I have some land in southern Oklahoma and last weekend I was hanging fence. Got to a spot that I knew was going to be difficult.
I have a gas powered post driver and that could barely budge the t post.

I could rent an air compressor powered driver or a jackhammer. Was wondering if anyone else has experience with this before I rented and wasted money.

You could use a hammer drill with a large bit to get a pilot hole started, we do it all the time when setting forms for concrete in rocky areas.

While in college I traded a day of labor for hunting the owners land. The work was jackhammering holes for Tpost in Junction, Tx. I couldn't move my arms for 2 days after, worst trade in the history of trades... Hire someone and drink beer while they work.

That thought crossed my mind several times last weekend. It's only about 10 posts too. But it's all rock.

I have land just west of Poteau a few miles. Spotty rock problems like that...air hammer drill did nothing. Ending up having to just reposition posts. Pain in the rear from any standpoint.

A hammer drill if you have a lot to set. A rock bar will work if you don't have to many.

It's Smokelahoma fences are only needed to keep the girlfriend sheep from running off.

i'm afraid if I rent that hammer drill, it won't do anything. Yeah I only have about 10 to set. Never thought of a rock bar. Basically you drive that down through, breaking up the rock then use that hole to set your post?

When I was younger, me and my brothers spent LOTS of time running a rock bar at our Brownwood lake place to set anchors for our mobile home.
When it came time for the septic tank and a rented backhoe was making zero headway, we called a guy out that knew how to use dynamite in that hard as hell gray rock. He brought a big arse air compressor like a 185 or thereabouts and a hammer drill to make his holes for the dynamite. Me and my brother found out right quick how to make holes in solid rock and it wasn't using rock bars!!
Wish I had a pic of that hole the guy blasted. It was a perfect size and straight sides.
I recommend renting the air compressor and the drill for your t-post holes!!

Track hoe with a jackhammer attachment= Hammer Hoe.......problem solved

Why wouldn't a hammer drill work? I've drilled a couple miles of fence post through solid white rock. And yeah the rock bar works kinda like the t post driver. Just pick it up and drop it letting the weight of the bar do the work.

I have used a jack hammer as well. Damn sure a good work out.

rent a bosch bulldog hammer drill and get the 2" bit with long shaft (should be about 18=24") will need a generator or other power source but the bulldog will flat drill holes in rock/concrete etc.

helps too if you have someone drizzle water on the bit while drilling, keeps it cool and moves dust out of the way.




this is the bit you will need.

Just reading this makes my arms hurt, most of my family live in Northern Oklahoma and boy is it rocky. Being I grew up in East Texas I always thought is was funny listening to them talk about their "Rock Pickers" they used to clear a field for planting. A Rock Bar is how they put posts in the ground back in the day. Backhoe mounted Jack Hammer is the way they do it now.
I like hopalong's idea.

I used to use an Atlas CopCo hammer drill when I was feeding and building feed pens. It would drill a hole deep enough for a tee post in less than a minute. Just knock the arrow head off the bottom of the post and use the fines from the hole to fill in around it. A little water to wet the fines and it's almost like quick crete.

Check with the local hardware stores that rent tools. That's were I found it the first time. A year later it was for sale at the hardware store because most people thought they need a jack hammer and all the stuff that goes with that.

The thing weighed 58 lbs, but the daughters could handle it when drilling. I have pics if I could get into photobucket.