Dude, I absolutely love the way you had your son demonstrate the process. Completely removes any & all doubt that ppl could have thanking they wouldnt be able to do this themselves. Nice work!
As others have written, this is a great video because it gets right to the point without a lot a extra commentary. The video provides a solution to a problem, demonstrates how to do it and where to get the material. Well done!
Awesome tips. This video really delivers! I removed 14 footings from my yard with shovels, 8' digging bar, sledge hammer, and you name it, lots of work. So when i saw this title i thought this is classic clickbait but turn out it is genius!
I don't have a fence to remove, but man I enjoyed this video. Especially loved seeing the pride that your son showed in himself at the end. The "I can do this" attitude will serve him well his entire life.
I used this method yesterday to remove a post buried in nearly 3 feet of very heavy concrete. It worked just as you suggested. I'm grateful to you for the tips.
After trying to dig out a concrete base enough to get purchase on it to pull it out of the hole I realize there's got to be a better way. The next morning I found your video went Harbor Freight picked up a jack and finish the job quickly. I can't thank you enough for sharing your tips and tricks it really helped me.
You earned yourself a subscriber. Thanks for the detailed explanation. The biggest tip here is to use the angle iron to keep the jack from tipping forward when jacking the post out.
My post were double the thickness and the concrete bases were far more substantail ( necessity4us due to high cross-winds ). Another issue I had is that as I had originally forgotten to bevel the concreate bases against the posts to allow rain/water to easily run off and not pool round the bases, which resulted in most of the posts being rotten part or all way througn at the base. This made using jacks very difficult/ineffective. So my strategy here was to grind/mill the wooden post remains out and leave the concrete bases in place and simply added new posts of the same size. It all turned out to be a nightmare of a job, that took forever, cost a wodge in cutting and milling bits, and left me with battered hands, arms and shoulders for weeks. The moral of the story is : Never forget to bevel/angle the concrete cement downwards away from the post base, so that water can run off and not sit and rot the posts in the first place. Wish I had watched this video before doing the job, as that would have saved me quite a bit of pain and time I would imagine.
Great video! A few tips, especially if you don’t want to dig down below the concrete and leave the smallest width holes possible. 1) if the Jack base sitting over the concrete it won’t budge, might snap a chain or connecting piece. I like to take 2’ length pieces of old fence post and lay them on either side of the post (about 12-18” away from the side of the post) with the one end even with the post then lay another 4’ piece across the other two. The idea is to create a raised platform above the bottom of the post and clear of it’s concrete, I can then set the Jack on top of the 4’ platform, and closer to the post to get a more vertical pull without concern that the concrete will catch on the Jack base. 2). Much easier if you brace the Jack on the opposite side of the post you are pulling to minimize the Jack lean and post lean. If the post if shorter than 42” you can use a single brace (2x4 or one of the cutoff posts around 6’). If the post is taller than the Jack, I use two 2x4s (or two old cutoff posts), one on each side of the Jack with a long bolt between, if using old posts no spacers are required, if using two 2x4s you’ll want some sort of spacers between the Jack post and the 2x4. The bracing keeps the Jack from tilting into the post, and the post itself from bending away from the jack. If not braced, I’ve had older (aka rotted) posts snap off. 3) If you have a rotted post you can either dig down some and if there’s enough post left you can wrap chain around it and try again; you can dig down below the concrete and wrap the chain around it and try the Jack again or I’ve used a hitching ring (it has a ring, a base with 4 mounting holes) and used four 1/4”x4” hex headed lag screws to mount the ring to top of the broken post and pulled the broken post out. I e used it straight on top of the rotted post & I’ve used a sawzall to get an even top on the post to mount the hitching pin. The hitch pin I used has a 400 lb load rating (works but I’d prefer a 800+ lb load rating). 4) I’ve had some posts the just pulled straight out of the concrete, for these you can dig down below the concrete and use the chain or I’ve used the hitching ring mounted to the top of the concrete with 1/4”x3” hex headed concrete screws.
Things happen that way, but thanks for admitting that so the rest of us could get a laugh. But, how could you know? Having one right there though, that's gotta hurt. I could imagine the idea could be used to move quite a few heavy things. It would make a good stump puller if the tree wasn't too big, a rock mover, car parts, etc. Maybe they had a big one when the pyramids were built! I'm getting ready to paint my house. I'm sure I'll find a video with short-cuts after I'm done!
Nice idea. I remember old farmers saying don’t use concrete to set fence posts that you can set them tighter packing the soil properly (they were right) but it is reality. I had my fence replaced that I built years ago myself without using any but the contractor concreted them this time. I don’t think I will be doing the next one though.
