Steel Fence Posts - Drive or Set in Concrete?

[Ox 77]

We just bought a few acres and are planning to fence it off. Going to use either 2 5/8" or 2 7/8" pipe for braces. Was planning to dig holes and set in concrete, but I talked to a fence contractor and he said to drive the posts (I have access to a driver).

Would be faster to drive. If I did concrete it would be 3 ft deep, 9 inch wide holes. While it's close to area I'm from and have fenced, the soil is completely different. It's real dark, rich soil, not many rocks. (I'm used to thick clay about 10 inches below the surface).

Would be good condition pipe, no used up oil field rejects. Also it's south Texas so frost heaves for concrete shouldn't be a factor.

And this would be my first fence using steel braces - only wood posts in my experience so far.

Anyway, do any of you have thoughts on driving vs concrete? Thanks.

 

[RNeumann]

I’d set my corners, gates, elevation changes etc in concrete and drive the rest. Most don’t have access to the driver but few would spit on it if it was offered!! Enjoy it.

Basically, at 3’ deep in Texas, you can to about anything with them.

Btw- oil pipe is probably better quality steel than anything you can buy.

 

[oosik]

I've only ever used T-133 fence posts. I think - JMHO - RNeuman has the right idea. Set in concrete at the high stress points and drive in between. You are fortunate - all your land is "tractor accessible". I used a manual post pounder to set the 670 T-post around my 80 acres. Mile and a half of five strand barbed wire fence - thank God that was 36+ years ago. With routine maintenance - my perimeter fence is still as good as the year I installed it.

I have a couple valleys and draws that are only accessible on foot. A couple other that I can get into on my ATP - if I REALLY need to. That makes four or five that there is NO WAY a tractor could enter or exit. I deliver fencing repair supplies to the lip of the valley or draw - its on foot the remainder of the way.

 

[RalphVa]

I’d set my corners, gates, elevation changes etc in concrete and drive the rest. Most don’t have access to the driver but few would spit on it if it was offered!! Enjoy it.

Basically, at 3’ deep in Texas, you can to about anything with them.

Btw- oil pipe is probably better quality steel than anything you can buy.

I agree. I often use 4x4s set in concrete at corners and just driven steel posts in between.

Ralph

 

[ustmd]

We just bought a few acres and are planning to fence it off. Going to use either 2 5/8" or 2 7/8" pipe for braces. Was planning to dig holes and set in concrete, but I talked to a fence contractor and he said to drive the posts (I have access to a driver).

Would be faster to drive. If I did concrete it would be 3 ft deep, 9 inch wide holes. While it's close to area I'm from and have fenced, the soil is completely different. It's real dark, rich soil, not many rocks. (I'm used to thick clay about 10 inches below the surface).

Would be good condition pipe, no used up oil field rejects. Also it's south Texas so frost heaves for concrete shouldn't be a factor.

And this would be my first fence using steel braces - only wood posts in my experience so far.

Anyway, do any of you have thoughts on driving vs concrete? Thanks.

Ox,

One thing to be careful is that there are different grades of used oil well pipe. Some it if gets pretty thin and will buckle when driven.

Good luck

 

[Rustyiron]

Always build good strong corners & gate posts, but the advantage of steel (I'm assuming T posts) is that they can be and work well just driven in saving a lot of effort & costs.

 

[EddieWalker]

A fence builder that I know told me that he did a test of doing it both ways and after waiting a week, pulling each one out to see which was in the ground better. He said the post that was pounded into the ground was the harder one to get out. I've never actually pulled a post out of the ground that was pounded in, but I have taken out quite a few in concrete and in my opinion, they are pretty darn hard to get out. Since I don't have a post pounder, and I don't want to spend the money on buying one, I just drill all my posts and set them in concrete. When comparing which way is stronger, I'm not sure that it really matters, both ways are very strong and commonly done all over the world. The bracing is where you either win or fail in fencing if the posts are in the ground deep enough. That is what you need to focus on the most. I also think that the big advantage to pounding the posts into the ground is the amount of time it takes. Pounding is going to be significantly faster!!!!!

 

[oosik]

Follow up on what Eddie said. I've tried pulling driven T-133 steel posts and almost tipped my first tractor over. I had the post attached to the side of the bucket on the FEL. Went to a center pull with the FEL/bucket and it still made the tractor a bit light on the rear tires. Tractor was a Ford 1710. I pulled all the T-133 posts around the old garden site for reuse.

Got a 75 foot section of the fence line - going thru my "moat" - where I have to replace five T-133 posts every 5 to 6 years. Ground constantly wet - steel posts rust off right at the ground line.

Haven't found a real use for "short" T-133's yet - but the pile is building.

 

[Ox 77]

Thanks all. To be clear, not talking about T-posts. Either 2 5/8" or 2 7/8" pipe and just the end braces. I think I may go with the suggestion of concrete for the end posts and gate posts. But I might experiment with a run in the back and just drive everything and see how it holds up.

 

[RNeumann]

Thanks all. To be clear, not talking about T-posts. Either 2 5/8" or 2 7/8" pipe and just the end braces. I think I may go with the suggestion of concrete for the end posts and gate posts. But I might experiment with a run in the back and just drive everything and see how it holds up.

That will be a good fence! Are you doing wire, boards etc?

 

[/pine]

There is no (natural) lift on fence posts...all the forces are lateral...
IMO, the least undisturbed material around the base of the post will prevent the least movement.
FWIW...
A neighbor in FL (where the ground is very sandy) was a fencing contractor...mostly wood privacy and chain link enclosures were his mainstay...he always said it was a waste of time mixing concrete to set posts...he said gravel and sand (crusher run etc.) compacted in layers with a sawed off shovel handle etc. worked well...he said if you were going to buy sackrete like bags to not bother mixing it just pour the dry mix in and pack it in around the post as it was poured...

 

[gsganzer]

I've built about 1200' of 2 3/8" pipe fence at my house with top rail and mid-rail. The pipe comes in 32' lengths, so I cut (4) 8' poles from each length. I don't own a pounder, so I drill and concrete them, with them set from 2'- 3' deep. Because I did a mid rail, I set the posts at 10' apart (I end up with less than 2' of waste from each stick of pipe when I cut the midrails. If your using new 2 3/8" pipe, chances are it will actually be structural tubing with a 0.140" wall thickness. (Actual ASME rated pipe is typically too expensive for fencing). This thinner wall can be a proplem when you weld your toprail, because the heat will deflect it ever so slightly at each weld at the posts. You'll get a slight wave on the top rail. For me, I could live with it. Another option is to use actual drill pipe for the top rail and it will deflect less.

If I had a pounder, I'd pound them. That's what all the fencing contractors do. It's simpler, quicker and they hold better. Make sure you have a good torch with a large rosebud. If one of your poles gets askew, you can heat it at the base and bend it to get it straight.