Post driver?

[jay2578]

Any advice on decent hydraulic post drivers? Either tractor or 3t digger mounted.

 

Cheers

[Allterrainmanx]

Tractor mount Bryce has to be hard to beat very heavy on the tractor and would say 120hp tractor needed just to be stable with one if you want something a bit lighter Wrag is a very good machine. As for excavator mount most people use a rock breaker with a cup on insted of a chisel Andrew Harker at exac one is the man to talk to about that. I had a custom made one for 13 ton machine that picks post off ground and puts it in with vibration I put an unpointed 12in teligraph pole in dry ground with it yesterday Weighs near 2ton though so might be a bit heavy for you.

 

Sean

[Matthew Storrs]

I have a wrag with rock spike on my trractor - it has the telescopic beam on it which makes alligning stakes very easy- its a cracking machine and would highly reccomend Wrag to deal with. Bryce Suma are very heavy duty machines but not so good at getting into awkward spots as a Wrag or Pro tech as they are only side mounted. As above I wouldn't want a Bryce on hilly ground unless I had a very well ballasted tractor.

I also have a post driver on a 3ton digger- I woukdn t swap it for all the tea in china, you can reach into all sorts of tricky situations and is very quick at knocking in the intermediate stakes. On a 3 tonner I wouldn't reccomend more than 300kg on the end as it can become unstable if you work on hillsides alot- this would mean you could get one a 150kg hammer which would knock most things in.

[jay2578]

Thanks guys, Matthew whats the one you have on your digger? Think I would prefer a digger mounted one due to flexibility and the fact I can get the digger into places that the tractor wouldn`t fit.

[Matthew Storrs]

I have one I converted from a tractor mounted one, basically a 6ft mast with a post cap, the post cap only travels 6 inches up the mast before a set of chains anchoring the cap to the bottom of the mast go tight- this gives me the ability to press down on the post with the digger at the same time as hammering which makes it more effective. Look up the vector mini digger post driver - mine is very similar. If I had to choose between my digger or tractor one I think I'd go with the digger for sheer versatily, it also uses considerably less diesel, is quicker at knocking in intermediate stakes (slower on strainers tho) and has the ability to track over boggy ground which I do alot of. There is a certain technique to be mastered but once you have the knack you'll be unstoppable.

Vector say there one will fit a 3 ton digger fine, it is 415kg with a 200kg weight so you'll have to be carefully on steep ground- or you could get a smaller weight put on it or even counterweight the digger if stability is an issue.

[Wainy]

Just got one of these from protech. Really saves time and effort knocked these 6ft stakes to about 2ft as a retaining wall- easier than digging! Do struggle setting up though but suppose we'll get quicker.

[doobin]

Do you guys not find that they tend to wobble all over the place?

 

I have a shag load of fencing coming up, I need to get something better than the manual adjust tractor one.

 

Wainy, where are you based?

[Matthew Storrs]

I had a pro tech p10 like wainys, I just couldn't get on with it, with the leg up it was wobbly and very bouncy. With the leg down it was really a two man job to make sure the mast was verticallly parrelel with the post. I also found it too heavy on a 1.5digger on slopes.

I don't mean to keep prattling on about my one I converted but I find it totally stable and easy to use, and there is no bouncing as the weight of the driver is supported by the post.

Mini Excavator Post Driver

These are the best manufactured post drivers to go on diggers IMO

[Wainy]

Based Warwickshire direction so protech weren't too far away. Yes does wobble lots but think that's down to digger bushes needing replacing, once you get going and driver is all vertical things go better. Our problem is you have to be working at nearly full reach to get it on the post in the first place.

[codlasher]

I still have a Parmiter contractor model in fetching blue and rust. It sits in an out of the way part of my yard and only comes out to play on the odd occasion I do fencing jobs. It has knocked in thousands of posts and strainers and would go to work instantly now if I so cared. I bar the holes and stand the 3'' to 4'' x 5' 6'' posts in these pilot holes then drive along with the tractor and knock them in. Yes you do have to get on and off the machine from time to time to adjust the setting but you can get hydraulic rams to do this if you so want and this makes things easier.

On the other hand a second pair of hands are so much more useful to assist and more economical in the long run!

This model holds its value around £1100, so still quite a bargain. It works on both sides and straight out to the rear. Avoid the one sided models unless you are desperate. They'll still bash but only on one side.

 

codlasher

Edited July 6, 2014 by codlasher