Ground Rod driver

[FarmingSmallKubota]

I am looking at buying an SDS drill, Hammer, Hammer drill combo so that i can drill anchor bolts when needed, knock hydraulic lines free and chip concrete, but i also thought this might be a good investment for ground rod installation. since i frequently install and remove them for the Generator hobby, i was wondering if anybody has used this particular model . At work they use a Hilti corded monster, but i do not plan on making a living doing this just for personal use and i already own the dewalt Platform
DCH273 Dewalt

 

[Scoobyshep]

Good question, I do electrical for a profession, and though i rarely do rods these days i have usually used a jackhammer (its quite the sight to see, a 140 lb (at the time) guy lugging a 90lb jackhammer up a 12 foot ladder) to drive these (my personal record is 180 feet). That being said if it were me i would use a corded milwalkee. Corded because run time, milwalkee because its the flavor ive settled on. Keep in mind if you have to use such a device to drive the rod its likely to live there for eternity.

 

[LuckeyD]

I saw folks use a DeWalt battery hammer drill at a FOB in a war zone. Worked great. They used an impact socket just large enough to fit the rod. So they could pull it out again they put it in at an angle like we did in the 70s and then you wrap a chain around the rod and connect the other end to a truck and the rods come right out.

 

[FarmingSmallKubota]

I saw folks use a DeWalt battery hammer drill at a FOB in a war zone. Worked great. They used an impact socket just large enough to fit the rod. So they could pull it out again they put it in at an angle like we did in the 70s and then you wrap a chain around the rod and connect the other end to a truck and the rods come right out.

I plan to use the rod driver adapter. that is made for the hammer drill, but good to know someone has used one.

 

[rickf]

Why would you need to drive a ground rod 180 feet?

 

[Scoobyshep]

Why would you need to drive a ground rod 180 feet?

Cell towers. They have a required ground resistance rating that must be met, so it's drive 10 feet hook and test then if it's not low enough drive another 10 feet

 

[2Pbfeet]

+1 on corded.

I have an inexpensive SDS adapter. It works a treat. I also have an adapter for a demolition hammer as well when a little more persuasion is needed, as the rocks here are soft, though the gravel can be quite hard in places locally. Though I would say standing up on a ladder with an 80lb demolition hammer to get a ground rod in is not my idea of "safe", especially in an earthquake zone.

FWIW: While IIRC the US NEC wants to see the top of the ground rod, my recollection is that the various military documents on grounding that I have read put the top below ground level in a dug out area. E.g.
CECOM TR-98-6 "Earth Grounding and Bonding Pamphlet"

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/attachments/tr-98-6-earth-grounding-and-bonding-pamphlet-pdf.754141

Probably good reasons to do it both ways, not all of them electrical in my opinion.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[Scoobyshep]

I had an instructor many years ago that when the city inspector would pull up he would urinate on the rod to "let it conduct better"

 

[2Pbfeet]

@Scoobyshep funny! And not the first time that I have heard a story with regards to improving the effectiveness of the ground rod.

The manual above suggests a salt solution poured around the rod, though I have read elsewhere that Epsom salts (MgSO4) are more effective and more persistant.
EDIT: corrected by @FarmingSmallKubota below. A memory is a terrible thing to waste...sorry.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[FarmingSmallKubota]

@Scoobyshep funny! And not the first time that I have heard a story with regards to improving the effectiveness of the ground rod.

The manual above suggests a salt solution poured around the rod, though I have read elsewhere that Epsom salts (MgSO4) are more effective and more persistant.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

h 10.3). Optionally, salt can be placed in the trench and then covered, which will leach into the soil whenever it rains. From the standpoint of effectiveness and anti-corrosion qualities, the salt types listed below rank as follows: 1) Magnesium Sulfate 2) Copper Sulfate 3) Calcium Chloride 4) Sodium Chloride 5) Potassium Nitrate

 

[Scoobyshep]

We have done that as well even as far as burying a 10 lb bag of salt and piercing the bag with the rod. That way it would leach for quite some time. Only issue there is it tends to not want to let grass grow.

