New Post Driver

[Farm Fence Solutions]

After a year and a half of searching for the best machine for our needs, the decision has been made. The biggest weight they can hang on this one is 70 pounds lighter than my current machine, which makes me a little nervous. (840 lbs vs 770) I've got the rock spike penciled in, but not sure if I'll keep it since it will have the auger. Planning on 4" and 6" bits for sure, and thinking pretty hard about a 2". I've got a front blade, a winch, wider tracks (18" instead of 14") and a light kit on the build sheet. It will also have all JIC hose fittings instead of British Standard. This machine will weigh 11,000 pounds less than my current driver, so I'll be able to haul the driver and the skid steer on the same load. By my calculations, I should gain about 20 days of productivity per year,(not even counting the breakdowns you get with an "experienced" machine) with the added benefit of being mobile enough to head to a better climate when we get droughted or frozen out. Being able to travel efficiently would have net us close to 75 more days of work this year. Unfortunately, it will have to have a tier 4 engine. :bang: Anyhow, the Protech Evo 1 is the driver to win the prize. I've run a few of their drivers, and visited their shop.....Nice guys and quality equipment. In the end, they were one of only 2 (Simon Dale of SOLO was the other)that were willing to make some design changes to fit the needs of a stubborn American.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0rCeLwTeEM&t=327s

 

[Bigfoot]

Nice machine. Never saw one ran, other than online. Had no idea, the driving part of those things weighed that much. A treated post can stand more than I thought they could.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Nice machine. Never saw one ran, other than online. Had no idea, the driving part of those things weighed that much. A treated post can stand more than I thought they could.

Sometimes, they can't stand it. :lol: There is usually a pretty good warning when it's going to happen, but it'll still make ya jump.

 

[Bright Raven]

I have seen that happen on Kevin's crew.

 

[callmefence]

Can't wait to see how it works out. I really believe your doing right getting away from the 20,000 pound machine. :shock: hydraulic rock augers are popular here and they work. But can be slow.
I've never seen one of the rock spike driver's in person. But what I've seen on YouTube made me want one bad. Like I said... can't wait to hear you compare the two.

 

[Bright Raven]

Can't wait to see how it works out. I really believe your doing right getting away from the 20,000 pound machine. :shock: hydraulic rock augers are popular here and they work. But can be slow.
I've never seen one of the rock spike driver's in person. But what I've seen on YouTube made me want one bad. Like I said... can't wait to hear you compare the two.

What is the rock spike?

 

[callmefence]

Can't wait to see how it works out. I really believe your doing right getting away from the 20,000 pound machine. :shock: hydraulic rock augers are popular here and they work. But can be slow.
I've never seen one of the rock spike driver's in person. But what I've seen on YouTube made me want one bad. Like I said... can't wait to hear you compare the two.

What is the rock spike?

I don't know how to explain it Raven.
It's kinda like a big steel spike you drive into the rock. :cboy:

It's then pulled out leaving a pilot hole.

 

[Bright Raven]

Can't wait to see how it works out. I really believe your doing right getting away from the 20,000 pound machine. :shock: hydraulic rock augers are popular here and they work. But can be slow.
I've never seen one of the rock spike driver's in person. But what I've seen on YouTube made me want one bad. Like I said... can't wait to hear you compare the two.

What is the rock spike?

I don't know how to explain it Raven.
It's kinda like a big steel spike you drive into the rock. :cboy:

It's then pulled out leaving a pilot hole.

That is what I thought. Very lucid description.

 

[ddd75]

looks pretty nice.

I like how it hits the plate instead of the post.. should really help with damaging the posts.

I also see they are using tornada wire..

 

[Bright Raven]

looks pretty nice.

I like how it hits the plate instead of the post.. should really help with damaging the posts.

I also see they are using tornada wire..

I have not used the tornado net wire but when it comes to barb wire, it is all I will use, hence forward.

 

[pricefarm]

Looks like a really nice rig. All the fence builders around here use post drivers that mount on the front of a skid steer. They seem to do a pretty good job

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

looks pretty nice.

I like how it hits the plate instead of the post.. should really help with damaging the posts.

I also see they are using tornada wire..

Of course they are using Tornado. ;-) 100% of the contractors that have given it a chance, are now using it on a regular basis. It is very noticeably better in quality than anything else available today, and that's not just a sales pitch. Ever wonder why Bekaert left Europe?
http://www.tornadowire.co.uk/about-us/

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Looks like a really nice rig. All the fence builders around here use post drivers that mount on the front of a skid steer. They seem to do a pretty good job

When I made the switch from a tractor mounted rig to a skid steer, I thought it couldn't get any better. When I made the switch from the skid steer mounted driver to a one man tracked unit...... It's tough to convince a bunch of hard headed American fence builders that there is a much better way. Me included. A skid steer and driver are certainly an effective combo, but I do prefer being able to run alone if I need to.

 

[True Grit Farms]

looks pretty nice.

