Why use a post driver anyway?

[Intheswamp]

Ground rod....dig a small hole about the size of a 16oz cup. Fill with water and let it soak in. Stab the ground rod into the bottom of the hole, lift it up, stab again, lift up, stab, lift up, stab, add water, lift up, stab, lift up, stab, add water, etc., etc.,. It gradually works the ground rod into the ground. I've put 8' ground rods down for ham radio use using this method. One school of thought says the ground is compromised because water is used, other school says it works fine. It's worked fine for me, ymmv.

Oh, if you hit a rock all bets are off.

I hit one at about 7' one time and figured I would just pound it on in with a sledge hammer....nada. Probably was a rock only the size of a pingpong ball but it stopped that rod dead in it's tracks.

Ed

 

[TennesseeTruly]

We no longer use post hole diggers. We have an auger and boy does it get the job done!!! No more manual labor! Even I can do it and I'm disabled!

Laurie

 

[tinyscrafts]

Do you mean these ?

 

[jmc]

Quote:
YES, that is what the one at the local farm store looked like, except the handles came out of it on opposite sides.

It was just a super heavy, about 20" tall pipe with handles on it--for 99.00

Never thought of Lowes and Home Depot. We have both. I do appreciate that thought.

These T Posts are NOT super light duty ones that would just curl, btw--one poster asked about this.

THANK YOU ALL--LOOKS LIKE I GOTTA GET ME ONE..........

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
YEP! Done that a bunch too.. Usually it's a 4# mini sledge and I'm holding a chisel, though..

Quote:
I three of my four groundrods at angles because of all the limestone, and that worked out pretty well.. One of them went 8' straight down...I was absolutely amazed.

As for trenching...just get it deep enough that it'll always be in moist ground. If you bury it too shallow and the top few inches of the ground dries out, you might have problems.

I know people who literally water their groundrods to keep their fences working.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
YES, that is what the one at the local farm store looked like, except the handles came out of it on opposite sides.

It was just a super heavy, about 20" tall pipe with handles on it--for 99.00

Never thought of Lowes and Home Depot. We have both. I do appreciate that thought.

These T Posts are NOT super light duty ones that would just curl, btw--one poster asked about this.

THANK YOU ALL--LOOKS LIKE I GOTTA GET ME ONE..........

Holy crap! Don't pay $99 for that...way, way too much.

I got this one from TSC ...works great. I had a non-spring-loaded model before that, but the end busted through. The spring loaded is well worth the extra $10-$12 you'll spend, IMHO.

 

[ducks4you]

I'm with Intheswamp -- wet the ground WITH A HOSE REALLY WELL OR put in your posts after a big rain. You can almost push them in my yard, BUT, I have black dirt from glaciation, so it's a little easier. Once we hit a dry spell, even my yard turns kindof rock hard.

I recommend using a SMALLER sledge hammer. I found one at a True Value last year. After so many blows it gets harder to pound with the big heavy sledge. Every year I reuse the same metal fence posts for gardening, so I know what you're going through.

As for digging holes for posts, I would NOT recommend one of these:
http://www.hooverfence.com/tools/post-hole-digger-dg12fg.jpg

I have something like one of these, which is like a corkscrew and even a kid could dig a hole with it.
http://i31.twenga.com/3/tp/57/45/8197886868437375745.png

Mind, however has the two "spoons" that resemble the one that you pound into the ground and pull the arms apart. I works great for my tomato plants because it tills up the soil as it digs, so their roots have room to grow. I bought it several years ago and I can't find any pics on the web. Sometime when I'm taking pictures I'll try to include one, if anybody's interested. Needless to say, I take VERY good care of it--always put away in the tool shed, never left out in the rain.

 

[ducks4you]

FYI--If you EVER want to take a metal post out of the to reuse, make sure that you pound N-S-E-W numerous times. (Boy/Girl Scouts know this from putting up and taking down tents.)
You can easily bend the metal in the ground if you try to force them. Then, it's really hard to put it back in the ground for use somewhere else. ALSO, hard to recycle.

ALso, when you put these stakes in the ground, pound far enough to bury the "wings" that sit about one foot up from the bottom. They are very sharp and could harm you or your birds. They are there so that you bury enough of the posts to stand securely in the ground.

Just FYI, again

 

[BioBob]

Hey Dutchmonk:

Unless you are 7'4", you'll like the post driver.

But $99? I paid $17 for mine at the local Agri Supply. (NC Chain).

I just googled Agri Supply and you can buy one online and they are still $16.95 (and no Mass. sales tax).

Happy Fencing

Bob

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
That would make a good tie-out for a dog around here..

We've got a few inches of dirt, followed immediately by heavy clay and all sizes and shapes of limestone rock..

If we're talking about digging holes, I have a three-point auger similar to this:

I use a 12" bit and run it behind a 61 year old 23hp 8N Ford, and it actually does a really good job.. With a bit that big, it usually bogs the tractor down before it can get hung up too badly under a rock...almost like an 'auto limiter' or something. I buried a 6" bit to the hilt and had to dig it out once...no fun AT ALL.

Got my old auger at an auction for a couple hundred bucks...well worth it.