Mailbox studded T post ideas needed

[mcfarmall]

In Kalamazoo County only artificial trees less than 2" DBH are allowed along the side of the road...to protect motorists.

See disclaimer below.

 

[chim]

Not for a T post, but interesting. I pass one of these on the way to work:

Mailbox Posts | SwingClear

 

[Ford850]

A lot of people by me will put up a pallet or plywood a few feet away from the mailbox. They usually hold them up with a couple t posts. The idea is the snow hits the plywood and not the mailbox.

This is what they do around here too. Plows aren't hitting the mailboxes, but the wet snow snaps them off as it rolls off the plow. Many people add a few t-posts a few feet from the mailbox, with plywood, a pallet, a wood fence, etc attached so that absorbs and deflects the snow to protect the mailbox. ODOT drivers are trained to roll it without snapping mailboxes, but once in awhile the snow is just right and they end up with a couple miles of ruined mailboxes and posts. ODOT provides replacements in those cases.

 

[jackpine savage]

My county started providing swing away mail box supports a few years ago. Mine is rusted and doesn't swing anymore. I use the large mail box and the side was always getting dented when the plow was throwing slush. Last fall I put a piece of 3/4" plywood inside the box on the oncoming side and screwed it on. It's worked so far.

Here's the plan for the supports the county provides. Maybe add a grease zerk

https://www.co.todd.mn.us/sites/default/files/public_works/mailboxsupport.pdf

 

[Gils]

At my place i have a swivel mailbox, was there when i moved it. Basically a 4 inch pipe that swivels 2 feet off the ground about 2-3 feet horizontal pipe with the mailbox. I dont think it ever had a direct hit by a plow, but with heavy snow it swivels 180 degrees. Just need to turn it back the next day. It is also usefull when clearing my yard, i just turn it around to clear the snow or mow the lawn. Been holding 18+ years.

 

[al3]

I will have to take a picture of mine. I have a 1 inch OD piece of pipe with another pipe that fits loosely over it. The outside pipe has the end cut at an angle and I have a bolt welded to the inside pipe so that the bolt is at the high point of the angle cut into the end when the mailbox is facing the road. That way if it gets hit, the mailbox will spin around and end up facing the correct direction.

Aaron Z

A pic or two would be great. Heavy walled conduit?

My soil if very sandy; thus I was leaning towards two posts spaced apart to provide a base. My concern with a single pipe design with the mailbox at a far end is keeping it from slumping/sagging/leaning. Guess the answer would be go deep or do something to spread the load in the soil.

Some good ideas, thanks.

 

[John_Mc]

I live in Wisconsin also and our township has very specific mailbox ordinances.

15. MAILBOX AND NEWSPAPER BOX PLACEMENT
Placement of mailboxes or newspaper boxes within the town road right-of-way shall meet the following standards:
Mailboxes and newspaper boxes shall be placed so the front of the box is aligned with the outside edge of the gravel shoulder.
The post shall be placed a minimum of 24 inches from the front of the mailbox. The box may be on a swing arm.
The bottom of the mailbox shall be between 42 and 48 inches above ground level. The recommended minimum height is 46 inches to allow snowplows to remove the snow.
No landscaping is allowed around base of mailbox post
All mailboxes and newspaper boxes shall be placed on the same post to avoid unnecessary posts where possible.
Mailboxes serving neighboring houses shall be grouped together where possible.
Mailbox posts should be constructed to break away at impact. Acceptable standards include:
Pipes two inches inside diameter or less.
Square wood supports four by four inches or less; round wood posts 4 ｽ inches or less in diameter.
Metal channel posts not more than two pounds per foot in weight.
Imbed supports no more than 24 inches into the ground and do not imbed in concrete.
Do not use anchor plates with metal posts. Anti-twist flanges are acceptable as long as they do not project more than 10 inches into the ground. These should be attached to the metal post or pipe with 2 3/8 inch muffler clamps.

Most of those are just following the USPS guidelines.

 

[aczlan]

This is what they do around here too. Plows aren't hitting the mailboxes, but the wet snow snaps them off as it rolls off the plow. Many people add a few t-posts a few feet from the mailbox, with plywood, a pallet, a wood fence, etc attached so that absorbs and deflects the snow to protect the mailbox. ODOT drivers are trained to roll it without snapping mailboxes, but once in awhile the snow is just right and they end up with a couple miles of ruined mailboxes and posts. ODOT provides replacements in those cases.

One thing that we do is clear back the bank for 10-15 feet before the mailbox so that the plow has a place to unload the snow off of the wing before it hits the mailbox.

A pic or two would be great. Heavy walled conduit?

My soil if very sandy; thus I was leaning towards two posts spaced apart to provide a base. My concern with a single pipe design with the mailbox at a far end is keeping it from slumping/sagging/leaning. Guess the answer would be go deep or do something to spread the load in the soil.

Some good ideas, thanks.