One thing to remember is never allow yourself to be positioned above the jack bar when operating the jack. I’ve seen these things kick and that bar comes up in a big hurry. I see HenryT mentioned the tension on the chain but you also need to remain clear of the upward sweep of the bar itself in all operation.
That's a general principle of physics. If you are cutting with a knife, same idea. Cut AWAY from your body/hands. Make sure the arc of your blade or axe swing is never going to angle toward your body even from a deflection if you miss. Many a leg was probably cut or bruised by swinging an axe or hammer downward, missing the target and the arc of the swing continues past and oops. Shin bone is NOT a happy camper.
Great video guys, that loop back under the chain is a great tip. I used your method to pull 2-inch steel pipes set in the ground with 2.5 ft of concrete up. Thanks
If you don’t have many to do a digger bar with a chisel end works really well, and if the post has rotted can be quicker and easier than digging round to place a chain. A digger bar is basically a long, heavy chunk of steel bar about 70” long that gives great leverage and concrete smashing power. One of my most useful garden tools for everything from extracting concrete to digging holes in stony ground for planting shrubs and trees.
@@drippingwax What sort was it? Mine is a “Roughneck Digging Bar 1750mm (69")”. It weighs 17lb and I don’t think I could bend it even if I wanted to (maybe a very slight bend in the flat part at the end, but not enough to affect it).
@@Tailspin80 I don't recall and I moved across the state for grad school, but I drove it into the ground at a 45° angle with a sledge hammer and used it as an anchor to move my shed. I wonder if the ground was frozen that day. As hard as it is in Arizona, the bar tended to move more than the 8'×14' shed.
@@westvalley411 good luck ! I don't think 3 ton will be enough tho. if u use a pulley u can double the power to 6 ton, but trees and posts are two different animals, lol. wish u luck. also I was using a 5.5 ton with pulley to get 11 ton pulling force and it was almost not enough power on some. but pulsing the button every few seconds worked well.
A tip here for safety reasons. When just removing concrete it is very important that the chain is secured prior to lifting it with the jack. While under tension and if the chain slips, the kickback will have tremendous force and anyone unfortunate enough to be at the receiving end will have a lot of hurt.
I’m not convinced there is much stored energy to release if it slips. Using the brace against the jack was where I saw potential for slipping and an issue.
I have a number of steel fence posts to move to new locations. I was planning to cut them off at the ground but I think using your technique I may be able to reuse them. Thanks!
Exactly why I kept a old bumper Jack that had been deemed totaled by insurance company. Sometimes I had the chain slip but hammering a nail into the wood helped the chain grip.
In Wyoming, We also call these “come-a-long” jacks or shepherd’s jacks. Besides using them for pulling fence posts, they are also used to stretch barbed wire, pulling a wagon or a pickup out of a ditch, pulling a deadfall tree or a boulder out of the road, and any place where a rancher needs to pull an oversized load while out alone on the ranch or in the wild. When I was a kid, my dad always had a come-a-long attached to his old blue Jeep when we went camping or fishing in the high country. Survival gear in 4WD country.
After Hurricane Ike, I had around 250 ft of cedar privacy fence blown down... Nearly all of the posts were snapped off at the level of the ground near the concrete... I used a pretty similar technique with my hi-lift jack to remove the remaining posts and concrete... Main difference is probably the way I attached the chain to the post -- I would loop it around the post a couple of times and then clip it back to the original lead of the chain so that when it was being pulled, it would tighten up on the post like a noose... I replaced it by welding a steel picket (aka "wrought iron style") fence... A lot less surface area for the wind to act upon, so it should survive the next hurricane... The clay soil we have around here is either rock hard during the dry spells or a gumbo that refuses to come off you shovel / post hole digger during the wet spells... Either way, it took a lot more than 3 minutes to do each post... Maybe 3 beers per post is more like it...
Yeah couldn't imagine trying that with a floor jack. It really was easy once you got in a rhythm. Would have been super easy with two able-bodied men, but I made due with my kids lol.
We used a very thick piece of rebar, which we put through a hole we drilled in the fence post, and then two automotive jacks on either side to lift the posts out. It worked, and saved us a lot of money, but your way is better. I'll have to remember that.
Great Idea, thanks for sharing. I been looking for a tool like that to help me level up the concrete on the side of the pool. The dirt has been washing away for years and it is uneven now. I was looking for something that could help me lift it up to fill in below the concrete.
Great video. I tried this using a tripod (two 2x4s) the the whole thing was to heavy and clunky to do without getting wore out. So will try this approach. How did you dispose of the concrete?
Glad to see you getting the young one out there to help not many kids these days can get pulled away from the Internet just to shut it off to for dinner let alone actually going out and helping dad do do somewhat hard labor good on you to keep him busy with reality in life usejbg elbow grease !
