post knockers

[Matthew Storrs]

I have a wire unroller on my tracked machine which I can locate in 5 different places although it mainly stays in one, made from scrap. Im not a fan of pulling big stretches from one end especially if it is undulating and with lots of turns. I can buy gripples for £0.38/each and put a join in every 50m or so (using 100m ht rolls) its not expensive. That way I can do several hundred metres, tie it off properly both ends and then use the gripples to tension the netting. This way you can tweak the top/middle/bottom accordingly and get a nice even tight fence and I haven't used a wire clamp for 3 years or more. Also you can go back any time and retighten using your gripple tool if the fence gets damaged etc. All of the fences I put up are infinitely adjustable and I wouldn't have it any other way as things will inevitably move or get hit. With good quality ht 8 80 15 costing around £0.75/metre in 100m rolls is there a need for 500m rolls? but maybe im wrong?Quick fencers and alike are ok in my opinion if your doing pipeline work or similar when you want to whack it up quick but to get the best most even pull you need to pull from the middle or in several places along the line.

 

Again, agreed. In my experiance I have got the most satisfactory and even tension from tensioning in the middle. I roll out to the middle and pull two boundary clamps together then join with either crimps or gripples. Same with barb/plain top wires. Personally, I don't like seeing hi tensile netting stapled/hammered home into a strainer to hold the tension, knots look neat and are far stronger

I think technique largely comes down to ground conditions and the layout of the fenceline. I fence mainly on Dartmoor and it is common that my fencing has to meander around huge granite boulders/over peat bogs. Not to mention fencing on top of the dreaded Devon banks. So I really don't think I would use a profencer/quickfencer much at all. For this reason I have found digger mounted knockers to be the most versatile being able to reach into dips/hollows, track over soft ground, and reach over walls top of banks etc. I converted one to fit my digger exactly how I wanted it,

On the other hand is the lowland/arable fencing which I'm rarely lucky enough to come across. Speed is of prime importance here given high work rates and larger competition. So I can totally see big side mounted knockers and wire unrollers being essential.

I like hearing about different setups, I spent quite a lot of money back in the summer on my wrag tractor mounted one, but to be honest I'm thinking about selling it with the tractor. Just doesn't seem to be the right machine for my work on the whole, (not the knocker, the tractor) usually too steep or wet for a tractor. A tracked one would be much better I think, at least I can control it on steep slopes and if it does go over I'm not on it:laugh1:

[Matthew Storrs]

My experience on the pretty good going arable plains of east yorkshire. Yes with the Bryce suma sometimes we only lift the weight up 1 or 2 foot and the posts are in in a couple of knocks. I have never needed a rockspike except maybe in concrete yards, ( How much do you spend on your knocker?)

 

As for posts per hour, I work with my wife she drives tractor I operate the Bryce. I haven't counted posts per hour, but if they are set out in approx required location and its not too dry. Probably 1 a minute is reasonable. Many claim machine gun rates, but,

 

how many blokes do they have?

 

How tidy is it?

 

How long can they go at it at that rate?

 

My philosophy is work well at a comfortable rate you can maintain. Get as decent a gear as your can cost effectively run. Do a good job. Im not in to the ondercut, brag, willy measuring contests either.

 

Just another point on hammer weights, long drops of smaller weights can splinter shatter posts, whereas a short solid dull thud, I've found less dangerous as the weight is being stopped after contact. When I used a smaller weight I found you send it and dont hold back.

 

Informative thread this and I like the frank assesment of machines. Btw I recently went to the Hayes engineering works in NZ I intend to start a thread with pictures at somepoint. Maybe tonight:001_smile: I really find my Hayes tensioners usuful especially when working alone.

Is there a show us what you use fencing tools thread yet?

 

Oh, I'd like to see those Hayes pictures, brilliant tools in my opinion. Own several sets, and other 5 years of daily use they have very little wear:thumbup1:

[Kennedy]

Think its a case of, as they say, horses for courses. We have several hitters and all do better than others on certain sites.

We also use a quickfencer which in my opinion is fantastic. 500m rolls save so much time on loading and joining, we even use 250m and 300m manually on rough steep ground to save time. 100m and 300m rolls of rabbit netting can also be used on it which again is a huge time saver.

We do however staple netting home but also tie it neatly and on long stretches we will put tension bar on opposite end of quickfencer.

[J-Down Contracting]

I have a Protech P300+ and i can say it is a fantastic tool. Has a 120 degree swing round 800mm boom out and i can get to posts that no Bryce etc could ever dream of. The Bryce Sumas are probably the best made in terms of attention to detail but the quad shift just doesn't give enough flexability.

I run with 250Kg weight, and that is plenty to hit in 8' gate posts etc 7-10" round. Massive weight= massive wear!

[Goaty]

Oh, I'd like to see those Hayes pictures, brilliant tools in my opinion. Own several sets, and other 5 years of daily use they have very little wear:thumbup1:

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/landscaping/68822-where-hayes-fence-tensioner-all-started.html

[Matthew Storrs]

I have a Protech P300+ and i can say it is a fantastic tool. Has a 120 degree swing round 800mm boom out and i can get to posts that no Bryce etc could ever dream of. The Bryce Sumas are probably the best made in terms of attention to detail but the quad shift just doesn't give enough flexability.

