Setting a 30' pole - ideas?

[5030tinkerer]

I have a need to set a 30' pole for a meter pedestal and a rural light. I've already dug a 6' deep hole and installed my light on the tip of the pole, but haven't yet come up with a safe method for getting that long of a pole safely cranked vertical and lowered down.

I am tempted to dig a maybe 1' deep trench to the hole to give the pole base something to rest against as I use by BH90 backhoe with some chain from maybe 16' "up" the pole to put pressure on the side of the hole as I lifted the pole up and had it <hopefully> slide into the hole. Of course, the BH90 can only reach up maybe 11' or so...

Does anyone have other ideas?

I own a 5030 with FEL and bucket, the BH90 hoe, and a skid loader.

 

[goaliedad]

I'm sure there are guys with much more experience than I, but I would hook your bh just above the mid point and check it for balance, you want to maximize lift. It shouldn't take that much to make it bottom heavy. You are looking for a balance point- not the measured middle of the pole. Because the pole is tapered, the bottom will be heavier anyway- you may be able to balance it close to the base than the mid-point.

I agree with the trench leading to the hole.

You should be able to lift it, and have an able body helper guide it into the hole. Once you have the butt end caught in the hole you no longer have to lift it- but rather just hold it.

For what it is worth I would think about removing the light bulb- reinstall once the rough ride is over.

good luck and be safe

 

[5030tinkerer]

Good point about the pole being bottom heavy - hadn't thought about that. As far as removing the light, any ideas on how in the world I'd get up there to put it back in? Leaning a ladder against a round pole that will be 24' up in the air cannot be a safe thing...

 

[N80]

We used to put 25 footers up by hand with three guys. But they were quite thin and pretty light.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Harvey Lacey Stories

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...chacalla-lineman.html?highlight=pole+vaulting

might say "back in the day" and a "one man, one tractor way".

 

[sawdust_maker]

Good point about the pole being bottom heavy - hadn't thought about that. As far as removing the light, any ideas on how in the world I'd get up there to put it back in? Leaning a ladder against a round pole that will be 24' up in the air cannot be a safe thing...

Hang a pulley block at the top, run a line through it. Then a bosun's chair will do the trick.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosun's_chair

Since you may need to get up there again, just tie off the line for the future.

John

 

[randy41]

We used to put 25 footers up by hand with three guys. But they were quite thin and pretty light.

i bet you could do more with bigger guys

 

[nobull1]

I installed one in our front yard a couple of years ago with my excavator. It was a real chore to say the least. It was heavy and hard to balance and was capable of throwing my 3.5 ton excavator around. Once that post gets half way up it gets real loose, before it became unstuck from the side of the hole it was pinned against, and fell in. In the end it worked but was not fun. I saw them replace a couple posts out on the street with two backhoes and that works real good. If it is possible to get another backhoe to help, it would be a lot less stressful. If you don't have another machine I think I would dig the trench down closer to the bottom of the hole, so the post will want to go to the bottom a little easier. Just my .002 worth

 

[ldabe]

Most of what has been said is pretty much the right way to go.

The only thing I would add, is to definitely have another hand to help (two if possible) and also have a tag line toward the top so the one holding it can keep the pole from swinging or going in a direction you may not want it to go.

Nice and easy, don't rush.

Or, get a pack of red pop and flag down a utility boom truck and they would probably sink for ya since you already have the hole and everything layed out.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Well...it's in. It was not easy by any stretch. I used my BH and chain about 40% up from the base to get it started. The BH couldn't lift the pole to full height at full extension without some work...that pole is way heavy.

Most of the way up, the pole slid around and got real loose - stressful is an understatement, especially considering that the hole is 5' from the humming utility transformer...

I flagged down my neighbor who came over with his 5030 (sorta fun having two of those working together...). He came up under the pole with his FEL at full height and put the pole between two teeth on the bucket's toothbar. After the pole was safely resting against his bucket, we chained the pole to his bucket and disconnected my BH from the pole.

I turned around and pushed the base of the pole in towards the hole (the pole had made a ridge for itself toward the top) and he finished pushing it plumb. It slid in like butter.

 

[N80]

i bet you could do more with bigger guys

Good one! Truth is, I was skinny, crew chief was old, the other guy was short. Fortunately, the poles where small too!

