Removing unused utility pole -safely

[Bowhunter]

If you have a long enough chain and a heavy enough tractor, use geometry/physics/whatever you want to call it to your advantage. When I pull posts out I don't have a FEL, so I look a chain to the post at the ground. I place a block of some sort next to the post angled slightly toward it on top, run the chain over the block and to the drawbar of the tractor. When you pull away with the tractor the block creates an up-force. With a utility pole it would take a very large block (pivot point) but might work. Use a long enough chain so you're out of harm's way.

 

[arkydog]

If you know someone that is a deer hunter, see if you can borrow their climbing tree stand and take the light off yourself and then lower it down to the ground. Be sure to use a safety rope. Thats the way its done in Arkansas!!!! Necessity is the mother of invention!!!

arkydog

 

[Dargo]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( it weighed seven thousand pounds because of the two foot in diameter by eleven feet deep footing. )</font>

Some of mine are pretty darn big. I have one that is down and I can't pick it up with my tractor. Even with 1500 pounds rear ballast, it stands my 5030HSTC on it's nose. While on my nose with it, I can drag it around some though. My chainsaw fixed that weight issue some. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Even half of this pole still stood me on my nose, but I could fairly easily drag it around. I sort of figured that since I've picked up over 2500 pounds with my loader before, that these poles must have been 5000 pounds or more. Plenty heavy that I wouldn't want to chain my loader to them to lower them down. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I don't have near enough tractor for that.

 

[CTyler]

Sounds to me like you need a lot of stout rope a couple pick trucks and/or tractor so you can lower it in a controlled fashion.

Of course this means you need to climb the pole with the proper saftey equipment to attach the rope high up the pole.

While your up there...why not connect the rope to the light, unbolt it and lower it down. Then wack the pole with the chainsaw.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Harv: I always seem to learn something on this forum. I was intrigued to hear your comments about a breaking chain. I was always under the impression, apparently falsley, that when a chain broke under tension that the links would absorb the released energy resulting in the chain dropping harmlessly to the ground. Kindof the reverse action of a locomotive being able to pull dozens of cars because of the gap in the couplers. I have even witnessed this with a paddlewheel scraper trying to pull a motorgrader out of the mud with a large chain, that failed. On the other hand, the reason I don't use cables much for pulling is, as I understand it, the energy released after a break has no where to go but back towards the anchors ... and of course there's added energy from the streaching of the cable. After your comments, though, I'm going to be pretty leary of yanking stuff with my chains from now on. Thanks for the caution.

 

[milkman]

I just can't imagine the power company taking down just over a mile of them for me without it costing me a small fortune.


The power company rerouted the lines and replaced some of the poles last year, and when the phone co. got their lines moved off the old poles, I called the electric co. and they came out and pulled the poles up and stacked them in one place for me, and gave me the poles that were on my property. all free.

 

[notamustang]

Just some more safety info and using things to pull/tug/yank. No matter what you are using make sure of a secure anchorage, (those bolt on tow hooks especially) and always use a parchute. (As eluded to by wrought n harv) This is a tarp, towel, jacket the shirt off your back what ever draipped accross the strap, chain, cable or rope. If you have two items conected one on each one. If you only put it on the middle it will almost always be useless. Never step over the pulling line and try and avoid being in-line with the pull if at all possible. Having been lucky over the years and not so lucky sometimes /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[HomeBrew2]

Just trying to accumulate knowledge here ... you have actually seen a CHAIN recoil back past it's anchor and do real damage to something? ... It's not that I haven't been around the block ... there's just some stuff I don't remember ... or do I?
Cheers!

 

[RonR]

Homebrew, as a young pup (maybe 6), I somewhat recall riding in the back of Dad's 56 Willis 4WD (like a panel van) when he was trying to pull a stuck car out of some mud. Our vehicle had a flip up rear hatch and I was standing/sitting there watching the action.

Dad probably was using 1/4 inch chain as he'd probably say "hey, its easier to carry......."

Anyway, as he tugged, the light chain broke and next thing I knew I had a knot on my forehead where the chain had clunked me. It definitely traveled past the anchor point!

I recall all involved being concerned that they'd killed me.

Shortly the pain went away and it to this day has not affected me affected me affected me affected me affected me /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Things are a little safer now with nylon toe straps and such....
Ron

 

[mbrule]

I too have seen a chain recoil past anchor point and nearly hurt someone. Back in my younger days was out "four-wheeling" with some friends, and tore a gear up in the transfer case on my blazer. So we hooked a chain to my friends open top jeep and he started towing me home. He was a bit sloppy on the clutch, and jerked the chain causing it to break. The chain flew into the jeep just missed the guy in the back seat, and ripped the front seat as it hit it.

Matt

 

[arkydog]

To All!!!! Be extremly careful when using a snatch rope (nylon rope) and a chain in combination. The snatch rope adds so much energy to the chain that it makes the chain act like a rock in a sling shot.

Years ago, I was 4-wheeling and a friend got stuck. Hooked up 40,000 lb, 3'' wide, 30 foot long snatch rope hooked on my front tow hooks to a 3/8" high strength chain on his truck , left 10 foot of slack in the rope and took off backwards wide open throttle.

Just at end of snatch, both his tow hooks bent open and here comes chain end. Hook and chain went through grille, a/c condenser, radiator, fan blade, and then punched a hole in the aluminum water pump on front of engine.


Brought me back to reality. Always drape something over cable or chain. I have since!

Don't be brain dead, it hurts.

arkydog

 

[PineRidge]

I have told this story before but you asked so here it goes again.