Mine has the post at the back of the mailbox, so it doesn't have very far to hang out.
The pipe in the ground is (I think) DOM tubing? I'll have to get a picture of it.

Aaron Z

 

[massey collector]

Here is mine. It is 4" square tube set 50" in the ground. there is a bag of quickcrete in the bottom and another bag on top then a 5 gallon pain was place around the bottom of the post and 4 inches of wet quickcrete added inside the pail. It sets one full lane off the road. Yes it has a list a FED UP truck driver backed into it, Jack *** even managed to back into our honey house I have a huge rock setting there now.

Also since I don't mind snow plowing I push the snow back so the county plow can't leave a pile the mail carrier has to get thru. I also spread my wood ashes for the mail carrier to stop and start on spareing the truck from my box.

We had some thing simular made for my sister post set back off the road in some trees (very rual area) a spring loaded arm stuck out that pivots and is spring loaded from a spring off a scrap farm machine. Her box like mine is 3/16 plate steel so the vandals who live a mile down the raod at the lake can't smash it.

Cops told me they couldn't do any thing about it. I told them to watch a big Oak tree with a limb hanging over the road I would hang the SOB's there once I caught them.
Funny the cops decided they could set behind my pines and catch them after 6 it quit.


Al

 

[lman]

Hey Tom, I think we got it. Thanks for the link to your video.

 

[jwmorris]

If I'm not mistaken, US Postal service regulations require that the posts be able to break away. I think I remember reading that nothing stronger than a typical 4x4 is allowed. It's been a couple years since I reviewed this, so I can't guarantee I'm remembering it correctly.

If it’s Federal, they ignore the rules down south where we only see snow plows on TV. In the city it’s common to see mail boxes that are much more solid that a typical 4x4 wood post.

 

[chim]

When we bought our first house I made a T-shaped mailbox post from 4" SCH40 PVC. It lasted for years till a snowplow raced through after a very wet, slushy snowfall.

 

[PhysAssist]

We originally had a DOT-grade sign post welded into a heavy-duty truck rim, which we filled level with steel-reinforced concrete.

Unfortunately, our propane driver [an apparent new-hire] backed over it, and absconded with it to hide the evidence.

We replaced it with a 55-gal poly barrel, filled 1/3 with a gravel-water mixture, with an 8' long, 6" diameter cedar log mounted and braced across the top, with a heavy metal mailbox on the road end and a truck brake disk as ballast on the other end.

The only thing we really need to do for maintenance is make to sure that it swivels freely on the ground and then when the snow from the town plow hits it, it just swings away freely, and we can rotate it back.

Before we realized the need to keep it broken free, it did get knocked over a couple of times, bit the loader picks it up easily, and it's nearly indestructible.

We got the heavy steel mailbox because with a 1000' driveway, the local HS kids destroyed a couple of plastic ones over the 10+ years before the steel one- because after a few years of UV exposure, the plastic became brittle.

 

[Torvy]

Watching this for ideas. We just bought a low end box and post (steel) from HD for now. Property has never had one in the past.

Even down here where snow plows are a mythical creature, you cannot (legally) protect your mailbox in many areas.

Ours will just have a post set in a 2ft deep hole filled with concrete.

 

[Williy]

I have seen them with the post 8 to 10 feet from the road and
a long arm with the mailbox on the end so if it gets hit it swings
away so you can't break anything.

willy

 

[3Ts]

I live on a state highway and do not have a choice in posts. We buy the mailbox, deliver it to the county road department and they provide the post, reflectors, setback and installation. In the last 10 years we've not had any problems with the mailbox getting hit. (No snowplows either)

 

[masscity]

Most of my neighbors have pipe or brackets guarding the mailbox from damage, but it's mounted on a 45 degree hinge so when it's hit

it just swings out of the way and then swings back ether from snow or the plow.

I live at the end of a road so I don't have this problem.

 

[AnotherBueller]

If it’s Federal, they ignore the rules down south where we only see snow plows on TV. In the city it’s common to see mail boxes that are much more solid that a typical 4x4 wood post.

View attachment 810931

As I recall the only Postal rule about mounting a mail box is the height above road surface. There is something about how far the front of the box can be from the edge of the road or turn out too, but I can't remember how it was worded. Your Postmaster is your BEST reference, next best is your rural letter carrier.

 

[Torvy]

While the core advice above to listen to local postmaster/ carrier is top notch...the mere idea that there would only be a few regulations from what is a quasi-govermental agency is funny. Here is a pdf from the USPS on just the mailbox for all curbside pickup (includes all rural, but also curbside city as well).

https://about.usps.com/publications/engineering-standards-specifications/spusps-std-7c.pdf

 

[bg71361]

This should clear things up. Hopefully.

Standard Forward Mail | USPS

Follow Postal Service regulations to buy, make, and set up a mailbox so you don't have any interruption in mail service.

www.usps.com