How to remove power pole

Cougsfan · Aug 17, 2020

There is a cedar power pole in the middle of my property where a mobile home used to be. It is about 30 ft high with gosh knows how much below ground. I'd like to remove it but am unsure about how to do it with my 47 hp tractor or anything else I own. I thought about sawing it down like a tree, but I'd like to save it intact. In the spring when the ground is moist I have pulled some railroad tie fence posts that were firmly buried 4' deep by hooking on to them with the fel and rocking them back and forth while lifting. I'd be scared to do that with this pole. I think my tractor might have enough power (maybe not), but I could see myself twisting and ruining my bucket as it fell over, or some things much worse (rolling the tractor, the pole falling on the tractor, or gosh knows what).

Any good suggestions on how to safely remove that power pole?

grsthegreat · Aug 17, 2020

I have pulled and set those in the past....
With a linemans truck.
But when i did my arena lighting i installed 4 x 30’ treated posts using an mini excavator. Was pretty easy to do, but i would have been real uneasy doing it with a tractor. The poles , especially old ones, arnt very heavy, but due to the length and the limited height of a front end loader, id be real worried about it flipping over and hitting tractor or operator. When the base clears the ground, it is going to swing somewheres.

We usually install them 5 feet in the ground, but who knows on yours. If you could dig on one side when ground is soft and try to lean the pole over with tractor, maybe then you could chain and pull it out of the ground. Would be alot safer it it was leaning away from your tractor.

oosik · Aug 17, 2020

Tom -- good morning. Are you going to have any additional overhead power work done on the property? If they were going to come in with a linesmans truck - that might be your opportunity. I've got a similar situation down at the very beginning of my driveway. It's a 20 foot pole that was set by the phone company. It's been there 38 years and I still haven't figured a safe way of getting the entire pole.

I just don't think a tractor is the "safe" piece of equipment for handling a tall pole.

Be safe - cut it off at ground level. Pull what's in the ground later. Oosik

MickeyDBC · Aug 17, 2020

I have pulled some big poles out of the ground with a high lift jack. Tightly wrap some chain around the base about six inches above the ground to hook the jack to and either use some stout lumber or a piece of steel too keep the jack from sinking. If it is really in the ground, you might have to start with a decent hydraulic jack. Since you are only jacking from one side, you have pretty decent control of where it will fall but tossing a loop of rope as high as you can get it and using the tractor as an anchor point (use a long enough piece of rope so it can't hit the tractor might not be a bad idea.

shovelmike · Aug 17, 2020

Be safe - cut it off at ground level. Pull what's in the ground later. Oosik
Rather than cut off at ground level, I would cut it off about 3 feet high, being careful to notch it carefully as you would a tree. After that you can safely lift it out, though I would use the 3 point hitch, drawbar, and log chain. This past Spring I lifted out two gate posts in the same manner, I got off the tractor and stood by the right rear wheel ready to get out of the way if it should happen to fall the wrong way. I had to re-position the chain a few times.

MossRoad · Aug 17, 2020

Cougsfan said:
There is a cedar power pole in the middle of my property where a mobile home used to be. It is about 30 ft high with gosh knows how much below ground. I'd like to remove it but am unsure about how to do it with my 47 hp tractor or anything else I own. I thought about sawing it down like a tree, but I'd like to save it intact. In the spring when the ground is moist I have pulled some railroad tie fence posts that were firmly buried 4' deep by hooking on to them with the fel and rocking them back and forth while lifting. I'd be scared to do that with this pole. I think my tractor might have enough power (maybe not), but I could see myself twisting and ruining my bucket as it fell over, or some things much worse (rolling the tractor, the pole falling on the tractor, or gosh knows what).

Any good suggestions on how to safely remove that power pole?

Just ideas, so take that for what it's worth.

If you're adamant about saving the entire length of the pole, I'd first figure which way I want to drop it. Then I'd anchor it with a couple lines up just a tad under half way up at 45 degree angles on the opposite side of the direction of drop and one more on the side I want it to drop. That way it's a tripod holding it up. Then I'd dig a sloping trench down to the bottom of the pole as wide as the pole on the side I want to drop it on. Then I'd start slacking the lines on the side away from the direction of fall and pulling on the line on the side on the direction of fall. Eventually, the pole will fall over in the trench and pop out. Just stay the heck away from it. Make the lines at least 1 and a half times the length of the pole and you shouldn't get squished.

Diggin It · Aug 17, 2020

I was thinking along those lines, however, I'd probably make a couple of phone calls first. Check with some utility contractors to see what they would charge for what would be a 10 minute job. Let them know you're not in a hurry and can wait until they're in the area for another job.

Industrial Toys · Aug 17, 2020

My neighbors poles rotted off. Totally. He was really cheap. I dug a new hole next to them and we put them back in the ground, albeit shorter. All live, before the transformer.

mred2 · Aug 17, 2020

Tie ropes on one side, so it can not come down the wrong way. dig down around the post, either with a backhoe or an augar. My son got some shorter ones out by using the augar and drilling holes close to the outside of the posts. He than was able to rock them back and forth and pull them out. Mostly play it safe. If it falls over the end in the ground will pop up. Once it is over far enough, hook to the top and pull it out.