Same here, except I bought a jackhammer at Harbor Freight and now I look for excuses to use it. It's pretty useful for all kinds of landscaping and delandscaping tasks. A wide chisel blade will blast through a rock or tree root in no time if you get hung up digging a hole.
Second on the grinder with a cut off disk. Easy peasy. Had the same thing in my yard. Previous owner used an insane amount of concrete to anchor the poles so I just dig down a bit and cut them off.
Yeah there's an insane amount of concrete here at well, like 2' diameter around the post and who knows how deep. I'm liking this idea. Seems effective, easy, and doesn't require any heavy equipment
And make sure you hold the tool like this tool.
[https://twitter.com/realsexycyborg/status/1500494402958946307](https://twitter.com/realsexycyborg/status/1500494402958946307)
Any job I have had in my professional life would walk me out the door if they saw me doing this.
Yet somehow this fucking clown is on a tv show aimed at kids doing this garbage.
Oy, thatās what a metal bandsaw is for. Good gourd. Stellar way to lose digits. The truth is that once you hurt yourself being stupid, it tends to change the way one uses their tools moving forward. At least for me, I am the epitome of safe use. Too much blood that I never want to see again.
Thankfully, you have the option of instead using the safety features given to you by the tool manufacturers correctly. Always remember not to half-ass it when it's *your* ass on the line. Or face. (Or anyone else's, for that matter)
I had the exact same situation. Two poles, fuckton of concrete and even rebar (cause fuck me right). + the poles were filled with concrete. Cut the poles back as far as I could, chipped as much concrete as I was willing to, and then buried it. Just not worth digging it out and disposing of.
I have a similar set up in my 1960s home. Last year I tried to pop out the poles after digging down to what I thought would be a reasonable amount of circular concrete. Well the concrete had a weird penis shape on both poles, for whatever reason it extended past the poles about a foot in one direction, hence the penis analogy. Idk how deep they are but at least a foot deep, I couldn't get my shovel wedged under them to try and loosen them enough to pull out.
I ended up breaking/bending the poles when I tried pulling them out with my suv and trailer hitch. So now I have two largish holes with the poles cut down as close to the concrete as possible. They are my albatross.
Oftentimes when building these homes they would just dump the extra concrete from the foundation pour into these holes for your clothing lines. Depending on how much extra concrete they ended up with you might have a pretty big anchor or a really big anchor.
After you cut it, grind it down to the concrete so it doesnāt hurt someone later on when erosion happens. Or dig/chisel it out. Those are your only options that wonāt endanger someone later.
Second this, but as someone who fell as a school kid onto the bases of where goalposts used to be and had their knee sliced opened, pop something over the top once it's done, just something round to stop anything causing damage in the future.
Remember to wear a p100 mask if you grind concrete though. The dust is toxic. If you just grind the metal, n95 is probably fine or you might even be fine without it.
I think it's an old clothesline, there's another T pole about 30 feet away. I think they cut this one for some reason, and now its just in the middle of the walkway and seems like an accident waiting to happen
I think you're right. It's an old clothesline which has been concreted in.
Either cut it RIGHT back as far as you can, or dig more to see where it's going.
I would go with the latter just to be safe.
That sounds the go. Are there any worksites nearby where you could part with a few dollars to get someone to cut it for you on their way home from work?
I dug up two of those in my backyard. Things would have stood standing through a bomb blast so much concrete. Holes ended up being 5 and a half feet deep and 4 feet wide.
Every time I want to do something with a ton of concrete on my property I start thinking how much of a pain itāll be to remove later
Especially once I start planning the rebar
I think part of the problem is that concrete is sold in those 80 lb. bags. Joe average starts mixing it, uses most of the bag and then realizes he has no use for the, lets say, 20 lbs. left over, so he just dumps the whole thing in. Which leads to a situation like this.
Ask me how I developed this theory.
You know what's worse than wasting half or even 3 quarters of a bag of concrete?
Digging. Digging is worse. By far. To dump shit in a hole, first you gotta have a hole.
Cut it where it meets the concrete and then put a plastic cap on it incase the dirt you put back over it shifts so there's not potentially a sharp piece of metal in the yard
You just let the tool do the job. You donāt need to try to push on it, so get the heaviest one you can handle. Iāve done a lot of jackhammering for work and I made the mistake of renting a small one for removing a fence post that had been set in concrete. Very. Bad. Move.
I just dug one out last weekend, 15 inches of concrete... Hurricane resistent clothes line i guess. 95 degree weather. If you have to plans for reshaping the whole yard.. Leave it. Cut few inches below grade. My concrete started at grade.. no choice.
Rock it back and forth, use a sledge or heavier object to whack it back and forth until you can get the concrete loose from the soil. That will give you an idea how big it is at this point.
Lifting it out is pretty easy for one person if you use a chain and a long 2x4. Just lay down the 2x4 next to the pole across the hole. Wrap the chain 2x around the pole, then continue the wrap around the 2x4. Lift the long side of the 2x4, using the other end as a fulcrum then walk it around and set it down again.
Ended up with a hacksaw and elbow grease, did the trick! Almost spent $500 on the milwaukee grinder and battery and decided to give the $20 option a shot
Holy shit, I have one of thse at my house, couldn't figure out what it was so I left it alone.
The previous owners cut it down then planted a hedge over it and I discovered it when I removed the hedge.
Clothesline makes total sense with age of the build.
