Pulling a 4x4 post - Ugh!!!

[William1]

I rarely (ok, never) have had to pull a 4X4 post out.

I had my fence 're-configured', eight guys were here for over a day doing the work. Seems one post they could not get out so they hacked it off just 1/4" below ground level. My wife (and I) wanted to 'fix the area up' and I saw the stub, at first thinking it was a root end. Well, a little shoveling showed it was a post. Ok, I'll get it out! I dug around it about a foot down, chained it and pulled (backed up) with my little BX. Nope, either I went wheels up or the chain came off. Dig more.Now down about 2' and I see concrete. Hmmmmmm Take the bulb spade (2'long bladed round spade) and 'glide it' deep around the perimeter of the concrete. Back and forth with the little tractor. Nope. Life the buck up straight, out glides the 4X4, almost 5' long! Dooh!!! Two hours and a lot of sweating.

Lesson learned
Something stuck straight in the ground, you pull it out straight up, not to the side. I'm sure I'll forget this by the next time.....

 

[Bee-Positive]

 

[Sawdust&Shavings]

I rarely (ok, never) have had to pull a 4X4 post out.

I had my fence 're-configured', eight guys were here for over a day doing the work. Seems one post they could not get out so they hacked it off just 1/4" below ground level. My wife (and I) wanted to 'fix the area up' and I saw the stub, at first thinking it was a root end. Well, a little shoveling showed it was a post. Ok, I'll get it out! I dug around it about a foot down, chained it and pulled (backed up) with my little BX. Nope, either I went wheels up or the chain came off. Dig more.Now down about 2' and I see concrete. Hmmmmmm Take the bulb spade (2'long bladed round spade) and 'glide it' deep around the perimeter of the concrete. Back and forth with the little tractor. Nope. Life the buck up straight, out glides the 4X4, almost 5' long! Dooh!!! Two hours and a lot of sweating.

Lesson learned
Something stuck straight in the ground, you pull it out straight up, not to the side. I'm sure I'll forget this by the next time.....

While it sounds like you were successful, just as countless BX owners before us have…I’m sure Kubota has the PERFECT sized tractor for your needs for a bit less than $100k…just saying!

 

[William1]

View attachment 175513

Precisely.

 

[William1]

While it sounds like you were successful, just as countless BX owners before us have…I’m sure Kubota has the PERFECT sized tractor for your needs for a bit less than $100k…just saying!

I almost wanted to go next door to my neighbor who owns a concrete company, All kinds of big back hoes (and experience). I was determined.

 

[leonard65]

Ok, did you ever see the wheel method ? hard to explain. you will probaly have to go to Utube. get a car or truck tire and wheel roll it next to the post you want to pull, put your pull chain or strap on top of the wheel attach to the bottom of the post , then your tractor should pull it right out.

 

[Caden]

I almost wanted to go next door to my neighbor who owns a concrete company, All kinds of big back hoes (and experience). I was determined.

I'm with you there. I'd rather struggle with my own tools than ask for help sometimes.

The only time I pulled posts I had great luck using a bottle jack, leveraging on a 6/6 chained to the stuck post. Saw it on Youtube one time.

 

[William1]

Ok, did you ever see the wheel method ? hard to explain. you will probaly have to go to Utube. get a car or truck tire and wheel roll it next to the post you want to pull, put your pull chain or strap on top of the wheel attach to the bottom of the post , then your tractor should pull it right out.

Yup seen that but no wheels other than the spare from my new pickup.
Mostly, it was the challenge.Worse case was, I would fully hand dig it out.
I've hand dug 2' Poplar stumps (giant tap roots) in the past, because they were there and so was I. One of us was going to give in and it was not going to be me.

The funny part (and lesson here) was a vertical pull. Even the wheel method, as the wheel rolls (and it will) the angle goes off.If... the first time, I'd been more directly centered over it and curled the bucket, it might of popped right out.

 

[Shawn T. W]

Another fairly straight up pull is (and usually more powerful) is to use the three point ...

 

[leonard65]

Yeah, that is true, once the wheel starts to move, it would change the angle of the pull.I sawit but never tried it.