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need tips on pulling a post out of the ground

ciffer

ciffer

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In my backyard I have a steel post cemented into the ground. The post and cement are in the way and need to be removed. The post is put off about 10 inches above the cement; the top of the post is just slightly below the surrounding ground (the cement and post have a hold dug around them at the moment).

The cement piece is about 18 inches across, and pretty deep, not sure how deep because I haven't found the bottom yet. It is too heavy for me to lift, too awkward and too low to lift with two people, and I really don't want to break it up with a sledge hammer if it can be avoided. I can probably roll it myself once it is out of the ground.

I have access to heavy chains, one suburban has tow hooks in the front and the adjacent property has a parking lot that I can easily put the suburban on and pull, and enough room that can chain two truck together if needed. The adjacent property also has a convenient rubble pile where my cement/post would not be noticed.

I need tips on how to rig the chains, how I need to dig to prep the post to be pulled out and any general tips. I'll get a picture in the morning.
 
Got a hi-lift? I'd probably try to wrap the chain around the concrete as low as possible, and lift it with the hi-lift.
 
I have access to a few hi-lifts but have never used one, might be worth a shot.
 
Well, not knowing why the post was put there, or why you need the ground space, I'll toss in a couple of general ideas.

Most of the posts I have had to take up were either single pipe sign posts or BUD satellite mounts.
Most of those were not as impressive as they looked. The original hole was tapered since it was hard to dig a big hole at the bottom.

So, the high lift jacks might work if the concrete is tapered.

However, if you don't need to farm the ground, the sledge hammer is usually the way to go.
A couple of good whacks on the top next to the post usually causes the concrete to split and break up.
Then, the post can be pulled out of the concrete, some of the loose pieces can then be pushed into the resulting hole, and the whole mess covered up and left in place.
Usually as you crumble the concrete up, it will settle down far enough for the ground to be smooth over it.

This will not work if the post was placed there as a really strong installation.

The first few whacks with the hammer will tell the tale. If the concrete just lightly chips and shows no sign of cracking, then you have a serious installation.
Probably with rebar and high strength concrete.

But, most of the time it is not reinforced and they used low strength concrete or Sakcrete.
That stuff crumbles when struck.

J.
 
If I had to make a guess I would say it is left over from a clothesline, but I have no idea where the other post would be. The post is fairly close to the property line on both sides, and the property is inside of town, making me thing that it wasn't for a satellite dish.
 
I think other guys are on the right track with a hi-lift or other lifting device (I was thinking a cherry picker since you could straddle the cement and lift it straight up.






ciffer said:
I have access to heavy chains, one suburban has tow hooks in the front and the adjacent property has a parking lot that I can easily put the suburban on and pull, and enough room that can chain two truck together if needed.
Click to expand...

Don't do this. It's a recipe for disaster.
 
Avery4jc said:
Don't do this. It's a recipe for disaster.
Click to expand...

why do you say that? Have you done it before with disasterous results?



I used my '98 dodge to yank one out of my folks front yard a few years back. it was a short tube from a basketball hoop pole. with about a 3' cement plug on the bottom. wasn't hard to do at all with a 7000lb truck with 500hp. dig out the side you will be pulling from.

don't use chains though. thats the dumb part of the equation. IMHO.

I have a 40' military strap that I choke wrapped the top of the concrete. so no slippage. dropped 4 low gave love tugs until it freed up. then 4hi to yard it out. took a few heavy runs at it. and it didn't come flying at the truck. when it finally pulled up. it took about 100lbs of dirt out the hole with it and layed over like a dead dog.


now if you got a crane truck then by all means giver. but I got a 4wd pickup that worked fine.
 
DEMON44 said:
why do you say that? Have you done it before with disasterous results?


don't use chains though. thats the dumb part of the equation. IMHO.
Click to expand...

That's what I was getting at. Should have been more specific I guess. I was just picturing a chain snapping and going through the back glass of his 'burb.

I've yanked stuff out with my K3500 but I always use a strap with looped ends and no d-rings, hooks, etc.
 
Is the top of the pipe open? If so slip another smaller piece of pipe into the hole, run water on the concrete and start rocking the pipe back and forth to loosen the block in the ground. Keep the water running the whole time. Then hook on to the pipe, low as possible with a tow strap and put a good pull on it while continuing to rock it back and forth.
 
on the topic of posts....why is this posted in the garage?
 
If you do use a strap... use a tow strap and not a yank strap.

Do not use a strap that stores kinetic energy... dont want it flying back at you.



Also, be careful with the front cast tow hooks on the Suburban (if they are factory), they are not very strong. Seen many break off and become projectiles.


I would try the hilift jack idea first. Then try and pull it out with the truck.

I have to assume no tractors in your area? Gotta love living in the country... would be any issue for me. :D
 
I jsut pulled out some trees with my DMAX! I used my 120K strap to do it. it was cool to see a lil smoke come out of the stacks pulling them out and of course it was fun! Like they said though, dont use something that stores energy.
 
Winch is the best way IMO, you can do it nice and slow and not really chance bad things happening like pulling it out with a vehicle. Not sure if that's an option.
 
One way I've seen it done that works well,is to use a old rim,the bigger the better,and put winch cable or strap to the base of the pipe,up over the rim,and that will cause a "straight" pull to lift upwards,and "roll" it up and out of the ground..works on stumps too!..
 
I have to say, this is the first time I've seen something like this in the Garage forum. If you can, drill a hole all the way through the post down low, just above where your hi lift's lifting hook is at it's lowest point and put a big bolt in the hole with a nut on the other side and tighten it down. Now use the hi lift to pull the post up. This would of course be after you've hit the ground with your hammer to break up the concrete.

By the way, I've broken plenty of chains. They don't store up energy and fly back at you like a yank strap or winch cable would; they just hit the ground and lie there after you hear a snap and your truck lurches forward. The bolts that hold your tow hook on are more likely to break than a good 5/16" grade 70 chain is.
 
I never reached the bottom of the cement, and a hundred or so whacks with an 8lb sledge made little progress. based on that and heavy pipe sticking out, someone had something they wanted to stay put. i ended up cutting off the pipe with a sawzall and burying it, should be deep enough to never cause a problem.
 
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