Phil Shaw from Taege Engineering in Sheffield, Canterbury believes their post driver, with its 850lb monkey, is also the heaviest on the market. Built with the close consultation of a local fencing contractor over the past four years, it is perhaps the first truly heavy duty, fully hydraulic machine for professional post driving needs.
Together with a bigger ½ inch wire rope and twin RHS laminated steel mast it has an easy to use rock spike unit for penetration of rocky or very hard ground. "You don't have to lug the spike in and out of the hole," Phil explained. "You can push a hydraulic ram down which pushes the carrier down, then knock the spike into the ground and pull it out with the hydraulic ram, so the post can follow where the spike went down."
A unique feature is an end shift that allows the operator to move the whole post driver in and out up to six inches, without having to get back into the tractor. It has a side shift, ideal for vineyard work, a hydraulic angle capable of tilting 30 degrees from vertical, and an optional flip over mast.
Taege Engineering have been building post drivers for 9 years and the new drivers are proving popular having sold 15 units last year and with orders for another six received already this year, mostly through field days.
Fencing contractor Hamish Lott from Spring Creek, Blenheim works mostly with vineyard development and post driving, often replacing posts damaged during the harvesting, and he appreciates the side mounting features the Taege offers him having purchased one from FMR in Blenhiem six months ago. "It's got a much heavier hammer with more hydraulic adjustment, it's a lot heavier and more solidly built, more of a contractors type machine," he said.
