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.