Mini Post Driver/Knocker

[Tentman]

Gidday Folks (from a long time lurker)

 

I'm a fencing contractor down in New Zealand, my current main machine is a MF5445 with a Kinghitter S2 Expander (telescopic mast) driver. I work mainly on small holdings in the peri-urban area.

 

This machine has an all up weight of an astonishing 7.1 tonnes, and while it performs wonderfully and is good to operate, the mud and mess it can make in a short time is not so good. Maneuverability is sometimes an issue, particularly working in the bush (forested) areas common here. Climbing on and off it 60-80 times a day ( I work alone) is a bit wearing on some days and certainly not good for productivity.

 

So I've had a good look around and seen the tracked knocker machines that are available to you guys (we have some down here, nothing trailer-able) and am thinking of building my own machine.

 

The big question I have is how much stability is needed. There are many tracked machines that would otherwise be suitable donors based on approximately a 1.0m track width but even with some sort of stabiliser leg/legs I feel they may be too narrow - yet one sees people using very small tractors with old style post drivers/knockers.

 

Whats the minimum width (and base machine) you've seen a conversion done on??

 

Thanks

Foster

[Goaty]

Welcome aboard tentman. Which part of NZ are you in? I have travelled most of it.

I think you will find here in the UK few if anyone has built their own tracked machine, not just the time and cost factor. Our liability and compensation setup in Europe isn't as good as yours so we hold back these days.

 

If an employee had and accident with something you designed it would be a legal hell.

 

The tracked machines are around 4000kg I think. I have a none tracked Bryce on our tractor. The weight is 400kg and the counterweight the same.

I reckon the minimum weight you want is 250kg unless you are fitting a rock auger to your machine.

 

Would the simplest thing for you to dos remove the arm off a compact 360 then attatch a mast to it. Then develop it from there. I know Bryce sell there masts to others such as quickfencer.

[Tentman]

Thanks Goaty

 

I'm down in Southland (right next to Invercargill) so at the flatter end of the country but we do a great line in wet conditions.

 

My kinghitter has a 340 Kg monkey and all up is about 1.3 tonnes so you can see why a lighter machine is on the shopping list. Obviously a lighter driver won't have all the "bells and whistles" of the Kinghitter, but I think I could do more than 90% of my work with it.

 

Cheers

Foster

[Goaty]

Had a couple of trips down there. Stayed at winton with friends. Been to Milford etc.

Yeah you will get away with a prototype down there well off the beaten track.

[jmac]

Seen plenty 3 ton tracked dumpers with post knockers on the back of them here in Argyll Scotland. I have a 3 ton excavator which I've used with a post knocker on a couple of jobs, think it has a 200kg weight on it, not the most stable of setups but you just need to make sure you have the knocker on the uphill side when your tracking on steep ground!

[Matthew Storrs]

I started my buisness with a post knocker on a 1.5 ton digger, it was fantastic, i had and auger with it too and if i knew the ground was going to be hard i would pilot drill all the strainer with a 4" auger prior to knocking them in.

It was a great set up really as i could tow the whole lot on the trailer behind my land rover, and on smaller jobs i could take enough materials for 200 meters of fencing in the pickup whilst taking the machine too.

I could sneak it in through woodlands, reach over ditches walls etc and go up footpaths etc. 3 years later i decided to buy a tractor and postdriver- a pretty decent knocker with a rockspike and telescopic sideshift etc. I now have a 3 ton digger with a Protech on too. I miss my 1.5ton setup so much that i have now decided to sell the tractor and postdriver and get a new digger with all the fencing attachments. I can nip around and do all the small jobs with it and i will keep the 3 tonner for bigger/long term jobs (mainly because i have to transport the digger and postknocker seperately due to legal weight issues behind the truck.

 

Also another pro for diggers, you have all the buckets with you for pre grading/pulling out old fences and i always get asked to do over jobs with the digger "whilst its there" like ditching etc.

 

If i was doing 100% fencing day in day out pretty much, id get a tracked knocker, but they are heavy to tow around, and a definite one trick pony with no ability to load materials or prepare gound etc. I have also be told by people who have the 3 ton dumper converted one that they are not that stable if you have to fence sideways with the weight downhill, they don't have much of a counter balance as standard.

 

I did like the idea of this little machine for small jobs http://www.wrag.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/gallery/IMG_20150703_121930.jpg

[Matthew Storrs]

another though i have had was to buy an old 1.5 ton digger, remove the arm and fix a mast to the kingpost instead, all the hydraulic pipework is available for mast tilt etc, and you have the 360 slew for poking into awkward corners etc. With the digger arm removed it should be quite stable as you have the mast in close to the machine and the diggers counterweight would always be opposite the mast. Reckon you could get the whole machine to weigh around 2 ton with a 200kg weight.... so easily towable.

[Matthew Storrs]

Welcome aboard tentman. Which part of NZ are you in? I have travelled most of it.

I think you will find here in the UK few if anyone has built their own tracked machine, not just the time and cost factor. Our liability and compensation setup in Europe isn't as good as yours so we hold back these days.

 

If an employee had and accident with something you designed it would be a legal hell.

 

The tracked machines are around 4000kg I think. I have a none tracked Bryce on our tractor. The weight is 400kg and the counterweight the same.

I reckon the minimum weight you want is 250kg unless you are fitting a rock auger to your machine.

 

Would the simplest thing for you to dos remove the arm off a compact 360 then attatch a mast to it. Then develop it from there. I know Bryce sell there masts to others such as quickfencer.

 

 

Sorry Paul, didn't realise you had mentioned this setup already:laugh1:

[Goaty]

Sorry Paul, didn't realise you had mentioned this setup already:laugh1:

 

 

I only mentioned. You clarified👌

[brynseiri]

Take a look at solo fencing systems, Simon Dale is a New Zealander who lives over here, and has developed a really good tracked post driver.