I run with 250Kg weight, and that is plenty to hit in 8' gate posts etc 7-10" round. Massive weight= massive wear!

 

 

This is probably true and I'm not sure what system/design the pro tech p300 has to lift the weight, but the Bryce/vector design probably wears less than the lever arm design that wrag and pro tech usually use.

The only trouble I'm having with the swing round knocker I have is that it has a tow hitch for towing a trailer to the job but in order to do so the knocker has to be swung round to the side position and sticks out nearly 2ft beyond the rear tyre- which isn't great for meeting cars in the lanes:laugh1:

[Goaty]

I have a Protech P300+ and i can say it is a fantastic tool. Has a 120 degree swing round 800mm boom out and i can get to posts that no Bryce etc could ever dream of. The Bryce Sumas are probably the best made in terms of attention to detail but the quad shift just doesn't give enough flexability.

I run with 250Kg weight, and that is plenty to hit in 8' gate posts etc 7-10" round. Massive weight= massive wear!

 

Not challenging this, its all cool. But for me when we used the parmiter knocker after 45minutes on a post in a hard dry spot near a tree or hedge or compacted area the ram used to weep and shake its gland nut loose and other fixings as well including the slide pole bracket which cracked at the bottom on 2 occasions. I was personally wearing out as well using levers and various means to steer the post. Now I can bang 12inch diameter posts and adjust hydraulically in any direction. Only to reflect on what is avery old design. I wouldn't be fencing now with my old kit. It was probably a 100kg weight. It was the worst part of the job. As for 120 degree swing that no Bryce could dream of, have you looked at the go anyway beast I posted a link to earlier in the thread.

I know its a bit biased us having a bryce, But if it wasn't for Jock Bryces original design features, many of the current uk manufacturers wouldn't be producing the good kit they are, many design features are plagiarized, just check the earliest dates of a feature and see who follows. I also know of another fencing contractor who built his own machine, a manufacturer visited him about something else, then next thing was marketing knockers with 2 of his features!!! I know how I would feel. Patents are a futile waste of money as Bryce have come to know.

Not having a nasty moment, just sharing what Im aware of.

[Philip jones]

thanks for all your answers cheers philip

[Matthew Storrs]

Not challenging this, its all cool. But for me when we used the parmiter knocker after 45minutes on a post in a hard dry spot near a tree or hedge or compacted area the ram used to weep and shake its gland nut loose and other fixings as well including the slide pole bracket which cracked at the bottom on 2 occasions. I was personally wearing out as well using levers and various means to steer the post. Now I can bang 12inch diameter posts and adjust hydraulically in any direction. Only to reflect on what is avery old design. I wouldn't be fencing now with my old kit. It was probably a 100kg weight. It was the worst part of the job. As for 120 degree swing that no Bryce could dream of, have you looked at the go anyway beast I posted a link to earlier in the thread.

I know its a bit biased us having a bryce, But if it wasn't for Jock Bryces original design features, many of the current uk manufacturers wouldn't be producing the good kit they are, many design features are plagiarized, just check the earliest dates of a feature and see who follows. I also know of another fencing contractor who built his own machine, a manufacturer visited him about something else, then next thing was marketing knockers with 2 of his features!!! I know how I would feel. Patents are a futile waste of money as Bryce have come to know.

Not having a nasty moment, just sharing what Im aware of.

 

 

Vector and Bryce are almost identical in some aspect, I'm sure someone said that he basically used to sell yellow vectors until 2008 when he started making them himself- is this true? He no doubt has thought up some ingenious additions regardless.

Who ever thought up the rock spike system first should be knighted.

I know I wouldn't be able to do a lot of my fencing with a side mounted post driver. The swing round system is great for backing in between trees/rocks over ditches etc to get that awkward strainer. But a 100kg weight simply isn't heavy enough like the old parmiters used to have and as for manual mast positioning- I almost think I'd prefer to do the small stakes by hand if I had to use an old parmiter!

[brynseiri]

heres my set up, not long after I bought it new. It is a Bryce HD2, one of his lighter and basic models, it has the all singing and dancing mast, 400 kg hammer and a side shift feature that is invaluable in keeping the post inline. It cost £4,200 before vat, and has payed for itself well, as fencing for me is now a one man operation. Fenced on varied terrain, its nice and compact and copes ok in corners, gateways are now a half hour job, the big hammer offers excellent precision with tapping in 3-4" posts and getting big strainers in are no problem. I knock in scrap girders in to shale and rock for strainers, they will last longer than me and they go in no sweat. I looked at the Vector model 4 with rock spike st LAMMA. This year and spoke to joe Brennan, really a nice guy and IMO the new and latest model 4 vector is far superior to Bryce suma profi supreme. It is more compact for starters, no latch system for the rock spike, the vector pulley and rope adjuster is far easier on the ropes too. A vector model 4 will be my replacement preference, but this machine needs to stop a few years more to make the all important profit. I already have the edge over 70% of my local competition with this machine. A quickfencer will be the next purchase to speed up output of my one man band operation.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk