Homemade Post Driver/Pounder

[HCb]

Hey, all, I had seen a few different styles of drivers for putting posts (other than T posts, but I guess this could be used for that, too) in the ground. I saw one a local guy was using for doing fencing work that simply hydraulically hit the top of the post with very little steel involved and rapid action (small bore, large rod cylinder driven single-acting on retract) and several online including a falling-anvil that the company claimed weighed 800 pounds (and cost almost $4k). I decided to build one myself.

I've posted a YouTube video of it in use. I don't have any still photos of the unit but I'll post some if anyone is interested and asks. Basically, I got a piece of I-beam from the scrap yard that was 9 feet tall, built a homemade quick-tach setup with a pivot, and then hung a heavy anvil on it. The anvil is made from 9-5/8" pipe sitting on a plate of 1" thick, 10" x 16" steel. The pipe is filled with smaller and smaller diameter pipe (whatever I had or could get from the scrap yard) and then filled with sand and capped. I tried a few variations and two different cylinders. I tried single-acting and double-acting with both cylinders. I ended up with a DA setup on a 2" x 16" cylinder. I tore the cylinder apart and bored out the fluid port passage on the rod end because the port was a 3/8" NPTF but the fluid passageway was only 1/4". The fluid passageway on the other end was large enough, I thought, and I left it alone. I used double pulley blocks I constructed. I started with some Horrible Freight pulleys rated for 4,000 pounds. They might HOLD 4,000 pounds in a static situation but they didn't handle this weight for crap in a dynamic situation. I blew two pulleys at different times. I then punched out the pulley plates and wheels to take a Cat 0 pin which I bored on a lathe and mounted a grease zerk in. Then I cross-drilled the pins to allow the grease to get to the pulley wheels. With the pulley wheels greased and the hooks mounted on 1/2" grade 8 bolts, they held up fine. The wire rope is 1/4". With the line being quadrupled, I get a nominal 54" of travel from the anvil at 4 times the cylinder speed. I have successfully driven 2-7/8" steel pipe with approximately 0.250" wall 3 feet into the clay soil we have around north central Texas. In the video I drive a 10' post 3' in the same soil.

I took some time to search for similar projects on this site prior to posting this and I'm sure I didn't see every thread about such projects. I'd love to hear any ideas for making this better. I did see one thread where a responder had suggested using an air reservoir with 100 PSI for the drive direction of the cylinder...a great idea I wish I'd thought of.

As it sits, I got most of the steel from the scrap yard. Some I had around already (like the 10" x 1/4" flat bar I used for the quick-tach shoes). I have about $500 in this thing including $100 for custom hydraulic hoses I, ultimately, didn't need, and another $100 for the 1-1/2" bore cylinder I started with but, ultimately, was not what I needed.

I would love some feedback, particularly ideas for ways to make this better.

Thanks.

YouTube - PostDriver.wmv


--HC

 

[midsetberg]

Great job HC!
I would really like to see some still photos, especially showing the wire trusses setup.

 

[Hiltz]

Watched your video. Looks like you made a handy attatchment for your tractor. Nice job. I think I would position the controls farther away. Looks like you have to stand almost underneath to operate. Maybe to the side away from the hammer. Commercial drivers "hold" the post while its being driven. Simple cradle holds it in position keeping the operator away from dangerous accidents. Nice job again.

 

[brucewj]

Nice build!

 

[jonc00k]

Can't find it on youtube so could you give us a link for it.

I am wanting to build one so pictures would be great.

OOPS HAVE JUST SEEN THE LINK!!!!!!!!!

Jon

 

[jonc00k]

Looks good.

I am going to make something similar only on the 3pt as no loader on my tractor.

I have some double acting cylinders to use so how do i plumb them in to work as a single acting?


Jon

 

[boggen]

looks like you need rear ballest. box blade for weight example extra weight on the box blade. and put box blade on ground. to help stabilize the tractor some. granted front end will bounce some. but perhaps not as much. and give you some better stabilty when on a hill. and working the driver.

i am with others moving controls back away.

from watching video. it looks like you could make generic hinges. out of say 6" or 8" pipe. that you can open close with a hand pull pin to lock them.

or perhaps welding a chain to one side and a hook on other. so you can just swing the chain around the post and hook it. with some slack in it.

car rim cut in half and each half welded to create a grove / hole pipe fits into.

flat bars with groves idea (see diagram/picture)

at moment i could see end of pipe jumping out and do some serious damage to ya. or pipe bending and knuckling ya as it jumps out and away. seen it happen a few times. i tend to use the backhoe myself. i will put a larger size end that slips over top of post. then push the ground rod, t post or like down into the ground, by using the backhoe bucket. and i know them posts can do some pretty good jumping and flying around.

but i have never seen a post driver up front and personal so the ideas for locking post in spot may be pretty far out there. or at least keeping the post were it should be and not some place else completely.

 

[HCb]

Hey, all, I had seen a few different styles of drivers for putting posts (other than T posts, but I guess this could be used for that, too) in the ground. I saw one a local guy was using for doing fencing work that simply hydraulically hit the top of the post with very little steel involved and rapid action (small bore, large rod cylinder driven single-acting on retract) and several online including a falling-anvil that the company claimed weighed 800 pounds (and cost almost $4k). I decided to build one myself.

I've posted a YouTube video of it in use. I don't have any still photos of the unit but I'll post some if anyone is interested and asks. Basically, I got a piece of I-beam from the scrap yard that was 9 feet tall, built a homemade quick-tach setup with a pivot, and then hung a heavy anvil on it. The anvil is made from 9-5/8" pipe sitting on a plate of 1" thick, 10" x 16" steel. The pipe is filled with smaller and smaller diameter pipe (whatever I had or could get from the scrap yard) and then filled with sand and capped. I tried a few variations and two different cylinders. I tried single-acting and double-acting with both cylinders. I ended up with a DA setup on a 2" x 16" cylinder. I tore the cylinder apart and bored out the fluid port passage on the rod end because the port was a 3/8" NPTF but the fluid passageway was only 1/4". The fluid passageway on the other end was large enough, I thought, and I left it alone. I used double pulley blocks I constructed. I started with some Horrible Freight pulleys rated for 4,000 pounds. They might HOLD 4,000 pounds in a static situation but they didn't handle this weight for crap in a dynamic situation. I blew two pulleys at different times. I then punched out the pulley plates and wheels to take a Cat 0 pin which I bored on a lathe and mounted a grease zerk in. Then I cross-drilled the pins to allow the grease to get to the pulley wheels. With the pulley wheels greased and the hooks mounted on 1/2" grade 8 bolts, they held up fine. The wire rope is 1/4". With the line being quadrupled, I get a nominal 54" of travel from the anvil at 4 times the cylinder speed. I have successfully driven 2-7/8" steel pipe with approximately 0.250" wall 3 feet into the clay soil we have around north central Texas. In the video I drive a 10' post 3' in the same soil.

I took some time to search for similar projects on this site prior to posting this and I'm sure I didn't see every thread about such projects. I'd love to hear any ideas for making this better. I did see one thread where a responder had suggested using an air reservoir with 100 PSI for the drive direction of the cylinder...a great idea I wish I'd thought of.

As it sits, I got most of the steel from the scrap yard. Some I had around already (like the 10" x 1/4" flat bar I used for the quick-tach shoes). I have about $500 in this thing including $100 for custom hydraulic hoses I, ultimately, didn't need, and another $100 for the 1-1/2" bore cylinder I started with but, ultimately, was not what I needed.

I would love some feedback, particularly ideas for ways to make this better.

Thanks.

YouTube - PostDriver.wmv


--HC

I'm adding a link to my photobucket album for this thing. I have several albums and this post driver is in its own sub album (in case you get to the main album and don't see the pics).

Post Driver pictures by nunyabusiness11 - Photobucket

--HC

 

[HCb]

Great job HC!
I would really like to see some still photos, especially showing the wire trusses setup.

Thank you. I've added a photobucket link to the thread. Hopefully that will cover what you want to see. I have re-wired the rope from the way it was in the video because the top pulley block was twisting slightly and causing the rope to drag against the pulley block housing and wearing a groove through it. I'm not thrilled with the way the rope runs now (but it works and I drove three more 10' pipes 3' in the ground yesterday) and may just put it back and figure out a way to lock the pulley straight at the top. The problem is the cable that comes from the driven-side comes in straight but the pulley block at the top of the drive-side twists because of where I tied the cable off to the spring. That causes the cable to pull off the side if the pulley to the driven-side and it's wearing the pulley wheel off and wearing into (and eventually it will wear through) the pulley block side plate.

--HC

 

[HCb]

Watched your video. Looks like you made a handy attatchment for your tractor. Nice job. I think I would position the controls farther away. Looks like you have to stand almost underneath to operate. Maybe to the side away from the hammer. Commercial drivers "hold" the post while its being driven. Simple cradle holds it in position keeping the operator away from dangerous accidents. Nice job again.

Thank you. It looks like I'm under the thing but I'm off to the side a little bit (hopefully the photos on photobucket will show where the side arm with the top-link is. That arm is where the controls are. It's still not ideal, I'll grant you that, but it's my first driver and it works so I'm happy for now. The original design/intent was to drive no more than an 8 foot pipe maybe 2 feet in the ground which would have lowered the unit enough that I would not be standing on tiptoes to operate it.

I had thought about a holder of some sort but did not have inspiration of what/how to do it in a way I was happy with and have foregone that for now. I was hoping this thing would also drive wood posts so I had a wide number of sizes to consider the holder would have to accomodate. Since the driver is a bit lethargic in its movement I may not drive wood posts at all (I don't think it has sufficient striking force to drive the larger footprint of the wood posts). For now it will do what I want. But I will consider adding a holder.

This whole thing may morph again, I may add two more pulleys to the blocks to give me 6 times the hydraulic cylinder at the ram...I'm not sure. I built this with one specific job in mind, a run of about 200 feet of fence I want to build on my dad's property. If it does that okay I may not use the unit anymore and not need to modify it any more (it takes a pretty good amount of time to bore and drill the pins and punch the pulleys and so forth and I'm under the gun to get smokers done for the season this year).

You can see a couple of pics of the smokers I build in the main album I have on photobucket.

Thank you again.

--HC

 

[HCb]

Nice build!

Thank you.

--HC

 

[HCb]

Looks good.

I am going to make something similar only on the 3pt as no loader on my tractor.

I have some double acting cylinders to use so how do i plumb them in to work as a single acting?


Jon

Hey, Jon, this is what I did and it mirrors what, apparently, is done to make a single acting cylinder by the "industry" (but I'm not sure, so don't hold me to that).

I ran a line from one work port on the DA valve to the side of the cylinder I wanted to drive. I left the other port on the cylinder open (had I kept using the cylinder in this manner I would have attached some sort of air filter (like maybe a crankcase breather filter for a car) to keep dust out of the non-driven chamber of the cylinder). I ran the other work port (the one I didn't want to use) to a T on the return line of the valve. The valve I have has 3/4" NTPF input and output ports. I used a black pipe bushing from 3/4" to 1/2" NTPF and then put in a nipple to a 1/2" NTPF T. I ran one of the two remaining open ports to the return line to the tractor. I ran the remaining port to the work port I didn't want to use. I had received a suggestion of simply plugging the unused work port but that would mean the tractor would be pushing full-power into a plug when I actuated the cylinder in one direction and I didn't want to have the hydraulics loaded up like that.

When I actuated the cylinder in the power direction the air in the other chamber of the cylinder exited via the open port as hydraulic fluid was driven into the first chamber. When I actuated the cylinder in the non-power direction the fluid exited the driven chamber to the return line and the other work port on the valve released to the return line.

It worked but it was too slow. I'm not sure if it was a restriction in the return line due to putting full pump volume into the line plus the added fluid coming from the driven cylinder chamber or if it was due to the anvil not applying enough load to displace the fluid from the driven chamber fast enough. I switched back to DA and the cylinder/anvil moved faster and I kept it that way.

--HC

 

[RobertN]

I have one, but never got the extra hydraulics to run it.

Speeco used to make a 3pt setup. An extra hydraulic cylinder is used to lift a weighted box that has a recess in it for the t-post. When it gets to the proper height, a trip lever is used to drop the box on the t-post.

I posted pictures a while back; will have to see if I can find them.

Looks good.

I am going to make something similar only on the 3pt as no loader on my tractor.

I have some double acting cylinders to use so how do i plumb them in to work as a single acting?


Jon

 

[boggen]

i wouldn't take my locations to serious. as i said. i never seen a post driver up front and personal. i just drew in the spots that seemed easiest for me to draw to help get idea across. found it easier to help get idea across with DIY'ers vs trying to get into the very specifics. due to for DIY'ers it is what ever they can find and get to work. that and most DIY'ers are tinkerers. once they get idea and half way plan (including myself). things tend to fall together fairly easily.

as far as beam length and a holder at bottom. it looks like you already done some welding already. if ya got some scrap iron. make your a couple L shape brackets and come off the bottom of the beam with them. instead of welding. perhaps use a couple real long bolts. to hold the L brackets on.

============
myself however wish i could weld. i would be turning 3" to 8" heavy duty metal pipe into a bucket for the backhoe. to just push pipe and T posts down.. though wooden posts might be a different story. haven't tried a 3" to 4" wooden post yet. granted for me. the same seat is used for backhoe and tractor. if ya had to switch seats. that would be a pain.

p.s. i understand about pill and taking off backhoe. if it weighs more than i can lift by myself. generally it can be a pain to hook up. if you are not perfectly aligned up. and no one to help ya align things up. makes it even worse.

 

[santa2u]

Great driver. Wish I had the ability and equipment to build one of those babies.

I hope I'm not hijacking your thread, but I have heard someone say that they drove T-posts by simply pushing it into the ground with their fel bucket. Is that possible? I have several T-posts to put down and hate using the manual drivers.

