Silly idea of the day - modifying engine crane to position fencing posts

[CompoSimmonite]

A mixture of accident injuries and 2 small strokes means I'm nowhere near as strong as I used to be so need help with lifting and pulling. Rather than finding somebody I tend to adapt things like winches and cranes etc.
Today (up for hours - insomnia !) I've been thinking about somehow adapting my Clarke engine crane so it'd work as method of lifting concrete fencing posts into place. The size could be 10' or 11' so even with somebody helping they are still going to be very heavy.
The actual holding of the posts isn't a problem - lifting strops work very well.
My crane is an older (20 years ?) Clarke version and more substantial than offered by Machine Mart today. The rear castors are close together so it'd need a beam (piece of box section should bolt in place) to spread the load further apart to be more stable.
What is people opinion of this idea ? Can anyone think of an alternative method I should also consider for lifting the heavy posts into position ?
I should add in the past I've had two different bricklayers come around to quote for building a wall and also one fencer but none have got back to me so DIY is now the route I'm going.

Cheers.

Paul H

 

[awemawson]

Engine cranes are horrid to move things around with due to the small wheels and odd centre of gravity of the load. Also they need a very smooth surface to roll on, which is unlikely where you are dropping 11 foot posts into hole.

What access have you Paul? It sounds more like a job for a mini digger to me - an 11 foot concrete fence post is not the sort of thing to be moving single handedly.

 

[penfold]

What access have you Paul? It sounds more like a job for a mini digger to me - an 11 foot concrete fence post is not the sort of thing to be moving single handedly.

I notice that posthole borer attachments that fit mini-diggers are appearing in plant hire catalogues now. Engine cranes are bloody useless off dead flat concrete and generally fairly weighty, so you will need bigger and probably pneumatic wheels, and if the area to be fenced isn't flat and smooth something to pull it about with, either a small tractor or quadbike, or if you have a convenient tree or other anchor point a tirfor or other winch.

The fence post should not be transported in the crane, just lifted into place with it; ask any banksman. So a trolley or trailer to carry the post will be required too.

 

[Rig Pig]

Scaffold tripod & chain block?

 

[Fazerruss]

The posts weigh no more than a decent v8.
Not a daft idea at all, just put some bigger wheels/tyres on it and it will work great.
Just a bit of lateral thinking required.

 

[penfold]

Scaffold tripod & chain block?

It would work, but from the sound of it the OP won't be capable of positioning such a tripod either, although a tripod of aluminium scaff poles might be practicable.

 

[Rig Pig]

Good point, there's no fun in getting old :-(

 

[rkde]

I have used mine to do this and also to rip old posts and tree stumps out the ground

 

[jimmyspeed]

what type of fencing are you actually putting up? The only concrete i've used that was near 11ft in length was a 9 ft chain link (12ft post). You will not move the end posts easily, we had trouble with two strong guys, ended up rolling them into place on round piece's of wood caveman style!

as for the hole, digging with augers is easy but be prepared to mix a hell of alot more concrete than if you dig them buy hand with a graft and doubles, they're also not very accurate and move with roots and stones underground making it harder to get a nice line

is it not possible to use decent quality wooden posts, they're so much lighter!! obviously no as durable but is it worth injuring yourself for a fence

 

[awemawson]

I used to think concrete posts were the Bees Knees for longevity, but I've yet to see a fence of concrete posts of any age without some cracked posts. I've two runs of them on the farm, and I re-chainlinked one five years ago replacing a few cracked posts and at least three of the new posts have cracked. The reinforcement in them is often re-cycled stamping strips (strips with washers knocked out) and frequently allowed too close to the surface. Water penetrates, the reinforcing starts to rust and splits the post.

 

[normspanners]

I used to think concrete posts were the Bees Knees for longevity, but I've yet to see a fence of concrete posts of any age without some cracked posts. I've two runs of them on the farm, and I re-chainlinked one five years ago replacing a few cracked posts and at least three of the new posts have cracked. The reinforcement in them is often re-cycled stamping strips (strips with washers knocked out) and frequently allowed too close to the surface. Water penetrates, the reinforcing starts to rust and splits the post.