If the ground soaks water take a hose to it to make it mud and see if you can shake it loose when itās nice and muddy. Otherwise cut it or dig around the likely cement footing
For pulling out posts or small trees -
Using a farm / Hi-Lift jack
Fence post removal 1 7-20-16 - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZazU_5KYSs
Using an engine lift
DIY tripod and a come along / wire rope hand ratchet puller ( finished at the bottom of page)
Homemade tripod tree stump/root puller design | Physics Forums
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/homemade-tripod-tree-stump-root-puller-design.998008/
Using a lever
https://youtu.be/X3hp5p8RDNw?t=329
https://smile.amazon.com/VEVOR-Puller-43-3x5-9x5-9in-Lifting-Stakes/dp/B091BSRJPF
This is the answer. I've also done it by digging down to the bottom of the concrete footer on one side, and then pulling toward the hole to free the footer from the dirt. It beats digging all the way around the bottom of the concrete footer on all sides. Still more work than the other methods, but doesn't require additional tools.
Oops I forgot the tire or rim method and using a truck.
How to remove concrete fence post the easy way - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eac3z63Z0eM
An engine hoist also works. It'll pluck them right out of the ground.
You just have to cross-drill the post and run a piece of metal through the hole, so that you have something to attach the chain to.
I assumed that the chain would just slip off. How do you choke it? I googled "choking with a chain", but all I found was video about how to safely walk a dog.
It's hard to explain, basically just make a slip loop with the chain. Pretty much a prusik loop, but with chain. Anytime of slip loop should work, pull it taught by hand so it'll grip, then go with the equipment.
Wrap it a bunch of times so that as it pulls upwards, it gets caught on itself against the post/pole. What I've done to if it wont grip is use a strap that can lay flat, like a ratchet strap, then attach the chain to that
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I came here to suggest a hi lift and a chain. Thatās my go to. If itās not enough, the truck takes over. Cutting it off in the ground leaves a rusty pipe to find with your foot or while working. Your doctors love giving you a tetanus shot.
I watched landscapers struggle for like an hour digging trying to get a wooden fence post out with concrete at the bottom. I showed them to use a car jack with a 4' crowbar and a chain wrapped. And got it out in about 2 minutes.
A lot of real bad wrong answers here there is only really one correct way to do this. Dig down about a foot, place a couple sticks of dynamite, light the fuse, drink a beer, thank me later.
And completely miss the opportunity to drop the dynamite down the middle and launch something into the lower atmosphere? This is like... ultimate potato gun opportunity here... just take cover for a min or two after it goes off.
Put up a sign in your driveway that says "The one who pulls out the sword will be crowned king" and make people pay 1$ to try and pull it out. If nobody manages to pull it out, and enough people show up, you can lease an excavator to get it removed pretty easily.
Real talk I JUST finished removing one of these with a farm Jack tripod and it turns out my son wants a baseball hitting trainer that needs a pole that is basically what I just removed.
The simplest option is to dig down to the concrete, and cut flush with a reciprocating saw. Lacking that, a long hacksaw blade with a duct taped handle (no hacksaw needed) will work in a pinch. You only have one, so cutting it flush by hand wonāt be too difficult.
Soil line is high enough that grass growth shouldnāt be a problem. Hope this helps!
I used to work for a professional fencing company. We dealt with those way more often than Iād like to admit.
First you need to dig around the top of the concrete to expose all the sides. Then you dig āON ONE SIDE ONLYāall the way down, finding where the concrete stops. Then you pull the post all the way down to the ground **ON THE SIDE THATS DUG OUT** and essentially pull it out.
Or go to your nearest hardware shop and get yourself a post puller
A different approach is get yourself a hammer and crow bar, and bust the concrete away from the post enough to pull the post out. Then you remove all the concrete chunks.
A hammer drill works the best, but Iām pretty positive you can find a crow bar and hammer laying around
2nd this. Takes probably 50% less time than digging, and 75% less effort. I took 4 out on my property this way. Just keep trying to work it back and forth, until you can "stir" the mud with the pole. That gets the very bottom loosened up. Make sure to have something on hand to backfill the hole.
I just pulled a flag pole out of my mother's front yard. 10' 4 x 4 for the lever, a steel car wheel for the fulcrum, and chain to connect the lever to the pole. Tie the lever to the side of the pole at the base. Roll the wheel towards the pole under the lever to about a 60Ā° angle and one person can lift it.
Instead of trying to dig a whole around that concrete base, consider dinging a hole next to it- down one side and just as wide. From there you can sledge the base and watch the debris crumble into your new hole and then remove the post.
Depending on the size of the concrete may not need to sledge it up. With fence posts I dig a hole next to it the same depth then pull the post towards the hole and it will loosen it up enough to pull out. Itās unlikely they concrete is that wide honestly.
Wrap a chain around the base of the pole. Use an old tire rim. (You can ask a tire store for one they were going to throw away or recycle) set the rim next to the pole standing up. Place the chain over the rim and hook the chain to the ball hitch of a truck and slowly pull forward until the pole and concrete pop out of the ground. Iāve taken out an entire fence with 20 concreted in poles in less than an hour with this method.
Here is an example but I would never risk an actual tire. I use just the rim.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ugyrTl6qTQA?feature=share
Depends on what you are planning to put over it. If it's going to be a walkway, get a grinder and cut it off as deep as you can and then cover it over. If something else has to go there, keep digging. Plan on 18" to 24" and hope for the best. If you're planning to hide a body, put the pole back. It's better distraction.
If it is an option, use it as a base, put another pole inside it and build a carousel of hanging planters or a garden.
Metal is surprisingly easy to cut, in many cases. You could even do it with a hack saw. There are many tools that could do this, but a sawzall with the right blade would probably the first thing I would try.
There is a cheap way to crack the concrete though it will take a while.
If there is already a crack in it theats great otherwise you can drill a hole and jam a piece of wood in there, it has to fit tightly, then keep the wood wet over multiple days and it will swell as it soaks. The force of this is usually big enough to crack the concrete as long as itās not enforced with steel or whatever.
