How do you remove T-Posts?

[mousebandit]

Here's a newbie question -

How do you get T-posts out of the ground, so you can use them somewhere else? I've got TONS all over this property, but they're all well implanted. If there's a tool to buy, how much does it run, and is there any way to rig something similar up at home (would rather not spend the cash right now!)??

THANKS!!

Tracey Mouse

[Sweet Goats]

Tracy, They do make a T-Post puller. I have one and they are great. They have them at about ant place that sells T-Posts. They are worth every penny.
Good Luck

[moosemaniac]

I holler to DH "Hey Phil, c'mere and pull this thing out for me, wouldja!"


Ruth

[MayLOC]

well, not sure if they have some sort of easy gizmo you can purchase or not; wouldn't be surprised .

We take out t-posts with the front loader on a tractor or skid loader. We hook one end of the chain to the loader and with it above the post, wrap the chain around the bottom of the t-post 1 1/2 times and hold the chain as the other person raises the loader. W/one person only just wrap and hook the chain and raise loader. Works very easily and is fast, but this is if you have a tractor/skid loader or something?

We have also taken out t-posts using the above chain method and hooking the chain to the ball on a pickup. You would put the chain down towards the bottom of the post also. You have to be careful to not bend the post this way, but you can usually loosen it enough to pull it up by hand then.

when only faced with pulling one, two or three... my husband will just bend them back and forth until they loosen a little and then just pull them up of course I would break them off before pulling them up this way !

happy post pulling.

[Tater'sPa]

The post pullers from Northern tool work well and cost from 35.00 to 50.00 bucks. A cheaper idea is to use a 10 or 12 inch adjustable pipe wrench and an older model car bumper jack...I like multitasking tools

[cayenne47]

Well. you could call your friends on the other side of town, who happen to have a jack/puller and ask for help?? lol

[CritterLover]

I would think it would depend on the soil. We are on loamy sand (sandy loam makes it sound like there is actually dirt in the sand!) and I can rock them back and forth and get them out. When I lived much further south and had gumbo clay for soil we made a contraption with a cinder block and a rope that would pry them up out of the dirt (think leverage with the block and rope to keep it from slipping off) If this method interests you, I'll get my lovely assitant (aka hubby) to do it and I'll take a picture and attach it.

[drgnldy71]

You take 2 strong boys, have them get low on the post so it doesn't get bent during the process. Have the boys grasp the post from opposite sides and slowly start rocking the post back and forth. The difficulty of this is determined by how hard the ground is at the time, doing it after a good hard rain does seem to simplify the process. Now while the boys are rocking the post back and forth Mom grasps the post down low and slowing starts pulling it up out of the ground. And Tada! you have removed the post.
You can if necessary substitue a girl or girls in either of the boys positions, but since I happen to have 3 strong boys and only one girl she's usually kept busy burning breakfast while the rest of us are trying to get the posts up before it gets too hot. Those boys just can't quite seem to get the goose eggs scrambled right.

[Rockin'B]

I use a short chain and the chain hooks on the tractor's front end loader. Take one of my sons out and they wrap the chain and up she comes, move on to the next one.

[Jim S.]

You can use a tractor front end loader, or the trailing arms of the 3-point hitch. Wrap a chain around the post and pull it. If you have two people, you can jerk out a lot of posts in a short time like this.

If it's just one or a few and the ground is moist, I use the "bend back and forth and pull" method.

You can also use a tractor jack from Harbor Freight or wherever, and the chain.

[jennigrey]

The big red metal t-post puller was a worthwhile investment for me, as I had to pull upwards of 20 posts without the assistance of a tractor.

I recently found a smaller cast metal device (also red) at the feed store for significantly less than what I paid for the big red puller. I think you use it in conjunction with an iron bar or other t-post for leverage, but I couldn't figure out exactly how it worked.

[Cara]

Like this...follow these steps...

Water well
Wiggle wiggle wiggle.
Back and forth, back and forth.
wiggle wiggle wiggle.
Grab post low (make sure you are using your legs, which makes your backside stick WAAAAYYY out.
PUll til your veins pop.
Grunt.
Try to curse it with out cussin.
Repeat as needed until it comes out.
No, seiously, that's how I've always done it! And I've pulled LOTS because I'm always playing musical animals. Enjoy!

[DQ]

I have used a floor jack and a bottle jack many times to extract t-posts and we have heavy clay. the floor jack was easiest, set the front of it on a board next to the t-post on the side with the nubs, hook the front of it under a nub and set the back of the jack on a brick or something so its angled towards the t-post a little. sometimes it slips and I have to wedge my foot against the back of the jack, but its really not hard. the bottle jack works too its just a little harder to wedge it under the nub and keep it there. after you done it a few times you get a better idea of how to work it so it doesn't slip.
A super low tech way is to get another t-post and lay it on the ground on the nubby side so that the it forms an upside down T with the upright post. lash them together tightly, lay a board under one end of the t-post on the ground and pull up on the other (or jack it). cussing at it helps too. good luck!

adding this. both these ways keeps you from bending your t-post so it easier to reuse. I always to this myself now because when ever I ask Dh to do it the t-post is ruined from the bending and rocking. I pick brains over brawn.

[mousebandit]

Oh my goodness - this is why I LOVE this board!! You guys rock - I now have about 4 different options without spending a dime! Especially thank you, Susie, for you guys offering to help me!! How're the new babies?

After further measuring and estimating, HALLALUJAH - I have enough loose posts AND enough electric wire to get this party rocking all my myself! WOO HOO!!

So, I'm off, but I'll probably be back later to ask ya'll how to hang the gates!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

Tracey Mouse

[Gailann Schrader]

A Handyman jack with a chain wrapped around the Tpost works well.

Just remember that Handyman jacks are jaw breakers. Literally. Teeth breakers. Literally. Not me? But others I've heard. I've been smacked by the recoil several times.

[moosemaniac]

Originally Posted by mousebandit

So, I'm off, but I'll probably be back later to ask ya'll how to hang the gates!

Same procedure as pulling t-posts, but without the pulling part. Holler for DH!

Ruth

[fishhead]

Originally Posted by CritterLover

I would think it would depend on the soil. We are on loamy sand (sandy loam makes it sound like there is actually dirt in the sand!) and I can rock them back and forth and get them out. When I lived much further south and had gumbo clay for soil we made a contraption with a cinder block and a rope that would pry them up out of the dirt (think leverage with the block and rope to keep it from slipping off) If this method interests you, I'll get my lovely assitant (aka hubby) to do it and I'll take a picture and attach it.

Please do because I'm curious to see it works.

I usually just push and pull at the top until it loosens and then pump it up and down with short strokes until it breaks free but that's getting hard on my forearms. In sand it isn't too bad but sometimes I put one down into the blue clay and that creates suction on top of the friction.

[Jim S.]

Originally Posted by Gailann Schrader

Just remember that Handyman jacks are jaw breakers. Literally. Teeth breakers. Literally. Not me? But others I've heard. I've been smacked by the recoil several times.

Yer pitcher shows ye seem to have yer teeth, still. In front, anyways.

:baby04:

[Country Doc]

Get that t post puller. Works and worth every penny. Got mine at Harbor
Freight.

[Gailann Schrader]

I'm gonna give you SUCH a pinch, JimS.

I've heard of dumb GUY farmers that got knocked out by the recoil of the handyman.

Not me. I step back.

I've gotten smacked a few times? But them teeth is ALLLLLLLLLL mine. So there.