 

[Guyfang]

I had an instructor many years ago that when the city inspector would pull up he would urinate on the rod to "let it conduct better"

This was SOP in the desert around El Paso/White Sands. Or driving 10-15 ground rods and hooking them all up to one ground wire.

 

[Scoobyshep]

I had an instructor many years ago that when the city inspector would pull up he would urinate on the rod to "let it conduct better"

This was SOP in the desert around El Paso/White Sands. Or driving 10-15 ground rods and hooking them all up to one ground wire.

Here for dwelling grounds the code is 25 ohms or less OR 2 rods. So if you drove 2 rods it didnt matter what the reading was it still met code. so either he was too lazy to drive a second rod ( most times an apprentice did it) or he had some outdoor urination urge.

 

[Guyfang]

I plan to use the rod driver adapter. that is made for the hammer drill, but good to know someone has used one.

We have been doing this in Germany for a long time. Both with, or without cord. SDS adapter and any Hammer/Drill machine can and will do it. A large portion of the area we worked in is more or less sand. In the Nürnburg area, you can drive a series of rods down until its lunch time, and start again after lunch. For a "Light Weight" machine, we had a HILTI TE74 or TE75 in the bus. For rocky areas, we had a monster machine, that weighed about 80-90 pounds. It was made to ONLY drive ground rods. We only used HILTI. Its just simply the best. On a side note, I only use HILTI drill bits. No mater what size, big or small. No one sells better drills.

 

[peapvp]

I plan to use the rod driver adapter. that is made for the hammer drill, but good to know someone has used one.

We have been doing this in Germany for a long time. Both with, or without cord. SDS adapter and any Hammer/Drill machine can and will do it. A large portion of the area we worked in is more or less sand. In the Nürnburg area, you can drive a series of rods down until its lunch time, and start again after lunch. For a "Light Weight" machine, we had a HILTI TE74 or TE75 in the bus. For rocky areas, we had a monster machine, that weighed about 80-90 pounds. It was made to ONLY drive ground rods. We only used HILTI. Its just simply the best. On a side note, I only use HILTI drill bits. No mater what size, big or small. No one sells better drills.

There is nothing like a Hilti TE74 or his bigger brother the TE92
Basically, the manly thing…..

 

[FarmingSmallKubota]

There is nothing like a Hilti TE74 or his bigger brother the TE92
Basically, the manly thing…..

View attachment 948370

Thats what they use at work, but i had not found one affordable enough to justify buying. Even at Auction they are pricey

 

[Guyfang]

I went to HILTI school. started with the TE72. The greatest light weight drill hammer ever. Then the TE74, TE75, TE76. Then the nail guns. They shot a .22 ammo. Drive the special nails into concrete or steel.

When HILTI stopped supporting the TE72, we had thousands of repair parts on stock. Our company went tits up in 2000, and the Master Mechanic in our shop took them all to his house and hid them. He fixed HILTI equipment until he died 2 months ago. Several years ago, I needed a TE72 switch. I called up HILTI, and asked. They told me that HILTI had sold all there repair parts to companies in Africa. So dejected, I said, "Well damn, cant fix this old machine." He told me in a low voice, "There is a guy in Weismain who......" I cut him off. "Josef?" I asked? He just laughed and asked me if I knew him. I laughed and answerd "Thanks, I got it from here" The only person in Germany with parts for the old stuff!

 

[Guyfang]

The big differance between HILTI and Bosch, is that HILTI requires special tools. Bosch and other can be repaired with normal tools. Bosch is ALMOST as good.

 

[peapvp]

The big differance between HILTI and Bosch, is that HILTI requires special tools. Bosch and other can be repaired with normal tools. Bosch is ALMOST as good.

Bosch is for Sissies…….

 

[Coug]

Only problem with using power tools to drive the rod is you sometimes try to just pound the rod after you should have stopped.
I remember hearing one electrician talking about how he had finally gotten the rod driven almost all the way into the ground, squatting down to drive it that last little bit when the other end started poking him in the butt. made almost a circle underground