How many fence posts

[stugordon321]

Hi. I’ve been asked to price up a job erecting some electric fencing for a horse yard. They want posts putting in supplied by them.
I can borrow an old parmitter post driver for knocking the post in but I’m unsure how to price it.
Roughly how many posts should I get done in a day? Having never used this post driver I’m hoping someone can help me with what I can expect to do a day so I can work out a price per post as that’s how the customer wants the job pricing.
Hope someone can help.

 

[tepapa]

On an unfamiliar parmitter I'd plan to put 100 in. You may do more but also if your replacing posts here and there you may even do less.

 

[Pan mixer]

A crow bar and some water in the hole will make things much faster.

I use a water pump, bowser and tee piece to put a hole in, then a loader to push the post in, I do 100 or more an hour.

They may not have been straight enough for horse customers though.

 

[farmerm]

A crow bar and some water in the hole will make things much faster.

I use a water pump, bowser and tee piece to put a hole in, then a loader to push the post in, I do 100 or more an hour.

They may not have been straight enough for horse customers though.

an hour?

 

[som farmer]

if dry, use the bale spike to make a hole, as long as it can go 'straight' down, then use loader to push stake in, haven't used a post knocker for years. you can push a lot of stakes in very quickly

 

[milkloss]

If dry then I’d not knock posts in myself. Have too many here rot at the ground where they’ve been bashed and damaged the post at ground level.

Make your customer aware and then everyone knows where they’re going.

 

[Kidds]

In nice easy ground a post will go in with half a dozen thumps, I’ve worked in dry hard ground where it takes 100 per post.
That was with an old Parmiter as you say you are going to use. Point being it’s not easy to price until you know the ground.

 

[Nearly]

Borrow the parmiter and have a go at home first?
75 per man per day including setting out?
2nd man makes the difference.

 

[stugordon321]

Thanks for the replies lads. Makes sense to knock a few in at home as it’s the same village the ground should be similar. I know the ground is hard & stoney so need to take that into account with how much can be done.
I’ve been thinking of offering the customer the choice of paying a day rate only I prefer to charge x amount a meter etc then customer knows exactly how much the job will cost.
Pouring water down a hole started with a bar has helped before on dry hard ground so plan using it again if speeds job until.
Thanks guys

 

[Pan mixer]

an hour?

easy, as long as someone has gone along and stood them in the holes first

 

[mo!]

Bear in mind that HSE have specifically banned using a loader to push posts in following several serious accidents. We have used this method effectively, a pitch fork is essential to plumb the post and stand clear. We also had a chain clamped on the bucket to give a height gauge.

The bucket must be secured properly, taps closed, 3rd service switch turned off etc.

 

[Andrew]

Bear in mind that HSE have specifically banned using a loader to push posts in following several serious accidents. We have used this method effectively, a pitch fork is essential to plumb the post and stand clear. We also had a chain clamped on the bucket to give a height gauge.

The bucket must be secured properly, taps closed, 3rd service switch turned off etc.

That’s why we brought a post knocker. All singing all dancing post knocker is cheaper than a HSE fine.
If the parmiter one you’ll be using is a simple one you’ll want someone driving the tractor for you otherwise you’ll be in and out like a yoyo.

 

[agrotron]

A crow bar and some water in the hole will make things much faster.

I use a water pump, bowser and tee piece to put a hole in, then a loader to push the post in, I do 100 or more an hour.

They may not have been straight enough for horse customers though.

100 posts an hour is fair going at it. 36seconds to push it in and get on to the next post. I can do 25 posts an hour and that’s with two people, one on the knocker and the other on the tractor.

 

[ARW]

100 posts an hour is fair going at it. 36seconds to push it in and get on to the next post. I can do 25 posts an hour and that’s with two people, one on the knocker and the other on the tractor.

Yes I was thinking we are doing it all wrong, if we get 100 posts knocked in we will have 300 metres worth of netting to do or 180 metres of rails!
If your knocking all day I’ve knocked in 400 before on the tracked machine but it was a huge day

 

[Pan mixer]

Bear in mind that HSE have specifically banned using a loader to push posts in following several serious accidents. We have used this method effectively, a pitch fork is essential to plumb the post and stand clear. We also had a chain clamped on the bucket to give a height gauge.

The bucket must be secured properly, taps closed, 3rd service switch turned off etc.

I do it on my own, no bucket just the headstock which has a flat bottom, pendulum next to where the post goes, 10 seconds a post, the rest of the time getting to next post.

 

[vantage]

I do it on my own, no bucket just the headstock which has a flat bottom, pendulum next to where the post goes, 10 seconds a post, the rest of the time getting to next post.

And stone free!

 

[Pan mixer]

And stone free!

No stones here

 

[stugordon321]

I’m going to knock a few in at my yard as it’s in same village so ground should be similar.
I do domestic fencing for a living so done plenty post & rail in gardens & other domestic fencing but that’s been hand digging the post holes which would be far too expensive & time consuming to hand dig the amount of posts I need doing.
Once I’ve knocked a few in I’ll know how long it takes so can then work out a price so I can give the customer a fair price for the job so everyone is happy
Thanks guys