Loader Using FEL to set fencing T post

Gary Fowler · Jan 7, 2011

Has anyone used their FEL to put tee post into the ground. A few days ago, I had an opportunity to install some new fencing, about 400 feet, and spent about all my energy in the morning putting in 5 post with the old manual driver before taking a break and using my tractor to clear some more fence line and level the area a bit. Finally my BIL came over to give me a hand and we got ready to drive some more post and I asked him if he ever used his FEL to push them in the ground and he said no, but we can try it. I operated the FEL and he positioned the post. The first one went in great for about 1 foot then hit a rock and I bent it badly before I realized it wasnt going down. After that one I got the hang of it, some I had to press them in slowly till they started to bend, then I would tap them with the bucket. We put the rest of the post in for the fence in less time that it was taking to drive one post and didnt bend any more of them. Safety police aside, this was easiest fence posting I ever did. Prior to tackling this again, I will make a jig to hold the post so the holder can be completely out from under the bucket. My BIL would hold the post in postion till I lowered the bucket onto it then he would back away, but there was still the danger of hose breaking, or operator error on the FEL operator. I think a 5 foot long 1.25 or 1.5" piece of pipe that will slip over the tee post that has handles welded to it would be just perfect for the 7 foot post we were using. The handles would allow safe placement of the post and the pipe would keep the post from bending on a rock, root, ect.

WAB85 · Jan 7, 2011

Do you mean something like this?

Manufacturer & Wholesale Dealer for t post driver or tee post driver ( hydraulic press in posts ) Tractor Loader Bucket Tool automaticlly presses

We have driven a lot of "T" post using the loader on my L3830.
We just use two people as you described.
It works great.

KW

Don87 · Jan 7, 2011

The 'safety police' woulda had a field day with my BIL an myself.

We installed a fence, but we used 'telephone poles' for posts.

He dug the holes with a 6 inch auger, then I held the 'posts' in position while he used the Case 'backhoe' to drive them in.

He didn't use the bucket, he used the end of the boom that the 'bucket pins' go into (on the hoe itself)

We got the job done..............I just didn't look up:thumbsup:

KWentling · Jan 7, 2011

Have pushed in many with the loader. I took about a 2 inch long piece of 2 inch diameter pipe and welded it to the bottom of the bucket so the post couldn't slip out. Wife spots the post, I position the loader over the post and lower the loader until the post is in the pipe, she moves away, and i push it in. Works good.

Kim

Mudfarmer · Jan 7, 2011

Did about a thousand that way. Worked best in the winter and spring when the ground was wet - could presssure them down. When it dries out have to pound, so if your bucket won't drop fast it is hard to do. Also have to account for the arc of the bucket or the whole fence will be tilting at an angle. We don' have rocks, but do have hills - so I still did some of the hillsides by hand.
Mf

scesnick · Jan 7, 2011

I put my snow fence up every year with the FEL. I just pound the posts into the ground with a sledge until it will stand on its won then I just center up the FEL in the post and drive it on home.. It works great ..

JJZ 109 · Jan 8, 2011

I recently saw a fence company in action with a Cat skid steer. Someone had taken a hydraulic powered plate tamper and welded a quick attach plate to it. On the bottom of the tamper they welded a vertical piece of pipe to set the tops of fence posts into.
One guy would hold the post where it needed to go. The other guy in the skid steer would raise the tamper, set it onto the post and with the combination of the vibrating tamper and down pressure of the loader arms drive the post in. They'd stick a magnetic torpedo level on the post and the skid steer guy would push or pull the top of the post to level. But these were probably 12'-14' steel posts for a fence at a medium security prison. They marked the bottom of the post with a marker and then stopped when the mark hit grade.

DavidVT · Jan 8, 2011

I have a little bow in my bucket from doing this with cedar posts.
Goes great until pointed wood meets buried field stone....

T posts are more forgiving...

Gary Fowler · Jan 8, 2011

The driver in the link looks like they started with a t post hand driver and just added a swivel joint. My idea is that the pipe needs to be the length of the t post above grade when finished driving. In soft soil, we just positioned the post and pressed it down using the fel without the post driver on top and it worked perfect, no need for cups welded to the bucket etc. My thought was that by using a long joint of capped pipe it would keep the t post from bending if it hit a rock (you would notice the pressure build up prior to doubling the post) and when the bottom of the driving pipe hits the ground, then you have the correct depth. Since we put our post in 2 feet deep, a 7 foot post would need a 5 foot reinforcement pipe. The handles were just a safety thought to keep the ground man out of possible harms way and may not work as effectively as just holding the post up, but you know how the safety police are.