Hayduke what equipment do you have or run?
Tractor with an attachment a possible help?

 

I've used these before for pounding in 1.25 inch galvanized well pipe. Honestly I wasn't that impressed with it. Seemed like I could manually pound as fast without all the noise.

Granted my soil is 100% sand.

What type of soil are you dealing with?

The pounder most likely will mash the end of the t posts up some, not sure if that matters to you.

I like the tractor or skid steer attachment idea.

 

I've used these before for pounding in 1.25 inch galvanized well pipe. Honestly I wasn't that impressed with it. Seemed like I could manually pound as fast without all the noise.

Granted my soil is 100% sand.

What type of soil are you dealing with?

The pounder most likely will mash the end of the t posts up some, not sure if that matters to you.

I like the tractor or skid steer attachment idea.

A sharpened post will probably drive a little easier

I originally thought he was talking about an attachment
Also can't imagine holding up 45 pounds above waist height for a day

 

Do you own a generator? How about an electric jackhammer head made for the posts?

 

It did not seem much faster than the manual one. Remember I was working in 100% sand though, so results may vary.



Also there is no holding 40 lbs up all day. The only lifting is lifting it onto the post. After that the weight is held up by the post. The operator, more or less is keeping it steady.


I'd recommend renting one for one day and trying it out. If you like it, buy one.

 

It was a Honda if I remember correctly

 

Anyone have experience with these? I have a project that will involve installing approximately 500 t posts over the course of next year and possibly into the following year. It is a project with several phases of fencing going in

Get yourself a gas powered drill. Something like this. Just not this expansive.

Drill - ECHO "EDR 260" Gas Powered Drill with chuck, Reversible, 25.4 cc

ECHO "EDR 260" Gas Powered Drill, Reversible, 25.4 cc. Chuck included with this model.

poles.com

With a 1/2" chuck, you can get all kinds of augers. From 2" up to 8" from about 16 " long to 36" long. Back in the day we did chain link fences and snow fencing as well as planting flowers and small plants. The one pictured below is set up from Mums and small plants. Much easier then pounding the posts in, and faster then diging holes for flowers and plants.

 

Get yourself a gas powered drill. Something like this. Just not this expansive.

What am I gonna do with a 2 inch wide or bigger hole and a t post? T posts get their stability from being pounded into the ground as far as I know

 

Yep lot easier to unroll the fencing with machinery as well.

Have you looked into attachments for your vermeer?

 

I purchased a gas post pounder a few years back for a deer fencing job. It was similar to this one:

Definitely a lighter duty model and just a chinese honda clone engine but I was impressed with it nonetheless. Working solo, I would start the post in the ground so it would stand on its own and then lift the driver up and let it do the rest. As was mentioned above, the post is really what supports the weight of the driver so you just need to guide the post in straight.

Was worth it for me, I still have it and use it from time to time, have also lent it out to a few buddies who were impressed by it as well. I don't know if it would hold up to 500+ posts but I've probably driven 100 with no issues. I think I paid like $600-650 for mine.

 

I purchased a gas post pounder a few years back for a deer fencing job. It was similar to this one: View attachment 530540
Definitely a lighter duty model and just a chinese honda clone engine but I was impressed with it nonetheless. Working solo, I would start the post in the ground so it would stand on its own and then lift the driver up and let it do the rest. As was mentioned above, the post is really what supports the weight of the driver so you just need to guide the post in straight.

Was worth it for me, I still have it and use it from time to time, have also lent it out to a few buddies who were impressed by it as well. I don't know if it would hold up to 500+ posts but I've probably driven 100 with no issues. I think I paid like $600-650 for mine.

What type of deer fencing? Was it effective?

 

So this project is a deer fencing project as well? What spacing between posts? What is the projected lifespan of this material? You attaching with zip ties? Every foot?

 

Not sure where you intend to purchase t posts, but I happened upon this supplier. They sell them by the ton. 500 posts is roughly 2.5 tons.

Metal Fence Post | Crowd Control Depot

Metal fence post helps to stand up any length of chain link or barbed wire fencing. Discover more today at crowd control depot.

www.crowdcontroldepot.com

 

I already bought mine locally. They were not cheap. $14 bucks a piece...

 

Yeah this is a deer fence project for about 12 acres in the long term. I'm probably gonna do 8 foot spacing but might bump to 10 foot. I installed some of this same fencing stuff back in 2003 for a client and it is still standing strong.
We are going to use rebar wire ties ( $18 for 1,000) and one of those twist tools. My employee brought one to work and I loved it. Maybe 4 per post..

 

Can you speak to the pros and cons reasons etc to use this material vs metal mesh?

What are you using for corner posts? Corner configuration? What method do you use to stretch?

I'm strongly considering fencing five acres of my property. I have very heavy deer pressure. Thus all the questions. Many thanks

 

Can you speak to the pros and cons reasons etc to use this material vs metal mesh?

What are you using for corner posts? Corner configuration? What method do you use to stretch?