Want to try this out, but do you know if this will work for metal posts? I need to pull a 4x4 square metal gate post, and I'm wondering if the chain will be able to grip the metal
Several of mine were metal as well and was able to get the chain to hold. Had same worry. If not can dig a few inches out and wrap chain around the concrete.
Man... You are my latest super hero! This method beats the heck outta diggin, pullin, and swearin! (mostly swearin)...Now, how do I get my wife to do it? It's her turn.
So, I tried this method out with the roughly same equipment (60" jack over 48" was cheaper) I needed the shorter 8ft chain over my 3/8 13ft harbor freight special, but I wrapped it to shorten it up. Anyway, results.. it 100% works nicely if your posts are still attached. I'm in Midwest, if your 4x4s are snapped at the ground, you're still going to be doing a good amount of digging otherwise your chain will crush the concrete and you'll just be digging it all up anyway. I was 50/50 on those. If you dig far enough to get the 4x4 that's still encased you'll get it, if not you're digging it up. Make sure to use a minimum 6ft piece of angled mild steel 1/8th or 1/4" thick.
I hired a tow truck to come out and remove 25 posts. Cost me $200 dollars which was a fair price to me. Took the guy about an hour. The beautiful thing was I sat and watched while drinking a beer.
That’s a great deal I would have said here’s an extra $100 go but urself lunch and a case of beer 🍺 that dude would have had NO PROBLEMS coming back out to help you the next time you need his help and he still saved u an easy $1500 bucks so it’s a win win for the both of you..
Loaned my tools to coworker who used to pull bushes (also next on my to do list). I am sure it would work depending on how massive a stump you are talking about. Do when ground is soft and saturated.
Another good way is to wrap the post with chain, have a solid tire and wheel assembly, stand the tire up like it would normally be on a truck, put the chain over the top of the tread, hook the chain to a truck or tractor. As you start the pull, the tire holds the load and pulls straight up. It also absorbs the weight and won’t tear up the ground.
I have used this method many times! Works great. Rather than buying a jack base, just use a chunk of 5/8 plywood. I usually wiggle the post a bunch to loosen things up. That seems to work better (unless the post is rotted and you break it! Lol).
We have to pull a post out of the ground tomorrow that is set in concrete. Once we get it out I'd imagine the hole is going to be much bigger than what we need for a new post to be set in the same hole. However,we dont have the option of digging a new hole. My question is this: What do you do in a scenario like this where you HAVE to re-use the same hole which might be a much bigger diameter than needed and possibly soft soil around the hole now? Seems like it would be hard to compact the dirt around the hole without it caving in and moving the hole is not an option. Should we just use more concrete to fill the bigger size hole and once it sets compact the dirt around it?
Trie this v chain and Jack method yesterday on 3 full posts and 2 broken at ground level posts. Here in Ohio, there is too much stone in the dirt for this to work for one person. Also, too much stone to work completely. I had two people holding jack and anchor wood attached on angle. Three posts pulled out of concrete and concrete stay in ground. The broken posts concrete bases took almost 30-40 minutes each to dig around them low enough to attach chain and still took three people to hold and crank that jack. The jack setup did work, just not as easy as this video which shows them in a climate with much better soil conditions.
I have to re-level my deck a year ago, my car jack came handy... my daughter took some photos to show her firefighter friends.....I copped many weird comments back..hahaha... but it worked!
Thanks for the idea and instructions. I got a 7000 dollar estimate for a 6 foot fence. I have 3 dogs and want to move up from the 4 foot fence. After I take inventory on all of the stuff I need I'm going in! Possibly a stupid question but can't the post holes be cleaned out and reused?
I didn't even have to watch this to know what it was. I've been doing this for over 10 years. It works great to pull up many small trees/bushes as well if you can get a grip on them.
Yes, a couple of the ones I removed where of that style. Was basically 2 different generations of fence in some places. Just make sure chain is tight an doesn't slip
Hi-Lift Jack: amzn.to/3XqPLan
Chain with Grab and Sling Hooks: amzn.to/42XIznh
Hi-Lift Jack Base: amzn.to/46KebQ1
Hatchet: amzn.to/44AVxJ1
2x12's for the base if they are lying around. Cool VID sir!
Bro, this is how videos should be made. Straight to the point with great tools and tips. Just wanted you to know that it's appreciated.
Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for watching!
Oh you just had those tools laying around?
I'm not one to comment on videos. My goodness this is a game changer I have 22 posts to remove. Thank you so much!
Glad it helped! Good luck with the removal!
Did it work?
Dude, I absolutely love the way you had your son demonstrate the process. Completely removes any & all doubt that ppl could have thanking they wouldnt be able to do this themselves. Nice work!