I have a Kubota L3400. I haven't tried pushing T-posts in, but I sure have pushed over some pretty good sized trees with it.

Thanks,
Don

 

[Verticaltrx]

Looks good so far. I'm going to be building a similar post driver (but for 3pt) in the near future, so it's good to see someone with similar ideas. One of the simplest designs of this style post driver I have seen is the Vector Power Drive Models I and II. They have a pretty simple rope/pulley system and a good sturdy post cap/holder. I'll be roughly modeling mine after the Vector model II+ but in a slightly smaller scale to fit my small tractors.

You may have seen this site already, but here are the post drivers I am referring to: Fence Post Drivers

You can download a PDF brochure that has a lot of good pictures including some fairly close up of the mechanisms.

 

[boggen]

Great driver. Wish I had the ability and equipment to build one of those babies.

I hope I'm not hijacking your thread, but I have heard someone say that they drove T-posts by simply pushing it into the ground with their fel bucket. Is that possible? I have several T-posts to put down and hate using the manual drivers.

I have a Kubota L3400. I haven't tried pushing T-posts in, but I sure have pushed over some pretty good sized trees with it.

Thanks,
Don

i used the backhoe bucket. due to the bucket has a little bit of a lip were the teeth are welded to it. which allows a little bit of a catch for the top of a T post to grab ahold of. it takes some practice and good hydrualics that you can count on not being jerky at low RPMS. at least for me any how

if i tried to use the bucket off of the FEL (front end loader). i would end up having posts going in side ways and bent all out of place. more so sideways. and even with using the backhoe bucket i did bend a couple older T posts and put a couple in at an angle. say out of 30 posts 4 to 9 were either bent or at a slight angle. but for what i was doing i really could care less. due to the hot wire fence going on it. was / is only temporary. and if i bent a couple T posts it was no big deal. now if i was putting up mesh wire or a chain link fence. it might have been a completely different story. and may of pulled a couple T posts and re put them back in.

====================
attach diagram. i would want the backhoe bucket version. then again. the ford 555c i am guessing weighs a lot more. and using a smaller size backhoe for say a small skid steer or sub compact / compact tractors may not work. due to just using pure weight to push posts down into the ground.

and trying to drive say 4" wood posts may not even be possible for me. then again haven't tried yet. though T posts, ground rods, pipe i would like to think most backhoes would be able to do so. if the ground is half way soft. and not totaly hard compacted and not a lot of rock in the dirt.

on a side note. driving posts tend to be much easier with 2 people. one at the controls and other grabing posts and making sure they are level. and with T posts and if you are putting up wire mesh. making sure the T posts are facing correct direction so the teeth on the T posts go towards the side the wire mesh is getting put on. the teeth help hold the wire mesh in place. vs relying on the 2 to 3 pieces of wire holding the mesh to the fence post. if you are putting up hot wire fence. you need to make sure the T posts are facing correct direction for the plastic insulators you want to use.

sorry for last bit. but been there done that. and thinking why did i do that in the first place. as i look at a post i put into the ground.

 

[zmansmac]

When I moved into my current house 9 years ago I needed to quickly fence in the back yard using T posts and TSC wire fencing. I went to the local rent-all place and one fellow told me he just uses the bucket on his tractor to pound them in. I didn't have a tractor at the time so we had this idea of using an electric hammer driver, the kind to break up cement. I brought in a T post and he welded a tube to fit it on the end of a broken bit. It worked pretty well to put in about 50 posts but I did have to get the tube rewelded a couple of times. A couple years later I got my B7500 and needed to put a few more posts in. The loader on my little B7500 didn't go high enough to pound them in and I knew how much effort it was to put them in by hand pounding. So I designed a simple device that fit on the back of my tractor and used a hydraulic cylinder to push them down. The device will only work with T posts but it will work no matter the length or how far you want to push them in. It has a releasing mechanism that allows the cylinder to go up and then catch the closest nub on the post when going down. You simply raise and lower the cylinder as many times as needed. Any size cylinder will work; the longer stroke will mean fewer ups and downs. Although it hasn't been a problem for me, but the nub side of the T post has to be facing rearward from the back of the tractor. If I hit a rock it will start to raise the rear end of my little tractor and I simply move over a little. I designed to be installed upside down as well. That way I can pull up a T post just as easy to remove them. Unfortunately, I never took any pictures of it and it is currently buried in the back of my shed behind mowing deck and other assorted stuff that doesn't come out til spring. But when that happens I'll be more than happy to post some pictures if anyone is interested.

JohnZ
B7500

 

[lordofseo143]

i have no idea how to praise it. it's awesome fantastic and what not.