Shaver HD-8 vs HD-10

[CypressJeff]

We have heavy clay with no rocks. I am wondering which driver is needed? We will be driving corner post, bracing and gate post. Thanks!

 

[Timm250]

Go with the HD-10. I have heavy clay & it works great in it.

 

[RickB]

HD-10.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've got roughly the same kind of dirt and have an HD8. It does great until you have that really hard summertime dry clay, I can barely get a 4" post in when its like that. Any other time, especially now, it puts anything in the ground well. My dad bought this thing in the early 70's new, he sold it to a family friend, I bought it a few years ago. While old and it has some slop in it it does work quite well.

 

[flashpuppy]

Man I have really been considering this... I am torn. The price difference is pretty good between the two models. Leaning towards the HD8 currently.

 

[CypressJeff]

Yeah, I am on the fence too. I don稚 mind waiting for wet weather to drive post in order to save $1,000. Will the HD-8 handle post big enough for corners and gates?

 

[flashpuppy]

They say it will drive 8” posts... I’m planning to run 6”-7” tapered 10’ posts for corners and 5”-6” tapered 8’ posts for the rest.

I feel like I could probably just fill my bucket with weight and push the posts into the ground right now it is so wet out. We lost about 1200’ of fence with the last hurricane. I got a quote to drive posts and it was more than the HD8 cost. This is what has prompted my consideration.

 

[CypressJeff]

I think I値l get the HD-10. Mist of the extra cash will be recovered on resale.

 

[newbury]

I think I値l get the HD-10. Mist of the extra cash will be recovered on resale.

What is this resale yo write of?

Many of us buy a tool and never sell it.

 

[CypressJeff]

I rarely sell anything but I知 thinking once this place is fenced up I値l be done for good. Or, it may just never make it to resale!

 

[CypressJeff]

Now, do the HD-8 and HD-10 compare to the Kencove PD-8 and PD-10. Or the PD-100?

 

[flashpuppy]

I wish some of you were closer. I would love to go half on a driver with someone. Like a timeshare rental.

If you are done with that HD10 come spring time, let me know!

Is a tried to compare the Kenco units. They look very comparable. To me, I can find a lot more info about the Shaver units as they have been essentially unchanged for decades. Means it should be a good design that works reliably.

 

[maximus188]

I'm in the same boat right now. Looking at the HD8 and HD10. I like the price point on the HD8 and that I can use it on my B3200 with a hydrostat vs the HD10 on a M4900 with mechanical shuttle. I see a lot of forward and back with using it and see the hydro as a lot better. Are you looking at manual tilt or hydraulic tilt? I've seen the HD10 with a QA mount and wondering if it's available with the 8, if anyone knows?

 

[CypressJeff]

We have flat land so I値l be getting the manual tilt. I am planning on getting the PD-100 through Kencove so I値l have the stand to go with it. I got an email saying they are $500 off due to the holidays but with so much spam and browser related advertisement I don稚 know if they are really on sale or not. I would enjoy saving $500.

 

[CypressJeff]

Just Ordered the Kencove PD100 with $500 off.

 

[oosik]

I'm glad I only had four wooden posts in my mile and half of fence line. Two ten foot gooey railroad ties for the gate and two old cedar post up on the high meadow. They were put there in 1893 and are still rock solid. Otherwise my driver cost nothing - its a chunk of 4"x 32" oil well casing with a 35# chunk of steel wedged up inside and welded down tight.

It took 575 T-133 posts & 26 rolls of barbed wire. Thank God that was 1982 when I was somewhat younger. I quit having dreams of pounding about twenty five years ago. That's what it takes to put a four strand barbed wire fence around 80 acres - 1320 x 2640.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . .

It took 575 T-133 posts & 26 rolls of barbed wire. Thank God that was 1982 when I was somewhat younger. I quit having dreams of pounding about twenty five years ago. That's what it takes to put a four strand barbed wire fence around 80 acres - 1320 x 2640.

That makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

 

[oosik]

And the numbers aren't the most strenuous part. My 80 has hills, valleys, gorges and end out in the middle of a 125 acre lake on my SW corner. I would roll out an entire roll of barbed wire all at one time - 1320 feet - hook on to it with my tractor and stretch it tight. I was putting a good stretch on one chunk and the wire snapped right in the middle - an unseen twist that snapped - it wiped a good quarter acre of sage brush right off the face of this earth.

However - fortunately - I never got seriously hurt. Barbed wire cuts, bruises, knocks and years worth of sore muscles - YES.

But that was 36+ years ago and that 'ol fence still stands today - straight, true, tight and proud. I check it 2x per year - spring & fall.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Yeah, I am on the fence too. I don稚 mind waiting for wet weather to drive post in order to save $1,000. Will the HD-8 handle post big enough for corners and gates?

I drove several 6" x 8" x 8' (true measurements) 3' deep into the ground and my 55 hp Ford tractor will barely pull them out with the loader. I have hung gates on posts I have driven that were 8" diameter, it really depends on the size gate you want to hang and the size post you want to hang it on. Even driven posts I brace well as they will end up leaning with a mass of a gate hanging on them all the time. I've driven 10" posts and while it does drive them it doesn't have a large contact patch on top of the post and you run the risk of splitting a side of the post out or the post not driving straight. While these things are great from a pure production standpoint they are not a 'fine' instrument, they drive posts solid and do it quickly but getting them to drive perfectly straight and plumb is not an easy task.

The Kencove looks identical to my HD8, if I was in the market for a new one I would go with the Kencove model to save money, someone mentioned resale value and while it is a good thought most of the used ones I have seen for sale are older models, maybe not alot of use but older models and all going for a whole lot less than a new one. I don't think the market for a lightly used and still getting 60-70% of what a new one would cost is there. Personally if I was 60-70% the cost of a new one I would probably but the new one under warranty with all new hoses and seals.

I know they recommend a minimum horsepower for these things but to me it is misguided information. These things do not require alot of hydraulic input, all you are doing is supplying a cylinder that is lifting a few hundred pounds up, what it does require is a free, no restriction, flow back to the hydraulic sump; you cannot route the return line through the remote valves it has to go to the sump. For tractor I would think most of the 30 hp+ tractors would have the physical size and width to be able to handle these drivers.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Just Ordered the Kencove PD100 with $500 off.

You won't go wrong. Sometimes it helps to use a chainsaw and sharpen a wedge on the end of the post going into the ground, you'll know when driving it if you have it evenly cut. On the occasion I make four cuts to sharpen a post to a point.
Rocks, tree roots and hard dry ground tend to be the biggest obstacles. Keep in mind when driving posts it shakes the ground, I had a job not long ago where I had to cross as 8" water main 4 times, with posts set on a maximum of 15' centers I played with spacing to avoid being with 5' of that main. I figured packing and shaking the ground near a 30 year old pvc pipe might cause problems, thankfully I had no problems.