T-Posts...driving in with a bucket?

[Burt]

HI!

Do any of you have any experience driving in T-posts using the tractor bucket? I watched a guy use a Bobcat and bend some up.

Our tractor is an L3700SU (L3800). We need to put up some new fence and thought it might be a good question to ask. I'll be using 8 foot T-posts at 1.33 weight.

Burt

 

[hodge]

I've never tried that, but I would be skeptical. Pushing is different than driving, and unless you have a way to keep the post in position under the bucket, like a piece of pipe fixed or welded to the bottom to capture the post top, then it is going to be an accident waiting to happen. How many do you have to put in? Driving them by hand is hard labor, but far from impossible, safer, and it builds muscle/character.
There is also a pneumatic driver available-
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...ku=511001&rct=j&frm=1&q=pneumatic+post+driver

 

[Burt]

Hodge:

I need to put in about 25 of them. My neighbor has a hand thumper that looks like the hydraulic one. Obviously, it's a lot of work.

I thought I could start them with that maybe and then thump it with the loader. It doesn't sound like a good idea now.

Thanks,

Burt

 

[hodge]

25 posts isn't bad, but that depends a lot on your soil type.

 

[skeets]

If ya have some bodies and a case or 6 or adult beverages,, maybe think of a hunk of pipe 3 feet long with a solid cap welded on top and a couple handles welded to the bottom( Heavy walled steel pipe and a plate of maybe 3/8 to 1/2 inch welded in place, there is a lot of stress on the cap),,, and 2 strong young men can drive a post in pretty quickly even in this yellow clay and slate filled ground around here

 

[Kingcreek]

25 posts isnt a lot with a handheld post driver. You could start them with a driver and push them with the bucket if you wanted to. I've pushed pointed cedar posts with a JD wheel loader and a bucket of rock or dirt but you've got to have somebody holding the post straight and brave enough or dumb enough to have thier arms under a big heavy bucket. I've done it, didn't say I recommend it.
Depending on soil, most T posts can be driven to depth with 10 strikes or less with a post driver. Don't make it any harder than it is.

 

[Bulldog]

A good hand held driver will driver t-post in most soil with ease. 25 post will be a nice little warm up but not that bad. I've started adding some new hot wire in one of my pastures, drove 14 posts the other day by myself. As long as you have a post driver it's no big deal. All you're going to do trying to drive them with a loader bucket is bend the posts, tear something up or hurt somebody. If you don't have a driver go get one. Between $30 and $40 dollars for a basic model and it will be money well spent. Keep it put up in the dry when not in use and you'll never have to buy another one. If you have a welder and some pipe just build your own, I did and it's been just fine.

 

[Burt]

OK, I'll give in to the hand driver. Neighbor here will loan me his. Our soil is "unpredictable." Some is rocky, some is soil. It runs in streaks. It will be a good workout. Thanks for all the advice and comments. I think it runs a little bit too far to the questionable safety side to drive them with a bucket.

Burt

 

[Wojo]

I stumbled across this link. I can't vouch for it, but it looks interesting.

http://www.bucketdriver.com/

 

[1Dragon]

I agree with you WOJO it does look interesting so I whipped one up from scrap today. I will test it and report back.

 

[Onemoreokie]

We have done hundreds of t posts using the loader. Just cut a piece of pipe 18 inches shorter than post and slide it over before pushing it. They won't bend that way even in dry soil.

 

[Onemoreokie]

Oh and if your tractor or bucket is small strap something heavy in the bucket to aid in adding down pressure. None of this is OSHA approved so be careful! The guy holding the post has to trust the operator. We can drive a 1/4 mile of posts in 90 minutes or so with two people if the ground is moist and not rocky.

 

[Timmer92]

I'd be interested in more opinions on this topic. I have a L3901 and live on sand. Pushing in 100's of posts with the tractor sure sounds like it would go faster with the tractor. That being said, if it's bad for the tractor or dangerous, life is comparatively easy for us for pounding them in by hand compared to those of you with other soil types.

 

[skeets]

https://youtu.be/-bNd5VMcql0

Ya might use a battery hammer drill for this
https://youtu.be/c9tJb_qJ6zY

 

[Magicman]

Wow, thankfully we don't have that kind of rock bed in SW Mississippi.

 

[Fladogman]

We've done it for years in our sandy soil. Used the flat bottom of the cutting edge, just keep it level so it won't kick out. Our grapple has a strong flat bar used for a stand, it works great too, the added weight is helpful. Large roots will have a tendency to try and lift the front end so go slow and readjust when you find them.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[SidecarFlip]

Hodge:

I need to put in about 25 of them. My neighbor has a hand thumper that looks like the hydraulic one. Obviously, it's a lot of work.

I thought I could start them with that maybe and then thump it with the loader. It doesn't sound like a good idea now.

Thanks,

Burt

If you think 25 posts is a lot of work, I suggest you start going to a health club. 25 post ain't shitte. You ain't gonna push them in with a bucket either, All you'll do is bend them. They must be set by impact not push. and your bucket cannot 'thump. all it can do is push. Bad idea.

 

[Bulldog]

Since the last time this was brought up I built a tool that I attach to my forks that slides down over a T post. I pushed in a couple hundred post last time I build fence. It worked great and was a huge time saver.

 

[hope to float]

I've driven a few wooden stakes with an L3450. It is pretty difficult to keep them straight because of the geometry of the loader but it can be done. What I did was go along the line with a crowbar and start the holes. Then I stood up all the stakes and pushed them in.
You do not want anybody holding the stakes in case they snap or in your case bend suddenly.
In my case I found that hitting down on them was no advantage at all because the bucket lower speed just wasn't there.
I would not even try it if I thought the ground was going to be any way solid underneath.

 

[hope to float]

https://youtu.be/-bNd5VMcql0

Ya might use a battery hammer drill for this
https://youtu.be/c9tJb_qJ6zY

The most efficient tool he has is probably the one holding the stake. He would not break a sweat if he used that