Pullin Old Fence Posts

mechanic · Feb 21, 2008

I wish you were my neighbor and I would let you try out the tool that I built to remove t posts. It works by using leverage and a chain. I used two 2" square tubing and welded ears on each side of one piece of square tubing and drilled holes through each ear. Then ran a bolt through to make a lever, then drilled a hole through both sides of the other tubing at the end of it. I then ran a bolt through the holes first cutting the head. Welded it in then heated it and bent the bolt so each side was pointed up looking like ears. Then use a short piece of chain.

digicamnut · Feb 21, 2008

patrick_g said:
I welded a ring of pipe to a chain to make a puller. It works OK with the FEL and is a tad faster to use than wrapping a chain. For tough ones I lower the bucket and use curl to avoid picking the rear wheels up, even if my HD box blade or mower is on the 3PH.

For really tough ones you have to push on the post a bit from a couple directions (like wiggling a baby tooth prior to pulling.)

I also have a post popper (like a jack) for pulling posts manually where a tractor won't fit.

Pat

What size pipe do you use on the chain?

xlr82v2 · Feb 21, 2008

I built a T-post puller a few years ago out of some scrap steel, quite like what Jinman posted from HF.

Makes a great welding project, and is free if you have the steel on hand to build it from.

digicamnut · Feb 21, 2008

xlr82v2 said:
I built a T-post puller a few years ago out of some scrap steel, quite like what Jinman posted from HF.

Makes a great welding project, and is free if you have the steel on hand to build it from.

Hey Brian you got any pics of it?

xlr82v2 · Feb 21, 2008

No, I sure don't, but if you can wait until tomorrow, I can take some when I get back home tomorrow afternoon.

Erik_in_Hoyt · Feb 21, 2008

i've had good luck all 3 ways.
chain and bucket curl
HF post puller
by hand.

all of them work better if you shove the post back and forth, side to side a bit before starting.

digicamnut · Feb 21, 2008

Thanks Brian! I'm hoping to pick up my new tractor tomorrow so I can't pull nothing till I get it any way.

Erik... Our ground is saturated right now so they oughta wiggle real good

bjcsc · Feb 22, 2008

If you want to go hi-tech for little $ you could get one of these. You'd never have to leave your seat...

Here's a video of it in action...

texasjohn · Feb 22, 2008

Wow... that's a slick puller..... I may have to make me one of those.... but, maybe not...just too easy to wrap chain around the few posts I do from time to time.

patrick_g · Feb 22, 2008

bjcsc said:
I do that by hand on all posts before I pull them. It makes them come out with 1/3 the effort...

Since my post puller of choice is the tractor/FEL and with the little attachment I welded up I don't usually have to get out of the tractor to pull a post so I don't get out and get down to manually wiggle the post either. They usually come out with the tractor as a persuader but once in a while I have to use the FEL to "wiggle" the post a bit to get it out. If I had a full sized tractor instead of a CUT I'd probably not have to wiggle any of them in advance.

Due to poor visibility I can't see to place the post pulling accessory AND have the bucket on the ground to use the mechanical advantage of curling the bucket in contact with the ground. (Like pulling a nail with a carpenters claw hammer)

To use the little post puller accessory I welded up I have to have the bucket in the air to be able to see to capture the post. With someone on the ground to help it is easy to use curl on the ones that are tough to pull.

Pat