I appreciate that! Yeah here is the proof:
th-cam.com/video/g7G6Pvy86pk/w-d-xo.html
Thx for watching and I appreciate the comment!
As others have written, this is a great video because it gets right to the point without a lot a extra commentary. The video provides a solution to a problem, demonstrates how to do it and where to get the material. Well done!
Wow, thanks! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the comment!
I've been digging these posts for years and used a heck of a lot of precious energy doing it! You sir deserve a medal!
Wow, thank you! I appreciate the comment and thx for watching!
Awesome tips. This video really delivers! I removed 14 footings from my yard with shovels, 8' digging bar, sledge hammer, and you name it, lots of work. So when i saw this title i thought this is classic clickbait but turn out it is genius!
This video helped me and my son remove 4 deeply cemented posts from our side yard in about an hour. Appreciate the idea and links
Awesome! Thx for the great feedback!
This video is so helpful. Just ordered my jack from Lowe’s. As a first time homeowner TH-camrs like you are a godsend. Thank you so much.
Appreciate the comment! Glad the video helped. Good luck with your project!
I don't have a fence to remove, but man I enjoyed this video. Especially loved seeing the pride that your son showed in himself at the end. The "I can do this" attitude will serve him well his entire life.
Appreciate the comment! Thx for watching!
I used this method yesterday to remove a post buried in nearly 3 feet of very heavy concrete. It worked just as you suggested. I'm grateful to you for the tips.
Nice work! Thx for the comment!
After trying to dig out a concrete base enough to get purchase on it to pull it out of the hole I realize there's got to be a better way. The next morning I found your video went Harbor Freight picked up a jack and finish the job quickly. I can't thank you enough for sharing your tips and tricks it really helped me.
$100 and two hours later my posts have been removed, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!! You saved me two days of digging
Awesome good work! I appreciate the comment.
Were yours cemented in? I think I used 48” hole filled with cement. Hoping this would work for that
Farm jackal was my best friend for years. When car/truck bumpers were made of steel it was a handy rescue tool.
Awesome. I am about to save myself roughly $8k thanks to this video. Great video!
I'm not saving anything, but I thought it was awesome too!
I tried several other methods on TH-cam and had no success. This worked exactly as shown. Thank you!!!!
You earned yourself a subscriber. Thanks for the detailed explanation. The biggest tip here is to use the angle iron to keep the jack from tipping forward when jacking the post out.
Thanks for the sub! I appreciate the comment! Yeah the angle iron makes a big difference.
Been fencing for 20 years and your video helped me never to proud to admit there are new tricks to learn should list how many feet of chain works best
Fantastic! The chain I used was 8ft and worked well. Linked here and in video description and comments!
amzn.to/42XIznh
Your helper did a fantastic job!!!
👏
This was the best farm- jack fencepost removal vid of all time for ever and ever infinity x infinity. Thanks!
Wow, thanks! Thx for watching!
My post were double the thickness and the concrete bases were far more substantail ( necessity4us due to high cross-winds ). Another issue I had is that as I had originally forgotten to bevel the concreate bases against the posts to allow rain/water to easily run off and not pool round the bases, which resulted in most of the posts being rotten part or all way througn at the base. This made using jacks very difficult/ineffective.
So my strategy here was to grind/mill the wooden post remains out and leave the concrete bases in place and simply added new posts of the same size. It all turned out to be a nightmare of a job, that took forever, cost a wodge in cutting and milling bits, and left me with battered hands, arms and shoulders for weeks. The moral of the story is : Never forget to bevel/angle the concrete cement downwards away from the post base, so that water can run off and not sit and rot the posts in the first place. Wish I had watched this video before doing the job, as that would have saved me quite a bit of pain and time I would imagine.
Pulling the old posts was my one major hesitation about replacing my fence by myself. Thanks for this idea.
Glad to help. Good luck!
Did you succeed doing it?
Great video! A few tips, especially if you don’t want to dig down below the concrete and leave the smallest width holes possible.
1) if the Jack base sitting over the concrete it won’t budge, might snap a chain or connecting piece. I like to take 2’ length pieces of old fence post and lay them on either side of the post (about 12-18” away from the side of the post) with the one end even with the post then lay another 4’ piece across the other two. The idea is to create a raised platform above the bottom of the post and clear of it’s concrete, I can then set the Jack on top of the 4’ platform, and closer to the post to get a more vertical pull without concern that the concrete will catch on the Jack base.
