# Neat ground rod driver.



## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

the price really turns me off. Very cool design though.

~Matt


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Great tool, buy $2000.00 is a bit steep compared to $75.00 for attachment for demo hammer

If I owned a farm. I would buy one :thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Black4Truck said:


> Great tool, buy $2000.00 is a bit steep compared to $75.00 for attachment for demo hammer
> 
> If I owned a farm. I would buy one :thumbsup:


Agreed, It would definately have its place for some people.

~Matt


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

For that much money, wouldn't it be much better to buy both a rotary hammer with rod driving bit and a generator? Both of those two products could be used for MANY other things.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

BadSplice said:


> For that much money, wouldn't it be much better to buy both a rotary hammer with rod driving bit and a generator? Both of those two products could be used for MANY other things.


For that price you could pick up the manual version at Home Depot and buy him mickey dees for lunch on the drive to drop him back off.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

That would be good for a company that does alot of house's and saw services.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BadSplice said:


> For that much money, wouldn't it be much better to buy both a rotary hammer with rod driving bit and a generator? Both of those two products could be used for MANY other things.


Bingo. Zactly what I did.



MechanicalDVR said:


> For that price you could pick up the manual version at Home Depot and buy him mickey dees for lunch on the drive to drop him back off.


Don't you mean _Manuel_?


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

:laughing::laughing:


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## Kevin J (Dec 11, 2008)

Has a big cool factor though.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Kevin J said:


> Has a big cool factor though.


Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I wouldn't spend 2 grand on one either without some other compelling reason, but it is pretty neat. It might be good for some of the long sectional rods that you have to drive dozens of for a cell phone tower.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

only way I'm buying that is if it can also fire pumpkins a mile and a half.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Looks pretty neat:


Maybe if you're "gay". :thumbup:


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

One thing about this contraption is that you should be able to reach it from the ground when driving an 8 foot rod.

I remember seeing guys too lazy to get a ladder tape the trigger on a $900 Bosch rotary hammer and put it on top of the ground rod and then swing the rod up in the air. After the tool came down and narrowly missed his head and smashed on the nearby concrete slab, he got his check.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

BadSplice said:


> One thing about this contraption is that you should be able to reach it from the ground when driving an 8 foot rod.
> 
> I remember seeing guys too lazy to get a ladder tape the trigger on a $900 Bosch rotary hammer and put it on top of the ground rod and then swing the rod up in the air. After the tool came down and narrowly missed his head and smashed on the nearby concrete slab, he got his check.


I've never understood why people can't just drive a ground rod with a three pound mini-sledge or a regular hammer. That's how I do it. :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BadSplice said:


> One thing about this contraption is that you should be able to reach it from the ground when driving an 8 foot rod.
> 
> I remember seeing guys too lazy to get a ladder tape the trigger on a $900 Bosch rotary hammer and put it on top of the ground rod and then swing the rod up in the air. After the tool came down and narrowly missed his head and smashed on the nearby concrete slab, he got his check.


 
Try one of these:


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

That's a nice attachment, no more dragging around a ladder.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BadSplice said:


> That's a nice attachment, no more dragging around a ladder.


 
It only works in a Hilti TE 805 or 905, though.


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

Oh, cause it doesn't use an SDS standard?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

steelersman said:


> I've never understood why people can't just drive a ground rod with a three pound mini-sledge or a regular hammer. That's how I do it. :thumbsup:


I try to let a "machine" work for me where ever I can :thumbsup:

Using a demo hammer to drive in a ground rod is much easier that driving a 8 ft rod through rocky soil 

Using your logic, I should drill out a house with a brace & bit :laughing:


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

Black4Truck said:


> Using your logic, I should drill out a house with a brace & bit :laughing:


Not exactly. Drilling an entire house out is different as there are many holes to be drilled. If you're only driving 1 or 2 rods then I'd have them driven by the time you get out the cord and drill and special attatchment for it. :thumbsup:


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

steelersman said:


> Not exactly. Drilling an entire house out is different as there are many holes to be drilled. If you're only driving 1 or 2 rods then I'd have them driven by the time you get out the cord and drill and special attatchment for it. :thumbsup:


I've heard that story before, usually by cocky apprentices. And everytime, as I'm working like a gentleman, making the contractor money, working smarter and not unnecessarily harder- the apprentice is sweating his ass off when he has 3 more foot to hammer in as I'm putting the drill away and starting the next task. :whistling2:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> If you're only driving 1 or 2 rods then I'd have them driven by the time you get out the cord and drill and special attatchment for it.


Maybe on the beach :laughing:

Around here you'd be in trouble. I have had ground rods refuse to go all the way in even after using the 30# demo hammer on them for several minutes. They just hit a rock and flat ass *stop*. That's when the vertical rod adjustment tool comes out.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

220/221 said:


> That's when the vertical rod adjustment tool comes out.


