Easy way to pull / remove fence posts
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ม.ค. 2025
- After jacking a couple posts out of the ground, we decided to give this method a try.
Update:
1. Probably would be a good idea to lay a piece of carpet or tarp over the chain. However, there was rarely much force that needed to be applied. Any time there was, I backed away from the post. I did not install these posts. I just needed to remove them.
2. We shouldn't have used the tow ball to pull from. Again, never came close to the tow capacity of the ball, but probably still should have avoided it.
3. For those of you that cannot get a truck close to your work area, I guess you will have to find a different method. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I'm glad this worked for you but a couple things to remember. 1, NEVER use the ball on your receiver hitch! They have been known to break off and then it becomes a cannon ball looking to kill someone. 2, do not stand near the chain under tension! One weak link and IT becomes a steel whip looking to kill someone.
i dont know who came up with this method, but i just used it to pull 7 phone pole posts that were buried 3' down......worked like a dream!!! thanks for the tip!!!!!! saved me a LOT of back breaking work!
Much respect to you!! I just used this method about 9 posts and worked like a charm. We used a 20' Nylon strap instead of using the chain and worked great. Felt safer just in case the chain snaps!!! Saved us lot of time and labor work. Thanks!!!
i do beleive you just invented the wheel. no patent on the wheel you know. ck it out all you suckers.
Very clever. I see a lot of people here who have never had to do such a chore but somehow know all about it. But I think your method is easy, fast, cheap and effective. What more could anyone want?
I won't lie. Thought that looked like an accident waiting to happen. Genius, well done
Works like a charm. I replaced the truck by a winch fixed to a tree and the chain by straps (heavy duty ones) and pulled concrete post 2.2 meters long out of the ground (they were buried two feet in it) as if it was hot butter (more or less ;-).
My advice : place the wheel very close to the post. In one occasion we tried with the wheel a little bit further but that angle made it much more difficult (a lot of tension had to be applied compared to the other posts which came out easily).
Thanks for this excellent idea !
As long as the person driving has good sense and you stay out of the breaking chain danger zone. An old rug or something similar draped over the chain can prevent the chain from snapping back if it happens to break. Great idea. Thanks.
Good to see the method again! my daddy pulled telephone poles this way back 1947 only he used a tall buggy wheel what had lost its rubber tyre! The groove /channel left fitted the chain fine. Oh yeah TELEPHONE poles ...needed LONG chain as pole whacked down 12 foot + danger area. cheers from new zealand!
My dentist did this on my back wisdom tooth. You are a wise man, too.
That’s a great idea, I would suggest also soaking the dirt around the post prior to pulling.
I have always just used an old fashioned ratchet-post car-bumper jack beside the post. So easy AND safe. Requires no gasoline.
yep that's the easiest way besides using a bob cat
Geez, I was waiting for the post to jump out and level this guy, glad he's still standing.
Few technical questions to help me understand:
1) Is your Grandpa's chain from your dad or mom's side of the family?
2) What is the tire size and what is the psi?
3) Is your ball a 1-7/8" or 2"
Finally, an intelligent comment!
1) From my mom's side. He was a farmer and always used extra strong chains.
2) 265x65x17 with around 25-30 psi
3) 2 inch extra heavy duty.
Brilliant idea friend!! Total back saver. Thank you
Now it all makes perfect sense.
And you can't use a truck with a light color!
Chris Yeomans just make sure u slam ur foot on the gas to if u wanna send the 4×4 thru the back window as well as thru the back of ur head
Wow What fabulous ingenuity. Someone should invent a prize for you guys, we owe you a debt of gratitude, or something
I would not want to be nowhere near that chain! I was just waiting for something bad to happen. I've always used an old school car jack that you can find in old 70's cars at the junk yard. Hook it to the fence post and it jacks the post right out of the ground with ease.
PalmettoMoon if you can find a '70s car at a junkyard! Lol
When I worked for the school system as groundskeeper the plow lift and a chain worked really well as it lifted straight up. Every post came out slow and easy.
Nice. The tire acts as a pulley changing the direction of force.
My only concern is that the first one gave a good bit of resistance. If the chain were to break while you were standing where you were... it could be a very bad day. Chains are strong and all, but it's hard to tell just how much load you're putting on it sometimes, AND any chain can have defects or weakness from metal fatigue or wear. Be safe out there.
Boy I thought that thing was going to come flying out of the ground and hit you , that is a good easy way to pull a post out ,providing you have the right driver who takes good instruction on how much pressure to put on it.
