New Post Driver

[Farm Fence Solutions]

That's a pretty high tech looking rig. Is pre-drilling a pretty common requirement where you work?

We have a fair amount of rock in our area, but the clay gets so hard and dry that we often need to punch a hole before it's possible to drive a wood post in. Like Fence will argue, if we only used pipe, most of the problem would be solved. Most of the customers in this neck of the woods still want a wood post, no matter if I like it or not. The real goal of this machine is to take it on the road for demonstrations while promoting Tornado Wire, so that's why it has a few more options than I really needed.

 

[fence_it]

Darn nice looking machine. How much does it weigh?

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Darn nice looking machine. How much does it weigh?

Thanks. 7,500 pounds, and I'm really looking forward to that.

 

[fence_it]

Darn nice looking machine. How much does it weigh?

Thanks. 7,500 pounds, and I'm really looking forward to that.

That's about perfect for hauling around. Your 5500 won't even know its back there!

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Darn nice looking machine. How much does it weigh?

Thanks. 7,500 pounds, and I'm really looking forward to that.

That's about perfect for hauling around. Your 5500 won't even know its back there!

The guy that's buying my old driver is thinking about taking a package deal with the 5500. If he takes it too, I'll downsize to a ton truck. If not, hauling a skid steer with the driver would be nice. That 5500 is hard to beat, unless you're in a fuel mileage contest.

 

[fence_it]

We run diesel 3/4 tons with airbags. They are comfortable to tow up to 20k with. I really dislike dual wheels. Find them to be an all around PITA in most cases.

 

[greybeard]

GB is still doing it old school..

 

[1982vett]

:shock: Oh my gosh..... Wood handles to boot...... :???:

TrueLy brutal!

 

[greybeard]

I do have a 3pt auger but refuse to hook it up to drill just one hole and it only drills to a little over 3ft anyway.

 

[1982vett]

I'm not sure what the circumstance would be for me to use wooden handled diggers. I'm betting the metal set I have is near a hundred years old. The looked well used when I was a kid.

I have played with a set of wooden handled diggers but I need metal to get a hole dug...and it can't be the light cheaper metal one either. Knock my knuckles together and I'm done.

 

[greybeard]

I have some metal ones too and do use them once I get down deeper since they will dig deeper without widening the top of the hole, but man, they are heavy...pulling them out of a deep hole with a load of damp clay in them wears on me.

 

[fence_it]

I consider myself pretty skilled with a set of post hole diggers and a rock bar. I like the wood handles, never used steel ones, seems like it would be heavy. The fiberglass ones are the worst, crack way too easy. Thankfully I don't have to use them too often.

When we need a good amount of holes dug its time to bring out the Belltec. 3pt auger with hydraulic downpressure, made to auger through rock. The bits have bullet teeth on them. The auger will lift the tractor off the ground and put the weight of it on the bit while drilling.

 

[1982vett]

I like the metal....when I send them downhole I want them to get a bite. They don't tend to bounce like the wooden ones do.

 

[Lucky]

I've got a Danuser T3 post driver and a set of augers for the skid steer, don't guess I'll ever need a set of hand diggers again. Serious business everyone that sets a post should look at the T3 Driver it's simple and cost efficient. I paid for it building a set of corrals. It drives up to 3" pipe so if you do wood braces might be out of luck.

 

[JMJ Farms]

GB is still doing it old school..

GB, you ever tried to use a set of them hole diggers that work backwards? I see the local EMC here uses them.

 

[greybeard]

GB is still doing it old school..

GB, you ever tried to use a set of them hole diggers that work backwards? I see the local EMC here uses them.

Yes I have and I have a set of them. They weigh about 20lbs too. One of the few tools I ever bought from TSC that worked good and held up, but I gotta tell ya... after 49 years of digging a hole with regular posthole diggers, and jabbing them down in the hole with the handles closed together, then using them double jointed ones where you jabbed into the holes with the handles apart sure got me confused if I wasn't careful. Even now, if I start the hole with regular diggers and switch over to the other ones after I get deeper, I have to think each time I start down with em.
Mine are a different brand, and the pivot points are a little different on mine, but this is how they work..more or less:

I also have a set of the old split handle lineman diggers, with handles about 8' long. I can't really explain it, but the handles are half round and will slide right past each other and you can dig a lot deeper and wider bottomed hole without opening the top of the hole up much. I had to quit using them tho...the old wooden handles were splintering and tearing my hands up.

Looks like they still make them tho they ain't cheap:
https://www.jharlen.com/p-12637-oshkosh ... igger.aspx

 

[JMJ Farms]

GB is still doing it old school..

GB, you ever tried to use a set of them hole diggers that work backwards? I see the local EMC here uses them.

Yes I have and I have a set of them. They weigh about 20lbs too. One of the few tools I ever bought from TSC that worked good and held up, but I gotta tell ya... after 49 years of digging a hole with regular posthole diggers, and jabbing them down in the hole with the handles closed together, then using them double jointed ones where you jabbed into the holes with the handles apart sure got me confused if I wasn't careful. Even now, if I start the hole with regular diggers and switch over to the other ones after I get deeper, I have to think each time I start down with em.
Mine are a different brand, and the pivot points are a little different on mine, but this is how they work..more or less:

I also have a set of the old split handle lineman diggers, with handles about 8' long. I can't really explain it, but the handles are half round and will slide right past each other and you can dig a lot deeper and wider bottomed hole without opening the top of the hole up much. I had to quit using them tho...the old wooden handles were splintering and tearing my hands up.

Looks like they still make them tho they ain't cheap:
https://www.jharlen.com/p-12637-oshkosh ... igger.aspx

Don't feel bad. I tried a pair one time while helping a friend and had to think each time as well. Hard to reprogram your brain after years of using regular hole diggers. That's my one and only experience with them but some folks swear by them. I guess most everything has its place and purpose.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

 

[fence_it]

All I can say is wow. You've got the dream setup there.

 

[ddd75]

lookin good man!

how's she poundin?