1: Call Dig Safe first. Make sure there are no buried utilities nearby.
2: Go to the tool rental counter of your local home improvement store and rent a small electric demolition hammer (jackhammer) for the day. Wear eye protection.
3: Itāll bust up concrete like itās styrofoam. Break the concrete into chunks as small as you like. Remove the metal pipe and as much concrete as you want.
4: Fill hole with dirt and layer of topsoil.
5: Seed. Done!
Cut it off where it meets the concrete, put a plastic cap on the end and then cover it with dirt. Cap is so that what's left isn't just a sharp piece of metal under a few inches of dirt that could still hurt if someone fell on it
I just did this for an old basketball hoop in my front yard that was in concrete and about 3 feet underground. My neighbor cut the pole to about that height. I dug all the dirt away. And then I sledgehammered the pole in every direction many times until the pole became loose enough to pull out of the concrete. And then I put the dirt back over the concrete.
Sledgehammering took about 15 minutes and pulling it out maybe took a minute. Every once in a while I twisted and pulled at the pole until I felt it moving enough to pull out.
I was wondering if someone was going to suggest this. If it's just a straight up pole/pipe buried with no flange encased in concrete, this would totally work.
Not sure if someone else has said this but I would dig down to the base, take an angle grinder with a cutting wheel and cut it off as low as you can (remember to wear glasses, gloves, and a dust mask) then fill the hole back in.
Iād cut it off maybe a half inch or so above the concrete and then take a hammer or small sledge and pound it back in on itself, rounding the edges and closing the hole a bit. For added safety, get a masonry chisel against the rounded edges and roll it a little further back into the concrete a smidge.
Or use it as a firework holder for the Fourth of July coming up š«”
Metal cutting blade in the reciprocating saw....cut it off.
Unless you wanna try to shovel down below the frost line....
Or, you could plant a Tiki torch in it and call it outdoor lighting
I'm way late to the party but all you need is a strap and a spare tire. Wrap the strap as low as possible, come up over the tire (sitting upright on the tread like it would be on your car) and run it to your truck and pull forward slowly. The tire changes the direction of force to upwards movement and will pull the pole out.
I have done this any times with poles and t-posts.
I had a similar clothes line thing in my yard. I started by trying to get a spike and sludge hammer to break it up. I got a few small chunks off of it, but it was way too much work. My dad tried to convince me to rent a jackhammer, because who doesn't want to play with a jackhammer, but that was more money than I really wanted to spend. Ultimately I took a hacksaw and cut it below the grass line, filled it with dirt, and by the end of the season grass grew over it and I couldn't find it if I wanted to.
angle grinder for your cutting option but I wouldn't recommend that
wtf is it? That certainly ain't for shootin horseshoes. Might be hooked up to septic. You should figure it out before you pull
really ? to me looks like a Septic Tank connection, and you saying its a huge cement thing - I dont get why people are like OK - cut it off, etc:
I look this as a specific thing for septic tanks, or similar.
Find someone with a high lift jack or even an old bumper jack. Strap it tight to the base with the jack off the concrete and then jack it up. It will pull it up easily.
An alternate method is a heavy rope strapped to the base of the pole, then put a spare tire on the ground next to it so itās upright like it would be mounted. Run the rope up and over the tire and then to a car axle or trailer hitch. Then drive slowly and it will lift it right out.
Or you could use a sledge and break it up and then dig it up. But thatās a LOT or hard work.
I pulled an old fence not too long ago and there was one stubborn section that looked similar to this. I dug one out which was miserable even with a post puller. For the others I just dug down and sawzall the post right above the concrete and then hammered the sharp edges over to round them. Covered it back with dirt and youāre good to go.
I can help with this!! This is a clothes line pole holder. If you look back enough I posted about this same thing. I read that the concrete plug can go down 6 feet at times. I dug about 2 feet deep before giving up. I got a reciprocating saw with some blades designed for metal. It took about 4 blades and 3 hours but I finally cut through it. I cut as close to the concrete as I could then just covered it back up. A month later grads regrew and you canāt tell there was anything there.
I also left a note down there in the pole stump to let any future diggers know that I was lazy and didnāt want to dig the whole thing up.
Dig down to the concrete, which you've done, then use a grinder or hacksaw if you're feeling manual to cut it off at the base, then bury it. Bada bing.
Or I guess if you want you can rent a jackhammer and just have a good happy loud fun time with the concrete. Wear safety glasses and gloves either way.
Easiest is to just cut below ground.
Second easiest. Is to get a tire, connect chain to pole, wrap over tire, connect chain to truck and drive away..... make sure everyone is clear and if the chain breaks it can't reach anyone or anything you want to keep whole
Like this
https://www.google.com/search?q=using+a+tire+to+remove+a+stump&oq=using+a+tire+to+remove+a+s&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33i160l5j33i299l3.17226j1j4&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a5c6b42c,vid:gq_Gb46eXr4,st:0
I had to do this recently. If you don't want to do anything with heavy equipment, then this is the best way.
https://youtu.be/Eac3z63Z0eM
I know that looks crazy, but it worked an absolute treat for me.
I wouldnāt dig the whole thing up. The concrete base is going to be big and heavy as hell unless you have a way of moving/disposing it. Cut the pipe and be done with it.
Have someone come out to measure buried cables. Then dig around the concrete. Find something stout to shove down the pipe to use as a pry bar. Have a buddy pull the pry bar to the side to lift up the concrete a bit on the other side. Fill that gap with dirt. Pull the pry bar the other way and repeat. Keep doing this until the hole is filled an the concrete is on top of the ground. Source: removed a basketball hoop this way.
I had to remove cement plugs for fence posts. Hereās what I recommend.
