the tops.

Typically I find that the slight rounding of the tops [actually bevelling the edges] completely eliminates the splintering by causing the hammer blow to fall well away from the post edge. It is pretty easy to do with a small chainsaw oriented radially and with bar oriented in the direction aimed to cut straight down the post but at a small angle to the plane of the top face of the post. Always have saw oriented so teeth are cutting from the outside edge inward to prevent splintering while cutting. Just run it back and forth over the edges. Neat isnt needed. If you have plenty of post to waste then trimming ends will get around splintering, but I find that cracks will sometimes progress further that you think.
larry

 

[SPYDERLK]

People are always amazed when I tell them it pounds in 4 x 4 posts. "Don't you have to 'sharpen' them?" is the typical question. Nope. Works like a charm.

My ground is usually too hard at depth for that. Also they end up tighter with a point. Only problem with points, other than the extra prep, is that symmetry is important - esp for the 1st foot.
larry

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Good evening, Robert --

I think that you are referencing my earlier post, but I'm not sure. Locally, the post prices are as follows for the brand mentioned: 4.5" x 8' are $9 and 6" x 8' are $14. The company mentioned in the previous methods sells in any quantity to anyone, though and they gave me a quote the other day on the 6" x 7'6" and 6" x 8'. They are $9.35 and $9.75 each, respectively and, from Tyler, Texas to me is about 155 miles and their shipping quote was $500 for a full semi truck load. (Note that they come 28 to a bundle and a semi load is 560 posts). Also, note that they produce all over the country -- Ohio, for example, is, I think, their home office. I also got a quote on the 1" x 6" x 16' "corral boards" for the horizontals on the fence and I thought that it was a great price (mixed oak, rough full sawn green) at $6.25. These come from Monroe, LA. and the freight quote was $750, with a full load of 945 pieces.

Back to the posts -- one thing to note: I compared the ones from the company listed in my previous post to the ones at my local TSC and there is no, zero, comparison between the two. The TSC posts are crooked, knotty, and probably 50% the quality at best of the other posts. So much different in fact, that I will probably contact TSC's purchasing guys and recommend that they check these out.

Thanks

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You guys are way out of my price range. Are you guys putting up 3-4 rail fencing or wire, and how far apart are your posts? How many feet of fencing per day, how long do the posts last?
Just wondering

 

[CATMAN]

I believe Shaver mentions that if you are having troubles with the top of the posts moving "away" from the driver during pounding, you are to put a little outward tilt to the top of the driver. Basically, when the head of the pounder comes down, it has a tendency to hold the top of the post "inward" towards the inside channel. My dad always has the top of the pounder tilted towards himself(stands on front of the post). Now, his post driver is over 30 years old and has a lot of "play" in it, too. I have read about this procedure on Shaver literature before. Maybe you already knew this, but you purchased this used, so you might not have received and paperwork with it.

 

[reasley]

You guys are way out of my price range. Are you guys putting up 3-4 rail fencing or wire, and how far apart are your posts? How many feet of fencing per day, how long do the posts last?
Just wondering

Good evening, Brian --

My place is/was a 25 acre horse farm. The original fencing was put in in either in 1973 or shortly thereafter. I have spoken with the son of the original owner and he told me that they started putting them in with an auger but it would not drill in some of the areas, so they ended up bringing in a post pounder to get penetration.

This fence has lasted for around 35 years and some of it is still very good. I am going in and replacing where needed and also putting up some new lines. Some are slightly less than 8' on center and some are slightly less than 12' on center. Some of the fencing is two rail, with a third rail on the top of the posts and attached to the end of the first rail, which it butts against. Some is three rail.

On the number of feet of fencing per day, I am not looking at those kinds of figures. Obviously, the quicker the better, but I didn't consider other fencing options -- I wanted to retain the look of the white rail fencing and I wanted it to be wood for that reason.

If this were a cattle property with miles and miles of fencing, I wouldn't even be considering these large wood posts and rails, but it is what needs to be here, so I am trying to do a high-quality job at a reasonable cost . . .

 

[reasley]

I believe Shaver mentions that if you are having troubles with the top of the posts moving "away" from the driver during pounding, you are to put a little outward tilt to the top of the driver. Basically, when the head of the pounder comes down, it has a tendency to hold the top of the post "inward" towards the inside channel. My dad always has the top of the pounder tilted towards himself(stands on front of the post). Now, his post driver is over 30 years old and has a lot of "play" in it, too. I have read about this procedure on Shaver literature before. Maybe you already knew this, but you purchased this used, so you might not have received and paperwork with it.

Thanks so much for the tip, Catman. I do have the Operator's Manual, but I just checked and it doesn't say anything about angling the driver, but it makes sense. Now that you've mentioned it, I remember that I have been doing that after the start of driving but it is probably too late at that time . . .