Safe way to raise a 30' pole
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joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Research "gin pole" (also sometimes spelled "jin pole").
LD1
Epic Contributor
How heavy is it?
I set some 20 electric poles with my L3400. I imagine they were heavier than your pole.
What I did was have the pole long ways in front of me. I got the FEL cutting edge under what is to be the top end. Then curled the bucket back and drove under the pole. The pole slid up and over the top lip of the bucket and back up and over the tractor. Once I got low enough on the pole, and with it resting on both the cutting edge and top lips of the bucket, I used HD ratchet straps and strapped the thing to the bucket. Now it was just a matter of raising and dumping the bucket and the pole was vertical:thumbsup:
Might not work since your pole is soo much longer, but if it isnt heavy it will work. You just have to get low enough on the pole so that when you raise the FEL and curl down, you can get it to vertical before the base hits the ground. For a 30' pole, that will be well over center, but if it isnt heavy.........
I set some 20 electric poles with my L3400. I imagine they were heavier than your pole.
What I did was have the pole long ways in front of me. I got the FEL cutting edge under what is to be the top end. Then curled the bucket back and drove under the pole. The pole slid up and over the top lip of the bucket and back up and over the tractor. Once I got low enough on the pole, and with it resting on both the cutting edge and top lips of the bucket, I used HD ratchet straps and strapped the thing to the bucket. Now it was just a matter of raising and dumping the bucket and the pole was vertical:thumbsup:
Might not work since your pole is soo much longer, but if it isnt heavy it will work. You just have to get low enough on the pole so that when you raise the FEL and curl down, you can get it to vertical before the base hits the ground. For a 30' pole, that will be well over center, but if it isnt heavy.........
I am presuming you have a front loader. What I do is bolt an extension pole to my loader so that I can get some extra height, lets say 16' overall at the end of the pole with the bucket raised to the max height. Then I assemble the light (lantern, bulbs, cord, finiale).
Next, I add weights to the base of the light pole so that when its picked up at the 15' mark, the pole would hang almost vertical from this new c. of. g. Leave the extra foot to reach over the baseplate bolts.
When you raise the loader with a strap at the new c. of. g. (light + pole + added weight(s)), the assembly should want to travel with the base end on the ground at all times. lift it up and you can place the base on its foundation. You ought to be able to do this just by yourself since the tractor carries 99.99% of the weight. Bolt it up and remove the added weight(s). Strapped on suitcase weights work for me.
Having a smooth loader valve controller makes this easy because you can raise or drop the load very slowly. If you are going to have to travel some distance to the pole's new location use a rope to hold onto one end. They tend to want to swing around as you move.
Next, I add weights to the base of the light pole so that when its picked up at the 15' mark, the pole would hang almost vertical from this new c. of. g. Leave the extra foot to reach over the baseplate bolts.
When you raise the loader with a strap at the new c. of. g. (light + pole + added weight(s)), the assembly should want to travel with the base end on the ground at all times. lift it up and you can place the base on its foundation. You ought to be able to do this just by yourself since the tractor carries 99.99% of the weight. Bolt it up and remove the added weight(s). Strapped on suitcase weights work for me.
Having a smooth loader valve controller makes this easy because you can raise or drop the load very slowly. If you are going to have to travel some distance to the pole's new location use a rope to hold onto one end. They tend to want to swing around as you move.
Thanks for the great ideas. Yes I do have a front loader, and the poles can be handled by two people. My bucket has a 4 holes in the side from a former bucket attached post hole digger. I might be able to tie it off there and just use the bucket to pivot it into place. Your ideas have given me some good inspiration.
Baby Grand
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Just one more reason I need a logging winch!
JohninCT
Platinum Member
How about if you screwed a couple of pieces of 2X wood together to from a "V" and clamped or bolted that into your loader bucket. Go to the top end of the pole and put it in the V in the bucket. Put a strap or rope around the pole to keep it from falling backwards when you tip it up. Then drive the tractor forward raising the bucket and letting the pole slide down the bucket until the pole is vertical.
pat32rf
Veteran Member
You asked for a "safe" way to do it. That would depend on how much space there will be between the final resting spot for the pole, and anything else of value.....
