Anyone mount a "T-Post Puller" on FEL or 3-pt?

Bob_Skurka · Nov 8, 2004

Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Well I spent the weekend doing my annual installation of snow fence and deer fencing to protect the lovely Mrs_Bob's prized plants, trees & shrubs. So as I used the FEL to drive the T-Posts into the ground all I could think about is how much fun I will have in the spring of next year pulling them back out of the ground. Even in fairly wet clay, the FEL lifted the front of the tractor off the ground before driving the T-Posts far enough into the ground to set them for the winter. I've got about a dozen that have nice bends in them from pulling them out of the clay, the remaining several dozen are all still straight, but I figure next year I'll bend a few more.

So that got me to think that there MUST BE AN EASIER WAY than "jacking them out" of the ground with a T-Post Puller.

Has anyone figured out how to attach a T-Post puller to their FEL bucket? Or how to attach one to a 3pt hitch to use the tractor hydraulics to pull the posts back out of the ground?

mathey · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Although I can only speak to pulling them out of the ground in Maryland, I use a chain and the bucket hooks to pull them out...its easy enough that my wife and daughter can do it, and often do
("yes, i'm sure thats exactly where i want the fence" then come home to find it moved somewhere else /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

bczoom · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Bob,

I haven't built such a thing (I just use a chain around the post and drawbar), but would this work?

Using the T-post bracket pictured, place it on the post and where the jack connects, use a pin on the drawbar to secure and lift the post out? If you have bracketing to keep the draw bar horizontal, that would need to be removed since you'll need the drawbar to swivel so the T-post bracket can bind on the post itself.

JerryG · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Bob,
Like has been said, I use a chain with my bucket hooks. I have the bucket above the post, then wrap the chain around the post a couple of times. That way you can pull straight up. I bend very few. If I do bend one, it isn't very much and I can easily straighten it out to use again.

Bob_Skurka · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Brian,
I thought about a similar thing. I don't have a regular drawbar, but I do have a heavy duty A frame which serves as a draw bar and a blade holder for a sub-soiler, middle buster & trailer hitch. I'm currently re-working it (with the help of a welder friend who is MUCH better at welding than I am) to hold pallet forks, a sod-cutter and a stump popper that I designed. So why not add a T-Post Puller to the list?

The hard part of the T-Post Puller is alignment to the back of the tractor, but if I can use a series of holes and a moveable pin to hold the T-Post Puller attachement, then I should be able to back up close, slip the T-Post Puller over the post, drop a pin into one of many holes that I drill into the A frame and simply raise up the 3pt hitch, which should pull the post right out of the ground . . . but since the 3pt works on an arch rather than a straight vertical, do you think it would bend the posts????

bczoom · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Bob,

Do you have pics of this A-frame setup with all the attachments? Sounds neat.

Unless/until you design a T-post puller for your setup, can you just go get a straight drawbar for this project? I'm just wondering if an A-frame setup would allow the T-post puller to bind on the post since it sounds like the T-post puller attachment would sit horizontal.

If you back up to the post to the approx. correct distance I wouldn't see it as being hard to align. Loosen the turnbuckles so you have horizontal play on the drawbar so you can slide it to align the pin.

I haven't had a problem with posts bending. For the amount of arch that can be generated with a 1' lift, they were fine.

Bob_Skurka · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

Brian,

The only picture I have of the unit is posted in my PHOTO GALLERY and that only shows a side shot of the unit with the Sub-Soiler blade attached.

I modified the sub-soiler by drilling 2 holes in the trailing edge and used 2 hose clamps to attache a plastic pipe with a 90 degree elbow to use it to bury cable. Since that picture was taken, I've modified it a bit to accept a 2" reciever. I've also swapped out the bolts that hold the blades in place and substituted "top link pins" to make blade changes without the need for tools. I'm still working on building the pallet forks, sod cutter, etc. The sod cutter will lift a strip of sod 8" wide (which is just the perfect size for laying down concrete & limestone edging as well as a nice size for setting landscape blocks.

mathey & Jerry . . . I don't have hooks welded to the top of either of my buckets. I suppose that is another thing to add to the winter "to do list" of projects. It sounds like that would certainly be an easy addition and would make quick work of pulling the T Posts, perhaps easier than the 3pt, but I worry that the FEL has enough capacity to pull the posts out of the ground if the clay sets up around them? Have you had any problems with posts sticking in the ground? What are your soil conditions?

markie61 · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

I think Wroughtnharv showed one a couple years ago on the bucket of a skidsteer. Maybe you could ask him or search his previous posts...
Mark

bczoom · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( mathey & Jerry . . . I don't have hooks welded to the top of either of my buckets. I suppose that is another thing to add to the winter "to do list" of projects. It sounds like that would certainly be an easy addition and would make quick work of pulling the T Posts, perhaps easier than the 3pt, but I worry that the FEL has enough capacity to pull the posts out of the ground if the clay sets up around them? Have you had any problems with posts sticking in the ground? What are your soil conditions?
)</font>

Bob,

When you mount hooks to the loader, exercise caution on how you lift. I've got one on each side and if you lift something in the middle and wrap to both hooks, it bent the top of my bucket pretty badly. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I only lift vertically now but that can generate pucker if it's a heavy load (as the opposite rear tire comes off the ground). /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I tried lifting T-posts from the FEL and had some problems as well (won't lift). When using the 3PH, if I have something it doesn't want to lift, I use the FEL to get the front end off the ground, then re-raise the 3PH to it's capacity. When I lower the FEL, either the load connected to the 3PH is coming up or the front of the tractor remains in the air. Normally, the former occurs. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MikeFromVA · Nov 8, 2004

Re: Anyone mount a \"T-Post Puller\" on FEL or 3-pt?

I use my FEL w/ chains to pull T Posts. Wrap the chain aound it twice and up it comes. We have heavy clay here and I've never even considered this as anything other than light-duty FEL work(ie - I didn't go out of my way to add rear ballast).

BTW - In response to the last post, I only have 2 hooks on the FEL and I cannot imagine a scenario where the T Posts would bend any part of my bucket...