2). Much easier if you brace the Jack on the opposite side of the post you are pulling to minimize the Jack lean and post lean. If the post if shorter than 42” you can use a single brace (2x4 or one of the cutoff posts around 6’). If the post is taller than the Jack, I use two 2x4s (or two old cutoff posts), one on each side of the Jack with a long bolt between, if using old posts no spacers are required, if using two 2x4s you’ll want some sort of spacers between the Jack post and the 2x4. The bracing keeps the Jack from tilting into the post, and the post itself from bending away from the jack. If not braced, I’ve had older (aka rotted) posts snap off.
3) If you have a rotted post you can either dig down some and if there’s enough post left you can wrap chain around it and try again; you can dig down below the concrete and wrap the chain around it and try the Jack again or I’ve used a hitching ring (it has a ring, a base with 4 mounting holes) and used four 1/4”x4” hex headed lag screws to mount the ring to top of the broken post and pulled the broken post out. I e used it straight on top of the rotted post & I’ve used a sawzall to get an even top on the post to mount the hitching pin. The hitch pin I used has a 400 lb load rating (works but I’d prefer a 800+ lb load rating).
4) I’ve had some posts the just pulled straight out of the concrete, for these you can dig down below the concrete and use the chain or I’ve used the hitching ring mounted to the top of the concrete with 1/4”x3” hex headed concrete screws.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
after pulling four posts up from my clothes line, with a shovel, and having a high lift in the shed... I feel pretty dumb lol ! Great vid
I appreciate the comment! I am sure you will remember next time!
Things happen that way, but thanks for admitting that so the rest of us could get a laugh. But, how could you know? Having one right there though, that's gotta hurt. I could imagine the idea could be used to move quite a few heavy things. It would make a good stump puller if the tree wasn't too big, a rock mover, car parts, etc. Maybe they had a big one when the pyramids were built!
I'm getting ready to paint my house. I'm sure I'll find a video with short-cuts after I'm done!
Nice idea. I remember old farmers saying don’t use concrete to set fence posts that you can set them tighter packing the soil properly (they were right) but it is reality. I had my fence replaced that I built years ago myself without using any but the contractor concreted them this time. I don’t think I will be doing the next one though.
One thing to remember is never allow yourself to be positioned above the jack bar when operating the jack.
I’ve seen these things kick and that bar comes up in a big hurry.
I see HenryT mentioned the tension on the chain but you also need to remain clear of the upward sweep of the bar itself in all operation.
That's a general principle of physics. If you are cutting with a knife, same idea. Cut AWAY from your body/hands. Make sure the arc of your blade or axe swing is never going to angle toward your body even from a deflection if you miss. Many a leg was probably cut or bruised by swinging an axe or hammer downward, missing the target and the arc of the swing continues past and oops. Shin bone is NOT a happy camper.
You are right on, I’ve used this exact method hundreds of times and it works great
Excellent! Appreciate the comment!
Best video on the topic man. Even included the Jack base and the extra 2x4 to keep the Jack straight.
Savvy
Appreciate the compliment! Good luck!
Good Tip ! I have used a automotive floor jack before but your method looks alot easier. thanks for posting.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It worked on my little patch where digging out the concrete was going to be impossible.
You're welcome! Appreciate the comment!
Excellent video! I followed the instructions exactly as explained and I was also able to remove a fence post in just minutes!
Glad the video helped you, nice job! Appreciate the comment!
Appreciate the info. Someone hit my chain link post broke it off ground level. Now need to remove, replace, and hook the fence back to the post.
Good luck and thx for the comment!
Me, my son and son in law JUST did this using my front winch from about 20 feet away.
THANK YOU!!!!
Awesome. Good job!
Great video guys, that loop back under the chain is a great tip. I used your method to pull 2-inch steel pipes set in the ground with 2.5 ft of concrete up. Thanks
Good stuff! Appreciate the comment and thx for watching!
finally a video which details which hooks to use and how to use them
Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
If you don’t have many to do a digger bar with a chisel end works really well, and if the post has rotted can be quicker and easier than digging round to place a chain. A digger bar is basically a long, heavy chunk of steel bar about 70” long that gives great leverage and concrete smashing power. One of my most useful garden tools for everything from extracting concrete to digging holes in stony ground for planting shrubs and trees.
I managed to bend my digging bar.
Every time that I have used it since, I turn it to potentially bend it back, but no luck! :)
@@drippingwax What sort was it? Mine is a “Roughneck Digging Bar 1750mm (69")”. It weighs 17lb and I don’t think I could bend it even if I wanted to (maybe a very slight bend in the flat part at the end, but not enough to affect it).
@@Tailspin80 I don't recall and I moved across the state for grad school, but I drove it into the ground at a 45° angle with a sledge hammer and used it as an anchor to move my shed.
I wonder if the ground was frozen that day.