Before my dad passed he and I used to go the Hershey, PA every year for a massive antique car show and sale. My dad was a collector of Model A's and never missed that annual event in Hershey. Anyway one cold morning a local Cadillac dealer located here in Akron, Ohio who was also at the show had an antique Cadillac that wouldn't start. Dave Towell had one of the mechanics hook up a long chain to the front bumper with the intention of popping the clutch to get it fired up. My father knew Dave quite well since he was form our same hometown and dad had bought several caddy's from him through the years.

Anyway my father warned Dave of the dangers of using a chain but with Dave money really wasn't an issue anyway. So we watched as they started pulling that drop-dead-gorgeous antique Cadillac with a truck and chain. And as the clutch was popped the chain let go at the truck and snapped back completely destroying several very expensive headlights and running lights on the front of the Cadillac. I have never forgotten since.

Now years later I use a pallet puller and a long chain to unload semi trucks. I fasten the chain to the front forks of my TC-40D and tie the front of the chain to a pallet puller. I then slowly pull each pallet to the rear of a semi so that I can off-load it with my pallet forks. But even before I start the pull we drape a old blanket over the chain to absorb any kinetic energy should the chain slip off the pallet puller prematurely. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to chains and pulling.

 

[btolle]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I then slowly pull each pallet to the rear of a semi so that I can off-load it with my pallet forks.)</font>

The key word above is "slowly". When you put a "shock load" on any cable, chain, or rope, the forces generated are tremendous for a thousandth of a second or so.

I recently bought a good 1/2" Sampson rope and read the instructions that came with it carefully and the biggest warning they had was about shock loading and how quickly it can destroy the integrity of the rope.

Whatever you are using, take up the tension slowly and then use a slow steady pull.

Bill Tolle

 

[Varmintmist]

This is just a thought, but you can get telephone contractors to pull them if they are working in the area. Not usualy company guys because of liablity.

Find out how much it would cost to get a digger truck out. If you see a contractor digger truck, you might get it pulled for a case of beer or two on a saturday.

Krinkle and Destroy (Heinkel and McCoy) are all over the US, green trucks, S&N (cant write there real name here /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ) drive white ones and there are others around.

I am here to second "dont climb it and cut the strand off". That is not a good plan. I rode one down once when the ground rolled out beside the pole. Didnt get hurt, sacred the crap out of me though.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just trying to accumulate knowledge here ... you have actually seen a CHAIN recoil back past it's anchor and do real damage to something? ... It's not that I haven't been around the block ... there's just some stuff I don't remember ... or do I?
Cheers! )</font>

Let's see. There was the time when I was eighteen in a land far far away. Our road auger truck had lost it's clutch. It was at Blackhorse, home of the Eleventh Cav. Our mechanic was set up in Xuan Loc, eight miles away.

Platoon Sergeant asked me if I could drive a towed truck. Heck, I was eighteen, nine months in country, I could do anything, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances. Haven't changed much over the years either. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

We had to have a five vehicle convoy to make the trip so he rounded up the vehicles and required firepower.

We weren't out of Blackhorse a mile when the mechanic driving the duece and a half towing me evidently forgot I was a tow chain's length behind him. He hit his brakes for a chuck hole. In that country far far away we had Texas size chuck holes.

I had the motor running so I could provide braking for us. When he hit the brakes I hit mine. But evidently being a mechanic, not totally stupid but not the brightest candle on the table, he nailed the throttle to tighten the chain.

That combination, him trying to accelerate to keep me from running into him, and my braking for the same reason, made the shackle on my front bumper to fail. It landed behind the cab of the duece and a half along with the chain.

The only thing more dangerous at the point than being on the road between Xuan Loc and Blackhorse was to stop on the road between Xuan Loc and Blackhorse.

So I caught fourth and accelerated around the duece and a half and climbed in behind the lead jeep with the platoon sergeant.

We made it all the way into the yard without a clutch. After all, you only need a clutch for stopping and starting. I was already moving and I'd learned to drive in California where anyone knows stopping doesn't necessarily mean you lose forward momentum. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I started using safety chains when jerking stuff out with chains after a chain broke while jerking stumps. It went by the tractor still at speed. And I distinctly recall feeling very very fortunate that it's trajectory was three feet off to one side.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( actually seen a CHAIN recoil back past it's anchor )</font>

Nope, haven't personally seen it, but I did spend a bit of time once fighting a big grass fire that was the result of a loaded tandem axle dump truck trying to pull another big truck that got stuck pulling a mobile home. The chain broke, struck a spark off a rock, and burned off several acres before we got it out. And I did see the big dents in the back end of my brother's '89 Suburban where a chain hit it. He said he couldn't believe he'd been so dumb, and that he was just lucky it hit below the back window. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ksmmoto]

I went four wheeling ONCE with some co-workers on night shift. The guy I was with buried his truck bad, the water was running in the doors. The only thing they had was a chain that wouldn't hold a dog! They tried anyway and the chain snapped and hit one guy in the head! He was ok, but it didn't knock any sense in him either.

The other truck left to get a tow strap and came back about two hours later. Got it out, but then they had a tug of war with the trucks! Lucky nothing broke and we got out of there. I decided to stick with my dirt bikes and never went wheelin again.

Cables and straps are noted for whipping, but chains can too.

I wonder if putting the chain inside a larger fire hose would help? Anyone know?

ksmmoto

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Two words, "Chain Saw" You would be surprised how much force a falling pole would have to your undercarage or worse you. )</font>


Saw it off in 3' or 4' sections starting at the top not at the bottom.

 

[notamustang]

I dont think that was an option, that was when the discussion was focused on lowering the pole to save the light. Trying to use the tractor to gently lower the pole, but if you could get the chain high enough and be far enough back to do this then you could pull the light down. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif