Removing 4x4 wood fence post set in concrete

[stormdog74]

Anyone know of a tool (some kind of jack maybe) that you can use to remove 4x4 wood fence posts set in concrete? The soil is heavy clay - almost as bad as the concrete.

Thanks for any help!

[mango man]

heres what i've done

get a 8' 2x4 , use a lag bolt and attach it to the fence post , one person on each end lifting up .rocking motion helps.

before we start we take a sledge hammer and beat on the post at the base to break it loose . using a garden hose and "jettying " along the edges also can help

lots of hard work , you might want to just cut them off evan with the ground .

[bradleyfitz]

I've used similar techiniques before. Dig around your post several feet (should be topsoil), rock the post back and forth and side to side, which should compact the clay away from the concrete pillar. Instead of the 2x4 and pushing up, I've wrapped moving straps around the pillar and with one person on either end of the strap, heave! It's important to dead lift using your legs and not your back. I've removed over thirty posts this way, and let me tell you in advance, it's hard work dead lifting a four foot concrete post out of the ground. But, I found it to be the fastest method.

[lefty]

And I have drilled a 5/8" hole through the post about 5" above the collar or slab, put a 1/2" steel concrete stake through that hole, set a 3" or 4" fulcrum away from the post as needed so I can get an 8' 2X4 on edge on each side of the post, and simply stand or jump the 2X4's (AFTER doing everything I can to loosen the post, of course.)

[stormdog74]

Thanks for the feedback. I will give them a try - should be fun...

[mango man]

Thanks for the feedback. I will give them a try - should be fun...

when it comes to removing fence posts there are a lot of words I might use to describe the experiance

FUN isnt one of them
:D