Good idea, but I think I'd give a tow strap a shot to avoid any chain snapping, which could turn this into a nightmare, but in reality, unless the chain has been compromised or too low of a rating, it shouldn't be under too much pressure. But, also only works if you have a yard in which you can bring a truck into. There's bumper/tractor jack method on here that would be an excellent alternative. Thanks for sharing the vid.
I agree, too much could go wrong. As you wrapped the chain around the post, wrap a pipe or another post at the end as a LEVER. Then put a block on the other side, point the pipe end on the block and lift it out, safer and you'd be surprised how easy it is lifting straight-up
Even the dog is amazed how smart his owner is !
I used a chain like you, but I attached it to an old ractched-type car jack.
Simple quick & safe.
Lay heavy piece of rug on the chain just in case the chain snaps.
go watch myth busters. Chain is relatively safe, cable little more dangerous, nylon rope very dangerous. This is all relative to amount of force put on it. I have snapped both cables and chains and have yet to see a major recoil. You need stretch to have recoil.
Russell Presley work smart not hard....Ram truck is a bonus
John Bango relatively safe🤔
A few heavy winter coats will also work if no rug is available
I just used this idea to pull up 6 4x6 post 2 feet down with cement by my self . I did not shake the post first . Just used a 5/16 grade 70 chain and put my truck in 4 Low and applied steady tension . Worked great . Make sure your chain is long enough , I did not have issues but I can see how some one could . If you are pulling a 12 foot post and have a short chain the post could hit your truck. I would want double the chain for the post length. And the taller the tire the better .
Very important to only use a chain or a strap with zero stretch and not a snatch strap.
It actually looks fairly dangerous anyway. Using a jack is not as much fun, but a lot safer.
very very smart. if your out in the field and cant carry a lot of tools its perfect.your smarter then a lot of people. good job. its sad watching someoneworking hard on a easy job. I used a chain, long bar and a block..you got a brain on you.
a faster way is use an old bumper jack and small chain, one man job
Yeah, that is what I was thinking too. But of you have a huge chunk of see-ment on the end of the post, this technique might be the way to go.
Yes, I have done this and it is much safer.
this dude summarized a 3 hour work safety video in 3 minutes!
Starting at 0:51 I closed my eyes and started peeking every few seconds to see what's left!
drill a hole through the post. Put a bar through. Use a car jack.
I've done that with two jacks. Works even better.
hard to move jobs wrap them and lift with an engine lift you can do really large shrubs tree's and bushes with an engine lift, if you can manage to clamp a couple of metal plates and attach it helps obviously there is a bit of excavation involved.
I never drilled the hole, I always screw a 2x4 onto the side and use a floor jack.
Matt Conehead Good advice. I'd rather go your route. Make take a little more time. But in the end? You'll still have enough strength to hoist a beer!
thankyou for sharing
You're a real hero for using video stabilization.
When using this process you should begin by putting your health insurance card in your back pocket
Exactly! TY for the laugh!!
Genius!!!! lmao
Along with blood type and drug allergies. 😁
If that's not the best way to pull posts this guy gonna find it.Good Thinking
Used to work for fence company and pulled a lot of poles. I had a 6 foot tall thick tube that was welded to a flat 2 foot square base. Place next to pole, attach come-along to top of pole and wrap other end around base of pole......ratchet the come-along and out pops the pole easy-peasy!
That post wasn't in very deep. Also, where I come from you stand well away from the chain because you can lose heads, arms and legs and feet and hands if it suddenly snaps!
I would be more worried about the tire bursting or kicking out. Lets face it. The chain isn't the weakest link in this ideal. Post would snap before the chain.
S J Powell Yes, that was what I was praying wouldn't happen as I watched that video. When that chain pops, it either violently takes out the back of the truck, the guy holding the post, or both.
It was in post deep, just as deep as it should be expected. This works no matter the fence post be it galvanized or wood, set in concrete or not. No one is trying to pull a telephone pole like this.
jerry bushman My comment relates to the pulling of the fence post in the video, not telephone poles. This is just a gimmick video to show it can be done I guess, but a) most fences are taller than 5 foot so the post would be in deeper, and b) this is dangerous and no one sensible would want to use this technique day to day on the job.
