Safely disconnecting a post driver?

[drssg]

For people who own 3ph post drivers, I'm curious how you disconnect and store it to minimize the risk of the thing falling on you.

I store mine on a post in the corner of my barn, and I always thought it felt fairly solid. But the last time I disconnected it, it rotated counter clockwise and then fell off the post! The 3ph connections came off quite easily, so I thought it was well balanced. The movement was kind of a delayed reaction and fairly slow, so I was already backed away from it when it started to move. My first thought was, "This is going to cost some money."

Amazingly nothing was damaged. It just fell to the ground and stayed at about 30 degree angle, resting on the bottom 3ph pin. It didn't fall into the tractor or through the barn wall or anything.

I've considered putting a chain around the driver and the post, but that doesn't seem very effective to me. The driver channel is 12" and the post is 6", so it doesn't seem like the chain would hold it very well. The manufacturer makes an attachment to hold a post in the driver. They seem to market it for use when driving posts, but it looks to me like it might be useful for storage. Has anyone used one of these?

I now have the bottom of the 3ph resting on some pallets, which I think helps hold it on the post, but I don't feel like I have a good procedure. I would appreciate hearing from people who can do this routinely and feel safe.

Rick

 

[kiyiya]

I store mine on a 6x6 with the bottom of the ram resting on a cinder block. I also chain it to the post and it holds very well. If you think it will turn on you you could use a ratcheting strap (tie down) to secure it. Just remember to release it before driving off

 

[InlineDieselFan]

I would think that a ratcheting strap would be the best way to 'secure' the post driver to the post. With the strap you can snug the driver up tight to the post and with a chain I would think it would always be just a little loose. If you need a bit of room to wiggle the driver around when hooking it up just loosen the strap, but still leave it attached. Then make sure that you totally remove the strap before driving off.

steve

 

[tnau664]

Drill a hole!

Unless you are cramped for space just back out there and drill a hole and leave the auger down. I've been doing that for years with no detrimental impact on the auger head or bits. I just keep my extra sizes leaned up nearby for quick change when needed.

Terry

 

[Grrrr]

Drill a hole!

Unless you are cramped for space just back out there and drill a hole and leave the auger down. I've been doing that for years with no detrimental impact on the auger head or bits. I just keep my extra sizes leaned up nearby for quick change when needed.

Terry

I think you might be confused between a post driver and a post hole digger.

A post driver has no auger and is like a big hammer that knocks fence posts into the ground.

An PHD is best stored by drilling it in and leaving it in the ground. (But if you leave it to long it will start to rust)

A post driver is difficult to store as it is tall and heavy. The one we have hired before had a built in stand that was used to support it.

 

[tnau664]

I think you might be confused between a post driver and a post hole digger.

A post driver has no auger and is like a big hammer that knocks fence posts into the ground.

An PHD is best stored by drilling it in and leaving it in the ground. (But if you leave it to long it will start to rust)

A post driver is difficult to store as it is tall and heavy. The one we have hired before had a built in stand that was used to support it.

Yep, I missed that one. Our ground is so hard (and rocky) I don't know of anyone around that even owns a post driver. Is it fot the metal posts or wooden?

Terry

 

[Grrrr]

Yep, I missed that one. Our ground is so hard (and rocky) I don't know of anyone around that even owns a post driver. Is it fot the metal posts or wooden?

Terry

You can use it on both (at least the ones we have in the UK)

They will bang metal posts in easily.

Wooden posts and straining posts go in just as easily.

On some of them the hammers are heavy enough that if you sharpen up the end of a gate post with a chainsaw you can bang them straight in to

 

[Jim_Fisher]

For people who own 3ph post drivers, I'm curious how you disconnect and store it to minimize the risk of the thing falling on you.

I store mine on a post in the corner of my barn, and I always thought it felt fairly solid. But the last time I disconnected it, it rotated counter clockwise and then fell off the post! The 3ph connections came off quite easily, so I thought it was well balanced. The movement was kind of a delayed reaction and fairly slow, so I was already backed away from it when it started to move. My first thought was, "This is going to cost some money."

Amazingly nothing was damaged. It just fell to the ground and stayed at about 30 degree angle, resting on the bottom 3ph pin. It didn't fall into the tractor or through the barn wall or anything.

I've considered putting a chain around the driver and the post, but that doesn't seem very effective to me. The driver channel is 12" and the post is 6", so it doesn't seem like the chain would hold it very well. The manufacturer makes an attachment to hold a post in the driver. They seem to market it for use when driving posts, but it looks to me like it might be useful for storage. Has anyone used one of these?

I now have the bottom of the 3ph resting on some pallets, which I think helps hold it on the post, but I don't feel like I have a good procedure. I would appreciate hearing from people who can do this routinely and feel safe.

Rick

I pin the driver for travel, plumb the beam, and adjust the legs on the three point adapter so that they are even with the bottom of the beam or place a block of wood under the beam to make it set level. Then I tilt the beam a little bit toward the front.

If you have a dirt floor, you might want to set it on some flat boards so that it doesn't sink into the dirt. The post holder attachment works fine for driving posts but I don't think that I'd trust it to keep the driver from falling over.

 

[drssg]

Thanks for all the responses. I didn't hear anything for a while and I had stopped checking. I like the ratcheting strap idea to secure it to the post. I think if I combine that with something under the 3PH connections, I should be able to work with this thing without risking my life.

I appreciate Jim_Fisher's feedback on the post holder attachment. I won't bother investing in that.

Thanks again!

 

[beaumont]

Not sure if your post driver has a post cap - in New Zealand drivers have a post cap (with a short spike that penetrates the top of the post - see the attached pic of my Fence-Pro driver) - that stops the top of the post being distorted by the impact of the block dropping on it. The post cap also holds the post in place as you're driving it, stops it twisting or sliding out at the top. Also means that when you disconnect your post driver from the tractor - you park it on a post driven into the ground - post cap and spike holding the driver onto the post, block sitting down onto the cap, gravity keeping the whole thing standing upright - just like you've finished ramming a post in, driven the tractor away and left the post driver behind.

Fence-Pro Post Drivers - brilliant gear - see FENCE-PRO the leader in fencing