As hard as it is in Arizona, the bar tended to move more than the 8'×14' shed.
@@drippingwax Hmm..might not be quite what is designed for! What were you using to pull the shed?
@@Tailspin80What else was I supposed to use to anchor my hand winch? :)
This is genius! Thanks so much for posting this. It will save me alot of back ache when I redo my deck.
Glad it was helpful!
I made a 9ft tripod and secured a winch and pulley to it and just hit a button and watched my family look surprised 😂 worked like a charm
Sounds better but also way more expensive!
@@CarpeDiem601your right,..but I already have a winch that I made a bracket for, to attach it to anything (tree, tripod,my van hitch, etc.)
I made the same tripod with 3 ton winch...waiting to save 20 hours on my first tree trunk!
@@westvalley411 good luck ! I don't think 3 ton will be enough tho. if u use a pulley u can double the power to 6 ton, but trees and posts are two different animals, lol. wish u luck. also I was using a 5.5 ton with pulley to get 11 ton pulling force and it was almost not enough power on some. but pulsing the button every few seconds worked well.
@@southern_mericanhmm, good to know, thanks for advice.
I'm so glad I found this video before I got started on my little project. Great tips, thanks!!
Glad it was helpful! Thx for the comment!
Helpful to see it in action. Also, thanks for the product links. Thanks for sharing.
You bet! Thx for watching!
A tip here for safety reasons. When just removing concrete it is very important that the chain is secured prior to lifting it with the jack. While under tension and if the chain slips, the kickback will have tremendous force and anyone unfortunate enough to be at the receiving end will have a lot of hurt.
Thx for the tip and thx for the comment!
I thought he said that in the video already.
I’m not convinced there is much stored energy to release if it slips.
Using the brace against the jack was where I saw potential for slipping and an issue.
I almost cried when I saw the safety violations.
Thanks Dad...
I have a number of steel fence posts to move to new locations. I was planning to cut them off at the ground but I think using your technique I may be able to reuse them. Thanks!
Sounds great! Good luck and thx for comment!
Exactly why I kept a old bumper Jack that had been deemed totaled by insurance company. Sometimes I had the chain slip but hammering a nail into the wood helped the chain grip.
Thx for sharing! I appreciate the comment!
Great way of handling the job. Thanks for great video. Now is time for me to start the job. I have 64 posts to lift.
Wow, sounds like you have your work cut out for you!
In Wyoming, We also call these “come-a-long” jacks or shepherd’s jacks. Besides using them for pulling fence posts, they are also used to stretch barbed wire, pulling a wagon or a pickup out of a ditch, pulling a deadfall tree or a boulder out of the road, and any place where a rancher needs to pull an oversized load while out alone on the ranch or in the wild. When I was a kid, my dad always had a come-a-long attached to his old blue Jeep when we went camping or fishing in the high country. Survival gear in 4WD country.
Hi. I could use my old 1970’s bumper car jack. It is half the height but could work.
Good luck. Thx for watching!
After Hurricane Ike, I had around 250 ft of cedar privacy fence blown down... Nearly all of the posts were snapped off at the level of the ground near the concrete... I used a pretty similar technique with my hi-lift jack to remove the remaining posts and concrete... Main difference is probably the way I attached the chain to the post -- I would loop it around the post a couple of times and then clip it back to the original lead of the chain so that when it was being pulled, it would tighten up on the post like a noose... I replaced it by welding a steel picket (aka "wrought iron style") fence... A lot less surface area for the wind to act upon, so it should survive the next hurricane... The clay soil we have around here is either rock hard during the dry spells or a gumbo that refuses to come off you shovel / post hole digger during the wet spells... Either way, it took a lot more than 3 minutes to do each post... Maybe 3 beers per post is more like it...
Sounds like a good time! Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
The angle iron brace....hmmmm, why didn't I think of that LOL. That's the game changing idea. Thank you!
It really is! I struggled at first trying to do it without it and then improvised with the angle iron. Made it SO MUCH easier! Appreciate the comment.
Nice job. I have used a floor jack before but not 48 times. That jack you used is great for this task.
Yeah couldn't imagine trying that with a floor jack. It really was easy once you got in a rhythm. Would have been super easy with two able-bodied men, but I made due with my kids lol.
Great video! It's so easy, a kid can do it....which is what I have to tell myself.
After slaving all day, one of those eureka moments! Thank you
You bet. Glad you liked it.
We used a very thick piece of rebar, which we put through a hole we drilled in the fence post, and then two automotive jacks on either side to lift the posts out. It worked, and saved us a lot of money, but your way is better. I'll have to remember that.
Great Idea, thanks for sharing. I been looking for a tool like that to help me level up the concrete on the side of the pool. The dirt has been washing away for years and it is uneven now. I was looking for something that could help me lift it up to fill in below the concrete.