I'm strongly considering fencing five acres of my property. I have very heavy deer pressure. Thus all the questions. Many thanks

Well, to start, this is a "temporary" deer and elk fence, meant to last 3 maybe 4 years at most. I know sounds crazy. I've mentioned in a few other threads that I have started to get riparian restoration contracts which there is a good bit of that work going on out here. I am trying to find my little niche in it, maybe 50%of gross revenue while filling out the other half with residential landscaping. We'll see how it goes.
That being said, I am not going to great lengths to make this fence bullet proof, though there are herds of deer and some elk that pass thru this site. This product does not really need to be stretched like woven wire metal field fencing as it is already pretty supple. On the corners, if it seems like too much tension, I have used these many times: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/wedge-loc-single-diagonal-brace

though if this was my house, I might consider wood posts in concrete for corners and directional changes

So to answer you question: pros of the heavy duty plastic are cost (metal is pricey right now), convenience (330 feet is 48 lbs versus probably 150lbs plus for metal fence) so much much easier to install, it is somewhat invisible compared to metal woven wire fence. From a couple hundred feet it almost cant be seen.

I do know that this company Tenax makes two or three grades of plastic deer fence that is heavier duty/thicker gauge, but I the fencing link i have posted above has proven pretty durable.

 

Didn't read all post but good T driver under $300 for a china driver on eBay

 

I don't shop online unless I absolutely have to, which is usually never. I have bought two Harbor Freight items that I would stand by. Their 10 inch wet brick saw and their 3 cf concrete mixer. Both have lasted through multiple jobs. But generally I try to buy a little higher end for the business when I can. Bought a $2700 Hilti demo hammer a few years ago when I could have bought a $400 cheap Chino crap... I have no regrets

 

Thanks for the response to my questions, I know I was veering off your topic some.

What have you decided to do? Rent a pounder and then buy or just pull the trigger and buy? Any particular model you are eyeballing?

 

Thanks for the response to my questions, I know I was veering off your topic some.

What have you decided to do? Rent a pounder and then buy or just pull the trigger and buy? Any particular model you are eyeballing?

No worries, seemed on topic to me.
The project doesn't start until February so I have some time to decide. I might rent one for a day or two, but that seems a slight waste if I am going to buy one anyway. That Titan one I linked in the first post has good reviews.

It is, but it should work. I've used jackhammers to drive 10 foot sections of well pipe as well as 10 foot sections of 3/4" ground rods (connected to 60' in total).

It's an intriguing idea, as I do own a nice electric Hilti hammer, but then I realized that i'd need to haul a generator around and at this site that would be quite a pain. Did you make some kind of special collar for your hammer to fit over the posts?

 

We did about 5 miles of electric fence around the edge & interior pastures for sheep 25? years ago, stretched over several years. The exterior fence was 6-strand, 36" electric to keep out humans, not deer. The ~80 acres of sheep pasture was W. PA ground, 10º to about 50º slope (I always mowed that downhill with a Steiner 4WD hyrdostat, then around the the end back up.) We used 3-5 strand electric with the bottom & top wires grounded, the inner ones electrified, peanut-butter-basted aluminum foil strips along the second from top wire. That enticed the deer to sniff, the shock went up their face, never found any deer grazing inside the paddocks, even though the surrounding woods were loaded with them. 4' fiberglass posts, sleeve pounder, medium-duty wire slightly tightened, corner posts 6' fiberglass 2' into the ground. Since we checked the sheep every day, replacing the peanut butter was not a problem. There's a new version listed below, but the only grazing I wanted to sacrifice was the lanes between the paddocks. It even slowed the coyotes, but not the hawks or foxes. A solar-powered fencer is a lot cheaper than any of the other mentioned devices, and one of the Westmoreland Woodlands members had success with this on his reforesting areas.

Another method I found years ago, I believe from the US Forest Service, was a 6' fence slanted outward with woven fence, claiming that the deer would jump high or broad, but not both. Never tried it, can't immediately find that old article. And if nobody hunts the coyotes, (or coyodogs they're starting to find,) the deer problem is pretty much solved.

Electric Deer Fence Tips and Resources – NCAT

Advancing solutions so people and the land can flourish

www.ncat.org

 

I still think you should look at a hydraulic post driver for whatever equipment you own. I’ve built a lot of fence. That’s how I would do it.

 

Well, figured I'd follow up on my thread from a few months ago in case anyone is interested.
I ended up renting this:

GPD40 Rhino Fence Pro Gas Powered Post Driver

Post holes in seconds with Rhino Post Drivers! Rhino Post Drivers are safe, durable, portable and weigh just 35 lbs! 3 post driver models to choose from. Great selection and prices on all Rhino Post Drivers! Rhino Post Drivers are in stock & ready to ship at Power Equipment Warehouse to order...

www.powerequipmentwarehouse.com

It was heavy but it kicked ass.
We installed 200 ten foot t posts on muddy, sloped ground from a step ladder and a pole ladder where it was sloped too much for the step ladder. Lots of fun!
Took about 16-18 man hours to install 200 posts, pretty damn good in my opinion. Way exceeded my expectations. Hardest part was getting the 38 lb pounder off the post after it was driven. We found that one guy below with a shorter post pushing the pounder off while the guy on the ladder lifted was an absolute life and back saver.
Altogether a tough ass job, but satisfying.
That machine is $2,300. Not sure I'm ready to buy one!

 

🤖💩🤡

 

The PA Game Commission plans for Anti-Deer fencing call for 10' vertical fence posts w/ 7 strands of taut fence, so deer don't get hung on it. We used the electrical version around our sheep fields, never spotted any deer inside. We smeared peanut butter on top-wire foil flags to train the deer. The sheep couldn't reach that high! https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/White-tailedDeer/Documents/Deer_factsheet.pdf