I tried the search but didn’t come up with anything
I have about a dozen cedar fence posts that need to come out. Most are just set in the clay, maybe two or three feet down – I haven’t tried getting one out yet, but most of them are not set in concrete. We got 8 inches of rain this last weekend, so now is a good time to get them out.
What are some good ways to pull these out?
When deck posts exceed what the prescriptive code tables allow, it's time to consult a structural engineer for post sizing and possible bracing.
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Replies
Get a 4X4 aprox. 2' long.
Bolt a 2X4 to the 4X4-- close to the top of the 4X4 and Aprox. 1' from the end of the 2X4- using a 3/8"> bolt.
Bolt end of 2X4 to cedar post--- cantelever post out of hole.
On tough posts you may need to bolt a 2nd 2X4 to other side of 4X4
Doesn't work near as well with conc.
How big are the posts? If they aren't all that big, you can just rock them back and forth and side to side to loosen 'em up and then lift 'em out.
But seems like a shame to miss out on an opportunity to rent some power toys...I mean power tools/equipment.
jt8
"When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- Geoffrey F. Abert
Bold a block of wood on the side and jack them out with this
http://www.hi-lift.com/products/jacks.htm
Works great.
You can also just wrap a chain around the base of the post and use the hi-lift to jack the post out.
If you have room can use a 4x4 or 4x6 scrap about 3' long to use as a lever with a rope or chain tied to a truck or tractor. This is a lot of fun.
Corporate business today measures everything by the size of the silver dollar.
tut tut tut, you go and give him an easy way to do this and dw won't let him rent the trackhoe to do it! Throw away a perfectly good opportunity to rent a trackhoe. ;)
jt8
"When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- Geoffrey F. Abert
other replys are real good , we usually go at all four sides with a sledge hammer as well as rocking to help break them loose first
Ok, I'm guessing "large mini excavator" or "medium-sized backhoe" are not available options--chain to bucket & post; lift bucket slowly & smoothly; drop pulled post on ground; unchain, and move to next . . .
Quick "bipod" of two 4x4 (landscape timbers in a pinch) lashed together at their tops. Hitch a come-along to the bipod top, and pass a chain or strap as low as it will go on the post to be pulled. This gives a nearly straight up pull.
Here's a link to tripod lashing: http://www.scoutxing.com/knots/lashings/tripod_lashing/tripod_lashing.htm
And for bipods: http://www.troop125bsa.com/pioneering1.htm#shear
The 'bipod' leans against the post to be pulled, so you have to watch the collection of bits as it all pulls free--but this is generally easier & faster than rigging a proper tripod for the pull--unless these are real long posts (10 or more feet).
Slightly slower, but also quite effective is to pass a chain around the base of the post, and hitch that to an old-fashioned bumper jack will also work. The drawback that has, is that you need a long jack, and you wind up standing in the pickup truck bed to 'crank' that lever (and when the post comes out, it all wants to tumble down every which way).
If I had a whole row of posts, renting the right piece of equipment would be my approach as well. But, for just a dozen posts it doesn't seem like it is worth the time and trouble.
If I can find some reasonably dry landscape timbers or 4x4's, the bipod approach looks pretty good. I have the chain and a couple of different come-alongs.
I have several different jacks, up to a 30 ton jack that I used to level one corner of the house, but no bumper jacks in the inventory.
Well, the bipod idea works, but those darn posts are buried about 4 foot deep. It took me almost two hours to get the first one out and I have 18 more to go. The bipod pulled it a few inches at a time, and it was very hard pulling for the first couple of feet. My back is telling me that I need to find a better answer.
matches......
Dynamite.......
good pair of running shoes.......:o)
Repeat until finished.
Sounds like the most fun way so far.
My next approach is going to be to drill a hole in the side of the post, drive a six foot rock bar into the hole and see if I can leverage one out.
I've been told the fire ban is off, so one other approach will be to cut them off low to the ground, drill holes in the stump, fill the holes with army surplus fire starter, and see if I can burn them down below ground level. The bottom of the posts are pretty damp, so that may or may not work.
As far as burning goes, that wont work.
Could you rent a lift used to pull engines from cars? The only problem is they are heavy and hard to move off solid surfaces. Another approach would be to rig up a tripod with an electric or manual winch.
http://www.hooverfence.com/howto/pullpost.htm
Edited 3/25/2006 9:17 am ET by MarkH
The bipod pulled it a few inches at a time, and it was very hard pulling for the first couple of feet
Which means, like as not, you need more "mechanical advantage."
There's a Harbor Freight store there in FW, you can get a "General Purpose Rope Hoist" (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45076) for under $10 out the door (if you don't buy anything else <g>). You can get a "game hoist" from Academy for about the same price, that's a 5-part hoist, which is more advantage, too.
You will have discovered that you really want to hitch low on the post, and hoist from "high" from the bipod, too. This is where a come-along is actually worse than simple sweat and a block-and-tackle. Or, more than one B&T.