Glad to help. Appreciate the comment, and thx for watching! Have a similar project with a sidewalk I need to tackle one day.
Excellant video. Just wondering how you ended up disposing of the old fence posts and concrete? Did you have to haul them off to a landfill???
Yes, I hauled them to landfill (collection site). Rented a Uhaul for like $30 and $60 to landfill.
Great video. I tried this using a tripod (two 2x4s) the the whole thing was to heavy and clunky to do without getting wore out. So will try this approach. How did you dispose of the concrete?
Good stuff! I took to local dump.
Dang Bro, THIS is a great idea! I love leverage. Myself and a family member both have to do this soon, will save a ton of time.
Appreciate the comment, and thx for watching!
Man, you sure as hell make it "look" easy. I guess I'll have to invest in a farm jack.
Good luck and thx for the comment!
Glad to see you getting the young one out there to help not many kids these days can get pulled away from the Internet just to shut it off to for dinner let alone actually going out and helping dad do do somewhat hard labor good on you to keep him busy with reality in life usejbg elbow grease !
Appreciate it. Gotta teach them what hard work really is! Thx for watching!
Great video!. Wish they would teach this kind of stuff in school.
Appreciate the comment! Thx for watching!
Want to try this out, but do you know if this will work for metal posts? I need to pull a 4x4 square metal gate post, and I'm wondering if the chain will be able to grip the metal
Several of mine were metal as well and was able to get the chain to hold. Had same worry. If not can dig a few inches out and wrap chain around the concrete.
Thanks for sharing your technique and experience with us home gamers.
My pleasure! You are so welcome! Thx for watching and appreciate the comment!
Thank you. I got some tight spots I can’t get to w the tractor. I’m a fan of leverage!
Glad to help! Thx for the comment!
Wat she said
Awesome I already got a hi lift jack I'll try that next time thanks for the information
Thanks for the comment and good luck.
Man... You are my latest super hero! This method beats the heck outta diggin, pullin, and swearin! (mostly swearin)...Now, how do I get my wife to do it? It's her turn.
Heck yeah! Good luck convincing the wife!
This is great information. I have to remove some old fence posts from the ground. Thanks for sharing!
Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
Thanks for this, it's simple and makes so much sense compared to other ways.
I appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
So, I tried this method out with the roughly same equipment (60" jack over 48" was cheaper) I needed the shorter 8ft chain over my 3/8 13ft harbor freight special, but I wrapped it to shorten it up. Anyway, results.. it 100% works nicely if your posts are still attached. I'm in Midwest, if your 4x4s are snapped at the ground, you're still going to be doing a good amount of digging otherwise your chain will crush the concrete and you'll just be digging it all up anyway. I was 50/50 on those. If you dig far enough to get the 4x4 that's still encased you'll get it, if not you're digging it up. Make sure to use a minimum 6ft piece of angled mild steel 1/8th or 1/4" thick.
Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
@@thebumpchannel Not a problem, this method is well worth the money, thankyou for sharing!
I need a kid like that.
very handy
Usually takes some coaxing, but trying to raise them right. Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
Wonderful son and father, have many more nice memories!
This is a great idea, I wonder if this would work for pulling out small shrubs and trees too.
I am sure it would. That is next on my project list. We lost some boxwoods and burning bushes in a late freeze. Going to try it. Thx for the comment!
Yes it will I've used this same method pull small trees and medium size bushes (Lillac and forsythia)
Same here, it works on small trees and shrubs.
I hired a tow truck to come out and remove 25 posts. Cost me $200 dollars which was a fair price to me. Took the guy about an hour. The beautiful thing was I sat and watched while drinking a beer.
That's a hellava deal. Hard to get most people out of bed for $200, especially ones with equipment and means.
Nice man
That’s a great deal I would have said here’s an extra $100 go but urself lunch and a case of beer 🍺 that dude would have had NO PROBLEMS coming back out to help you the next time you need his help and he still saved u an easy $1500 bucks so it’s a win win for the both of you..
@@thebumpchannel I agree. Tow truck driver screwed himself by under pricing
@@jsh111
Na he didn’t screw himself .., he got $200 for a hr if work that’s not bad at all 🤷🏽♂️if it was a 8hr job he’d have $1600
Nice spread you got there, friend. Beautiful property.
Thank you. Thx for watching!
Thanks for doing this. This is going to help tremendously.
Glad it was helpful! Appreciate the comment!
Great tip with the angle iron stabilizing bar
Thank you for the video. Does anyone know if this will help remove a palm tree stump?
