Power Postdrivers ES PRO review

Waikato-based Brent Bennett has recently added a new Power Postdriver to his arsenal. Farm Trader takes a closer look.

Loaded with all the extras, from auger bits down to the spirit level

With 30 years’ experience in the fencing industry, Waikato-based Brent Bennett has recently added a new Power Postdriver to his arsenal, and he’s thrilled at the output, as well as the added bonus that he’s supporting another New Zealand rural business like his own.

Having spent three decades dedicated to his trade, Brent has put up more than his share of fences, banging in thousands (if not tens of thousands) of posts and having worked with a fair few post rammers over the years.

His most recent purchase of a Power Postdriver from a local engineering company in Tauwhare, just east of Hamilton, is one he’s extremely happy with.

Brent lining up another post for the fence fortress

The engineering company manufactures a range of products for the agriculture sector and post rammers is just one area they excel in. In fact, he’s such a fan that Brent recently added two Power Postdrivers to his business.

From standard fencing to all varieties of fencing, including retaining walls, as well as fruit orchards and town fences, the Power Postdriver has become a significant part of Brent’s business, alongside his excavators.

Specs

Power Postdrivers have a range of models available from basic machines right up to high-spec contractor machines. The more basic design is labelled as the Model S, which then moves up through the SS, ES, and ES Pro.

With such a selection available, Power Postdrivers strive to have an option to suit every need. Brent opted for the ES Pro along with a range of added extras to this latest machine.

Power Postdrivers

The standard specs include a 280kg hammer, an extending mast from three to 4.2 metres, 150x150mm beam, and machined slides with grease points. Looking at the optional extras, there aren’t many that were left out.

Among the additions are hydraulic legs, a hydraulic auger, and a 320kg hammer.

“I don’t like digging holes anymore, so I get the machine to do it for me,” says Brent.

With 30 0mm mast travel north and south, and 1000mm travel east and west, getting the exact position for each post is pretty simple and, in turn, saves a lot of hours when fencing is a daily task. The optional extras not only get the job done well but also increase the overall efficiency of the machine and operator.

Hydraulic controls labelled well

Locally-made

Power Postdrivers are manufactured in Waikato and pride themselves on being New Zealand-built and so have several advantages. Working directly with the manufacturer helps simplify the process from purchase to usage. Being able to see and recognise the field their machine is operating in ensures the product is built to a high quality. Local to Brent, they were able to adapt to his needs for his specific business. Willing to go the extra mile for the customer, they provide a specialised piece of equipment for the end operation as an integral part of the business.

Distinctive features

Some key highlights of the machine in action started with the four-way adjustment. Allowing to move the mast north, south, east, and west with an exceptional amount of travel increased overall productivity. Productivity is a key part, especially at a per metre rate so more jobs can be taken on in less time.

Two separate valve banks admittedly look a touch daunting at first but being laid out and labelled clearly helps minimise any confusion. In addition to the labels, there are a couple of valve blocks, which eliminate the possibility of accidentally causing damage to the machine.

The auger drill made way for this post to go extra deep

Knocking posts requires a sturdy machine and to have minimal movement in the connections to the tractor so that when the post is set vertical, it stays vertical. A significant part that aids in this is the additional hydraulic stabiliser legs. As it can move individually, it resolves the issues of unlevel or rough ground that upsets the angle and stability of the post driver. The mast has a significant amount of tilt movement also in both directions.

For extra steep terrain, there are a couple of extra sets of holes to push the rammer over more to counteract the angle the tractor is sitting on, although, it would be a rare occasion that this would be required.

Compact impact

A small but important feature that Brent drilled into me was the importance of the small chain hook on the bottom of the mast. Now, a small 8mm chain hook wouldn’t be the first thought in something to save time, but as it turns out, when combined with the travelling mast, a post in the wrong spot or just stripping out old fences is easily done with the additional help of this chain, which permanently resides in Brent’s toolbox.

Providing around nine tonnes of lifting force, removal of even the biggest strainers is simple. The large diameter rams certainly pull their weight and then some, being much more efficient and cleaner than a front-end loader, achieving the job is an effortless task.

Extendable, with great angle options

The travelling mast not only makes the machine simpler but also has the added benefit of a low transport height. The low transport height makes it simple to move the complete unit around on a low-loader.

Brent mentioned that it also aids in tight situations around houses with low eaves and certainly in and under trees. He says he can still drive a 3.6-metre strainer without running into a height issue. The travelling mast is an impressive part of the Power Postdriver for the reasons mentioned above but also on the maintenance side. With no pivot points, there’s less chance of wear on the join and on the hammer, less likely for foreign objects to be pinched in the join along with one less thing to grease every day, saving the operators time and maximising uptime.

Time-saving/maintenance

These days, not many people enjoy digging holes, and if someone does, it’s an extremely rare occurrence, which is why minimal convincing was needed to get Brent to select the hydraulic auger option on his new top-spec rammer. Carrying multiple bit sizes, the right size hole is achieved every time. A few safety mechanisms ensure the auger never comes in the path of the travelling hammer. The advantages of the auger are never-ending. Being able to wind its way through hard ground, tree roots, and rocks reduce the likelihood of a post encountering an object, breaking, and leaving the operator with the issue of broken post removal.

Safety valve on the mast protects the hammer and auger coming into contact

Another advantage of the hydraulic auger bit is that it helps with the longevity of the machine. A rock spike is available as an optional extra, but the superior hydraulic auger with its smooth and constant drive system pulls itself down rather than loading up and stressing components through the shock of the hammer hitting the spike. Reducing the stress on components minimises the maintenance needed throughout the life of the machine, which also helps in its resale value.

As it’s a heavily-built machine, maintenance is kept down and there are structural supports where the stress points are. A squeaky machine isn’t a nice one to use, so the guys at Power Postdrivers place nylon slides to reduce the noise, maintenance, and wear. Being easy to replace is also an advantage to keep the machine ‘tight’ like new.

Summary

Despite all the benefits the new Power Postdriver delivers, I believe Brent still finds it amusing to send his son Daryn out to battle the tasks and terrain this post driver would slide through with ease. It’s character-building!

The Power Postdriver has increased the efficiency of his business and can smash through a decent amount of work in a brief time with only one man required for operation.

It has many features to reduce maintenance costs and effort while keeping the machine at an elevated level of operation. The four-way movement of the mast allows every post to be in the exact place with its incredible range. Uneven and steep terrain are problems eliminated by the tilting mast that has incredible pulling and pushing power to keep even the most stubborn posts straight while the heavy-duty, 320kg hammer knocks them in.

The team at Power Postdrivers are extremely close with the product in the field, know what jobs are undertaken, and have built a product that impresses no matter the spec level. Priding themselves on being New Zealand-made, dealing directly with the customer, and fulfilling their needs is paving the way forward in their business.