A good way to remove old fence posts?????

[RonR]

I have several cedar fence posts that I need to replace. They are in concrete and are mostly rotted at the top of the concrete.

In the past, I have dug around the concrete about 6" deep, hooked a chain to it, and used a handyman jack to try to hoist them out.

Other times, I have augered a hole next to the concrete, and using pry bars, pried it over or out. (I've watched crews use this method--they pry the old concrete to the new hole and then place the new post in the old hole and re-concrete.) I'd like to get the old concrete out, but haven't found a simple way.

I removed one last night. Tried hoisting it with the FEL--no luck, even after nudging it several directions. Tried pulling it out with the drawbar and a log next to the concrete to force it up. No luck.

Finally dug deep around the concrete, hooked up the FEL, and using a pry bar, got enough leverage on it to knock it loose. One issue with this is I have a HUGE space at the top if I re-concrete... Maybe I can buy some concrete tubes to limit the top space of concrete??????????

Anyone have any safe suggestions I might try???

 

[Scrounger]

I was just using my BX to remove some posts around the shed. Also in concrete. I wrapped the chain around them and used the bucket to just lift them straight out. I used to dig around like you but this is alot easier.

 

[rdbrumfield]

If you are having problems with hoisting them out with your tractor loader. Try picking with the chain coming down from the back of the bucket instead of the cutting edge. This will give you much more picking power and will not tip the tractor as easily. The closer to the front of the tractor you pick the more power it has.
If you don't have a loader, Make yourself a stiffleg of a piece of pipe with a Y on one end and a pad so it won't go into the ground on the other. By leaning it against the post and chaining right at the the Y as you pull on the post the stiffleg will lift the post as it comes out.

 

[RalphVa]

I vaguely remember seeing my Dad using a wheel to give some mechanical advantage to get posts out of the ground. You just run the chain around your post (if it'll hold) or just below the sweal of the concrete in the ground, over the wheel and then connect to the drawbar. I'd be inclined to add a piece of plywood between the ROPS in case the chain let go.

I have a ground bar in the ground I'd like to get out. Think I'll end up leaving it in and "flagging" the top of it so I'll see it to swing the tractor around it at the end of a row, or possibley just push it over with the tractor.

Ralph