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How to remove these 4 X 4 posts? Pictures

2K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  Tractor-Holic 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys, how is everyone doing? I'm going to remove our garden, as we haven't used it much at all in the last four years or so, and the weeds that grow in place of vegetables is unsightly. We've been spending most of our time at our house up North during the Summer months to fish as much as possible. So, I want to remove the garden and put seed down in the Spring. I'm trying to figure out the best way to remove the 4 X 4 posts. They're buried 40" down in concrete. I don't know if I could just push them over with the bucket and then pull them out, or possibly drill a hole through each one, run a chain through it and lift it out with the bucket. I've also thought about cutting a diagonal groove about halfway through the post so that I could insert the lip of the bucket into it to lift it out that way (see the last picture). Am I making this too difficult? I'm not real concerned with the holes that will be left as I already have to do a lot of landscaping work in the Spring due to a Well truck driving across my property when it was very wet to replace my well pump. I'll just get a couple truckloads of top soil and fix everything. Anyway, what's the best way to go about removing these posts guys? Or would it be easier to get them out by lifting them with a chain and the 3pt? Because the 3pt can lift about double what the bucket will lift. Thanks for the help and suggestions!
 

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#2 ·
Cutting them like the last idea would probably just split them and make it harder in the long run.

Catch them early spring and try your first idea... Ground should be wet enough all the way down to push them over and pull them out..
 
#5 ·
And there isn't 40" of concrete around the post either. Keep the suggestions coming though guys, one of them will look good to me. The one in the video might be possible even with concrete, I'm just not sure. Worth a try though.
 
#6 ·
I note that the post in the video was only about 2' in the ground and NOT set on concrete.

A BX flat does not have the lifting power to pull a concrete set post from a depth of 40" with either the loader or the 3PH. It also does not have enough weight or traction to use the method in the video. It needs a little help.

I've pulled 48" long, 10" diameter concrete filled, sonotube piers with my GT loader with 650 lb of rear end ballast . . . and the rear tires were in the air before the piers started to come out. That's approaching 2000 lb of lifting force, about double what a BX can apply for that task.

You need a lever. A 10-12' length of 2x4x1/8" wall rectangular steel tube will work. Set one end on a support about 3' high, and the other end in the bucket. Chain the post to the middle of the lever and raise the bucket for about 2000 lb of lifting force at the start with the bucket on the ground.

Still won't pull? Rearrange the set up so that the chain is 1/3 the length of the lever from the support for close to 3000 lb of lifting force.

Sonotubes are smooth sided. Concrete poured into a hole for setting a post is rarely smooth sided and is a ball at the bottom of the post with compacted dirt above the ball all the way to ground level. It takes more force to lift the ball.

Option #2. Use the bucket to dig down beside the post at least 2' and try to pull it. You may have to dig down on both sides, and possibly deeper.
 
#7 ·
on railroad ties used for fence posts ( some times set 6' in the ground ) we dug 2' down one side then pushed it with the bucket, then pull back upright , then pull it out , taking the ground out will make it easier to make the hole bigger to break the suction the pole has . often after pushing them over we could pull them out with the farm truck ( old 6 banger c/10 chain it around base as close as possible )
 
#8 ·
does the concrete come up to grade or is it buried several inches down? if the top of the concrete is well below grade you may just want to cut the posts off, dig down a little, then drill a hole in the top of the stub and pour some diesel in it. let it sit a day or two, then light the posts. they should smolder for a few inches below grade. this is a last ditch effort, and of course may not apply in your locale.
 
#10 ·
Do you have access to a large Ag tractor? And what area in Illinois are you located? I've never tried something like this with as small of a tractor as you have, I've only done it with 100+ HP tractors, and the 3 pt is more than enough for this task on a tractor like that. If your only resource is the tractor you do have, I would probably recommend digging around the post some, maybe 2' or so and then try the loader or 3 pt. Digging is probably your best option, especially since you are already planning to bring in some loads of top soil for other work.
 
#12 ·
I'm up on the Northern border. Round Lake. Yes, this is the only tractor that I have. The 3pt is rated to lift around 900 lbs. I figured that would be enough to lift the posts out. But apparently nobody else thinks so. So I'll have to consider other options. A lot of you guys think that digging around it first would help. I might have to try that. Are these little loader arms strong enough to actually dig earth without tweaking the loader arms?
 
#13 ·
I have used a engine puller otherwise known as a cherry picker. Can be had fairly cheap used on CL. Got mine for $75.00

Did a search turns out I am not the only one doing this :)

 
#15 ·
I have not removed 4x4 posts set in cement but this fall my wife and I removed a short section of old chain link fence with 6 posts in the neighbors yard. The posts were set in concrete. We dug around them quite a bit and eventually we were able to pull all of them out by hand. The last two I used a come-a-long attached up in the tree to pull them out. I would say the biggest issue will be the suction if you try to remove them without digging down on at least one side to allow air in to release the suction. This was clearly the issue with the fence posts we removed and once we got down far enough to let the vacuum release they came out pretty good. Bill
 
#16 ·
I would rent small backhoe, such as a Terramite, probably not even 4 hours of work. 40 inches and concrete sounds pretty difficult to deal with otherwise.

Mike
 
#17 ·
The advice here is right on. Do not use the bucket to lift the post with a slot cut in it, post or bucket will bend/break. Digging will work in the Spring, I did this and also used the garden hose to make the ground really muddy after digging down to the concrete. Then push as you said.
 
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