T-Post installation

[TheMan419]

The video of the "pounder" attached to the bucket is interesting. However the only ones I can find on line require you to drill a hole in your bucket. No dice here.

As far as the advice regarding horses around t-posts..... my wife trains them for a living. So SWMBO says we are using t-posts. The wire will be electrified and highly visibly. Yes we will be using caps on the posts. Not stupid. Just trying to figure out how to drive them efficiently.

I will check with local rental places. The air driven driver looks even easier than using the bucket.

As for using the bucket I will have help, so it will be a two man job for sure.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Argonne]

So SWMBO says we are using t-posts.

Level headed boss you have there. In 3 rail mine would have cost 200 grand. That argument was thankfully brief.

 

[TheMan419]

Level headed boss you have there. In 3 rail mine would have cost 200 grand. That argument was thankfully brief.

Yeah we would both LOVE 3 rail..... but oooof the cost would be crazy even if you did all the labor yourself. Maybe some day we will get there. Just do not want the high tensile wire. We are going with something that looks like a rope, but it is braided with copper wire inside and can be electrified. Highly visible as well.

 

[gwdixon]

OK, just an ugly, ugly story to go with this thread re: horses and T-posts.

After driving the T-posts on my neighbor's fence line the tops mushroom out a bit and are sharp. A young girl was visiting and playing with a young colt.

The colt was spooked by my dog and a T-post tore a hole in his neck skin. He was stuck on the post thrashing about and bleeding heavily. The girl was screaming in panic. The colt finally got loose but was in need of serious vet care.

So, protect those T-post tops. Electric works but a spooked horse is unpredictable (as you know).

Don't know why I added this. Guess it got to me to see that happen.

 

[Al 2]

Check out the videos for the Ski Drill and the Rhino GPD 30. post drivers. Very portable.
Al

 

[powerscol]

T-posts and horses do not mix, even with the safety caps, which become brittle and fall off with age. I know after going through a large laceration and a big vet bill. Do yourself a favor and use wood posts with wood or plastic fence stays between. I run a 5 smooth wire fence for the horses and no electric. It can be electrified if needed with stand offs.

Just my 02, but been there.

Hope this helps

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Saw this video on the sidebar when looking at the Striker video Fence Post Driver - Self-Propelled Extreme Driver - YouTube Why do all the videos advertising driving wood posts show them driving posts with flat ends? Am I the only one that thinks it's silly to do it that way? A few seconds with the chain saw to sharpen the end would make driving the post SOOOOOO much easier. No more or less susceptible to frost heave and far easier to drive back down if/when they do heave.

 

[TheMan419]

T-posts and horses do not mix, even with the safety caps, which become brittle and fall off with age. I know after going through a large laceration and a big vet bill. Do yourself a favor and use wood posts with wood or plastic fence stays between. I run a 5 smooth wire fence for the horses and no electric. It can be electrified if needed with stand offs.

Just my 02, but been there.

Hope this helps

Yeah and we have had horses get tangled up in the wire and cut tendons and have to be put down as a result. No matter what fencing you use there are dangers and draw backs. Wood post etc that you talk about are safer. They are also way more money. We can only do what we can do.

 

[holeycow]

Around here the local farm stores have tow-behind hydraulic post pounders for rent. They are branded "heavy hitter". They have their own gas motor so you can even run them off a pickup truck, depending on terrain and such. They work very well and are worth every penny. It is the way its done when you want to put in miles of wire.

They may exist, but I've never seen a decent insulator for a t-post.

The electric rope i have used was unsatisfactory as it degraded in only a few years. I have had much better luck with Galagher "turbo wire", which lasts a long time and is still very visible even if quite thin. Ymmv. Had a little tape too (a little is 1/2 mile or so to me). Didn't like the tape much at all. We hung flagging on lots of sections of fence when we had our herd of horses. It helps them see the fence at night.

High tensile wire with no power in it is dangerous, IMO. Horses don't need much voltage to gain respect. Many of them learn when the fence is on or off. Keep it on, always.

I still think T-posts are not acceptable for horse fence.

 

[powerscol]

Yeah and we have had horses get tangled up in the wire and cut tendons and have to be put down as a result. No matter what fencing you use there are dangers and draw backs. Wood post etc that you talk about are safer. They are also way more money. We can only do what we can do.

No worries - I understand. Just wanted to pass on my experience. I had to replace 300' of fence this year around my equipment yard which is next to the horse pasture. I had used a combination woven fence with T-posts that was supposedly horse rated. One of the mares got a hoof caught while kicking at another horse - I was very lucky I was right there. At least it came off the T posts easily when she struggled. I was able to get her untangled with only a badly bruise hock. I replaced the T posts with wood, and full wood top rail and chain link fabric (Was cheaper then tight weave horse fence) I wish you the best. If I may ask what kind of horses do you have. Mine are a 1/2 paint and 1/2 Arab and a full registered paint - the one that got tangled.