Removing telephone poles safely - How?

HappyCPE · Apr 3, 2006

On my sorta-abandoned farm I had a public road running down the eastern third of the property. It has long since been vacated by the township. There are at least 4 telephone poles that remain, and have had all the wires removed from them. Two have been cut off so that 2-4 feet are above ground; the others are the usual 20-30' high.

How can I safely get these sticks out? There's no way I can push them. I can't get my grapple aound the shorties to pick them up. The bucket toothbar can make scratches in them but that's it. I'd rather not pay an electrician with a boom truck, but I'd also rather not get killed by a falling pole, either.

Any thoughts, folks?
I suppose I could hang a few birdhouses on them.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Defective · Apr 3, 2006

If you're dead set on removing them, I'd treat the full height ones like trees. Time to get out the chainsaw.

For the "stumps", they are simply very deep posts. You can either dig around them to weaken their hold on the ground, cut them off flush, or drill down the center and soak them with diesel for later burning.

MrJimi · Apr 3, 2006

Aw-Shucks thats easy, wrap a chain around the short ones two times and shake it good all directions and lift them out, when ya start to lift, ya want the chain to choke/ tighten up. I pulled mine out with an engine hoist in the bed of my pick up, they were in ground 7 feet.
The tall ones, I would cut down to a descent height and do the same.
Jim /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

riptides · Apr 3, 2006

Funny that's what my wife and I were doing yesterday. She is on the tractor and I am the pole/chain man. I break the sweat, she gets seat time. We pulled six in about two hours. Longest ones were 10 feet with about 4 feet inground.

Rocking them back and forth helped a lot, as does the bone dry ground. We used our B7800 with FEL to get them out.

For the taller ones, like you have, either chain saw them or have you called the local electric/telephone company for possible salvage? I mean those things do cost money!

-Mike Z.

HappyCPE · Apr 3, 2006

You guys make it sound easy!
I'm a novice. The chain goes around the FEL? I don't have hooks there - forgot to ask for that from the dealer - the 3ph obviously doesn't have the lift distance.
Jersey Central Power and Light? If you have to BUY them, it is /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif but if you want to sell them it is /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Thanks!

GabeTX · Apr 3, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( the 3ph obviously doesn't have the lift distance. )</font>

It's not like you need to take them out in one pull. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Get a length of chain with a grab hook at one end, wrap it around the post several times and over the drawbar. Lift, loosen, lower, tighten, lift, ...

I haven't done that with a 3-pt hitch, but I have done it with with fence posts (including some as thick and deep as a utility pole and others concreted in) and a high-lift jack. Whatever you do, make sure you lift as close to straight up as possible.

KubotaSteve · Apr 3, 2006

We had to move a 20 foot pole at my parent's summer place. It was in the ground 5 foot. We just dug around the edge of it by hand and sort of muscled it out of the hole. We had no tractor up there. The phone company just came in and replaced two poles by my house.
They switched out 25 footers for 30 footers. They were suprisingly light. They gave them to me for free so I loaded them up one at a time on the forks on my B-7800 and took them to the back of my lot. If you aren't bothered about keeping them at full height, cut them off. If you want them at full height, then dig around them.

Birdhunter1 · Apr 3, 2006

Don't ask me how I know but I found out last week that they burn very well, especially the older they are and blacker they are from creosote.

And they are a real booger to put out once they are flaming.

riptides · Apr 3, 2006

I'd use the FEL with a chain, wrapped around it accordingly. Especially if this is just you working on the poles. A lot of rocking the pole back and forth will help pulling it out. Even as you lift the FEL, rocking (the pole) as you go will help.

Don't under estimate the weight of the poles. Get them back as close to ground as you can once they are out. Watch for rolling poles. The ones I did the w/e ranged drastically in weight. Luck had it that I picked up the heaviest one first, which made me respect the others. They were VERY heavy.

Next time the tractor goes in for service, get your dealer to weld a hook on the FEL. Or if you know someone, get one or two.

Have a toothbar on the FEL? Get one too!

Best of luck.
-Mike Z.

HappyCPE · Apr 3, 2006

Thanks for all the advice. Digging them out is not going to work for me since [1] two of the poles are near foundations and underground utilities and [2] I bought a tractor to avoid manual labor!

Riptides, you are quite right about the weight. A few poles were removed by the previous owner and just dropped in place; I picked one up and moved it with the FEL, then dropped it about 2 feet where I wanted it. It made a mighty thump, and it would not be rolled on the ground by a person.

I can't burn the poles as in NJ, I would need permits from the fire department, police, DEP, the Sierra Club and the Department of Homeland Security. Besides, we had the driest March in 100 years here. No spring flowers yet. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif