Improving production and efficiency have been the foundational development ground for Revolution Postdrivers, a New Zealand brand of postdriver
Being a full-time fencing contractor provides an invaluable opportunity to work out methods to improve production and efficiency. These aspects have been a primary focus for Tony White, founder of White Fencing, and has been the foundational development ground for Revolution Postdrivers, a New Zealand brand of postdriver.
Base movement and balance are inherent factors in a Revolution, these subtleties having a big impact on performance, fence line application, and longevity of build. Inbuilt balance and being able to compact the scope of reach removes the requirements for counterweights, which are commonly used in the industry.
Knowing where stress and wear points are has also enabled strengthening of these areas, rather than applying a heavier build, or a heavy-weighted post driver to counteract weak points.
“That’s why the Revolution models have a less overall weight,” says Tony. “We have looked at stress/wear points and strengthened the build on those areas, which has created a post driver that suits smaller hp mounting vehicles, whether it be tractor, skid steer/tracked loader, tracked machine, or bulldozer. Farmers and fencing contractors often buy Revolution’s different models because they don’t have to upsize their tractors.”
Revolution Postdrivers specialise in rotational models, with Tony being a market leader in his design work and putting the innovative Revolution Telescopic 180 on the market at Fieldays in 2003, where it won the Machinery Improvement Award.
“I’d started out fencing contracting with a rear-mounted post driver, then moved onto a side mount. I kept getting frustrated by the effort to get the tractor into different positioning to try and get the post driver to reach post placement on difficult fence lines and on hill country,” says Tony.
While building a set of round stock yards, Tony really started thinking and working out what was required of a truly capable machine, and those design origins lead to the creation and commercialisation of the Revolution Telescopic 180, which has a Telescopic mast that rotates 180 degrees about the subframe.
“Though the 180 has now been on the market for over 20 years, it’s still technologically advanced and can’t be outperformed in its ability to reach and work in hill country, stock yards, retaining walls and the like.”
The Revolution Telescopic 180 weighs in at 1200 kilograms with a 300-kilogram hammer and Bisalloy mast face. In 2009, Tony designed a second rotational model, the Revolution Telescopic Swinga, which, though originally designed for landscaping and vineyard work, has proved popular in the fencing industry. Both machines complement each other in application and what they can be mounted onto, with the Telescopic Swinga being well suited to tractors 70hp plus, and skid steer/tracked loader machines. Both can be mounted to tracked machines, with the added advantage of being interchangeable between mounting vehicles.
Revolution’s sidemount, the Telescopic SS, and the rearmount, the Telescopic RM, both also utilise Revolution’s telescopic mast, with the ability of pulling out posts and strainers as a standard feature, with 12 tonne of lifting power, driving foots down to ground level and being a lift device for heavy strainers and poles.
With White Fencing’s work in the kiwifruit orchard development industry, Tony designed an under-canopy hort model that will fit onto smaller skid steers/tracked machines and will lower down to go under canopy to carry out post replacements.
Another recent product development is the Netmaster netting machine, including single and double sided, and the WIND UP, a wire-winding machine that will wind up whole sections of fencing, whether post, wire and batten, netting or straight-out wire.
Revolution Postdrivers has always been a family business, with Tony working alongside wife Debbie, who handles the majority of the sales and marketing. Manufacturing and build quality are to a high standard with manufacturing being undertaken by DR Howells Engineering in Tuakau, with the testament being that many of the older machines, some 20 years old, are of such a build quality that they have a very sound working life still and are often sold to other fencing contractors. Tony and Debbie usually deliver Revolution machinery to its new owners, hooking up the post drivers and running through operations.
Tony works full time on the tools in White Fencing, and with Debbie also working in White Fencing, along with being active in the wider fencing industry and with local community involvement, there has been pressure on their ability to focus on Revolution as a business.
When ex-fencing contractor and fencing industry salesman Mike Billinghurst became available in May this year, Revolution employed him for a long overdue sales, parts and refurbishment role. Mike is based in the Manawatū and fits Revolution’s requirement for strong practical fencing knowledge in terms of fence line application and product knowledge, with Mike having owned and used a Revolution Telescopic 180 for over a decade when he was running his fencing contracting business. Mike has a farming and machinery background, and is knowledgeable about hydraulic and machinery maintenance requirements.
Mike has also become part of the Revolution design team and is working on several new products that will be at the Central Districts Field Days and South Island Agricultural Field Days at Kirwee, both in March 2025.