Author Topic: Pulling chainlink fence posts (Read 3192 times)

Rex in OTZ · « **on:** June 18, 2010, 04:35:08 PM »

At work I have a section of fence that is being pulled down from snow (its how the fence sits in relation to the wind) I figure to space the posts closer together, the posts were driven in useing a pneumatic driver.
I remember pulling wood posts as a kid useing a loader farm tractor and some trucking chain wrap a half hitch on the 4" wood post and a smooth pull up with the loader they came right out especially in the spring when the ground was soft.
Steel pipe chainlink posts are harder to grab onto and the chain slips off, pluse I dont have access to a loader tractor like I did as a kid.
I do have a hi lift farm jack.
I found that useing a 36" pipe wrench i can turn the post mabe I'll just use the jack against the pipe wrench to get leverage to pull it up.
My father used 2-3 pipe wrenches to hand pull 38 foot windmill well caseing to replace a bad sand point, I'm thinking of the same sort of idea for pulling a 14' fence pipe out the ground.
Im wondering about building some sort of camming type puller.

hunt-m-up · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2010, 05:59:56 PM »

Handyman or Hi-Lift jack and a rectangular piece of metal with a square hole cut in it slightly larger than the post, cut another hole in it to attach the jack. Slipped over the top of the post the cam action of the metal plate will bind on the post and allow you to lift it out.

bcp · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2010, 12:32:00 PM »

Use a top rail band clamped near the bottom of the post to keep your chain from slipping up. I used this method to pull a bunch of concreted posts using a high lift jack.

Bruce

Dee · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2010, 12:39:02 PM »

All suggestions will work, but I used a flat 2 1/2 inch tow strap wrapped about three times around the base, and a hi-lift jack. As the tow strap tightens it grips the post, and doesn't even dent it when it pulls it out.

burntmuch · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2010, 12:59:52 PM »

The tow strap works good. I watched a buddy pull 25 or 30 posts with a chain. worked like a champ. He wrapped it a certain way so it cinched the pole when he pulled it.

mauser98us · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2010, 02:01:19 PM »

Around Arizona we call em sheepherder's jack for that very reason,pullin fenceposts.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2010, 02:07:50 PM »

I have pulled a lot of post with a HiLift jack and Handy-Man brand along with a chain. Watch out for those jacks if they fail to engage they can slip and send you to the hospital. Co-worker got cracked on the head by one, and put him out for a few minutes. X-ray showed a crack in the skull.

Dee · « **Reply #7 on:** June 20, 2010, 03:33:51 PM »

Safest way to prevent that Siskiyou is to throw a small chain or strap around the post AND THE JACK close to the top. If it turns loose then it can't go anywhere.

blind ear · « **Reply #8 on:** June 20, 2010, 05:37:33 PM »

When the handle is in the down position the jack is very dangerous. Sometimes the ladder pins will fail to enguage. If the handle slips from your hand the handle will fly up with a lot of speed and force.

Never position yourself over the handle, work from the side or out past the handle radius. Keep the pins and ladder clean and lubricated. Be sure the springs arn't broken or flat and that the pins arn't dammaged. (There are repair kits.) Be sure the handle has a cotter key to hold it in place so that if the jack does slip or "shoot'' the handle won't be launched to where ever.

When pulling posts all this won't pose too great a threat but useing the jack to move extream loads can be dangerous.

Around here we call them man killers. eddie

Dee · « **Reply #9 on:** June 20, 2010, 05:43:20 PM »

Around here "suicide jacks". But they sho is handy.

Foxfire Rod & Gun · « **Reply #10 on:** June 20, 2010, 05:51:05 PM »

Can anybody post a picture of a Handy Man Jack? I just want to make sure what is being talked about and if it is what I normally use to jack up a portable storage building.?

Thanks,
FR&G

Siskiyou · « **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2010, 06:03:13 PM »

Dee thanks for the hint.

bcp · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2010, 09:22:49 PM »

This (and clones) is what I think everyone is talking about:

http://www.hi-lift.com/hi-lift-jacks/index.html

blind ear · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2010, 01:18:10 AM »

bcp, +1 eddie

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #14 on:** June 21, 2010, 02:51:34 AM »

Get a riser clamp for pipe ( get the size you need to fit pipe ) at any plumbing supply bolt it on and slip jack under one side and jack out .

Foxfire Rod & Gun · « **Reply #15 on:** June 21, 2010, 03:00:31 AM »

bcp: Yep, that is what I have. I got it from Agri-Supply, a Tractor Supply type company. It is made in China but seems to be OK where quality is concerned. Not sure about the quality of the metal though. It is very heavy.

Thanks,
FR&G

Dee · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2010, 03:04:27 AM »

Foxfire I bought one of the Chinese ones once. The springs were weak, and as you said the metal wasn't all that great. Be careful with it, because it ain't half the jack the Hi-Lift is, and it doesn't always lock up when you think it does. I gave mine away, and bought a Hi-Lift.

Siskiyou · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2010, 06:26:53 AM »

I bought my HiLift jack in 1970 when I bought my Land Crusier. I have had a number of them in different vehicles on the job when appropriate. Looks like they are still using the same bucket of red paint.

In 1986 I bought a new GMC 4x4 pu. Tried to get up a rutted mining road that I had been up a 100 times in the LC. Blew a rear tire, the only reason I was able to get to the spare was the HiLife Jack. As I jacked it up my hunting partners built up with rock under the frame because I need to crawl under the PU to get the spare. It was like on big mouse trap and I did not trust the jack.

Foxfire Rod & Gun · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2010, 05:06:00 PM »

Dee: I definatly will. I am always leary of Chinese made items. I only got it to shim up a couple out buildings and did not want to pay the difference for a Hi-Lift brand one.

Thanks,
FR&G

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2010, 10:37:29 AM »

Work project, float plane dock pilings had been jacking for ages these were 2.7/8" steel posts (14foot long)driven into the pond floor they were not long enough to stay put and kept working out, as the pond is connected to a tideal lagoon the dock had to rise and fall with the tides with a smaller 2" pipe telescoping inside to ride up and down with the dock.
I chose to keep the same design but go from 14 foot pilings to 21 footers, used a telehandler and a chain to pull the old ones, After all them years of trouble when it was time to pull em out some hung up and were hanging on like grim death to a sick chicken! the ole telehandler was bounceing round on front tires next to the pond(did I mention the brakes were bad?) and the operator had both feet on the brake peddal the whole time (I chocked the front wheels)
We straped a fish tote to the forks as a man basket to work the pneumatic post pounder.
The ground in this area is glacial deposit with beach ridges, beach ridges form over time they are not allways gravel, some the layers are peat and some flat beach rock to battle the whole way down, some layers you can drive half way and hit perafrost then you get nowhere allot the time we end up peening the top the post so much that have to pull off the post guide and gring the mushroomed end to release the post guide thats bolted to the 75# driver.

illini warrior · « **Reply #20 on:** August 16, 2011, 01:04:54 PM »

a pipe vise with the "V" shaped jaws is a handy addition to a Hi Jack for pulling barbed wire and chain link fence posts ........ saves time wrapping and re wrapping chain or straps .......

bilmac · « **Reply #21 on:** August 16, 2011, 02:13:24 PM »

A lot of chainlink posts have thin walls, so grabbing them with something with hard jaws will likely dent them and even bend them. If you use a light chain like 5/16 and tie a clove hitch, it will grab them. If that won't grab three half hitches tied right will.

What you never want to do with a handyman is get your head between the handle and the stem of the jack. That's how I got some false teeth.

blind ear · « **Reply #22 on:** August 17, 2011, 06:12:45 AM »

Quote from: bilmac on August 16, 2011, 02:13:24 PM

What you never want to do with a handyman is get your head between the handle and the stem of the jack. That's how I got some false teeth.

+++++++++1 ear