Fence post driving and how to do it with the FEL?

[sdef]

I need to fence 1 acre around the back of my new house that is only in the planning stages at this moment, as we are still clearing the property. The ground is dense clay and very rocky, like a glacial dumping ground. Manually digging any fence posts would be an exercise in futility and something I will not even attempt. I have read various TBN threads where folks have stated they have driven a lot of T-posts or pipes using just the FEL and bucket in clay.

I have never set fence posts with a tractor before and everything previously has been strictly manual with digging holes for wooden 4 x 4s or pounding in metal poles/posts with a heavy, tubular, fence post driver. I had originally envisioned wooded posts all the way around but knew the rocks would be troublesome and a 3PTH post hole digger seemed dubious at best in these conditions. I am now considering wooded corner posts (or larger metal pipe) with metal T-posts in between and then wooden posts again (or larger metal pipe) at the entry/exit points.

So in order to test driving T-posts and metal pipe with my FEL, how does one do this? I can picture my wife holding the post upright (yeah maybe ) and then me manipulating the bucket and pushing the T-post off to one side and not driving a post even fairly straight down.

Any tricks or jigs involved in doing this is or is it simply as easy as it sounds, which I find hard to believe?

 

[bcp]

This is hydraulic, but you can do the same using a pipe and downforce from the bucket. A loaded bucket gives you even more force.

Make the pipe length the same as the desired post length above the ground. Push down until the pipe reaches the ground. With lots of rocks, you might have to move a few inches aside and try again, several times.

You may drive it in but rocks force it to a slant. If not too much, I leave it and bend the post vertical.

Bruce

This one is more like what I described, but using a short pipe.

Tee post Driver System - YouTube

 

[sdef]

Thanks BCP. You got me on the right track.

 

[Texasmark]

My tractors weighs about 6000#. My FEL hydraulics can lift the front tires off the ground. That's say 3000# of force. A 2 7/8" Sch 40 pipe probably has about 1" in cross sectional area. That's 3000#/sq in of force. Not too shabby. or if you want to add another 3000 to it, fill the bucket as was stated.

What you do is to lay a string between corners or mid run brace posts. Lay out your posts perpendicular to the line at the specified spacing interval that you decide to use.

Pull up to the first post to be positioned having lined up your tractor center line on the string. Raise the bucket and have the assistant position the post on the string and hold the post hopefully vertical.

Lower the bucket to contact the post and with slight pressure to hold the post in position, have the assistant back away. Push the post in about a foot and lift the bucket allowing the assistant to correct for any misalignment.

Press the post into the ground to the specified depth (a broom stick cut to the desired height, held by the assistant can be a guide as to when you are there) in 2 or 3 "push, raise, let stabilize or tweak as necessary and back again" till it's set.

Raise the bucket and back down the string and repeat. Takes longer to get the posts delivered and set to the desired spacing than it does to sink them.

HTH,
Mark

 

[Gary Fowler]

If your ground is hard and lots of rock, you wont be driving T post or any other post with the FEL, even with a sleeve pipe over the T post, if you hit a large rock and continue to put pressure on the post, something is going to bend. I wish you luck, but I have the same situation here in Arkansas with lots of rocks of various sizes hidden underground. I can push the T post in when the ground is wet from lots of rain, as long as I don't hit a rock. Sometimes if the rock is fairly small, I can use the FEL and tap on the post to make it break thru,( sometimes) If I hit a rock it either pushes the post sideways or (most of the time) bends the T post before you even realize that you have hit something. A post hole digger might have to be your backup plan. Putting the fence in in spring after some good soaking winter rains would be your best bet, mark them off in a straight line and try pushing in as many as you can then fill in the rest with PHD.

 

[sdef]

BCP: The more I look at the bucketdriver.com driver, the more I like it- that is if I can actually drive posts like this in my soil. I am having a bit of a hard time trying to figure out why they have so many different types of bucket mounts though. Seems like a simple mounting method for all of the variations. One gotcha I have is the mounting bracket/arm on the inner sides of the bucket for the Piranha tooth bar, which may have to be removed for this application.

TexasMark: Thanks for this process and it makes a lot of sense as the best way to try it. I am going to pick up a few T-posts at Lowes later this week and try driving them in an out of the way spot to see if I have any luck at all with all of my rocks before investing in anything. But I am dubious...

GaryFowler: You have expressed my exact concerns. We have had quite a bit of rain so far this year and I am going to do some test driving this weekend, if possible. I like your idea of driving what I can with the FEL and use of a sleeve pipe- capped I assume. I can cut it to the correct standing, installed length.

Have you ever tried a regular post hole auger (like from ETA) on your property? Actually, this was my first thought but all of the rocks below ground give me a lot of pause. I actually think the best tool would be a vibratory, impact driver of some type, but this would be way out of my price range- which stops around the price of the ETA augers and maybe specialized bit. I am only speculating on the price to have a professional install the fence, or at least the poles, but am sure I would rather not pay that amount.