Removing telephone poles safely - How?

[HappyCPE]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

</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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[Doc_Bob]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 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. )</font>

They can burn for days (I have seen it and done it). Also, when they burn the spew out some really nasty toxic stuff you don't want to inhale. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Bob

 

[Clyde]

I don't condone burning creosoted poles either. However if you are looking for boards that will last forever, try to find someone to saw them for you.

I paid my dues working for the phone company as a lineman for my first two years. We were never able to pull a pole directly out of the ground and that was with a 40 ton hydraulic jack made for that purpose. We'd take the boom and rock it in all directions and each time pushing and pulling it further. The winchline on the boom always lifted them right out after 5 minutes of persuasion. Loosen the pole up first using this process and then saw off the top portion. Used poles have no value except to a farmer looking for a yard light post. If you can't use it, be happy to give it to someone who is willing to haul it off. Just my opinion...Clyde

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Try this. Call the local power company and tell them they forgot to remove the poles when the road was vacated. Ask them in a nice way if they could remove them. With a derrick truck this will only take about 30 minutes a pole. Safety first.

 

[HappyCPE]

Hmmm - why didn't I think of that? Too easy!
I would just have to convince them that they forgot sometime in the 1950's.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Its worth a shot. Tell them your not sure you can do it yourself and would like some assistance. If you see a line crew around stop and talk to them. Maybe some adult beverages left in the back of the truck would help with the job. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gws]

Tell them they can drop them off at my house. I coule use a couple of 30fters to support my dipoles.

 

[rebelmedic]

The old poles are great for gate posts,corner or tension holding posts for fenceing. Cut to 8ft lengths for a stout 3ft in ground and 5ft to hang the gate or fenceing. I collected them from road sides after Katrina.I've got about 50 rangeing from 8ft to 20ft. I`ll probably never have to buy large posts again. Be sure to make them lean away from the tractor when pulling out of ground with FEL the tall ones can cause great harm