7 Best Star Picket Drivers in Australia for 2024

What are Star Picket Drivers?

Star pickets are simple pickets made from a single cast piece of steel, extruded as three separate wings, or sides, and one pointed end to easily cut through the dirt. Along their length, they are perforated for easy threading of fence wire or electric fencing wire.

Star picket drivers are, like any picket driver, designed to focus your efforts downwards. There are a few different types to choose from, but your main choice is always going to be over manual, picket drivers, and hydraulic picket drivers. 

Different Types of Star Picket Drivers

Before we dig into the detail, let’s just look at the pros and cons of manual vs hydraulic or gas powered star picket drivers:

Manual vs Petrol Star Sicket Drivers

Firstly, it’s important to state that there’s a big difference between the two, and with that comes a chasm of difference in effort levels. Obviously, manually driving 200 star pickets around your property is going to be exhausting (probably to the point of being impossible), but it can save a lot of money.

Petrol, or gas powered hydraulic star picket drivers are easy to use, but are much heavier than manual picket drivers. In general they will drive a star picket fully into the ground in a few seconds, as opposed to 20 seconds to a minute per post with a manual driver.

What to Look for When Buying a Star Picket Driver

If you opt for the more powerful, and lower effort  gas picket driver, then there are a couple of things to get to know, from how to gauge their force and pressure, to how quickly they can exert that pressure.

But, some simple practical considerations too, in that not all picket drivers are suitable for star pickets in terms of size and safety.

Force

1-2 tonnes of pressure is enough to drive a star picket into the ground with ease, but more powerful star picket drivers exist, and will get the job done even faster.

The only downside, is that the more power you’re using, the bigger the engine (generally, not always!). That means you’ll be lugging around a machine that can weigh upwards of 20kg!

BPM

There is no easier way to contrast gas picket drivers against manual ones than when looking at BPM… BPM, or blows per minute, is how many full drives your machine can do in one minute.

For some gas powered drivers it’s easily over 2000 BPM, for cheaper drivers it’s more like 1200 BPM (which is still better than the average 40 BPM humans are able to do with a weighted manual driver).

Diameter

Star pickets are sold as a standard diameter, but their length does vary. Thankfully, that makes it pretty simple to choose a good post driver for star pickets. Standard post drivers are 100-200cm wide, and star pickets can move around in that space. 

For the best star picket drivers, choose one with an internal diameter of less than 8 cm if possible, and certainly never over 10cm wide.

Safety Features

There are three key safety features that should be included on all star picket drivers:

• Kill Switch
• Throttle Lock
• Anti-vibration / Cushioned Handles

Hydraulic tools continue piling out pressure if you let them go, and can cause serious injury, so kill switches and throttle locks are essential to maintain full and safe control of your tools. However, they are basically standard on all star picket drivers. The safety feature that’s often overlooked is anti-vibration functions.

The best anti-vibration functions you can find on any star picket drivers are anti-vibration handles, which allow you to maintain full grip, while being sprung enough to reduce the shake passing back to your arms and spine.

How to Use a Star Picket Driver

Star picket drivers are simple to use:

• Set your picket on the right place by gently pushing it into the ground as far as possible by hand.
• Lift your star picket driver over the top of the picket.
• If using a manual driver, use as much force as is comfortable on downward swings to ram the picket into the earth.
• If using a gas picket driver, engage the engine and turn it on, maintaining a strong grip and some downward pressure.
• Turn off the driver completely between posts.

1. Baumr-AG HP440 Petrol Post Driver

Among the best of the budget range of picket drivers is this Baumr-AG petrol post driver, with a powerful 4-stroke engine, and comfortable handles.

The manufacturing quality is up there with any premium Baumr-AG range, but it’s built from lighter weight materials, and has slightly lower blows per minute, making it more comfortable, but slower to use.

2. Crommelins SPX82HP Star Picket Driver

Crommelins Honda powered picket driver is stunningly powerful, with an ideal 3” chamber for ramming star pickets without worrying about them shifting around, or jamming.

The sprung handles reduce vibrations more than we thought possible, and its safety switches are easily accessible on the sprung section of handle. It’s a premium price for a premium picket driver, but if you’re after top-notch tools, you’ll need to invest a touch more.

3. Baumr-AG HP240 Petrol Post Driver

Designed specifically for use with star pickets, this Baumr-AG petrol post driver is about as good as it gets. While it’s not exactly light, it’s half the weight of many petrol post drivers, and is relatively easy to manoeuvre and lift between posts.

With 2000 blows per minute, powered by an engine running at 6500 RPM it’s got enough torque for you to never worry about locking or struggling with tough ground too.

If you’re after a tool, from a trusted brand, that’s going to make light work of laying star pickets, this picket driver is the one for you.

4. Christie Engineering CHPD-52 Petrol Post Driver

Christie Engineering is dedicated to quality manufacturing, and this post driver is no different. With comfortable sprung handles, it takes a lot of strain off the user while it’s powering through pickets at 1720 blows per minute.

The body and picket driver are excellently manufactured, and probably beat most other products on quality, but we’ve marked it down slightly for its sheer weight, being a little on the heavy side for comfortable prolonged use.

5. KASA Steel Star Picket Driver Hammer

Manual post drivers won’t ever compete with gas powered post drivers, even for star pickets, which are designed for easy installation. However, this KASA manual post driver is well built, reasonably lightweight, and will drive a post per minute on decent ground.

For a fraction of the price of gas powered options, it’s worth considering cheaper manual post drivers like the KASA if you’re only laying fences on short perimeters.

6. Generic Star Picket Post Driver

There’s very little difference between this and the other manual post drivers, so for a fraction of the price you can get pretty much the same tool. The only problem, like with any generic tools bought online is that you never truly know how long they’re going to last.

Manufacturing quality can vary, and their materials aren’t properly regulated. For a one-off job, you could maybe save some money here, but if I’m being honest, it’s probably not worth the risk.

7. A-KARCK Fence Post Driver

A-KARCK aren’t exactly a household name, but they do take pride in what they do, and these manual star picket drivers are designed for a simple purpose, and they do it well.

I personally prefer these more parallel handles on manual post drivers, as the sloped handles tend to make it harder to produce the right downforce if you’re wearing decent gloves.

But that’s personal preference, rather than anything pro or con about the design of either manual post driver.

This well priced star picket driver is beautifully proportioned and well weighted, for comfortable use over long periods. Its safety switches are right on the handles for easy reach, and as a bonus, the handles are fully sprung to reduce pressure and vibrations on your arm and spine.

If you’re looking for a simple picker driver for domestic use, and don’t want to spend your savings, the Baumr-AG Petrol 4-Stroke Post Driver is a brilliant option to save your back from the stress of manual tools.

The Crommelins SPX82HP Post Driver is designed specifically for efficiently driving star pickets. Its body is well manufactured from durable materials, with well-proportioned handles for a comfortable and steady grip.

With a huge 1720 blows per minute and a weighty19.5kg frame, it’s easy to see how this post driver can make quick work of long boundaries.

On a budget, but want tools you can trust? Baumr-AG is the brand to focus on. Their manufacturing quality is up there with the best, and they have tools in all shapes and all sizes to suit all budgets.

This Baumr-AG 2-Stroke Petrol Star Picket Driver is perfect for DIY users and professionals alike. Its 2-Stroke engine might be less efficient and less powerful than its more expensive counterparts, but it’s worth the difference for the savings alone.

Star Picket Driver Frequently Asked Questions

How do you drive star pickets into the ground?

The easiest way to drive star pickets into the ground is using a hydraulic powered post driver. Manual post drivers are a great budget alternative, but take much longer if you are driving multiple star posts.

Can you hammer in star pickets?

If you don’t have a post driver, it is possible to hammer star pickets into the ground using a sledgehammer, or a mallet on particularly loose ground (though you will need to go deeper for security).

The pointed end of star pickets, and narrow panels make them much easier to drive in than traditional posts.

How long do star pickets last in the ground?

Star pickets are made from carbon steel or coated steel, so should last several decades in the ground before they begin to weather or weaken. Over time even stainless steel can erode, so check your posts every few years just in case.

How do you keep star pickets straight?

To maintain the distance between star picket posts and ensure they stay straight for longer, drive them firmly into the ground, and then secure them using standard post clips on the wire between each star picket.

Do star pickets need to be capped?

Star pickets are generally well manufactured without any extremely sharp edges, but on occasion they may have poorly cut ends. Regardless of the state of the picket itself though, you should cap star pickets in public spaces, or along pathways as they can cause serious injury if anyone was to fall on them.

How strong are star pickets?

When properly driven in, star pickets can hold over 1.5kg of pressure per picket, meaning they are capable of securing tightly strung wires even at a distance.

Do I need to pre-drill star pickets?

Star pickets don’t need to be pre-drilled. Most are supplied with pre-drilled holes along their length for threading fence wire and cable through, making installation much simpler.

How far apart are star pickets for an electric fence?

Star pickets for an electric fence should be placed no more than 5m apart. This helps to maintain tension, and stabilise the pickets longer.

Do star pickets rust?

Star pickets do eventually rust, regardless of the material they are made from, but most land owners weigh the good against the bad so the general consensus is that the eventual rust is worth the savings on installation and materials from the initial investment.

For more Australian tool reviews and buying guides, check out our list below: 

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• Post hole diggers
• Jackhammers