Pole tampers or "pogo sticks" are an everyday tool of the trade for utility field operations. Pole tampers are small, effective soil compactors, appropriate for use in highly confined areas and capable of achieving geo-technical goals over a wide range of backfill soils. Unfortunately, pole tampers expose field personnel to one of the industry's highest levels of hand/arm vibration. Nevertheless, pole tampers have proven difficult to replace. Indeed, as a growing number of utilities adopt "keyhole methods", it is likely that pole tamper utilization will increase as excavation size decreases.