T-post driver?

mrs.H · #1 08/22/10, 09:55 PM

DH and I are shopping for land, still, and he was just thinking of all the t-posts we would have to pound in to fence in 2 to 4 acres

! I told him I would ask the folks here if there were such a thing as a mechanical t-post driver. We have a heavy hollow tube pounder. It works, but he would like something pneumatic(sp?) or hydrolic(sp) or electric! Any leads?
Thanks in advance!!

LisaInN.Idaho · #2 08/22/10, 09:59 PM

There is. We have one that runs off our tractor and skidsteer but you can buy a propane driven one:
http://www.propanehammer.com/products.htm
And this one that runs off an air compressor:
http://store.rohrermfg.com/ProductIn...roductid=BASIC T-POST DRIVER

drafthorsegal · #3 08/22/10, 10:01 PM

Not sure if you have a tractor with a bucket on it but I helped someone set up t-posts once by holding the post while he gently dropped the bucket down and sunk the post in slick as can be.

PNP Katahdins · #4 08/22/10, 10:07 PM

Consider rental, not purchase, too. A friend of ours rents one that works with his ATV.

Peg

tinknal · #5 08/22/10, 10:13 PM

T-posts drive pretty easy. You can drive one in about 30 seconds. You are a homesteader, it involves physical exertion. Get used to it.

CarolynRenee · #6 08/22/10, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

T-posts drive pretty easy. You can drive one in about 30 seconds. You are a homesteader, it involves physical exertion. Get used to it.

Obviously you have NOT tried to drive t-posts in the Ozarks!

texican · #7 08/22/10, 11:02 PM

One of my aunts borrowed my tractor once, and drove thousand of t-posts... so many she buggered the front end loader bucket... still usable, it just has character. FEL's are the cat's pajamas... for whacking t-posts in the ground... might bend the posts if you hit rock...

tinknal · #8 08/22/10, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolynRenee

Obviously you have NOT tried to drive t-posts in the Ozarks!

Well, I have rocks. Easy to relocate a post.

LisaInN.Idaho · #9 08/22/10, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

Well, I have rocks. Easy to relocate a post.

Pretty easy to rent or buy a driver to make short work of a tedious job too.

tinknal · #10 08/22/10, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaInN.Idaho

Pretty easy to rent or buy a driver to make short work of a tedious job too.

Well, I'm not gonna argue about it, just seems a waste of money to me for the minimal amount of effort required to drive a steel post.

topside1 · #11 08/23/10, 08:16 AM

As mentioned by Tinknal, manual driving 30 seconds of less...Start pounding a few a day mainly after rains....Good workout....Topside

suzyhomemaker09 · #12 08/23/10, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolynRenee

Obviously you have NOT tried to drive t-posts in the Ozarks!

LOL I was thinking the exact same thing....

Silvercreek Farmer · #13 08/23/10, 08:23 AM

How many T posts are you talking on 2-4 acres? What type of fence? We have high tensile fence around 4 acres, I only have posts every 50 feet or so on the level areas, a few more on the uneven spots. Still managed to get tendonitis in my right arm though. (Probably more from digging the 16 post holes 4 ft deep in NC red clay by hand.) Fence works fine, even fixed some problem goats. I see some people do one every 8-10 ft on high tensile, what a waste of money (posts and insulators!) and effort... save your money for a good charger, and plan on replacing it shortly after the warranty runs out (just figured this one out...). And rent a post hole digger!

motdaugrnds · #14 08/23/10, 08:25 AM

"minimal amount of effort" .. wouldn't that depend on who is doing the driving and what that person is driving that metal post into? If one can afford the better equiptment, I would suggest it be used. Driving metal posts into hard-rock is not always just a little effort. (I drove metal posts into an area that did "not" have "movable" rocks. It was a hardpan made up of "solid" rock. I would not suggest that anyone do this if they don't have to.)

7thswan · #15 08/23/10, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drafthorsegal

Not sure if you have a tractor with a bucket on it but I helped someone set up t-posts once by holding the post while he gently dropped the bucket down and sunk the post in slick as can be.

This is how we did it. I hold, dh runs the tractor, our soil basicaly lets us just push them into the ground.

Qhorseman · #16 08/23/10, 08:26 AM

There are some pneumatic driven ones on the market. I won't drive them anymore with the bucket of the tractor, had a post spring loose from under the bucket and knock me out cold.

topside1 · #17 08/23/10, 08:30 AM

Hire a teenager to pound,,,believe me they could use the money..Topside

mrs.H · #18 08/23/10, 08:35 AM

Thanks every one. The links were very helpful. I'm sure we will be renting one. That is kind of expensive.

mrs.H · #19 08/23/10, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Lindsay

How many T posts are you talking on 2-4 acres? What type of fence? We have high tensile fence around 4 acres, I only have posts every 50 feet or so on the level areas, a few more on the uneven spots. Still managed to get tendonitis in my right arm though. (Probably more from digging the 16 post holes 4 ft deep in NC red clay by hand.) Fence works fine, even fixed some problem goats. I see some people do one every 8-10 ft on high tensile, what a waste of money (posts and insulators!) and effort... save your money for a good charger, and plan on replacing it shortly after the warranty runs out (just figured this one out...). And rent a post hole digger!

We will be using field fence. This would be our perimeter fence. My husband wants to place the posts close, like every 10 feet. Since he is placing them and paying for them, I'm good with that. Very little level area on the parcel we are looking at right now. 2 acres in front mostly flat, 4 acres rolling woods.

Silvercreek Farmer · #20 08/23/10, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrs.H

Since he is placing them and paying for them, I'm good with that.

So his money is not yours???

What type of animals are you going to be fencing. Many like to scratch on field fence and will destroy it over time unless you add a strand of electric. Also horned goats will get their heads stuck in them...