I like how it hits the plate instead of the post.. should really help with damaging the posts.

I also see they are using tornada wire..

Of course they are using Tornado. ;-) 100% of the contractors that have given it a chance, are now using it on a regular basis. It is very noticeably better in quality than anything else available today, and that's not just a sales pitch. Ever wonder why Bekaert left Europe?
http://www.tornadowire.co.uk/about-us/

Is this the same person that was selling the contractor Gripple tool as the best, do everything tool?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Can't wait to see how it works out. I really believe your doing right getting away from the 20,000 pound machine. :shock: hydraulic rock augers are popular here and they work. But can be slow.
I've never seen one of the rock spike driver's in person. But what I've seen on YouTube made me want one bad. Like I said... can't wait to hear you compare the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vl_awG5zeI

Seems to do the trick, but I think I'll go ahead and keep the rock spike on the order......just in case.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

looks pretty nice.

I like how it hits the plate instead of the post.. should really help with damaging the posts.

I also see they are using tornada wire..

Of course they are using Tornado. ;-) 100% of the contractors that have given it a chance, are now using it on a regular basis. It is very noticeably better in quality than anything else available today, and that's not just a sales pitch. Ever wonder why Bekaert left Europe?
http://www.tornadowire.co.uk/about-us/

Is this the same person that was selling the contractor Gripple tool as the best, do everything tool?

We sell them, but Fence is the one that uses them for everything. I even saw him eying one while he was skinning a deer. I'm sure he'll eventually get that figured out. :nod:

 

[pricefarm]

Looks like a really nice rig. All the fence builders around here use post drivers that mount on the front of a skid steer. They seem to do a pretty good job

When I made the switch from a tractor mounted rig to a skid steer, I thought it couldn't get any better. When I made the switch from the skid steer mounted driver to a one man tracked unit...... It's tough to convince a bunch of hard headed American fence builders that there is a much better way. Me included. A skid steer and driver are certainly an effective combo, but I do prefer being able to run alone if I need to.

Yes being able to work alone would be good. It takes two people with a skid steer driver

 

[fence_it]

After a year and a half of searching for the best machine for our needs, the decision has been made. The biggest weight they can hang on this one is 70 pounds lighter than my current machine, which makes me a little nervous. (840 lbs vs 770) I've got the rock spike penciled in, but not sure if I'll keep it since it will have the auger. Planning on 4" and 6" bits for sure, and thinking pretty hard about a 2". I've got a front blade, a winch, wider tracks (18" instead of 14") and a light kit on the build sheet. It will also have all JIC hose fittings instead of British Standard. This machine will weigh 11,000 pounds less than my current driver, so I'll be able to haul the driver and the skid steer on the same load. By my calculations, I should gain about 20 days of productivity per year,(not even counting the breakdowns you get with an "experienced" machine) with the added benefit of being mobile enough to head to a better climate when we get droughted or frozen out. Being able to travel efficiently would have net us close to 75 more days of work this year. Unfortunately, it will have to have a tier 4 engine. :bang: Anyhow, the Protech Evo 1 is the driver to win the prize. I've run a few of their drivers, and visited their shop.....Nice guys and quality equipment. In the end, they were one of only 2 (Simon Dale of SOLO was the other)that were willing to make some design changes to fit the needs of a stubborn American.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0rCeLwTeEM&t=327s

Man you sure know how to make a guy jealous!

Congratulations, hope it serves you well.

 

[greybeard]

Of course they are using Tornado. ;-) 100% of the contractors that have given it a chance, are now using it on a regular basis. It is very noticeably better in quality than anything else available today, and that's not just a sales pitch. Ever wonder why Bekaert left Europe?
http://www.tornadowire.co.uk/about-us/

Is this the same person that was selling the contractor Gripple tool as the best, do everything tool?

We sell them, but Fence is the one that uses them for everything. I even saw him eying one while he was skinning a deer. I'm sure he'll eventually get that figured out. :nod:

And his wife probably now has something else to ask about when she empties his pockets before doing the laundry--'what are these things?" ...or complain about when a gripple is bangin around in the dryer..
(You can guess how I know this..)

 

[ddd75]

Looks like a really nice rig. All the fence builders around here use post drivers that mount on the front of a skid steer. They seem to do a pretty good job

When I made the switch from a tractor mounted rig to a skid steer, I thought it couldn't get any better. When I made the switch from the skid steer mounted driver to a one man tracked unit...... It's tough to convince a bunch of hard headed American fence builders that there is a much better way. Me included. A skid steer and driver are certainly an effective combo, but I do prefer being able to run alone if I need to.

Yes being able to work alone would be good. It takes two people with a skid steer driver

i had a dan user hammer driver. it had a claw that would pick up the posts and swing them under the driver. 1 man operation. I put in quite a bit of fence with it by myself. only bad thing I didn't like about that driver was that it hollered the hole out from moving the skid steer around. that heavy driver up high like that moves the machine around quite a bit. so the next year you'd have slightly lose posts.