Post knockers…. Thoughts and opinions

[shumungus]

I used to hire a wrag and she was a grand thing, all the movements, was nice and light if on sidelings the only issue wastge 200k hammer, if it had the 300 hammer and rock spike it would be spot on,
I use a protech now and iv a major bugbear with the position the rock spike sits in when not in use, its can be awkward when doing posts stretching round it

You can get rock spike brackets for the other side.

 

[Skintagain]

15 years ago I priced a contractor to basically re-fence all of the fields we bought and came to the conclusion that I'd be better off buying a post chapper, doing the job myself and still having the chapper left when I was done.
I bought a Wrag Commander multi way adjustable one without the stone point with the 200kg weight and it performed very well for me. It has also made almost its own cost back in being hired out since then. It a wee bit tiresome climbing in and out of a tractor cab on my own but with two of us it fairly covers ground with the diversity of positions it can accommodate meaning perfect tractor positioning isn't necessary, but once you get your head round where you need to stop you don't really need all the adjustments for straight lines.

I’m thinking this at 32 I have hopefully got a lot of years ahead of me. £5-7k now will be tuppence in thirty years

 

[Longlowdog]

@Skintagain and in thirty years if farming isn't a banned occupation you'll sell it for what you bought it for, unless we get laser hole borers and GPS guided autonomous tool carriers by then.

 

[neilo]

15 years ago I priced a contractor to basically re-fence all of the fields we bought and came to the conclusion that I'd be better off buying a post chapper, doing the job myself and still having the chapper left when I was done.
I bought a Wrag Commander multi way adjustable one without the stone point with the 200kg weight and it performed very well for me. It has also made almost its own cost back in being hired out since then. It a wee bit tiresome climbing in and out of a tractor cab on my own but with two of us it fairly covers ground with the diversity of positions it can accommodate meaning perfect tractor positioning isn't necessary, but once you get your head round where you need to stop you don't really need all the adjustments for straight lines.

That is exactly the same scenario I faced when I moved here, and bought a Protech P200, with a 300kg weight and a rock spike.
My thinking, as with everything here, was that I had to be able to do it single handed, but offer the option of increased output on the rare occasion another pair of hands was available.
I do push plenty of stakes in with the Merlo too, but that won’t do strainers, gate posts or anything in hard ground.

If you want to put strainers or gate posts in during the summer then a rock spike is almost essential (here anyway), and an arm that swings & telescopes will make work alone slightly less tedious as you only have to position the tractor ‘near enough’ for each post.

I’d certainly buy the same again.

 

[Kevtherev]

Nothing wrong with a WRAG had this one new in 2006 to replace a Quantock it’s been faultless.

 

[Pistonbroke]

You need a steel ring on a 5 foot handle with a T at the end stick it over the post and direct the post as it goes in nobody needs lose any fingers

A good bloke operating one of them is still useful. Must be a lot of posts and stakes put in with one over the years

 

[Estate fencing.]

I’m thinking this at 32 I have hopefully got a lot of years ahead of me. £5-7k now will be tuppence in thirty years

That was exactly my thought when I bought mine. Looked like a tax bill was coming my way so bought it for £5.5k and saved myself £1100 on tax, which I think will be probably the depreciation for the first couple of years, so only have to a few days a year to make it a useful purchase.

 

[ARW]

Just as a bit of a reference, we sometimes hire out our Protech P400s and it’s usually to people that have there own post knockers already, one has an old parmiter, a basic malone and a browns. Not to slag off the basic models but it speaks volumes when they have there own but would rather pay to use a better machine. If you are doing a lot of fencing you want all the movements there is and a well built machine that’s ergonomical, not only does it make life easier and the job more enjoyable but you are more likely to make a better job and do it more often.

 

[Willie adie]

Nothing wrong with a WRAG had this one new in 2006 to replace a Quantock it’s been faultless.View attachment 982332

Exactly what I used, i really liked it very nimble, and had it not been for the tractor it was on going up in flames taking chapper with it, I would still be using it yet

 

[Grassman]

We have one of these with a remote control in the cab https://yanigav.fr/enfonce-pieux-hydraulique-hydrochoc-re-800-g-iii/

Interesting machine. I'm guessing it's very expensive?

 

[Grassman]

anyone use one of these?

View attachment 982090

I have one for steel posts but a waste of time on anything more and hopeless in very hard, dry ground.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Interesting machine. I'm guessing it's very expensive?

Website doesn't give prices.

Agriaffaires lists a 2008 one at £8k so certainly not cheap but looks very interesting.

There are some excellent makes in NZ but typically retail at £20k+

 

[seedman stains]

Interesting machine. I'm guessing it's very expensive?

I think it was about 14 ish its a couple of years old now having the control in the cab is far easier than outside and if you can line a few up you can do a few yourself.Its our secondmachine the first was probably one of their first machines.Im a Cuma with this machine a lot of gear is bought like this in france

 

[michael N123]

If you can afford a good one then go for it, they don’t loose much money

There not worth buying second hand new ones aren’t any more

 

[HarryB97]

I bought a Protech p220+ a couple of years ago that goes on our Merlos. A fantastic farmers machine with hydraulic tilt, rock spike, external controls and a 300kg weight. It only cost about £3200 and has paid for itself over 5 times already. Mine has a manual rockspike as it’s rarely needed but a proper swingaround one can be added. With me moving the loader and setting the posts I can do a post a minute on a good run. You don’t have the precision of a tractor nocker with slew etc but it’s a great bit of kit.

 

[deere 6600]

I got a basic kinghitter years ago to help with a rural stewardship scheme we were in and at the time said once this is finished I’ll sell it 22 years later still here not fancy but great piece of kit makes the hard job putting in strainers the easy bit it’s an in-line type if doing fence posts someone on the tractor speeds it up

 

[Nithsdale]

I got a basic kinghitter years ago to help with a rural stewardship scheme we were in and at the time said once this is finished I’ll sell it 22 years later still here not fancy but great piece of kit makes the hard job putting in strainers the easy bit it’s an in-line type if doing fence posts someone on the tractor speeds it up

Everyone always says "just buy one, get the farm fenced up then sell it on"... but it's rubbish.

I don't know anyone who's ever bought one that hasn't still got it, or changed it for a newer/better one.

There is always repairs needed done (even more regularly with crap tantalising these days!) and once you've used one, you won't go back to not having it.

 

[Bob the beef]

Thanks for all the opinions. Definitely buying one……. Just still can’t decide cheap and cheerful or spend the £ and make life a breeze

 

[neilo]

Thanks for all the opinions. Definitely buying one……. Just still can’t decide cheap and cheerful or spend the £ and make life a breeze

1. How long do you intend to be farming for?
2. Can you afford the better one?

 

[Bob the beef]

1. How long do you intend to be farming for?
2. Can you afford the better one?

A while

Yes.

as @nithsdale said earlier in the thread, once I get it all those niggly jobs will get done, and my maintenance bill wil sky rocket