Loaned my tools to coworker who used to pull bushes (also next on my to do list). I am sure it would work depending on how massive a stump you are talking about. Do when ground is soft and saturated.
Another good way is to wrap the post with chain, have a solid tire and wheel assembly, stand the tire up like it would normally be on a truck, put the chain over the top of the tread, hook the chain to a truck or tractor. As you start the pull, the tire holds the load and pulls straight up. It also absorbs the weight and won’t tear up the ground.
then something snaps and you have a broken truck or worse.. ive seen the videos
@@tejeda7324 use the right equipment and you'll minimize the risk of this. Anything rated for less than 2 tons is foolish.
Best video I've came across very helpful thanks
I appreciate it! Thx for watching!
I have used this method many times! Works great. Rather than buying a jack base, just use a chunk of 5/8 plywood. I usually wiggle the post a bunch to loosen things up. That seems to work better (unless the post is rotted and you break it! Lol).
As a maintenance technician... you have my respect... and my subscription. Carry good sir.
Much appreciated! Thx for the comment and thx for subbing!
I was wondering how I was going to pull these out. Great recommendations! Thank you! New subscriber!
Thanks for subbing! Good luck.
Great.. I guess I could also remove my backyard swing set concrete post with this method. Thanks
You bet! Thx for watching and thx for the comment!
@thebumpchannel wondering if the high lift jack can be rented from Home Depot?
@@Ifeanyi736 not sure
Great vid. And if-n-ye have a metal T-post laying around is is a good brace for the jack!
Appreciate the tip! Thanks for watching!
We have to pull a post out of the ground tomorrow that is set in concrete. Once we get it out I'd imagine the hole is going to be much bigger than what we need for a new post to be set in the same hole. However,we dont have the option of digging a new hole. My question is this: What do you do in a scenario like this where you HAVE to re-use the same hole which might be a much bigger diameter than needed and possibly soft soil around the hole now? Seems like it would be hard to compact the dirt around the hole without it caving in and moving the hole is not an option. Should we just use more concrete to fill the bigger size hole and once it sets compact the dirt around it?
Just what I was looking for, thanks.
Glad I could help! Appreciate the comment!
Just what I needed! Thanks!
Glad I could help! Appreciate the comment!
Trie this v chain and Jack method yesterday on 3 full posts and 2 broken at ground level posts. Here in Ohio, there is too much stone in the dirt for this to work for one person. Also, too much stone to work completely. I had two people holding jack and anchor wood attached on angle. Three posts pulled out of concrete and concrete stay in ground. The broken posts concrete bases took almost 30-40 minutes each to dig around them low enough to attach chain and still took three people to hold and crank that jack. The jack setup did work, just not as easy as this video which shows them in a climate with much better soil conditions.
Appreciate the comment. Thanks for sharing your experience! Definitely helps when wet.
I have to re-level my deck a year ago, my car jack came handy... my daughter took some photos to show her firefighter friends.....I copped many weird comments back..hahaha... but it worked!
Thx for sharing! Appreciate the comment. Thx for watching!
Excellent video and well explained. Thanks !
Glad it was helpful! Thx for the comment!
It’ll save my back…thanks for the video!
Happy to help! I appreciate the comment!
Will this work with white pvc posts?.. I have a feeling they would be too slick for the chain. Any advice?
It should. I used on some round metal ones. Might see a few in the video. If not just dig a few inches around to get around the concrete.
Well done! I've seen it done with a 2x4 and a pump jack, but this looks nicer/easier.
Appreciate the comment and thx for watching!
Thanks for the idea and instructions. I got a 7000 dollar estimate for a 6 foot fence. I have 3 dogs and want to move up from the 4 foot fence. After I take inventory on all of the stuff I need I'm going in! Possibly a stupid question but can't the post holes be cleaned out and reused?
For sure. Thanks for the comment!
I didn't even have to watch this to know what it was. I've been doing this for over 10 years. It works great to pull up many small trees/bushes as well if you can get a grip on them.
Yeah that's on my project list for this summer! Appreciate the comment!
This method would probably work for removing tree stumps as well?
That's my plan for this fall!
Will the chain hold if it's a chain link fence post? Or will it slip off?
It will hold. Had a couple of those.
Great vid, thanks! How long of a chain do you use?
Link to chain is in the comments and video description
Will this work on a round galvanized steel fence post?
Yes, a couple of the ones I removed where of that style. Was basically 2 different generations of fence in some places. Just make sure chain is tight an doesn't slip
I've been looking for this solution for a long time
Thx for the comment and thx for watching!
Could this work for chain link metal posts?
Yes. Several of mine were the round style.
Multiple generations of fence were removed, lol
What did you do with all the wood at the end? Did you pay to have it hauled away?
Took it to the dump