 

[schmism]

i set my 21' (previously a 30' that i cut down) for my meter base and (will be light)

I used a 1" ratchet strap looped around the pole a couple 3 times, then hooked to the corner of the bucket, and run down the inside edge of the bucket then around the last bucket tooth so that the pole kinda hung off the outside corner of the bucket.

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/property/Mar_07/DSC02693 (Large).JPG

(although i was useing a hunk of chain hung from the middle, you get the idea of how you can use the outside edge instead)

I strapped about 7' up on the pole. this made my 21' pole top heavy but not so much that a person couldnt still lift the skinny end (top).

I postioned the base of the pole at the front edge of the hole.

I started raiseing my FEL as i SLOWLY drove forward. My helper pushed by hand, and had a 2x4 push/guide pole to assist.

By chooseing a tight tie off next to the FEL, the bucket side effectivly limits side to side movement while still allowing it to piviot upward.

at about 45 deg things start to "fall into place" and gravity takes over and its fairly easy to stand the pole up. The base of the pole a foot or so in the hole prevents the top from falling back over, and the FEL carries the vertical weight.

at this point you can (surpriseingly easly) guide the pole around (within limit of an inch or so)

then its a simple matter of lowering it into the hole and holding it plumb (both directions) while you back fill and compact the hole by hand. which seemed to take almost as much time as digging the hole by hand did as i wanted to ensure a good compacted hole as i was going non-guy wire installation.

21' pole in a 42" deep hole was as solid as a tree of the same size when i leaned/climbed up the latter.

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/property/Apr_07/apr 014 (Large).jpg

and the finished product after the install of the 200A disconnect. (required me to re-wire the entire pole a second time (and another $200)

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/property/May_07/DSC02777 (Large).JPG

 

[fishman]

Rather than put the pole in the ground, you can do like I did on my RV port poles and pour a pier with a weld plate set in the top of it. Of course these were only 16' poles max, but I found it much easier to plumb the pole and simply weld it to the plate. It's very sturdy and there is no pole in the ground to rust, although that is likely not a real problem anyway.

 

[Seon]

Good point about the pole being bottom heavy - hadn't thought about that. As far as removing the light, any ideas on how in the world I'd get up there to put it back in? Leaning a ladder against a round pole that will be 24' up in the air cannot be a safe thing...

So how are you going to replace a burnt out bulb .

 

[SpringHollow]

A length of loose chain at the end of the ladder connected to each side rail works well. When you lean it against the pole, the chain wraps part way around the pole and holds the ladder in place. At least it works for me.

Ken

 

[schmism]

ive used the same method with a strap....

its relitivly stable with just the rung leaning against the pole.... or at least enough for me not to ever worry about it.

A length of loose chain at the end of the ladder connected to each side rail works well. When you lean it against the pole, the chain wraps part way around the pole and holds the ladder in place. At least it works for me.

Ken

 

[ldabe]

Try this on for size:

Get the 30' pole, but try to make sure the bottom is the same size as the top.
Get a 25' pole, and cut it in half. Put one half in the hole you already dug, then dig another 6' hole for the other half the distance of the width of the 30' pole. Put the 30' pole in between the two halves up off the ground approx. 4 inches, and put a 3/4 inch bolt through the two halves with the 30 footer in between (use a drill first, of course). Put the bolt about 6 inches from the top of the two halves, and then another 3/4 bolt through about 12 inches from the ground.
Also put an eye bolt into the 30 footer toward the bottom.
When you change the light, back a truck up to it with a chain or rope on the hitch, remove the bottom bolt, slow back the truck toward the pole to lower the top of the 30 footer toward the ground.

I saw a township do this for a flag pole once, using knotty pine and polyurethane.

Looked good.

 

[ToddW]

So how are you going to replace a burnt out bulb .

Unfortunately I have to climb a 24' extension ladder to repair the 3 pole mounted mercury vapor lights I have. No fun.

/Todd

 

[Knotbored]

Rather than put the pole in the ground, you can do like I did on my RV port poles and pour a pier with a weld plate set in the top of it. Of course these were only 16' poles max, but I found it much easier to plumb the pole and simply weld it to the plate. It's very sturdy and there is no pole in the ground to rust, although that is likely not a real problem anyway.

I have some cedar fence poles to set this way-anyone know where I can buy some plywood welding rod?