Windmill Tower Punch

[Ron Stauffer]

I dont often use it up on a tower. Usually setting a stub, there is an old head to remove so I am setting up the hoist anyway. Lay mill and tower down, chop the top, set the stub, put on new head and reset everything. That is the easiest and safest. I have used it twice in the air, once because it would have been difficult to lay the tower down because of the anchor construction and other when I had help. When I did it myself, I tethered the punch off the sand line of the truck at the height I needed to work.

My Enerpac hand pump is made out of very light weight material and comes in at 9#. A 700 ft lb 20V Dewalt weighs 6# to run that monitor punch. The stinking import punch is the heavy part.

Hougen Ogura electro hydro punches are nice and you can now get them cordless. They are lots of dollars. Of course now you can get them import but only as 115V , cost is around $300.

The hex drive Milwaukee titanium shockwave drill bits in a 20V brushless Dewalt 1/4 impact is probably the fastest for putting in 3/8 holes, Drilling with an impact doesnt sound workable but it does work very well. If you are binding the bit in the impact, it just slows down and hammers. Chuck doesnt slip and you dont break bits

It comes down to what you like to use and what money you want to spend to get the job done.

Jerry, when punching two layers with hydraulic punch, you need to vise grip on each side of the punch. The hydraulic punches dont have a strong retract so you dont want it to bind after punching.

Ron

[JBarker]

Wondering how you would use the tool when you are thirty feet up on a tower?

I bought this punch to mainly use on the ground with stub towers and anchor post legs. I will use the smaller Monitor punch for standing towers. If I need to use this larger punch, I will use it from a boom lift basket and my younger brother holding the 31# punch in position while I use the handheld pump. It's doable from a basket but I shouldn't have to use it in that application very often. Thanks

Jerry

[JBarker]

I dont often use it up on a tower. Usually setting a stub, there is an old head to remove so I am setting up the hoist anyway. Lay mill and tower down, chop the top, set the stub, put on new head and reset everything. That is the easiest and safest. I have used it twice in the air, once because it would have been difficult to lay the tower down because of the anchor construction and other when I had help. When I did it myself, I tethered the punch off the sand line of the truck at the height I needed to work.

My Enerpac hand pump is made out of very light weight material and comes in at 9#. A 700 ft lb 20V Dewalt weighs 6# to run that monitor punch. The stinking import punch is the heavy part.

Hougen Ogura electro hydro punches are nice and you can now get them cordless. They are lots of dollars. Of course now you can get them import but only as 115V , cost is around $300.

The hex drive Milwaukee titanium shockwave drill bits in a 20V brushless Dewalt 1/4 impact is probably the fastest for putting in 3/8 holes, Drilling with an impact doesnt sound workable but it does work very well. If you are binding the bit in the impact, it just slows down and hammers. Chuck doesnt slip and you dont break bits

It comes down to what you like to use and what money you want to spend to get the job done.

Jerry, when punching two layers with hydraulic punch, you need to vise grip on each side of the punch. The hydraulic punches dont have a strong retract so you dont want it to bind after punching.

Ron

Thanks Ron, I'm always trying to learn some new windmill skills from all you old timers. LOL!!

[JBarker]

sorry, this video is not the best quality I will make a new one soon. Using my new Vevor hole punch (1/2" die punch) with hand hydraulic pump.