Just call it by it's simpler name, "hacksaw". :thumbsup:


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

BadSplice said:


> I've heard that story before, usually by cocky apprentices.


Well this time you're hearing it from a cocky "master". :thumbsup:


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

steelersman said:


> Just call it by it's simpler name, "hacksaw". :thumbsup:


Another time wasting hand tool, Jeeze! Where's your cordless Sawzall?!?!? :thumbsup:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Another time wasting hand tool, Jeeze! Where's your cordless Sawzall?!?!?


I know :laughing:

Who uses a hacksaw? (unless your batteries are all dead)

He probably still solders and tapes his splices.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

BadSplice said:


> Another time wasting hand tool, Jeeze! Where's your cordless Sawzall?!?!? :thumbsup:


I don't own or need a cordless sawzall. I do have and sometimes use a corded sawzall though. :thumbsup:


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

steelersman said:


> I don't own or need a cordless sawzall. I do have and sometimes use a corded sawzall though. :thumbsup:


What's the cord for? To remind you of the past? :thumbup:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

BadSplice said:


> What's the cord for? To remind you of the past? :thumbup:


:laughing::laughing:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

steelersman said:


> Well this time you're hearing it from a cocky "master". :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BadSplice said:


> Oh, cause it doesn't use an SDS standard?


No. It's about 4x the diameter of an SDS bit.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

steelersman said:


> I don't own or need a cordless sawzall. I do have and sometimes use a corded sawzall though. :thumbsup:


Then why not just drive the rod with a power tool in the first place and know you have 8 feet in the ground instead of being lazy and end up knowingly creating a code violation?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Then why not just drive the rod with a power tool in the first place and know you have 8 feet in the ground instead of being lazy and end up knowingly creating a code violation?


 
He never said that he cut the rod, but there are plenty of other things you can pick on :laughing:


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Then why not just drive the rod with a power tool in the first place and know you have 8 feet in the ground instead of being lazy and end up knowingly creating a code violation?


I've only cut the rod once that I can remember. Besides I hardly ever need to. I can almost always drive it all the way in. And if you do cut it, it should be kosher as long as it's 25 ohms or less resistance. Besides when I did cut it off I still beat the end with a hammer to mushroom it out so that it didn't look like it was cut. :thumbsup:


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

steelersman said:


> If you're only driving 1 or 2 rods then I'd have them driven by the time you get out the cord and drill and special attatchment for it. :thumbsup:


With your 'three pound mini-sledge or a regular hammer'?

Then I say you live on a sand bar.

Come on up to where I live and if you can drive a single entire 8' rod with just a mini sledge or regular hammer your much more of a man then most anyone I know. 

Most times in my area driving a rod would give Ken's demo hammer some trouble. Rods have a hard time splitting potato sized rocks.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

steelersman said:


> Besides when I did cut it off I still beat the end with a hammer to mushroom it out so that it didn't look like it was cut. :thumbsup:


Com on dude, yous no thats the ritghz waye ta do dat is ta cut the rod firsts.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

Yeah, I guess I'm a hack. I learned that trick from Peter.


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

Do you use a corded drill too?



I'm sorry, I just can't get over this whole corded tool bit.


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## steelersman (Mar 15, 2009)

I use a cordless drill.


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

steelersman said:


> i use a cordless drill.


blasphemy!

ETA, this forum apparently has an anti-yelling feature. I typed Blasphemy in all caps.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Bob Badger said:


> ................Most times in my area driving a rod would give Ken's demo hammer some trouble. Rods have a hard time splitting potato sized rocks.


Not really. It'll still drive the rod, but it won't be straight when it gets done. 

I've had it hit rocks and start bending the rod to where it comes back up a couple feet away.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Com on dude, yous no thats the ritghz waye ta do dat is ta cut the rod firsts.


Cut it in half and save 12 bucks :thumbup:

I will tell a brief version of my favorite ground rod story.

A POCO inspector on a resi service upgrade thought that the rods had been cut and wouldn't sign off unless Steven installed new ones. (He had seen some short pieces of 1/2" copper pipe in the dumpster)

Steven showed him the demo hammer/driver and retrieved the copper pipe but the inspector stood firm and wouldn't sign off for a reconnect.


Homeowners went to a hotel for a couple days and the inspector came back with a line crew and pulled the first 8' rod out. He then pulled the second 8' rod out. He then told Steven to reinstall them and he would sign off. Steven laughed and the line crew had to pound them in with a small sledge hammer.

POCO sent a check to cover the added expenses.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Not really. It'll still drive the rod, but it won't be straight when it gets done.
> 
> I've had it hit rocks and start bending the rod to where it comes back up a couple feet away.


I had one come in through the basement wall. That was embarrassing. Never expected a big gooney to be buried right next to the house. It's normally pretty decent fill right along a house.


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