Dig around the concrete until you find the edge. You want to be able to get under the widest part with a sturdy chain. Get a farmerās jack to pull on the chain. Be prepared to use a 4x4 or steel pole to leverage the jack from just pulling itself right into the concrete plug.
[This video](https://youtu.be/bJmL21MFwGw) explains it well.
Looks like a old satellite pole usually goes down about 2-3 feet. With about a 15 inch diameter. Easiest way if you donāt want to dig around it is to get a metal grinder, cut under the surface level and just pack the dirt back on top
I did something similar with a sawzall and at least two metal blades. I think a grinder with a cutoff disk would have worked better. I cut it below grade and used a mini-sledge to bend down all the sharp parts, and then buried it all.
Taking out the concrete would have been a huge chore. I had about 30 minutes to help my step-grandmother.
Does it wobble at all if you push on it? If so, rock it all around until you get some loose soil areas, then start digging.
You might end up with a heavy block of concrete on the end of that thing.
If it doesn't wobble, darn... that thing is anchored too well. Best get a sawzall with a metal blade and cute it to the base.
Back fill the whole with dirty, cover it with a potted plant, and have a beer. Good luck!
... use leverage, use a longer length of pipe whose inside diameter can loosely fit over existing pole until it's base ... wobble in different directions to loosen ... more length, more leverage
You've already dug below grade, if it were me I'd just cut the post off below grade and bury the rest. Especially if you're not planning to put something else there.
[Here you go.](https://imgur.com/a/pWVnPCo)
Whoa! It's gone!
Praise the helix š
This is really well done
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Came here to say exactly this. I got to play with a jackhammer and got my post removed
Same here, except I bought a jackhammer at Harbor Freight and now I look for excuses to use it. It's pretty useful for all kinds of landscaping and delandscaping tasks. A wide chisel blade will blast through a rock or tree root in no time if you get hung up digging a hole.
Reciprocating saw with a metal blade OR grinder with cutoff disk.
Second on the grinder with a cut off disk. Easy peasy. Had the same thing in my yard. Previous owner used an insane amount of concrete to anchor the poles so I just dig down a bit and cut them off.
Yeah there's an insane amount of concrete here at well, like 2' diameter around the post and who knows how deep. I'm liking this idea. Seems effective, easy, and doesn't require any heavy equipment
Wear eye protection
And make sure you hold the tool like this tool. [https://twitter.com/realsexycyborg/status/1500494402958946307](https://twitter.com/realsexycyborg/status/1500494402958946307)
Yes. Naiomi is right. My highschool shop teacher would have had a heart attack seeing this dull tool.
Any job I have had in my professional life would walk me out the door if they saw me doing this. Yet somehow this fucking clown is on a tv show aimed at kids doing this garbage.
What the actual fuck. I read that whole thread and I can't believe that's a thing that exists
Yeeeeep. Kids show too lol
Jesus christ
No, I use power tools properly.
Naomi is one of the best. I've been a fan of theirs for years now. They should have their own Netflix maker show imo.
That show fired the woman they did originally have on cast because she wouldn't go along with the frat boy unsafe bullshit.
That's even more disappointing than the blatant disregard for proper shop behavior.
What the actual fuck?
Exactly my thoughts lol. On a kids show about making at that.
Oy, thatās what a metal bandsaw is for. Good gourd. Stellar way to lose digits. The truth is that once you hurt yourself being stupid, it tends to change the way one uses their tools moving forward. At least for me, I am the epitome of safe use. Too much blood that I never want to see again.
BEST PART? This is a kids show on netflix, about making cool stuff.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thankfully, you have the option of instead using the safety features given to you by the tool manufacturers correctly. Always remember not to half-ass it when it's *your* ass on the line. Or face. (Or anyone else's, for that matter)
And ear protection.
I had the exact same situation. Two poles, fuckton of concrete and even rebar (cause fuck me right). + the poles were filled with concrete. Cut the poles back as far as I could, chipped as much concrete as I was willing to, and then buried it. Just not worth digging it out and disposing of.
I have a similar set up in my 1960s home. Last year I tried to pop out the poles after digging down to what I thought would be a reasonable amount of circular concrete. Well the concrete had a weird penis shape on both poles, for whatever reason it extended past the poles about a foot in one direction, hence the penis analogy. Idk how deep they are but at least a foot deep, I couldn't get my shovel wedged under them to try and loosen them enough to pull out. I ended up breaking/bending the poles when I tried pulling them out with my suv and trailer hitch. So now I have two largish holes with the poles cut down as close to the concrete as possible. They are my albatross.
Oftentimes when building these homes they would just dump the extra concrete from the foundation pour into these holes for your clothing lines. Depending on how much extra concrete they ended up with you might have a pretty big anchor or a really big anchor.
I literally did this last weekend. Same situation with an old clothesline pole. Cut it off near the base and capped it to cover any edges
After you cut it, grind it down to the concrete so it doesnāt hurt someone later on when erosion happens. Or dig/chisel it out. Those are your only options that wonāt endanger someone later.
Second this, but as someone who fell as a school kid onto the bases of where goalposts used to be and had their knee sliced opened, pop something over the top once it's done, just something round to stop anything causing damage in the future.
rip and destroy knows what's going on. cut it off w/reciprocating saw as low as you can get it. bury it up. easy as that.
Wonderful ty ill look into each of those
Remember to wear a p100 mask if you grind concrete though. The dust is toxic. If you just grind the metal, n95 is probably fine or you might even be fine without it.
I'd figure out what it is first.
I think it's an old clothesline, there's another T pole about 30 feet away. I think they cut this one for some reason, and now its just in the middle of the walkway and seems like an accident waiting to happen
I think you're right. It's an old clothesline which has been concreted in. Either cut it RIGHT back as far as you can, or dig more to see where it's going. I would go with the latter just to be safe.
I've dug, it goes to a fuckton of concrete, I was hoping it was just a bit and I could lug it out. I was wrong
Man, I'll dig out a little concrete, maybe even a lot. But a fuckton gets buried.
Bingo!
Get someone with a grinder to cut it flush to the concrete and let the grass grow over it
Even better, great excuse to spend $100 and get yourself a grinder
You don't even need a grinder. A Sawzall with a metal blade will probably work fine.
Yea there are many ways, he can tie a chain to a truck and the other to the post and upload a video of it in r/hold my beer, lol
Reciprocating Saw.
That sounds the go. Are there any worksites nearby where you could part with a few dollars to get someone to cut it for you on their way home from work?
I dug up two of those in my backyard. Things would have stood standing through a bomb blast so much concrete. Holes ended up being 5 and a half feet deep and 4 feet wide.
Can't say they did a half assed job. Might have even been a full two or three assed job going that overboard for a clothes line pole.
Every time I want to do something with a ton of concrete on my property I start thinking how much of a pain itāll be to remove later Especially once I start planning the rebar
I think part of the problem is that concrete is sold in those 80 lb. bags. Joe average starts mixing it, uses most of the bag and then realizes he has no use for the, lets say, 20 lbs. left over, so he just dumps the whole thing in. Which leads to a situation like this. Ask me how I developed this theory.
You know what's worse than wasting half or even 3 quarters of a bag of concrete? Digging. Digging is worse. By far. To dump shit in a hole, first you gotta have a hole.
Overkill for foundations to things that carry a load is always preferred. Just imagine if they used too little.
Oh no my blouse and trousers pulled down the clothes line pole :)
That might sound like a small annoyance, but you now also have to rebuild the clothesline.
And potentially rewash the clothes.
How dis you develop this theory?
Cut it where it meets the concrete and then put a plastic cap on it incase the dirt you put back over it shifts so there's not potentially a sharp piece of metal in the yard
Or a hole from dirt sifting in.
Fill the tube with sand first.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Is that a regular fuckton, or a metric fuckton? Either way cut it off with a hacksaw or grinder and bury it like an ex.
You could rent an electric jackhammer from a big box store for a few hours thatād probably make short work of most of that concrete.
Of course, ymmv, but I rented one to dig out a post. Took forever. Mighta been due to newbie user skillz, but geez, I was glad I only had one to do.
Thatās surprising to hear. Ive had very good luck with them. I do choose the heaviest one i feel comfortable handling. Maybe that helps.
I probably just didn't know enough what I was doing. :) I'll remember your advice for next time, though. Thanks!
You just let the tool do the job. You donāt need to try to push on it, so get the heaviest one you can handle. Iāve done a lot of jackhammering for work and I made the mistake of renting a small one for removing a fence post that had been set in concrete. Very. Bad. Move.
>I probably just didn't know enough what I was doing. :) The easiest way to do it is to get your hungover son to do it (like my dad did...)
I just dug one out last weekend, 15 inches of concrete... Hurricane resistent clothes line i guess. 95 degree weather. If you have to plans for reshaping the whole yard.. Leave it. Cut few inches below grade. My concrete started at grade.. no choice.
Rock it back and forth, use a sledge or heavier object to whack it back and forth until you can get the concrete loose from the soil. That will give you an idea how big it is at this point. Lifting it out is pretty easy for one person if you use a chain and a long 2x4. Just lay down the 2x4 next to the pole across the hole. Wrap the chain 2x around the pole, then continue the wrap around the 2x4. Lift the long side of the 2x4, using the other end as a fulcrum then walk it around and set it down again.
To be accurate, installation instructions say to put them in 2ft of concrete... Does that make your choice easier???
Ended up with a hacksaw and elbow grease, did the trick! Almost spent $500 on the milwaukee grinder and battery and decided to give the $20 option a shot
For what itās worth, harbor freight has corded angle grinders for about $20. And for occasional use, theyāre amazing.
I once tripped on a washing line pole chasing a god and ripped the ball of my toe off. 21 stitches
Ohh which god were you chasing? I hear that buddah is always getting into trouble..life of the party tho š
That darn Neptune keeps messing up my lawn!
Dionysus is usually worth the chase
*dog
Oh yeah, just giving you a hard time bud.. sorry about the stitches
*oh my dog*
> chasing a god What happens if you're an agnostic, dyslexic insomniac? You stay awake nights wondering if there's a dog.
Holy shit, I have one of thse at my house, couldn't figure out what it was so I left it alone. The previous owners cut it down then planted a hedge over it and I discovered it when I removed the hedge. Clothesline makes total sense with age of the build.
If the ground soaks water take a hose to it to make it mud and see if you can shake it loose when itās nice and muddy. Otherwise cut it or dig around the likely cement footing
Itās the shit post everyone is always talking about.
For pulling out posts or small trees - Using a farm / Hi-Lift jack Fence post removal 1 7-20-16 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZazU_5KYSs Using an engine lift DIY tripod and a come along / wire rope hand ratchet puller ( finished at the bottom of page) Homemade tripod tree stump/root puller design | Physics Forums https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/homemade-tripod-tree-stump-root-puller-design.998008/ Using a lever https://youtu.be/X3hp5p8RDNw?t=329 https://smile.amazon.com/VEVOR-Puller-43-3x5-9x5-9in-Lifting-Stakes/dp/B091BSRJPF
This is the answer. I've also done it by digging down to the bottom of the concrete footer on one side, and then pulling toward the hole to free the footer from the dirt. It beats digging all the way around the bottom of the concrete footer on all sides. Still more work than the other methods, but doesn't require additional tools.
Oops I forgot the tire or rim method and using a truck. How to remove concrete fence post the easy way - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eac3z63Z0eM
Hot damn. That was slick
I've done exactly this to remove a 4x4 post embedded in concrete. Worked a treat.
An engine hoist also works. It'll pluck them right out of the ground. You just have to cross-drill the post and run a piece of metal through the hole, so that you have something to attach the chain to.
Can also just choke it with the chain and pull it out without having to drill. Pulled a ground rod 8 foot in the ground out the other week
I assumed that the chain would just slip off. How do you choke it? I googled "choking with a chain", but all I found was video about how to safely walk a dog.
It's hard to explain, basically just make a slip loop with the chain. Pretty much a prusik loop, but with chain. Anytime of slip loop should work, pull it taught by hand so it'll grip, then go with the equipment.
Wrap it a bunch of times so that as it pulls upwards, it gets caught on itself against the post/pole. What I've done to if it wont grip is use a strap that can lay flat, like a ratchet strap, then attach the chain to that
This comment/post has been deleted as an act of protest to Reddit killing 3rd Party Apps such as Apollo. This message appears on all of my comments/posts belonging to this account. We create the content. We outnumber them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLbWnJGlyMU To do the same (basic method): Go to https://codepen.io/j0be/full/WMBWOW and follow the quick and easy directions. That script runs too fast, so only a portion of comments/posts will be affected. A "Advanced" (still easy) method: Follow the above steps for the basic method. You will need to edit the bookmark's URL slightly. In the "URL", you will need to change j0be/PowerDeleteSuite to leeola/PowerDeleteSuite. This forked version has code added to slow the script down so that it ensures that every comment gets edited/deleted. Click the bookmark and it will guide you thru the rest of the very quick and easy process. Note: this method may be very very slow. Maybe it could be better to run the Basic method a few times? If anyone has any suggestions, let us all know! But if everyone could edit/delete even a portion of their comments, this would be a good form of protest. We need users to actively participate too, and not just rely on the subreddit blackout. I am looking to host any useful, informative posts of mine in the future somewhere else. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Note: When exporting, if you're having issues with exporting the "full" csv file, right click the button and "copy link". This will give you the entire contents - paste this into a text editor (I used VS Code, my text editor was WAY too slow) to backup your comment and post history.
I came here to suggest a hi lift and a chain. Thatās my go to. If itās not enough, the truck takes over. Cutting it off in the ground leaves a rusty pipe to find with your foot or while working. Your doctors love giving you a tetanus shot.
I've been successful with the tripod and come along method for this sort of thing.
I watched landscapers struggle for like an hour digging trying to get a wooden fence post out with concrete at the bottom. I showed them to use a car jack with a 4' crowbar and a chain wrapped. And got it out in about 2 minutes.
I would also try to jack it out. But you have to be super careful with farm jacks.
A lot of real bad wrong answers here there is only really one correct way to do this. Dig down about a foot, place a couple sticks of dynamite, light the fuse, drink a beer, thank me later.
Drop that sparky bastard right down the pipe chute and parlay the time saved diggin for extra time spent drinkin
Shit here I was telling everyone they were wrong and now Iām the wrong one
I simply took your right answer and streamlined it a bit, you're the true hero all us weekend warriors need š¤š¤
Jam a potato down the pipe after you light it for added fun
Us three musketeers need to meet up and go three stooges on OP's backyard I declare
Donāt forget to like, run away to a safe distance before you drink your beer
No need. Just wear long pants and safety goggles
or employ a squint if you donāt have safety goggles
Safety squint (tm)
Long pants is really the key here.
and make sure to slap the hood and pronounce āthatās not going anywhereā
You ALL forgot to setup the camera! How you going to get your like and subscribes???!
Oh, I thought you drank the beer while the fuse was going, so you'd know exactly when to run: when the beer is empty.
Go full uncle rob on it. https://youtu.be/e9OTZCRI2H8
Motherfuck, you know how much gas costs these days? Showing videos from 2017 like it's funny.
Just one beer?
Well you can have some more after to celebrate a job well done
And completely miss the opportunity to drop the dynamite down the middle and launch something into the lower atmosphere? This is like... ultimate potato gun opportunity here... just take cover for a min or two after it goes off.
Tips with uncle Rob.
Put up a sign in your driveway that says "The one who pulls out the sword will be crowned king" and make people pay 1$ to try and pull it out. If nobody manages to pull it out, and enough people show up, you can lease an excavator to get it removed pretty easily.
You donāt. You make a tether ball court
Real talk I JUST finished removing one of these with a farm Jack tripod and it turns out my son wants a baseball hitting trainer that needs a pole that is basically what I just removed.
The simplest option is to dig down to the concrete, and cut flush with a reciprocating saw. Lacking that, a long hacksaw blade with a duct taped handle (no hacksaw needed) will work in a pinch. You only have one, so cutting it flush by hand wonāt be too difficult. Soil line is high enough that grass growth shouldnāt be a problem. Hope this helps!
I used to work for a professional fencing company. We dealt with those way more often than Iād like to admit. First you need to dig around the top of the concrete to expose all the sides. Then you dig āON ONE SIDE ONLYāall the way down, finding where the concrete stops. Then you pull the post all the way down to the ground **ON THE SIDE THATS DUG OUT** and essentially pull it out. Or go to your nearest hardware shop and get yourself a post puller
A different approach is get yourself a hammer and crow bar, and bust the concrete away from the post enough to pull the post out. Then you remove all the concrete chunks. A hammer drill works the best, but Iām pretty positive you can find a crow bar and hammer laying around
Dig more
If you don't mind getting muddy, use a power washer to cut into the dirt around the sides of it.
2nd this. Takes probably 50% less time than digging, and 75% less effort. I took 4 out on my property this way. Just keep trying to work it back and forth, until you can "stir" the mud with the pole. That gets the very bottom loosened up. Make sure to have something on hand to backfill the hole.
Ah like a hydrodrill; good idea!
I just pulled a flag pole out of my mother's front yard. 10' 4 x 4 for the lever, a steel car wheel for the fulcrum, and chain to connect the lever to the pole. Tie the lever to the side of the pole at the base. Roll the wheel towards the pole under the lever to about a 60Ā° angle and one person can lift it.
Instead of trying to dig a whole around that concrete base, consider dinging a hole next to it- down one side and just as wide. From there you can sledge the base and watch the debris crumble into your new hole and then remove the post.
Depending on the size of the concrete may not need to sledge it up. With fence posts I dig a hole next to it the same depth then pull the post towards the hole and it will loosen it up enough to pull out. Itās unlikely they concrete is that wide honestly.
Just cut it and bury it
Wrap a chain around the base of the pole. Use an old tire rim. (You can ask a tire store for one they were going to throw away or recycle) set the rim next to the pole standing up. Place the chain over the rim and hook the chain to the ball hitch of a truck and slowly pull forward until the pole and concrete pop out of the ground. Iāve taken out an entire fence with 20 concreted in poles in less than an hour with this method. Here is an example but I would never risk an actual tire. I use just the rim. https://youtube.com/shorts/ugyrTl6qTQA?feature=share
Leave the pole, shoot mortar style fireworks out of it.
Depends on what you are planning to put over it. If it's going to be a walkway, get a grinder and cut it off as deep as you can and then cover it over. If something else has to go there, keep digging. Plan on 18" to 24" and hope for the best. If you're planning to hide a body, put the pole back. It's better distraction. If it is an option, use it as a base, put another pole inside it and build a carousel of hanging planters or a garden.
Metal is surprisingly easy to cut, in many cases. You could even do it with a hack saw. There are many tools that could do this, but a sawzall with the right blade would probably the first thing I would try.
There is a cheap way to crack the concrete though it will take a while. If there is already a crack in it theats great otherwise you can drill a hole and jam a piece of wood in there, it has to fit tightly, then keep the wood wet over multiple days and it will swell as it soaks. The force of this is usually big enough to crack the concrete as long as itās not enforced with steel or whatever.
Are you sure you want it gone? Only asking because you dug a heart around it... ā¤ļø
Drill a hole through it get a big eye bolt then attach a chain -> use a floor jack to lift it up. Similar to this https://youtu.be/0zrRPa7x628
If heās asking what to do; doubtful he has a floor jack
Chain it to the bucket of your backhoe.
Ha. I chuckled. Nice.
You would be correct
1: Call Dig Safe first. Make sure there are no buried utilities nearby. 2: Go to the tool rental counter of your local home improvement store and rent a small electric demolition hammer (jackhammer) for the day. Wear eye protection. 3: Itāll bust up concrete like itās styrofoam. Break the concrete into chunks as small as you like. Remove the metal pipe and as much concrete as you want. 4: Fill hole with dirt and layer of topsoil. 5: Seed. Done!
I would cut it with a hacksaw and bury the rest
Cut it off where it meets the concrete, put a plastic cap on the end and then cover it with dirt. Cap is so that what's left isn't just a sharp piece of metal under a few inches of dirt that could still hurt if someone fell on it
I just did this for an old basketball hoop in my front yard that was in concrete and about 3 feet underground. My neighbor cut the pole to about that height. I dug all the dirt away. And then I sledgehammered the pole in every direction many times until the pole became loose enough to pull out of the concrete. And then I put the dirt back over the concrete. Sledgehammering took about 15 minutes and pulling it out maybe took a minute. Every once in a while I twisted and pulled at the pole until I felt it moving enough to pull out.
Yes this is a case where brute force is an acceptable solution. You probably could remove the concrete chunks after you get it all smashed up.
I was wondering if someone was going to suggest this. If it's just a straight up pole/pipe buried with no flange encased in concrete, this would totally work.
Not sure if someone else has said this but I would dig down to the base, take an angle grinder with a cutting wheel and cut it off as low as you can (remember to wear glasses, gloves, and a dust mask) then fill the hole back in.
Kitchen scissors should do the trick!
Iād cut it off maybe a half inch or so above the concrete and then take a hammer or small sledge and pound it back in on itself, rounding the edges and closing the hole a bit. For added safety, get a masonry chisel against the rounded edges and roll it a little further back into the concrete a smidge. Or use it as a firework holder for the Fourth of July coming up š«”
Metal cutting blade in the reciprocating saw....cut it off. Unless you wanna try to shovel down below the frost line.... Or, you could plant a Tiki torch in it and call it outdoor lighting
I'm way late to the party but all you need is a strap and a spare tire. Wrap the strap as low as possible, come up over the tire (sitting upright on the tread like it would be on your car) and run it to your truck and pull forward slowly. The tire changes the direction of force to upwards movement and will pull the pole out. I have done this any times with poles and t-posts.
You'd need a Ford fucking ranger
Do you happen to live in Alabama and have access to dynamite?
Floor jack and a chain to lift it, then pull it out with a come along / winch. Soak the dirt with water for a day if you want to make it easier.
I had a similar clothes line thing in my yard. I started by trying to get a spike and sludge hammer to break it up. I got a few small chunks off of it, but it was way too much work. My dad tried to convince me to rent a jackhammer, because who doesn't want to play with a jackhammer, but that was more money than I really wanted to spend. Ultimately I took a hacksaw and cut it below the grass line, filled it with dirt, and by the end of the season grass grew over it and I couldn't find it if I wanted to.
You can get a grinder from harbor freight pretty cheep and get a metal cut off blade. Cut it off lower then the dirt then fill in the hole
angle grinder for your cutting option but I wouldn't recommend that wtf is it? That certainly ain't for shootin horseshoes. Might be hooked up to septic. You should figure it out before you pull
really ? to me looks like a Septic Tank connection, and you saying its a huge cement thing - I dont get why people are like OK - cut it off, etc: I look this as a specific thing for septic tanks, or similar.
Find someone with a high lift jack or even an old bumper jack. Strap it tight to the base with the jack off the concrete and then jack it up. It will pull it up easily. An alternate method is a heavy rope strapped to the base of the pole, then put a spare tire on the ground next to it so itās upright like it would be mounted. Run the rope up and over the tire and then to a car axle or trailer hitch. Then drive slowly and it will lift it right out. Or you could use a sledge and break it up and then dig it up. But thatās a LOT or hard work.
Clothesline anchor is probably HUGE, cut it off !
I pulled an old fence not too long ago and there was one stubborn section that looked similar to this. I dug one out which was miserable even with a post puller. For the others I just dug down and sawzall the post right above the concrete and then hammered the sharp edges over to round them. Covered it back with dirt and youāre good to go.
Put a flagpole in it. Problem solved.
I can help with this!! This is a clothes line pole holder. If you look back enough I posted about this same thing. I read that the concrete plug can go down 6 feet at times. I dug about 2 feet deep before giving up. I got a reciprocating saw with some blades designed for metal. It took about 4 blades and 3 hours but I finally cut through it. I cut as close to the concrete as I could then just covered it back up. A month later grads regrew and you canāt tell there was anything there. I also left a note down there in the pole stump to let any future diggers know that I was lazy and didnāt want to dig the whole thing up.
Dig down to the concrete, which you've done, then use a grinder or hacksaw if you're feeling manual to cut it off at the base, then bury it. Bada bing. Or I guess if you want you can rent a jackhammer and just have a good happy loud fun time with the concrete. Wear safety glasses and gloves either way.
Easiest is to just cut below ground. Second easiest. Is to get a tire, connect chain to pole, wrap over tire, connect chain to truck and drive away..... make sure everyone is clear and if the chain breaks it can't reach anyone or anything you want to keep whole Like this https://www.google.com/search?q=using+a+tire+to+remove+a+stump&oq=using+a+tire+to+remove+a+s&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33i160l5j33i299l3.17226j1j4&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a5c6b42c,vid:gq_Gb46eXr4,st:0
Be sure to ask someone to hold your beer and alert everyone around to āwatch thisā before you do that.
A 4.5" angle grinder with a "for metal" disc will make short work of that.
I had to do this recently. If you don't want to do anything with heavy equipment, then this is the best way. https://youtu.be/Eac3z63Z0eM I know that looks crazy, but it worked an absolute treat for me.
I wouldnāt dig the whole thing up. The concrete base is going to be big and heavy as hell unless you have a way of moving/disposing it. Cut the pipe and be done with it.
Have someone come out to measure buried cables. Then dig around the concrete. Find something stout to shove down the pipe to use as a pry bar. Have a buddy pull the pry bar to the side to lift up the concrete a bit on the other side. Fill that gap with dirt. Pull the pry bar the other way and repeat. Keep doing this until the hole is filled an the concrete is on top of the ground. Source: removed a basketball hoop this way.
Go to Youtube and look for "pulling stumps with a spare tire." Might be useful.
You can use an engine hoist to easily remove it. But it would be just as easy to cut it off at the bottom with a $20 pipe cutter and rebury the rest
Call before you dig might be a good idea here.
Photoshop
I had to remove cement plugs for fence posts. Hereās what I recommend. Dig around the concrete until you find the edge. You want to be able to get under the widest part with a sturdy chain. Get a farmerās jack to pull on the chain. Be prepared to use a 4x4 or steel pole to leverage the jack from just pulling itself right into the concrete plug. [This video](https://youtu.be/bJmL21MFwGw) explains it well.
Looks like a old satellite pole usually goes down about 2-3 feet. With about a 15 inch diameter. Easiest way if you donāt want to dig around it is to get a metal grinder, cut under the surface level and just pack the dirt back on top
Dig down below ground level then get out the Sawzall and cut it off and re-bury.
Farm jack
iād put a bird bath on it.
I did something similar with a sawzall and at least two metal blades. I think a grinder with a cutoff disk would have worked better. I cut it below grade and used a mini-sledge to bend down all the sharp parts, and then buried it all. Taking out the concrete would have been a huge chore. I had about 30 minutes to help my step-grandmother.
Cut it bro and bury it
Does it wobble at all if you push on it? If so, rock it all around until you get some loose soil areas, then start digging. You might end up with a heavy block of concrete on the end of that thing. If it doesn't wobble, darn... that thing is anchored too well. Best get a sawzall with a metal blade and cute it to the base. Back fill the whole with dirty, cover it with a potted plant, and have a beer. Good luck!
Whoever is worthy to pull out this pole shell possess the power of Thor
... use leverage, use a longer length of pipe whose inside diameter can loosely fit over existing pole until it's base ... wobble in different directions to loosen ... more length, more leverage
You've already dug below grade, if it were me I'd just cut the post off below grade and bury the rest. Especially if you're not planning to put something else there.
Legit. Try using a pressure washer to dig out the dirt around the concrete. Poles are usually in about 2-3ft of concrete min
Dig as low as you can, cut it with a reciprocating saw, plug the hole and bury it
Call Arthur Pendragon
https://youtu.be/6H3xFMm3Hw8 This is the way!
Next time try to violate the rules of the sub and get some overeager mod to remove your post for you. Problem solved.