I have about 650 feet of fence to replace. The quotes from fence contractors are fair, but my disposable cash isn't fair enough, so I'm going to replace it myself. I've done it before on smaller property, but this time I'm not going to dig out the old poles or dig new holes. I'm going to experiment with pulling them out with a high lift farm jack.

So I bought a 48 inch farm jack on sale today, 6 ft of 1/4 in chain, a 1/4 in grab hook, and 1/4 in slip hook. The plan (so far) is to wrap the chain around the 4x4 wood post, and yank the damn things out of the ground. If successful, I'm anticipating two advantages - no digging out fence posts with pick and shovel in 90 degree heat, and no digging new fence post holes. I'm gonna slap the new posts into the old holes, add some water, some quick concrete, and voila.

Well that's the plan anyway. I know how these types of things go - there's always more subtle complications than you anticipate, and it's harder work than you thought. Hence the reason we have professionals in the trades, and in building fences.

So, if you've pulled out fence posts before without any digging and pain and sorrow, what special surprises may be awaiting me tomorrow, and how did you deal those problems that I have yet to discover ?

Any and all fence post pulling advice from the Sigforum brain trust is, as it always is, greatly appreciated.

Sometimes the post will snap off before the cemented part in the ground does and then you have to dig it out. They do come out a lot easier after a really good rain and the ground is wet.....

years ago I pulled both steel t-posts and standard wood fence posts out with hi lift jack.

There was a special little twist that keeps your post pinned tight to the jack. After a dozen posts or so you'll have it figured out. As long as you can keep the post moving up with the lift tongue, all is well. It only takes a few inches to break 'em loose then it's easy.

I've even seen guys drive spike near bottom to run thru the lift tongue but I've never had to resort to that extreme.


Still a lot of work for that length of fence.

Make sure you study the 'drain fence post hole' so the new ones don't rot out in a few years.
Depending on your soil there's always tricks the locals can teach you.

Good luck. Better yet hire your nephew &his sports/farm buddies.

If you have a hose and water, it will make it easy to pull out.

Concrete is bad if you need to replace the post. I always used fine gravel and then put a collar around the post about 3 or 4 inches below grade and then caulked around post and packed clay on top to reduce water flow down the post and into the hole.

I'll echo the others that it can be done, but it takes a few to get the knack. My posts were galvanized steel set in concrete for a chain link fence (just a big leaf catcher).

I used a Hi-Lift, length of chain (no hook necessary, but helpful), and a thick board as a base to keep the jack from sinking into the ground. After six or seven poles and trying different methods of wrapping the chain, placing the jack, etc., I got to where I could move at a pretty good pace. Unfortunately there were a number of poles that came out of the concrete and I had to dig - and one pole that snapped at the base because I didn't get it lifted straight up. I still need to dig that one out.

Edit to add:

You may already know this, but when wrapping the chain I didn't need a lot of wraps - just one or two that allowed the chain to cinch on itself. Getting the jack as close to the post as possible for a straight lift is ideal, but with the concrete around mine I had to position the jack a short bit away from the poles and that caused some difficulties. Some posts I could only loosen with the jack then had to work out by pushing and pulling.

Are you close to zip code 72653?

Funny you should mention this.
I had built a swing set many years ago for my kids. I made it out of 4x4 oak. I recently tried to pull the posts out, two at a time with a front end loader. I had a 4x4 across the top of two. The problem was that the bucket was just about at max height before it reached the top piece, so it would not pull them out.
Two days ago, I tried the pick and shovel method..it was about 88 deg out. I ended up cutting them off about 4 inches below the ground level. I have 6 more to do.

We always called them "sheep herder" jacks (why?...I have no idea ) ...but I removed quite a few with jacks like these...




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/kCjyTegKeH0

My gate post in Alaska snapped off flush with the concrete during a windstorm. I dug it out, but didn't have enough jack to get that mass of concrete out of the hole. Fortunately, my neighbor did.

I didn't bother backfilling the hole, just filled the whole thing up with concrete for the new post. I feel sorry for the next SOB that has to replace that gate post.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
...I didn't bother backfilling the hole, just filled the whole thing up with concrete for the new post. I feel sorry for the next SOB that has to replace that gate post.

Quote from 50 years in the future: "What did that guy do, mount the post in an old missile silo?"

Use pipe or metal tubing for your new posts and you won't have to replace them again. They make clips to fasten the 2x4s to metal posts.

Out here on the ranch we use the front end loader on the tractor and a chain to pull up posts. It is amazing how much force it can take to pull a little post out of the ground. Sometimes the posts are so rotten they break off and we still have to dig out the pieces.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
Out here on the ranch we use the front end loader on the tractor and a chain to pull up posts. It is amazing how much force it can take to pull a little post out of the ground. Sometimes the posts are so rotten they break off and we still have to dig out the pieces.

Yup, I've pulled out tons of posts with my tractor, both wood and steel. We have a lot of rock in these parts and some of the steel ones can get wedged down between them and they put up quite a struggle to get out.

650 feet of posts will be in the neighborhood of 50 or 60 posts I would think. If they are put in with cement that might be a big job wrenching them out by hand. Plan on having a post hole digger as each one will require some time to clean out before you can put in a new post.

Man, I know money is tight but you might want to check out much a bobcat would cost you to rent for a day.

There are other ways. Even a tire and wheel can be used. I recommend you take a few minutes and search fence post removal on YouTube. You'll find variations that are will be invaluable to you. Good luck to you and be safe.

You could rent a skid steer or a mini excavator for about $250/ day and knock it out in one day.

We just had our wood fence replaced.
The contractor used a frame made from steel pipe and a come-along.

The come-along was hung from the top of the frame, and the cable wrapped around the bottom of the post.

Most of the posts came out pretty easily even with the concrete they were embedded in.
Some needed a little persuasion that was achieved by wetting the soil around the concrete.

Crude drawing of what the frame looked like.
About 7 feet or so tall and 2 feet wide.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
You could rent a skid steer or a mini excavator for about $250/ day and knock it out in one day.

Yep. Sounds like a lot of manual labor using a jack.

I have pulled several mailbox posts for friends using a hydraulic floor jack and a nylon sling strap. Loop the strap through its eye around the post and put the wheels of the jack against the post. I then loop the other end of the sling around the base of the jack and place a 4x4 long enough to take the slack on the lift pad. Place the 4x4 against the post with the sling atop and raise the jack pad. You might have to reposition the loop around the post a time or two, but far more mechanical advantage than a high lift. If the posts are not set in concrete though the hi lift will be quicker.

650 ft of fence is a LOT of posts.. Go out and rent a Bobcat. .Unless you have a Lot of free time. you and a helper could pull all the posts in a day with a bobcat.

I watched two guys use a pickup a steel 55 gal. drum and some chain.

one placed the drum near the post and fastened the chain to the post, then he placed the chain up over the drum top.
the guy in the pick up tugged on the chain and up came the posts .

worked pretty slick