Pulling out posts etc.

[Task]

I read on here the other day that people were looking for ways to pull posts. Well I just came across this web site. Check it out.

Star Hill JAWZ

 

[schmism]

nothing like a big heavy expensive implement on the end of a FEL to do what a 8' piece of logging chain will do.

 

[DrewL]

Chain, yes, for small and singular jobs but staying in your seat is nice.

 

[20 20]

Schmism, I'm with you

 

[jdgreg]

DrewL, I'm with you. I've pulled a LOT of trees out with a chain. After a very short time, it becomes a real PITA. I would have loved to have the JAWZ on a skid steer, it would have cut my time in half, or more.

I will be rebuilding a 1400' section of fencline soon. You can bet your bippie I wont be pulling the posts out one by one with a chain!

 

[Gary Fowler]

For pulling post, I prefer using a flat drawbar on the 3 PH and a chain. Better for 2 people, but easy for 1. Just back up to the post with the 3 ph lowered, loop the chain and raise the arms. Got much more pulling power with the 3 PH than with the FEL and 3-4 foot of chain is plenty.

 

[J_J]

Here is a picture of a jaws type grabber, that looks easy to build.

 

[EddieWalker]

...I just came across this web site. Check it out.

Star Hill JAWZ

Sure does look like one of those posts where a guy who works for the company is pretending to be a fan of their product. Three posts to his credit and a random link to a website without anything to support it.

Eddie

 

[IslandTractor]

Sure does look like one of those posts where a guy who works for the company is pretending to be a fan of their product. Three posts to his credit and a random link to a website without anything to support it.

Eddie

I understand your skepticism but the guy does have a couple of other unrelated posts and could well just be a newbie on TBN. Still, your point is well taken as there have certainly been shills from manufacturers to do exactly as you stated.

 

[Task]

Yes I am just a newbie, I have no relationship with this company what so ever. I was only trying to put an idea out there (just trying to help) I just bought a MF 1440 it's my first tractor and am quite excited about it. I have to pull posts in a few months I guess I'll try the 3PTH idea.

 

[EddieWalker]

It's not the first time that I've been wrong. LOL

Welcome to TBN. Depending on how many posts you want to pull, it's aweful hard to find something more affordable then a chain to pull posts. I've never tried it with the 3pt hitch, but found that the FEL works great for this. The hardest part is getting on and off of the tractor!!!

Eddie

 

[IslandTractor]

The hardest part is getting on and off of the tractor!!!

Eddie

Nah, the hardest part is convincing your wife to walk along side the tractor and hook the chains up at each post.

 

[J_J]

If I remember right, the Star Hill JAWZ, is about $3900. Although it is well made.

 

[TimPa]

after trying to pull some trees/shrubs one time, my fil suggested the tried and true farmers method. wrap a chain or rope low around the object, up and over a board (i use a 4' long 2" x 12" with a shallow v cut in the top) and pull with tractor/truck/whatever. it will come out so easy you won't know it's done. upward pull does it.

 

[JC-jetro]

Yes I am just a newbie, I have no relationship with this company what so ever. I was only trying to put an idea out there (just trying to help) I just bought a MF 1440 it's my first tractor and am quite excited about it. I have to pull posts in a few months I guess I'll try the 3PTH idea.

Works like a charm on 30 year old, 6" dia posts buried 3 feet, T-posts are much less effort.

JC,

P.S, It costs me $20 of consumables and some old sch 40, 2" dia steel pipe to make my boom. I have many other uses for it as well.

 

[Dead Horse]

Man, for four grand it is going to have to pull a LOT of posts.........

That is a rich man"s "toy", and appropriately priced as one.

 

[LBrown59]

Nah, the hardest part is *convincing your wife to walk along side the tractor and hook the chains up at each post.

*Now that's the ticket.

 

[taborekle]

Hi Task,

Welcome to Tractorbynet. This has been discussed some i nthe past, and I believe the trick was to wiggle the post around before pulling it.

Hope that helps,

Larry

 

[easygo]

I have done the same thing as JC-Jetro with the contraption on the 3ph. The shelves that hold the chainsaw and other stuff just comes off. Back up to the post, wrap around chain a turn or three, hook it onto the top grab hook and raise the hitch. I only had to do about 10 or 12 posts. Worked great. Wiggling before and during the pull helped as it was mentioned before.

 

[rd_macgregor]

My first thought when I saw that Jawz thing was whether it could be designed as a multipurpose implement with replaceable jaws, so it could also be a tree shear (which I covet), for example.
In any case, I think most small homeowner type tractors just wouldn't work well EXCEPT for pulling posts. First, the Mini Jawz model (with about 2000 lbs net lift) is the only one that would work for most of the tractors we talk about on this site. Second, 2000 lbs isn't a lot of upward force, except for relatively small shrubs and trees. For anything bigger (like my old field trees) you'd always be grabbing and pushing...and I can push just as well with my FEL bucket without the grabbing function! I'm planning on a grapple rake to clean up after (since the bucket is worthless for that job.
Like any of the multitude of implements available, there is no-doubt a special situation where the Jawz unit is just the right labour-saving device (eg, somebody with thousands of fenceposts to pull or many acres with invading shrubs)...but for all the other circumstances it would be an overly expensive solution for the job at hand.
BOB