# handy tool for driving ground rods



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

i use one of these for driving ground rods. but there are many different types out there.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200322769_200322769
it works quite well and will drive a rod in roughly around a minute or less
(unless you are driving it through concrete) I would drill through the concrete with a masonry drill first:laughing:


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

gnuuser said:


> i use one of these for driving ground rods. but there are many different types out there.
> http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200322769_200322769
> it works quite well and will drive a rod in roughly around a minute or less
> (unless you are driving it through concrete) I would drill through the concrete with a masonry drill first:laughing:


Have what? Pictures are very helpful, besides we like pictures:jester:


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

A huge demo hammer? Yeah, they do a great job. 
Carrying one on your truck is another thing. 

I use an SDS-Max drill with a ground rod drier attachment. Makita 4040 or 4000 I think.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Hilti TE905... only way to fly.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Speedy Petey said:


> A huge demo hammer? Yeah, they do a great job.
> Carrying one on your truck is another thing.
> 
> I use an SDS-Max drill with a ground rod drier attachment. Makita 4040 or 4000 I think.


Huge money as well,

I use a Bosh 1 5/8ths SDS with the ground rod driver.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

Milwaukee SDS Max with ground rod driver here.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> Huge money as well,.........


You guys would puke your guts up if you knew how much I paid for mine.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

480sparky said:


> You guys would puke your guts up if you knew how much I paid for mine.


more like this..





:lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

I paid almost $500 for my Milwaukee almost 5 years ago, but it's been worth every penny I paid for it.

I did get a hell of a deal on a D handle Dewalt drill on ebay a few years back. Think it retailed for $229, paid $40 shipped.:thumbup:


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Hilti TE905... only way to fly.


Seems like by the time your done ****ing around with that most guys would already have the rod driven. Even if they had to do it by hand.
Plus they saved a ton of money.
That might be handy if you drove 20 foot rods all the time but 8 footers??

To the OP, ever have a rod mushroom in the head? That will make you wish you had purchased the ground rod driver attachment.


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## Holt (Jun 20, 2011)

I just use a 20oz bottle of water


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## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

A sledge hammer with a pipe welded on for a handle works pretty good.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> Huge money as well,
> 
> I use a Bosh 1 5/8ths SDS with the ground rod driver.



Ya, all the machines will 'do it', but screw up the shaft/drive..... big 'cake' to repair.

2 or 3 with the drill is fine, but for $75 bucks- buy the fitting.

PS: Keep the tool out of the dirt.  especially if it is YOUR tool !!!!


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

Holt said:


> I just use a 20oz bottle of water



Please explain. :jester:


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

mnelectrician said:


> A sledge hammer with a pipe welded on for a handle works pretty good.



Sledge hammers are used for busting out foundations.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> Seems like by the time your done ****ing around with that most guys would already have the rod driven. Even if they had to do it by hand.
> Plus they saved a ton of money.
> That might be handy if you drove 20 foot rods all the time but 8 footers??
> 
> To the OP, ever have a rod mushroom in the head? That will make you wish you had purchased the ground rod driver attachment.


So where's _your_ video of you driving rods? :whistling2:


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Speedy Petey said:


> A huge demo hammer? Yeah, they do a great job.
> Carrying one on your truck is another thing.
> 
> I use an SDS-Max drill with a ground rod drier attachment. Makita 4040 or 4000 I think.


I've got a Bosch Demolition hammer but I don't have the ground rod drier attachment.:no::no:


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> A huge demo hammer? Yeah, they do a great job.
> Carrying one on your truck is another thing.
> 
> I use an SDS-Max drill with a ground rod drier attachment. Makita 4040 or 4000 I think.



One must own the tool. Not necessarily carry it every where. BUT- Have it available.
99% of the time we will know if we need that tool. so pack it for the job.


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## Hotlegs (Oct 9, 2011)

480sparky said:


> Hilti TE905... only way to fly.
> 
> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYYxrswG0jQ">YouTube Link</a>


Can they make that any easier? It still looks like a lot of bending over to me.


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## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

leland said:


> Sledge hammers are used for busting out foundations.


Yeah you can do that too.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

leland said:


> Please explain. :jester:


They don't live around here.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

mnelectrician said:


> A sledge hammer with a pipe welded on for a handle works pretty good.


Use a heavy sledge head, & 3/4" Rigid 

cut the rigid about 3', weld it onto the head

screw a coupling on the threaded end, screw on 3 more feet of rigid

use the whole 6' assembly to start

bust it down to a 3' driver when the G-rod's lower

use a hand sledge for the last few feet

*why?*

because you will not have power at many sites, unless to plan on bringing it along.....

~CS~


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I had to get a hammer out the other day for a rod. Lol. I was a little pissed.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

lol!, yeah those rods have looked like GC's to me in the past.....:jester:~CS~


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Any of you fellas ever miss & land a shot to the shin bone?  ~CS~


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## aftershockews (Dec 22, 2012)

leland said:


> Please explain. :jester:


Most of the time here you can just use water. Just churn butter so to speak.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

leland said:


> One must own the tool. Not necessarily carry it every where. BUT- Have it available.
> 99% of the time we will know if we need that tool. so pack it for the job.


Yeah, but that's a HELL of a toll to haul _just_ to drive a ground rod.


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## Holt (Jun 20, 2011)

leland said:


> Please explain. :jester:


I stand back and cool off by drinking it while the apprentice puts the ground rod in.


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## mnelectrician (Dec 1, 2008)

chicken steve said:


> Use a heavy sledge head, & 3/4" Rigid
> 
> cut the rigid about 3', weld it onto the head
> 
> ...


Adding a coupling is a good idea to get it down further.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> Yeah, but that's a HELL of a toll to haul _just_ to drive a ground rod.


When you're building a new service from scratch, there's a HELL of a lot of _other stuff_ you haul to the job site...'just to build the service'. 

I hauled a stick of 2" rigid for the mast. Just to build the service.

I hauled a 24' extension ladder for access to the roof. Just to build the service.

I brought along a sawzall to cut conduit with. Just to build the service.

I had to get out my hole saws. Just to build the service.

I had to bring a weatherhead, a johnny ball, a meter socket, a hub. Just to build the service.

I had to get some big wire. And some No. 4 bare. Just to build the service.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

480sparky said:


> When you're building a new service from scratch, there's a HELL of a lot of _other stuff_ you haul to the job site...'just to build the service'.
> 
> I hauled a stick of 2" rigid for the mast. Just to build the service.
> 
> ...



OK, I will bite. What's a johnny ball?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> OK, I will bite. What's a johnny ball?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

480sparky said:


> .
> 
> I brought along a sawzall to cut conduit with. Just to build the service.
> .


I know your old skool but they have this thing called a porta band. Cats ass. You should look onto it.


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## dthurmond (Feb 7, 2011)

drspec said:


> Milwaukee SDS Max with ground rod driver here.


 I have been looking at this model . How has it worked out for you ? Looks like around 650 for it and the attachment. 



Thanks Daniel


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

nolabama said:


> I know your old skool but they have this thing called a porta band. Cats ass. You should look onto it.



Old skool = hacksaw. :thumbup:


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Old skool = hacksaw. :thumbup:


Point taken. Well us folks on the millennium falcon are gonna use the porta band.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

nolabama said:


> Point taken. Well us folks on the millennium falcon are gonna use the porta band.


Why not use a Light Sabre?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Too much slag. Union thing too, cant go to fast.


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