How Do You Drive a 4” Post into the Ground with a Petrol Post Driver?

The Easy Petrol Post Driver is a highly versatile post knocker tool that’s perfect for those jobs that the tractor isn’t quite suitable for. Built to allow you to knock in posts in almost any inaccessible location, such as the very edge of fields, around trees and in corners, on steep banks and across uneven ground, adding one to your arsenal is worth it. It’s even suitable for driving in 4-inch posts.

If you want to drive a 4” post into the ground, follow our steps for an efficient and safe installation of your fence posts.

Before you start, you’ll need:

• Your Petrol Post Driver
• The correct Petrol Post Driver adapter for your 4” post – the 107mm round adapter for round posts, or the 107mm square adapter for non-round posts.
• Safety gear such as gloves, eye protection, ear protection and sturdy boots.
• A measuring tape and marker to position the post.
• A spirit level to ensure straight placement.
• You might also need either a Pointed Pilot Bar, Pilot Core Tool, or Earth Auger if you have got especially tricky ground conditions.

How to Drive a 4-inch Post into the Ground with a Petrol Post Driver

Prepare the post and ground

• Identify and mark where the post will be driven into the ground.

·       If the ground you’re working on is quite hard, you can still get a post in the ground with a little pre-preparation. Using a pointed pilot bar, create a pre-hole. This doesn’t need to be wide, but needs to be as deep as you want your post to go. This hole will give your fencepost a route to follow through the soil, and also move any stones out of the way. These few preparation steps will help you to ensure you’re driving your post in vertically.

·       If the ground is very hard (e.g. baked hard clay in the summer) a Pilot Core Tool will create a wider hole and also remove some of the soil. Or, if you already have an Earth Auger, this will do the same job, and you will need to use a 2” auger bit for a 4” fence post.

• Ensure it fits comfortably inside the adapter. The adapter size needs to be a snug fit for the post size you’re working with. We recommend that it’s no more than 5-10mm larger than your post. For non-round posts, i.e. squared and T-shaped posts, the outer corners also need to be within this tolerance.
• It can also help to set out your stakes in a line, marking out where you want your whole fence line to go. Using a line wire will also allow you to get the fence line straight.

Set up the Petrol Post Driver

·       Check the fuel level and inspect the machine for any damage before use.

• Use an adapter that matches the post size and ensure a snug fit.

·       Follow the manufacturer's instructions to start the post driver. This video also gives some handy tips: https://youtu.be/HfrjktAzq3c?si=VGcpitb2gyAG1aEq

Position and drive the post

• Place the post vertically in the marked position on the ground. In soft ground, this is simply a stabbing action into the ground to get it to stand upright. If the ground is harder and you have made a pilot hole, then simply jab the post into the hole you have already made.
• Lift the petrol post driver over the top of the post and lower it onto the post head.
• Hold the driver firmly, then engage the throttle to start the hammering action. Only operate the throttle while the post driver is positioned on a post and between 10-15kg pull down force is exerted on the handles.
• Letthe weight of the machine and its percussive force drive the post into the ground. Apply slight downward pressure, but don’t force it.
• Stop periodically to ensure the post remains straight using a level.
• If your post isn’t going in quite straight, you can pull and push a little whilst the machine is hammering to get it back on track. After installing the first few posts, users generally get a good feel for how they need to hold the machine to get the rest of their posts in straight.

Top tips for using your Petrol Post Driver

• If encountering hard or rocky soil, or knocking larger posts, use the Pilot Core Tool to remove a core of earth before driving stakes into the ground. Then, try soaking the hole with water and let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften the ground up before you drive any posts. (you can be getting on with the next hole whilst the previous one is waiting for the water to soak in.)
• Maintain your post driver by checking it over after every use and servicing it regularly, either with our self-service kit or by sending it to us for its annual service. Read our blog for more information on servicing your Petrol Post Driver.
• Consider using an hour counter and tachometer with your Petrol Post Driver to monitor your usage so that you’re not overexposing yourself to vibrations from the machinery

Check out the Petrol Post Driver in action alongside our Pilot Core Tool below and see just how easy it is to drive a 4” post into the ground with a Petrol Post Driver.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jkDWOKRp2I

Contact us

If you’d like to know more about Easy Petrol Post Driver products, please get in touch with us via the contact form on our website, or you can call us on +44 (0)114 2699 119 or email info@petrolpostdriver.com.