Digger/excavator post driver

[Malus]

5 hours ago, hedge mong said:

Do these have enough weight in them or does the Wacker bounce the digger?

I've seen these around but not sure however look good for gardens and rubbish access.

Currently using a suma on a 7495 which is pretty big and cumbersome.

 

I'll let you know when I've had a few 100 stakes in with it. The weight on this one is a bit over 150kg so not light, but obvs not close to the big tractor mounted units.

[Malus]

1 hour ago, gdh said:

I think commercial ones are offset so you can use them at any angle without the lift ram hitting the boom (depending on design). 

 

I hadn't realised how expensive they were now, we only paid £2400 for protech 300 about 6 years ago and that was new.

That's a good point. To be honest I thought it was more about keeping everything visible but it makes sense that the manufacturers have no control over what machine it will be mounted to.

 

I guess it's the way everything has gone.. I had a price for a few different machines and the protech p18 was cheapest at I think £3200+vat but extra for a rock spike. Definitely don't do enough fencing to justify the cost.

[hedge mong]

54 minutes ago, Malus said:

I'll let you know when I've had a few 100 stakes in with it. The weight on this one is a bit over 150kg so not light, but obvs not close to the big tractor mounted units.

Cool.

I would be interested to know how much the digger moves away on the wack .

I get the tractor bouncing off big posts in hard ground.

[Matthew Storrs]

1 hour ago, Malus said:

That's a good point. To be honest I thought it was more about keeping everything visible but it makes sense that the manufacturers have no control over what machine it will be mounted to.

 

I guess it's the way everything has gone.. I had a price for a few different machines and the protech p18 was cheapest at I think £3200+vat but extra for a rock spike. Definitely don't do enough fencing to justify the cost.

These are my two. One is a protech which has the chained post cap doobin was referring to. As said a must really, males it so much easier to stabilise on a small machine, makes the hammer more efficient and I find a lot quicker than using a leg. I use mine on my own using a plumb line hanging on the post so thay I can see it's going in straight in both planes, and can easily adjust as it goes in rather than waiting for another man to communicate to me. It has to be offset really to avoid arm smacking the dipper, means I can bring it in close to the machine which is handy in a tight spot, has 180kg hammer and is fine on 2.8t digger. I reckon the next one I'll have the 210 kg hammer as confident it will handle that easily too.

The second one I had adapted to go on the smaller 1.8tmachine. The pulley design is better to lift the weights can mountit direct in lineas no arm to bang on the dipper. That has a 130kg hammer and is just ok at far reach 

[Matthew Storrs]

1 hour ago, hedge mong said:

Cool.

I would be interested to know how much the digger moves away on the wack .

I get the tractor bouncing off big posts in hard ground.

Your not going to match a Bryce for smack. But like all these things-right tool for the right job.ive done all sorts of awkward jobs with mine where a tractor or even tracked machine would struggle. A 2.8t will handle a 200kg hammer (350kg overall) if you know how to handle it on slopes. An 8 ton will take 300-400kg hammer (600kg overall ok) so starts to get nearer a Bryce but it it's more the convenience of working steep ground, reaching over ditches or in-between trees that makes the digger ones good

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Your not going to match a it it's more the convenience of working steep ground, reaching over ditches or in-between trees that makes the digger ones good

Or just being able to take it to site and knock in fifty metres after clearing with the grab. That’s where I find the most profit. Used it Friday to bash this lot in. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by doobin

[hedge mong]

Yeah I get the point for access .

Like insaid what are they like on hard rocky ground?

Do you reckon they will punch in steel posts?

[doobin]

6 hours ago, hedge mong said:

Yeah I get the point for access .

Like insaid what are they like on hard rocky ground?

Do you reckon they will punch in steel posts?

What kind? I’ve done clipex strainers with them but on hard chalk ground they start to mash over the top of the post! Scaff poles no bother, I made up an insert to replace the spike also. This was with a 150kg weight. 

[hedge mong]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

What kind? I’ve done clipex strainers with them but on hard chalk ground they start to mash over the top of the post! Scaff poles no bother, I made up an insert to replace the spike also. This was with a 150kg weight. 

Wacking in RSJ for slotting sleepers into.

I cut the steel ends into spikes with the gas axe then smash them in making up retainers with timber slotted in. 

Also put them in as gate posts for cattle. 

It's ok cutting spikes on them but trying to smash em in without is hard going.

Just wondering if the digger Wacker would push em in around duck ponds etc to make points for shooting from.....

 

[doobin]

14 hours ago, hedge mong said:

Wacking in RSJ for slotting sleepers into.

I cut the steel ends into spikes with the gas axe then smash them in making up retainers with timber slotted in. 

Also put them in as gate posts for cattle. 

It's ok cutting spikes on them but trying to smash em in without is hard going.

Just wondering if the digger Wacker would push em in around duck ponds etc to make points for shooting from.....

 

No, I tried that around a pond in soft clay with the p180 and it wasn’t really having it. It worked but I ended up cutting off more than I thought I would. Didn’t cut a spike though, I reasoned that the surface area of the profile wouldn’t be much reduced by doing that, unlike a solid round wooden post.