Ground Rod Drivers

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garfo55

Member
I know this was addressed about 5 years ago but I'm hoping for updated info: What does anyone use to drive ground rods? I have a 1 1/2" Milwaukee rotary Hammer with a ground rod bit but it doesn't do well driving in clay. I think the blow energy force is only 5-6 ft/lbs. Thanks
 
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GerryB

Senior Member
Location
woodbridge, ct. USA
I just use a 48oz hammer and always go on a 45 angle, but I remember seeing a sleeve in the supply house a few years ago that slipped over the rod and gave you a bigger striking surface.
 
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Strife

Senior Member
garfo55 said:
I know this was addressed about 5 years ago but I'm hoping for updated info: What does anyone use to drive ground rods? I have a 1 1/2" Milwaukee rotary Hammer with a ground rod bit but it doesn't do well driving in clay. I think the blow energy force is only 5-6 ft/lbs. Thanks
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Most of the times I use my 3/4" bender. Unless I hit coral(they don't call cities around her Coral Spring, Coral whatever for nothing). But for the most part the 3/4 bender will do just fine.
PS: DON'T USE a bender with AL shoe.
 
stickboy1375

stickboy1375

Senior Member
Location
Litchfield, CT
GerryB said:
I just use a 48oz hammer and always go on a 45 angle, but I remember seeing a sleeve in the supply house a few years ago that slipped over the rod and gave you a bigger striking surface.
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Gerry, next time you are working with the Power guys, see if they have a "sleeve" that fell off the truck for you... :) That's how I ended up with one anyway. :)
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
garfo55 said:
I know this was addressed about 5 years ago but I'm hoping for updated info: What does anyone use to drive ground rods? I have a 1 1/2" Milwaukee rotary Hammer with a ground rod bit but it doesn't do well driving in clay. I think the blow energy force is only 5-6 ft/lbs. Thanks
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That is what I use. Doesn't do well in clay. I use it anyway. I had a trip to emergency room about 5-6 years ago that prompted me to buy the ground rod bit which only cost about $50.00 compared to a few thousand for the hospital bill - I already had the rotatry hammer.

I imagine if you have a jack hammer you could get a bit for that and it would drive rods in clay better than the rotary hammer - will be much heavier to lift 8 feet up when starting out. And if it is not already on the job will take more time and effort to get it there than just being more patient with the rotary hammer.

I've seen POCO's use hydraulic driver powered by hydraulics on their boom trucks.

I had for nearly 20 years always driven rods with a home made "steel post" driver. One day I was driving a rod raised the driver a little too high and missed the rod with the driver but found it with my hand. Rod entered palm of my hand and exited back side - luckily missed bones, tendons, anything real critical, but a couple days later it developed an infection and they hospitalized me a couple days to pump me with some strong doses of antibiotics- doctor said you do not want to lose your hand and you better stay in the hospital and get this nipped. Still have scars on both sides of my hand to remind me of this event.
 
sandsnow

sandsnow

Senior Member
Location
Southern California
kwired said:
That is what I use. Doesn't do well in clay. I use it anyway. I had a trip to emergency room about 5-6 years ago that prompted me to buy the ground rod bit which only cost about $50.00 compared to a few thousand for the hospital bill - I already had the rotatry hammer.

I imagine if you have a jack hammer you could get a bit for that and it would drive rods in clay better than the rotary hammer - will be much heavier to lift 8 feet up when starting out. And if it is not already on the job will take more time and effort to get it there than just being more patient with the rotary hammer.

I've seen POCO's use hydraulic driver powered by hydraulics on their boom trucks.

I had for nearly 20 years always driven rods with a home made "steel post" driver. One day I was driving a rod raised the driver a little too high and missed the rod with the driver but found it with my hand. Rod entered palm of my hand and exited back side - luckily missed bones, tendons, anything real critical, but a couple days later it developed an infection and they hospitalized me a couple days to pump me with some strong doses of antibiotics- doctor said you do not want to lose your hand and you better stay in the hospital and get this nipped. Still have scars on both sides of my hand to remind me of this event.
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Ooooouch! I feel your pain a little. I did the same thing but only ripped open the side of my thumb down to the bone.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
sandsnow said:
Ooooouch! I feel your pain a little. I did the same thing but only ripped open the side of my thumb down to the bone.
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Did not hurt one bit until about two hours after it happened. I didn't even know it went all the way through my hand until I went inside to clean the wound and seen blood was coming from the back side of my hand - then I realized it went all the way through.
 
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hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
480' has a nice one, I will try to post a picture of it, but it is in a closed thread, so I don't know if I can. Rookies.

If you're gonna drive ground rods, drive 'em right.
 
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
garfo55 said:
I know this was addressed about 5 years ago but I'm hoping for updated info: What does anyone use to drive ground rods? I have a 1 1/2" Milwaukee rotary Hammer with a ground rod bit but it doesn't do well driving in clay. I think the blow energy force is only 5-6 ft/lbs. Thanks
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HILTI TE 905 AVR, with a ground rod driver.

i just have the socket driver, not the spiffy one that clamps on the side of the ground rod
so you don't have to stand on top of a ladder with a jackhammer.

it goes thru most everything. loaned it to a friend, it
went thru a water main.

they leak a lot when you do that. the water main, not the hammer.... geez.
 
renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
I use a post driver like the one pictured, only I put a length of 3/4" EMT inside to guide the driver, and filled the space with mortar. The extra weight really helps.

For tougher jobs, I'll transition to (first) a roto-hammer, then a jackhammer, with rod-driving bit. Since the rods will whip about some, I'd like to get one of these:

http://www.electricsubstationsafety.com/whats_new.html

I'm told they work quite well.

Otherwise ... got a good air compressor? Our friends at Northern are selling this:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200398563_200398563

Looks promising.

Oh ... just have to add ... the NEC specifically says 'don't use the water trick.'
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
garfo55 said:
I know this was addressed about 5 years ago but I'm hoping for updated info: What does anyone use to drive ground rods? I have a 1 1/2" Milwaukee rotary Hammer with a ground rod bit but it doesn't do well driving in clay. I think the blow energy force is only 5-6 ft/lbs. Thanks
Click to expand...

I think your problem is a lack of force, 5-6 ft/lbs is probably not enough power except in soft soil.

My demo hammer is rated at 11 ft/lbs of force and is not that fast. Some folks think that about 14 ft/lbs is about right.


I guess it depends and how many rods you plan to drive and how fast you wish to go and just how much money you are willing to spend. I haven't had any problems driving rods so far but I know there are plenty of hammers out there with more power if needed.

Screw the NEC, pour some water on it and pretend it just rained. :slaphead::slaphead:
 
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electricblue

Senior Member
Location
Largo, Florida
Occupation
EC
Get a cheap chipping bit and cut it off. Slide a piece of 1/2" sealtite over the rod and bit. Split it 50/50. 10 bucks. Use your rotary hammer drill on chip
 
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