S J Powell A gimmick video? So years ago these guys put in fence posts so they could show a neat way to pull them out? I am a former fence builder. My father owned his own fence company for 30 years. I know fences. I have built fences to government standards. Taller fences are not really set deeper. Fences set in areas with a frost line are set different, not necessarily deeper. This method will work on Industrial gate posts with no fear of snapping a welded chain
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for using software to stabilize the video!
A good way to loose the family jewels if the post happens to snap or suddenly pull free of the earth.
Yea, stand at the side was not a good/safe way, standing behind have more control and out of way....
TheRedhawke Always protect the family jewels.
The: I totally agree. Or, some one uses a rope and the rope snaps. Ouch.
Uhhhh, or your life!
Robert Cornelius done this hundreds if not thousands of times. Works better with a semi or a combine rear tire rim that way rope is stable and no need to coddle the post/stump/shrub you are pulling
When that light weight chain snaps, this will be your patented head remover. Ha.
I love DIY stuff. Nicely done.
I'll be trying this but with a heavy duty chain or heavy tree rope.
As in another comment screw a piece of wood to the post and car jack it out. Friends father ended up in hospital when a chain snapped dragging a log and another smashed the rear window of a car.
I like the way that you did that. I have worked pulling post. I use a tripod made of 3 40 ga. fence post3 and I dig around the concrete a little. Then I wrap a cable jack around the post. Then strat jacking. Your way is quicker if you can get a truck in by your work.
Can you reverse that method to put posts INTO the ground?
careful the truck doesn't go in as well in case the chain is too strong. and keep the hole small.
Kevin , yes but the tire must be deflated. 😆
Kevin no
Kevin Genius😂
Kevin - yes, but you have to bury the truck very deep.
Thumbs up for recording landscape AND discovering stabilization!
He should have started with, "Hold ma beer".
A lot of safety Sallies here. I personally don't care how supposedly dangerous this is, it looks COOL !!
this should be called "how to get to the emergency room."
We used to do something very similar. We would weld together two small I beams in a 'T' shape. We would put the T about 20" or less from the post. Lean the T towards the post. Then attach the chain to the post, reeve it up and over a slot cut into the top of the T and attach the other end to the truck. Drive the truck away. Once tension is on the chain, the guy hooking up the chain can clear out, in case the chain snaps.
Now I thought for sure I was going to hear " Hold Ma Beer"
If you can find one, get a bumper jack from an old car made back when they had actual bumpers, and a length of chain with a hook on it. I used this years ago and it works great and you probably won't hurt yourself.
If you wrap the chain in the opposite direction can you also use this method to put posts into the ground?
Sharkey Chumbag Ha ha ha ha very good.
Yes, but they have to be in China...., everybody knows that.
Rewind video in slow motion.
Just reverse the video and post goes in ground.
😂
A thing of beauty. Pulled many a fence posts & that's a thing of beauty.
ex navy: safety video every six months about cables and chains snapping taking limbs off if not killing.
Chains don’t whip they break when being pulled by a dodge pickup.
That's EXACTLY how my dentist pulled my tooth today! Who knew you could pull up posts?
Use the chain and a bumper jack. Way safer and probably easier too.
Yes, Ive used the bumper jack method w/ chain and it is easy and much safer (One person required).
I was waiting for 7 of 73 scenarios that could have played out in this video, and they all ended badly. Hahahaha. Good job staying alive Sir.
You should NEVER use the tow ball to tug something! A colleague of mine was trying to do something similar, the ball assembly broke, and flew in his direction. He survived but had a third of is face thorn away and lost use of an eye. I even think this practice is forbidden on construction sites.
Let me guess, rope or tow strap?
J Bellehumeur appreciate your comment. I thought it was smart. now I will never try something like this.
Hi. Useful comment; thanks. I'm surprised the neck of a towball could be snapped by the force of a car. I will be remember your advice.
Never use the ball! As stated, it could become a projectile. Chain generally does not store kinetic energy to throw the ball (but rope and tow straps do). However, you are loading it with kinetic energy with the rubber inflated tire. Do not do it this way if you want to live.
I pulled a 500 gallon steel fuel oil tank out of the ground with a couple chains and some old pine poles. I did the pulling with my 1965 Jeep CJ-5. I crossed the poles at the top and wrapped a chain around them and down to a metal loop on the tank. The top of the tank was about three feet under the ground. The poles were in one shovel deep holes five feet away from the tank and leaning away from the Jeep with the top about two feet higher than the ground. Another chain wrapped around the top of the poles and attached to the bumper of the Jeep. I just drove away from the hole and the poles lifted the tank and set it on the ground in front of the hole. The poles were long and the bottoms were set far enough apart that the tank could pass between them.