I did a 26' steel pole up against my house by anchoring the base and sliding/lifting the pole up between the "prongs" of my FEL forks. It couldn't go sideways because of the forks and would rest against the house in a premade bracket once it was vertical.
I did a 26' steel pole up against my house by anchoring the base and sliding/lifting the pole up between the "prongs" of my FEL forks. It couldn't go sideways because of the forks and would rest against the house in a premade bracket once it was vertical.
A safer way than freely lifting the pole would be to make a temporary hinge between the pole base and two of the mounting bolts in the concrete.
Then you can tilt it with equipment and/or manpower, with no danger of it swinging or flipping.
Bruce
Then you can tilt it with equipment and/or manpower, with no danger of it swinging or flipping.
Bruce
handirifle
Veteran Member
I made a short video of raising mine. Here ya go.
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A lot of folks forget that for, say, a 30' pole, you only need 15' of lift, or even less, depending on the center of gravity, to get it to hang vertical.
I set a utility pole about that long but likely much heavier, using my little Kubota L275 and the owner's ton dump truck. I dug the hole withy backhoe' lifted one end of the pole onto the truck, pushed it until the butt was off the ground; then he lifted the body and I nudged it into place with my bucket.
You could accomplish the same thing with a dump trailer.
You could accomplish the same thing with a dump trailer.
CalG
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Consider also, with a light weight pole, attaching a weight to the bottom end can reduce the lifting height requirement to only a few feet.
Tractor weights, sand bags, rocks, or even a wire rope attached to the pointing pad.
Tractor weights, sand bags, rocks, or even a wire rope attached to the pointing pad.
My son made an Eagle Scout project out of replacing the flag pole and landscaping at the local American Legion.
We poured a concrete base with 2 opposing pieces of steel channels to serve as the anchor. The steel pole was bolted to the channels with (3) 3/4" bolts. The bottom of the pole is left several inches off of the base to allow room to pivot. We basically installed one of the upper bolts to serve as a pivot point, raised the pole as much as possible using my FEL, then hooked a come-a-long to the bottom of the pole and the tractor and winched it up, pivoting on the center bolt. A few inches of movement at the bottom was a few feet at the top of the pole. Once vertical and aligned the other (2) 3/4" bolts were installed to hold it in place. We installed the typical flag raising hardware, but the pole can be taken down or up if needed again. I always thought that would be good for a light pole also. How else would you change a bulb or light fixture maintenance without a big ladder or a bucket truck.
The original landscaping was replaced with a new decorative retaining wall, and pad for ceremonies and of course lighting.
We poured a concrete base with 2 opposing pieces of steel channels to serve as the anchor. The steel pole was bolted to the channels with (3) 3/4" bolts. The bottom of the pole is left several inches off of the base to allow room to pivot. We basically installed one of the upper bolts to serve as a pivot point, raised the pole as much as possible using my FEL, then hooked a come-a-long to the bottom of the pole and the tractor and winched it up, pivoting on the center bolt. A few inches of movement at the bottom was a few feet at the top of the pole. Once vertical and aligned the other (2) 3/4" bolts were installed to hold it in place. We installed the typical flag raising hardware, but the pole can be taken down or up if needed again. I always thought that would be good for a light pole also. How else would you change a bulb or light fixture maintenance without a big ladder or a bucket truck.
The original landscaping was replaced with a new decorative retaining wall, and pad for ceremonies and of course lighting.
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camshawn
Gold Member
You could straddle the base of the flag pole and then roll the bucket all the way to the dump position. Lower the bucket until it touches the pole. Use padding to protect the surface. Then strap the pole to the bucket with some ratchet straps. Lift the bucket and roll it back and the pole will go up. I stood up several 50 foot power poles with the method using my small excavator. It may take several attempts to get the position correct.
CalG
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I shudder at the loads one could place on the front axle casting with that set up.
"honey, step up on the back of the mower deck, I just can't lift this load, and need a bit more ballast out back!"
WinterDeere
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With sufficient ballast hanging off the back, the load on the front axle can be kept low.
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
I set trusses by myself with a pole on FEL, a pole probably be easier.
