Post driver questions

[hoff135]

Last year a bought one of those breakers that double up as a post knocker for my 6 ton digger. After a bit of practice I found it quite effective for putting in posts.

Bits I read on fave book suggested it should be able to drive in a strainer in favourable ground conditions, but I've not tried it yet as the cup can only accommodate a 6" post so would need to make an adaptor.

I'm wondering if I bought a rock spike from the likes of protech, and drove it into the ground first would I be able to put in a strainer? A chap came in last year to put strainers in for me and failed on about 1/3 of them due to conditions, even with the rock spike so I know it wouldn't work for all of them.

Failing that I wonder about using an auger first to bore a hole. But I don't know how effective they are in hard conditions?

Would I drill a hole at say 6inches then drive in a 9 inch strainer with the breaker? Or need an 18inch hole and pack by hand.

Any opinions welcome

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[Welderloon]

I have a h/d auger with a 6" spiral, seems to work fine for pointed strainers when knocked in with a Bryce, would imagine it will be fine with the breaker type also, some of the real fencers will be able to elaborate further on their experience.
I use it to bore through concrete floors for handling system post sockets etc

 

[Henarar]

just drive a normal stake pull it back out then drive the strainer

 

[bravheart]

Asking because I don't know. How would a rock spike held onto your post driver? I have a protech on the forklift with a rockspike and it has two pins that go under the cap on the spike to keep it in place but also pulls the spike out of the ground again. You might get your spike stuck in the ground.
Strangely the spike is also flat faced at the sharp end instead of pointed. OK so far but other makes might be better being pointed

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[Blue.]

You could always put a normal chisel in your breaker and make a hole 1st.

 

[hoff135]

Asking because I don't know. How would a rock spike held onto your post driver? I have a protech on the forklift with a rockspike and it has two pins that go under the cap on the spike to keep it in place but also pulls the spike out of the ground again. You might get your spike stuck in the ground.
Strangely the spike is also flat faced at the sharp end instead of pointed. OK so far but other makes might be better being pointed

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I saw a video where they had a chain either side attaching it to the breaker so it was dangling below. Then just pull it out at the end.

 

[hoff135]

Think ill make a cap for a strainer that my breaker cup will fit on and try one in softish ground to see how much puff it's got before deciding on a rock spike or auger

 

[Valtra Man]

I was chamfering the top of 12 inch gate posts and banging them in with the pecker but mines an 8 inch cup. I’d auger the hole first but that was with a 3 1/2 ton digger. Now I tend to auger a 12 inch hole and drop a steel post and 6 inch strainer and post Crete them but it’ll knock 6 inch strainers all day and 8’s if is soft going but I’m on a lot of rock so often bar a hole by hand first to check there’s no solid rock but surprising what a pecker will bang in if you chamfer the tops to fit. Might be better getting a bigger cup made to suit yours than an adaptor.

edit to add I was also worried like you when I bought mine so bought a whacker plate to go on instead of the pecker point thinking I’d auger big holes and whack stones back in around the posts but used it the first year and never really used it again but it don’t half whack around large gateposts tight.

again I thought I might peck a hole with the pecker point for strainers and posts but it’s a bit of a pain if you have to change the point all the time. Far less hassle to go down the line with an auger and auger a line of holes and then swap to pecker and bang the strainers on the way back.

 

[Blue.]

Think ill make a cap for a strainer that my breaker cup will fit on and try one in softish ground to see how much puff it's got before deciding on a rock spike or auger

Homemade caps haven't been successful here,the weld breaks.

 

[hoff135]

Went ahead and bought an auger. If there's big stones it's a no go but seems to chew through the hard pcked gravel that is under the soil here, have a 6 inch auger for it ad well which I hope I can use to make a pilot hole and knock in the strainers in softer ground.

 

[Still Farming]

Pecker breaker with cup attachment is handy