Is this the guy who coined the phrase, "watch this ,here hold my beer?"
Pulled a stump this way with a 30 inch round 12inch wide fire wood round...soaked up the ground all night...and used the winch on 3/4ton 4x4...took it slow and easy and came out nice...about a 6inch tree stump ...stay physically away from cable or chain...if the chain stretches quit....
This is an old trick, first time I’ve ever seen a Dodge survive it though.
An excellent idea - my trailblazer pulled a number of rebarred broken vinyl posts even with a ton of concrete attached to the bottom. I did not have anyone standing by the post and attached the end of the chain to the wheel with a cord, in case something snapped - this would have prevented the flyback.
You should have released some of the air from the tire. That will give the chain a better seat and stabilize the tire. And get the hell away from it.
I like this. Work smarter ,not harder. Long as you have a good chain
Death by kinetic energy... "How I maimed myself" now in paperback.
Thanks for stabilizing it in post.
Not very many people would be that considerate.
A bunch of people are stressing out about the chain snapping. This only takes about 200 lbs of lift to come out of the ground. This will work just as easily for a post set in concrete.
If the concrete widens down below, and the ground is harder than expected, the forces could easily go five times what you expect, with very little control. With an automatic transmission it be a little better, with a clutch, not so much
Pappy Fiddle What? there was no concrete
Oh good grief, the amount of tension on the chain was minimal, the operator was responsible. The post came out, no drama. Good idea, thanks.
anybody else kept repeating wait for it wait for it LOL
Perfect example of working smarter not harder.. Can't really see anything dangerous here the chain could possibly snap but even then doesn't look like much load on it... Going to remember this trick
Also when a chain snaps it goes straight back, a chain will whip, so i see the guy in no danger.
Great comments below! some are really hilarious, but on a serious note, I drill a three-quarter inch hole down low on the post, then I use a toggle bolt I got from Electric lineman. Put the bolt through the hole about 4 inches off the ground & use a common floor jack that you use for your car. Put a piece of wood under the front wheels and let the bolt stick out just enough to hook the lip of the pan on the jack. Pulls em right up, whether concreted or not.
I wouldn't call... 2 men, one wheel, one truck, one thick chain and massive space to complete a task an "easy" one.
I'm glad it worked out. I used to do it alone with a barrel. Which is likely safer.
As an old woman i used a chain and bumper jack. Pulled them right out and only needed one person ME
I was waiting for that chain to break and fly back and hit him in the face. There is no end to these entertaining videos on You Tube. Must be from Tennessee.
I figured the Dodge would need a mechanical advantage to pull that pole out.
It all works .some people take great pride in working for a Living.other people are 100 pounds overweight and don't know why .lol
Wait a minute. I could see the post wiggling alot when he was putting on the chain.
Naw, that's the edge of the frame. They used video stabilization and it creates a motion effect towards the edge.
So basically a lever and fulcrum? You are an engineering master
Finally, the recognition I deserve! Thanks.
very creative first time I ever seen this done. wow!!!
Realize that the chain doesn't stretch, which means it is not storing energy. The tire could be a worse factor if the force of the pull were to squash the tire considerably and then if chain let go, that energy from the tire could propel the chain. But, from what I saw on the video, these folks were not in danger.
I'd be less concerned about the chain breaking than wrapping the chain around the ball on your hitch...
that chain he used most likely is rated to hold that truck in one spot with all four tires spinning
the hitch thing ,, thats a whole different scary story
could have ended up with a 3rd BALL
UTUBE HAS a few flying one
chain is not bad ,cable or nylon rope can b
this is a man who does not prepare to die when a chain lets go and slaps his face with 1200 pounds of force. To state you have a patent is illegal if you do not have one registered- it is restraint of trade
Using a car jack with a chain is much safer. The kind of very long jacks you see on some Jeeps that are used for off road excursions
Looks like an EXCELLENT way to make a great AFV video! LOL! Of course that is if nobody dies!
I thought it was brilliant dude, screw these people, I'm sure none of them have ever done anything unsafe
There's actually a super simple easy way to pull out fence posts. You just dig around the concrete and fill it with water. You keep refilling the water as it soaks into the soil. When the soil becomes soft enough, you just twist the post back and forth, and then pull it out. But a method like this would work along with loosing the soil first with water.