I was of the same opinion re concrete, but now my opinion is changing, I too have a load of concrete posts that have weathered really badly with cracks etc maybe again crap quality (not like they used to make em lad!!!)

 

[Wallace]

If you Google "fence post puller" a lot of them look like shortened engine hoists. How about using a trolley or a set of wheels to move the post to the hole with the hoist positioned over the hole then lift off the trolley/wheels into the hole? No real need to modify the hoist then.

 

[normspanners]

my mate did a similiar thing when putting up a sectional garage but suffered from lack of engine crane lifting height, because the hook doesnt go to the ground,you use a sling to lift the post but then full lift isnt enough to pivot the post, so we fitted a little cheap 12v electric winch to the pivot end on top of the boom and a pulley where the hook should be, then you have both the crane hyd lift height and also you can lower the cable down to the floor to sling the post and lift / lower it up with the touch of a button whilst positioning the concrete with one hand makes the job easier on your own then at night just charge up the battery ready for the next day.

 

[Rig Pig]

I had fun with the sectional garage I put up as a workshop, the sections were 65kg each - bottom row were hard to put up, but the top row were something else!

 

[penfold]

Skyhooks. That's what you need.

 

[ukracer]

I should add in the past I've had two different bricklayers come around to quote for building a wall and also one fencer but none have got back to me so DIY is now the route I'm going.

Cheers.

Paul H

where are you in the UK??

 

[BrokenBiker]

Skyhooks. That's what you need.

speak to doubleboost, he has a sky hook lol

 

[dannyp]

this just shouts mini digger.

bought one cheep a few years ago to do up and sell, it's still here makes a very nice self propelled engine crane, after seeing someone knock fence posts in with a pecker on a mni digger ive got to get me one of those next time i have to do some fenceing

 

[MCKDAVID]

some years back, I saw the boom of an engine hoist, mounted to the back of a ride on lawn tractor, the guy was using it to lift flag stones into place. Could be an option, mobility and the lifting capacity. Second hand tractors arer cheap enough especially when teeh cutter decks are shagged, not economical to replace so they would be cheap enough to pick up.. the only thing to consider is the weight over the centre of gravity of the tractor, and add sufficient counter balance weights on the front to redress the balance.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I should add further.
I'm at Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent is anyone is interested, or knows of anyone who might be interested, in building a garden wall out of concrete blocks please let me know. It'd be approx. 35' long by 3 or 4 blocks high. All materials supplied (I've got a little Belle Petrol mixer) and payment in cash
My rear garden slopes so I dug it out roughly to terrace 15+ years ago but never got around to a wall for soil retaining. The lower area is basically level so I can put down a sheet of ply to support the engine crane whilst it'd be lifting the post into position. The crane wouldn't be used to move the posts because, as already stated, they aren't very stable. My rear garden backs onto a wide lane so supplier can easily Hi-Ab posts over the existing boundary fence to very close to the area where they will be sited. In the past I've had posts delivered with cracks so check them carefully when, on my property, before accepting delivery. So far I've planted around 25 concrete posts (quite a few are supporting 6' of fence / gravel board so must be at least 8') around my home (we live on a corner with road on three sides) without one cracking despite being in place for 20 years. I buy quality concrete posts from a builders merchant . The current soil is still is well compacted and hasn't moved in the 15+ years so the plan is to use gravel boards to hold the infill back. There will be weld mesh and 4" of concrete poured behind the gravel boards to reinforce them. I know such is debatable but I've seem numerous "projects" where just gravel boards are used to hold back soil without a long term problem so reinforcing should add additional strength. Opposite me, on the other side of the lane, is a house whose drive is held up with wooden posts and gravel boards. I saw the builders doing this so know there is no other reinforcement. 10 years later the wooden posts have only recently been replaced due to rot but the drive is still solid and has even had a LWB van fully loaded parked on it a lot of the time !

Paul H