Post driver

[msmith]

Just finished driving a few posts for my sorting lot. Should have done this about a month ago...man the ground got hard.

Driver is a Shaver HD 10. Didn't have a lot of trouble even though the ground was hard.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Sorry for the dumb newbie question, but...

When driving the post, did you have to 'sharpen' the bottom, or just ram the post in blunt.

 

[msmith]

I do not sharpen and don't recommend sharpening. If a sharpened post hits a root or rock it is likely to deflect and drive in crooked. It can happen with a non sharpened post, but it will more likely shear the root ir rock and go in straight.

 

[gwstang]

Do you have to dig or start any holes to be able to drive the posts in?

 

[msmith]

Do you have to dig or start any holes to be able to drive the posts in?

normally, no. If you drive down and hit rock or a hard pan, Log Cabin Fence Co. makes a 3" auger for their drivers that you can drill a pilot hole with. I see on Shaver's website that they now have an optional pilot auger for such events. I might have to see if it will work on mine or if I can retrofit mine to accept it because I have a hard pan on one part of my farm that I cannot get a post to go past 3' deep. Line posts are OK, but corner, end, and brace posts I would like to go 4'.

 

[JimRB]

The Shaver is a truly frightening and awesome tool. I forget how fast I was driving 4x4 sharpened posts but it was farily fast. Yes, on occasion they did defect around rocks. My land is not all that rocky.

 

[msmith]

The Shaver is a truly frightening and awesome tool. I forget how fast I was driving 4x4 sharpened posts but it was farily fast. Yes, on occasion they did defect around rocks. My land is not all that rocky.

Yes it is. If you were driving sharpened 4 inchers, I know they had to go in fast because they go in fast when I don't sharpen them. 8 inchers a little slower.

 

[DT86]

We've had a Shaver HD 10 since around 2003. It's driven countless miles of fence. In that time it has only needed springs, a cylinder end cap, and a few welds. I tacked the nuts to the bolts where the driver mounts to the three point frame, no amount of Loctite would keep them from vibrating free.

I like this one so much that I bought another gently used one recently. It has the hydro tilt, which should make life a little easier. Looking forward to getting around to using it.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I have some fence posts that have been in the ground for about 4 years now, they are as solid as the day we drove them in! We always piloted the holes to keep the posts true, never did have one come out without being snapped off!

 

[ishiboo]

Exciting! I have a HD10 as well (with hydraulic tilt), can't wait to put my fence in this year. I fenced an acre a few years ago with a PHD, bought this and haven't had any fence to put up. I did pound some 8' landscape timbers for tree stakes and a few other minor posts for things... so I know how well it works.

 

[russalabama]

I have a HD8 that my late Dad bought in about '75 or so. Man, that's a great tool. We mounted it on the front of a trike front end 544 Farmall International. Left it on all the time versus how we should have taken it off when unused, and running the tractor for years raking and teddering hay allowed the bouncing to fatigue the metal around the to/fro and left/right adjustment head on the table. Finally it all just came apart last year. I'm about to start fencing again and am going to get it welded up again. I wouldn't mind getting it on a front end loader of one of the tractors. I have a lot of fencing to work on that I want to leave up, but add new wires to it (where its on tree and hedge lines). It makes me want to figure out how to get a skidsteer or pin-on mount for a loader set up so that I can tilt the driver out horizontal, drop it down on the other side of a fence, and have the open channel face the fence, so as to drive a post on the opposite side of an existing fence from the tractor. One guy on that side, the other guy on the tractor, and going down the fence line (with the posts already pitched over to be put in).

 

[msmith]

I would love to have the hydro tilt like you guys have, but the crank is working for now.

A lot of the old farmers around here used to put them on the front of a trike tractor. Worked really well. I am going to eventually have mine mounted to my fel.

 

[DT86]

The one I just bought has a ssqa plate added but it doesn't interfere with the 3 point hitch. Don't know if they meant for it to be that way or if it just worked out that way. All it would need is longer hoses to be used up front.

 

[russalabama]

I would love to have the hydro tilt like you guys have, but the crank is working for now.

A lot of the old farmers around here used to put them on the front of a trike tractor. Worked really well. I am going to eventually have mine mounted to my fel.

Yep, the hand cranks all kept working fine on ours... I'd rather have hydraulic tilts too tho... Especially on my very hilly ground areas. Neglect in leaving the cylinder extended and unused in an open shed (not rained on, but moisture prone) caused a lot of rust on the rod. We got a seal from an online dealer and a machinist friend ran the rod in a lathe and used emmery cloth on it. So I put a coat of grease and a rag around the seal and run some emmery cloth on the rod to take any rust high spots down when I use it. Should have changed the rod while I had it apart... Hundred or two bucks for it then, so Pop went thrift route on the seal. Great design on the driver. The trike front end is nice as you can change left to right so quick and dial in to the spot. Takes an hour or more to put on and take off, tho, and the weight rack has to come off or go on in the exchange. Btw, I checked on getting a whole new table and it was nearly half of what a new HD8 manual adjust model, with three point mounts, would cost. So... I guess it's either weld this one or cough up for a new one.

 

[russalabama]

The one I just bought has a ssqa plate added but it doesn't interfere with the 3 point hitch. Don't know if they meant for it to be that way or if it just worked out that way. All it would need is longer hoses to be used up front.


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Man, I like that approach. Best of both worlds. I've wanted to get my L4400 hooked to mine, and on the front would be best... that little 4wd will go anywhere and would be ideal for a fencing tractor. It's loader came without quick attach, so I'd have to grind off the bucket stops to use the aftermarket kit to go quick attach. I keep thinking of selling that tractor, but it's the only 4wd I have and is handy in tight spots.

 

[DJ54]

I got replacement springs for my HD-8 through Kencove. Local dealer had to order them, and said 7-10 days. Called Kencove, and they had them here in 2 days, and for way less money.

Electric Fence, High Tensile Fencing Supplies

 

[russalabama]

kencove... That's who I got the seal from... Couldn't remember the name till you mentioned it.... but I didn't check on the table there. I will give them a call today. Thanks for the reminder.