I just tie the chain around the post & pull it out.
CHARVESTER
That would work but more than likely it would just break the bottom of the post off in the ground.
Sometimes.
If it looks like it's rotten or may break, I just tack a length of 2x4 on the backside (and sometimes the front side too) of the post to spread the load, and chain it about 6" above the ground. That usually works on posts like this guy is pulling.
Of course, if it's any deeper than 2 feet, or has more concrete around it, you're right, it's easy to snap them off.
Sometimes it also helps to wet the ground.
Same comments as another video using the same process.
1. The chain doesn't stretch much at all, so there's very little stored strain energy that would be released if it snapped. The video is nowhere near as "hazardous" as some comments want to think.
2. The presence of the tire, so close to the post, means that the force acting on the post is in line with the chain - at a steep angle to the ground. The video mostly illustrates lifting a post out of the g round, rather than pulling it horizontally.
3. The soil appears to be a sandy/loamy material, not a cohesive such as damp clay or clay/silt, meaning there is little keeping the post in the ground.
4. Don't use a long chain, or a long cable, or a long rope, which could stretch a lot, thus potentially releasing a lot of stored energy. As shown, a short stiff chain works well.
That post is so wobbly before the chain is put on that I could pull it out by hand and I am 65.
Just pulled three out at a customers yesterday. Posts weren't rotten as they usually are. It was a decorative fence that wasn't being replaced. Posts pulled right out of the concrete by hand. Lady thought I was some sort of strong man. Post were loose already.
Lois Treadway.... yep I agree , 1st thing I saw .
Lois Treadway 👍Yes 👴oldy yes.
Suuurrrreeeee.... didn't look too wobbly when it was being pulled out.
What are you doing next weekend? I got a bunch you can practice on.
Reading the comments I was surprised at how many expert post pullers there are in the world. I suppose there are a lot of ways to pull your post and it all comes down to preferred technique. Looks like some guys like to be a little dangerous when pulling their post and others like to be safe. I guess as long as you "git er dun" and nobody looses an eye or a gonad, it's all good. heh heh
Dangerous. A post really firmly stuck in the ground will put the tire under high compression. If the chain slips off of the top, that tire will go off like a rocket, and take anything in its way.
This would make a good Handy Man Corner, titled How to remove a post using a chain, a tire and a truck. Red Green would be proud.
AS long as the chain doesn't break and decapitate you.
200 lb lift? not likely
That's true. This is a good method. But someone with a post buried 4 ft deep with a cement base may try this. That could end up differently.
Claude Desaulniers I myself built and dismantled many fences as that was my first trade back in the 70s. My father owned his own fence company from the 70s though the early part of this century. Very rarely is a fence post sank more than 2 feet. Fences built to government standards go down 3 feet, but never ever is a wood post in more than 2 feet. Most importantly the guy knew his post and he knew it had no concrete, so....
Fair enough. Like I said, in this case its an effective and clever way to remove the post. You must live in one of the southern States. In the northern states and up here in Canada where it freezes, the code is to install the post a minimum of 4 feet deep to prevent the frost from heaving up the post or causing it to go crooked. A cement footing is also the norm. So, for light duty post removal, no problem. For heavy duty post removal ? maybe a problem ? It may also work with a heavy duty post, I don't know, but I would stay clear of the chains backlash.
Claude Desaulniers If you are gonna spout code, perhaps you can post a link. I have never hear of a code for a fence. A fence does not have to have a building permit so code is inapplicable
Wow! Thanks man, great video! You can learn anything on TH-cam.
don't learn wrong things though :D
I just use a chunk of chain and a jack-all
I saw that done over 40 years ago. Still works
With my luck,the concrete on the bottom would get flung through the back window of the truck..
Truly learned something today. Great video.
Seems to me a Come-Along Winch would be safer than pulling with a vehicle. You could still use the truck as a base but the Come-Along Winch would offer better control.
Bloody hell :-) Thought the chain would slip off and crack "something". Wont be so sceptical next time.. well done, bushman.
C clamp a 4x4 to the existing post and use a trolley jack to lift it out. A lot easier than this dangerous method..
The post is what 2 ft in the ground ! Old trick in removing a post like this is dig beside the post add about an half a stick of dynamite under the post with short fuse . Now cut the post to about 4ft above the ground . Lite fuse and stand over post with your head looking down as looking at post and wait . Post will come up slowly and grab post when ready .