post driver/banger for tractor bucket?

[ve9aa]

EVery now and then I have a need to drive a post, pipe or pc of rebar into the ground around here.
I usually end up standing on a short ladder, some kind of BF mallet in hand. Occasionally because
of a personal health condition this may end in long-term injury. (not because I am not being careful)
<worse still, my ground is very very rocky>

Has anyone designed or built something like a normal hand-held post driver/banger and adapted it
to fit under a tractor bucket?

Surely I can't be the first guy to look at my little bucket on the BX and think:

"Hey, that would be able to pound in a post/pipe/rod into the ground waaay easier and with more effort than I ever could !"

 

[jimh406]

A few people on YouTube have done it. Here is one.

I'm not sure how effective your BX would be. I think you'd have to add yours to the center of the bucket and reinforce it prevent bending the bucket. another option if you have pallet forks is to attach a tube to the frame.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

can you 'beg/borrow/make' a manual one (like Princess Auto sell... and strap it to your bucket to test ?
Better yet would be the frame of a pallet unit.
heck BUY the PA unit, try it, they'll take it back !!
The problem or concern is keeping it vertical
Dang NOW you've got me curious, may try that tomorrow

 

[ve9aa]

I never even knew PA sold one. Kewl!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

well I think they do,can't find online of course.....
it's a chunk of pipe, with 1 end welded shut, 2 'handles' welded on as well. Use EARPLUGS ! dang things WILL ring your ears something bad .

 

[Tughill Tom]

What diameter post? For Rebar I have a Tulip bulb drill bit that i use on my cordless 1/2" drill. I put up close to 300 trail stakes a year using it, the stake are 1.25" diameter and the drill is 1.5"

 

[Vigo]

The sad truth on this idea is something can only push down by as much as it is heavy, and the front of the BX isn't heavy enough. It probably takes around 600 lbs downforce to lift the front of a BX, less if you've got a heavy 3pt implement lifted. That's 3 guys or two big guys standing on a post.. it will drive it 2-3 inches with weight alone, unless it hits a rock before then, that is.

And the normal drop of the bucket is not really fast enough to get much 'hammering' action out of it either. A big enough tractor can drive a T-post just by pushing down with the loader, but a small tractor will not be very effective. I think you would have to rig something to drive the post AND put about the max capacity in the loader bucket, for it to be very effective.

Personally it seems i can get my 3pt to drop a lot faster than my loader bucket, so if i were attempting something like this i would probably rig up an attachment for my 450lb box blade to do the 'hammering' with vs my tiny loader on my B6100. Probably just a long steel pipe with a thick endcap and a strong hinge at the bottom that I could pin to the box blade when needed, and then fold flat or take off when travelling.

 

[JeremyBX2200]

I used my bucket to drive/hammer in a number of T-Posts around my garden. I would just stab it in the ground by hand and then push/hammer it down with the bucket. Softer areas it would just push. Harder areas I had to hammer. Worked great and saved a bunch of time/effort.

Any post thicker than the T-Posts and it probably wouldn't work. Soil here is a lot of clay.

 

[dan_m]

if you're driving alot frequenetly, any reason not to go gas powered instead of tractor attachment? if infrequently, maybe rent one?

something like this - https://kencove.com/fence/titan_detail_PGD2875HR.php

Crew around me used one to drive in silt fence. And I've seen bigger ones on youtube videos driving 4x4's into ground.

Dan

 

[ve9aa]

I tried to drive some (sharpened) 6' long rebar "posts" into my ground the other day with the bucket on the BX and was met with very limited success. You'd have to see my ground to believe it. Almost zero "soil", no clay and pretty much pure rock with gravel and a little sand mixed in for good measure.

Mostly the rebar just bent, not matter what I tried.

The "limited success" part was when I rigged up a kinda 6' long PVC pipe "handle" with a "tee" on the far end of it, and I had my helper sorta "steady" the rebar somewhat when I was kinda banging or pushing.
(having them stand under the bucket holding onto it was a bit more "danger danger Will Robinson" than I was prepared to deal with.

I am sure this lash-up would've worked in most soil types though.

As it was, we took about 15mins per "post" with a small 2lb maul(sp?) and a 10lb sledgehammer to eventually bust and bang our way nearly 2' into the ground with the sharpened epoxy coated rebar.

I actually think I'd be "more" successful with thicker pipe (so it wouldn't bend when I beat on it.)

So it goes...

 

[Lil Foot]

Soil here is about 1/2 rock in most places, sandstone & limestone, ranging from gravel to the size of the Cheops Pyramid, and clay.
If I used the B7100 FEL to try to drive T-posts, I would end up with the front wheels in the air, bent posts, or both. I have driven exactly 13 T-posts by hand, (sledge) but it usually requires sharpening them, trying several different locations, and a lot of effort.