Hilti makes a ground rod driver that is basically an adapted electric jack hammer that is supposed to be able to drive a ground rod in impossible conditions.
I would never suggest cutting off the bottom of the rod. What a pain that would be. Cut off the top instead.
spoken with the clarity and insight of a man who knows the way to the winged horses.
hilti, among others, makes a socket to fit in a demo hammer, and drive rods
hili, uniquely, also makes a driver that clamps onto the rod midpoint, so you don't have
to stand on top of a 8' ladder with a jackhammer, looking stupid.
for what it costs, i'll get the $60 version, and look stupid using it. as i often look stupid anyway,
i might as well save the money. some folks just put the socket of a demo hammer directly over
the rod, and drive it. it's a good way to screw up your demo hammer, so it becomes a driving
groundrods only sort of tool.
and it won't drive rods thru kryptonite, despite what lies hilti says. however, you can just leave
it sit there till it drives it in, or stops so long it spalls the top 2" of the rod into a mushroom.
i've only found one time it wouldn't drive a ground rod, however. it was when it turned out there
was a thick slab buried 5' down in a quarry. turned out to be the base for a crane, taken out
after the second world war, i was later told.