Just remember, you lose "draw" length with very additional "part" you put in the hoist. So, a three part hoist on the bipod only pulls "up" a foot for every three "pulled." If you add a five part to that, you get a fifth less pull in distance (while gaining a lower "draw" weight to "pull" weight.
Adding a snatch block at the base of a bipod leg can help move the "where" you're pulling from away from the posts, which can help the strain, etc.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
All but the three posts that were concreted in have been pulled out.
The best technique I found was to drill a 1-1/4" hole in the base of the post, insert a six foot heavy 1" octagonal steel rock bar, and pry them up. By swapping out different blocks for the fulcrum, I got about 8" of lift for every hole drilled. Some posts required as many as five holes before I finally got them out, and one post required some very heavy square tubing over the steel rock bar to keep from bending the bar. It took about 20 minutes per post to get them out.
I think one of the posts was trapped by tree roots, it would not pull no matter what I did, but I managed to break it off below ground level. I have most of the cement broken away from the three that are left.
thanks for everybody's suggestions.
If you can't get a jack like the one rjgogo suggested, a bumper jack from a car will do. You can use a block of wood spiked to the post or a few wraps of chain.
Scott.
Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
That's why they make hydralic 3 point hitches for tractors.
Wrap the chain around the base of the post, back the tractor up & lower the hitch bars, wrap the rest of the chain around them and lift. Go to next post.
Good sized farm tractor with a front end loader, doing about 8mph. Be sure your denture cream is holding well.
happy?
Being a certified redneck, I've pulled a heck of a lot of posts. (-:
Got anything to pull with? Like a pickup truck?
If you do, try hooking a log chain right at ground level around the post. Then set a large block of firewood up against the post. (Something 16" in diameter will do nicely)
Run the chain up and over the block of wood and to the pulling vehicle, then give it a tug. This won't always pull 'em all the way out, but will get you a good start.
.
If you have a loader or tractor with a 3-point hitch, and have a helper, this is a great method:
Have one guy run the tractor, and hook one end of a log chain on the loader or 3 point hitch. Then have 'em move the tractor up to the post.
The 2nd guy needs to hold the other end of the chain. He can flip 2 quick loops around the base of the post, then hold the other end and keep some tension on it. (You don't have to hook it)
Then the tractor guy can go ahead and pull the post. Since the chain isn't actually hooked to the post, it's easily disconnected and you can move right on down the line to the next post.
"Got anything to pull with? Like a pickup truck?
If you do, try hooking a log chain right at ground level around the post. Then set a large block of firewood up against the post. (Something 16" in diameter will do nicely)"
I had considered something like that. My wife has a 3/4 ton V10 that she pulls her horse trailer with. Instead of the block of firewood, I was thinking about trying to find an old rusty truck rim real cheap.
I rim should work fine also. Anything to get the chain to pull upwards to some degree.
The reward of energy, enterprise and thrift - is taxes. [W. Feather]
Test and refine your methods as you go.
First try rocking them by hand. If that doesn't loosen them at all, then do the same thing by giving them a gentle noodge with the 3/4 ton truck. You don't want to break the posts, just break their bond with the dirt. If possible, rock them two directions.
With that done, try pulling one up by hand. If it comes, fine. Otherwise, go to the Boss Hog re-directed pull technique.
-- J.S.
If you're up near Dallas, and the posts have been in awhile, the bottoms will be mostly gone from termites and wood ants. Cut'em off with your chain saw.
"If you're up near Dallas, and the posts have been in awhile, the bottoms will be mostly gone from termites and wood ants. Cut'em off with your chain saw. "
A few of them have rotted off to the point where I could just push them over. There are two or three that the previous owner repaired by burying them in cement and those are going to take some more work. But, the majority of them appear to be fairly sound.
Just pulled 150 posts earlier this year.
Take tamper bar and wedge between post and concrete on all 4 faces and snap concrete.
Then take sharp shooter shovel and dig divit around all 4 sides.
Then rock back and forth to loosen post
Then clamp bar clamp low enough on post to use your knees to lift
Most posts will come up with this method, if not then wrap chain around bottom and jack up.
ANDYSZ2I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
I haven't tried this but I think it should work.
The link shows a weeding tool that uses water to loosen the ground around the weed to pull it out.
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10418&cat=2,2300,44822&ap=1
I think a pressure washer would do the same thing with a fence post and be more fun too!
This type task sure makes me glad to have added a hydraulic thumb to the backhoe.
Just grab and pull. Even able to pull small stumps that way.
Did anybody already mention the plain old ratchet type car jack and chain - that's what I used in pre-power days.
Drill a hole in them, starting about 6" above grade, angled down as steep as you can, say 30 degrees off vertical. Make it a 3/4 to 1-1/2" dia.
Fill it half full of gasoline. Then light it.
Best is to do this at dusk, accompanied by all of your friends, and copious amounts of alcohol.
Despite the 8 inches of rain, I think we may still have a fire ban on in our county. And, some of the posts are too close to a very nice live oak tree that I want to keep.
I use the 3 point hitch on my tractor. If you don't have a tractor this sounds like great excuse to get one ;-)
Never pass up an excuse to buy something handy!!!