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Industrial diesel engine, hammer up to 1,500 joules, optional semi-automatic GPS and tracks for any ground. Here is how a TURCHI pile driver lets one operator close jobs that used to need three people and an excavator.
A self-propelled hydraulic pile driver turns diesel power into pure impact energy. The engine feeds a hydraulic power unit at 180 bar that drives the hammer, and the hammer strikes the pile head until it sits in the ground: diesel in, piles in the soil out. The same cycle serves a ground-mounted photovoltaic plant and a guardrail run along the carriageway, and a single operator handles it.
Impact energy comes in three levels, 950 / 1,200 / 1,500 J per blow, while the operator adjusts frequency and power in real time. That is enough to drive through compact clay, mixed ground and even layers with stone without pre-drilling: the H-profiles of a photovoltaic field and the posts of a road barrier go in at the depth and with the verticality the structure demands.
A photovoltaic plant counts 350 to 450 piles per megawatt, and the driving rate decides the margin on site. The TURCHI 300F reaches 150 piles a day with a single operator and 6 m of working height. Manual tampers stop at small posts and vibrating systems lose their effect on hard ground: TURCHI hydraulic percussion works on any soil, without exception.
Not all driving systems are equal. Here is why self-propelled hydraulic percussion is the method professionals choose.
| Feature | TURCHI 300F pile driver | Excavator + hammer | Manual tamper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piles per day | 150 (average, short piles) | 60-80 | 15-20 |
| Operators | 1 | 2-3 | 2 |
| Cost per pile | €2-4 | €6-9 | €10-14 |
| Working height | Up to 6.0 metres | Depends on the excavator | 1.5 metres |
| Difficult soils | Clay, stone, mixed, with a ground check | Limited | Soft ground only |
| Setup time | 15 min | 30-60 min | 5 min |
| Transport | Standard trailer | Low-loader | Van |
| GPS precision | Yes, optional | No | No |
| Positioning precision | GPS ±5 mm (accessory) | ±30-50 mm, by laser | ±50-100 mm, by eye |
| Working height | 6 m | Up to 3-4 metres | Up to 1.5-2 metres |
Figures refer to typical operating conditions. Actual productivity varies with the ground, the pile type and the driving depth.
The rubber-track undercarriage is what makes a TURCHI pile driver truly self-propelled. Traction on mud, slopes, soft farmland and gravel, without damaging the surface underneath. No stabiliser pads, no ground preparation: start it and work.
Every TURCHI pile driver uses latest-generation industrial diesel engines, chosen for the best balance of power, consumption and reliability: enough torque for difficult ground, quiet enough to work near residential areas.
Every TURCHI system is designed so the operator stays safe without giving up productivity.
Operate from a safe position on the most complex drives.
Compliant with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, with an individual test on every machine.
Limit switches, high-pressure switches and relief valves on all hydraulic circuits.
Control station designed for a full view of the work zone.
82 dB(A): suitable for residential areas without acoustic restrictions.
Anti-vibration mounts on engine and operator station to reduce fatigue.
Latest-generation TURCHI pile drivers integrate a remote monitoring system that streams live operating data: GPS position, running hours, the state of the main components and maintenance alerts. Your technical office knows where the machine is, what it is doing and when it will need service.
Always know where your machines are and on which jobsite, in real time.
Engine hours, hammer cycles, temperatures and pressures monitored continuously.
Automatic notifications before a component reaches its wear limit.
Our support team can run the diagnosis without being on site.
The standard pile driver drives the pile. These nine options decide how fast, to what tolerance and on which ground. Availability and combinations vary by model.
Mounts augers and DTH tools for pre-drilling in hard ground, or screws in ground screws without changing machine. Available as a single-motor side version and a twin-motor central one.
The accessory's GNSS receiver takes the mast to the design coordinates with centimetre accuracy. No misplaced piles and positioning up to 30% faster.
A digital inclinometer reads the attitude and the hydraulic correction straightens the mast on its own, even with the machine on a slope. The operator never touches the level.
Opens the hole before driving on hard or rocky ground. The pile goes in without stress and driving stays fast where percussion alone slows down.
Four-hole, Single
The operator drives the machine from a safe distance, eyes on the driving point instead of on the controls. The full version handles every movement, the reduced one only the tracks.
Full, Tracks only
Two opposed hydraulic motors turn the head on the mast axis. Torque rises and the load stays symmetrical: this is the version for piles of larger section and weight, and for fields that demand angular precision.
The hammer works in line with the mast and gets through the compact layers that stop percussion. The pile stays vertical and the machine does not move between hole and drive.
Grips the pile and draws it back up in line with the mast, to correct a position or dismantle the plant. At the end of a solar field's life you recover the whole structure with the machine that drove it, without calling in third-party equipment.
LED floodlight on the mast, aimed at the driving zone and powered by the machine's own electrical system. At dawn, at dusk, in a tunnel or under cover you work without setting up external lighting towers.
Solar plants of 3+ MW and large projects
Solar plants of 1-2 MW and road sites
Guardrails and mobile sites
Photovoltaic and road sites
Articles and guides on pile driver technology.
Configure the perfect machine for your site in 7 steps.
