Fence removal

[DanBous]

Hi all, I appreciate there is a landscaping thread which I have already posted in but thought I'd stick this in general chat so more people see it [emoji6]

"Hi all fencers....I do a fair bit of domestic fencing, often ripping out wooden 4x4 inch posts and replacing with concrete posts. I'm getting a bit fed up of manually digging them out, ending up with a hole that's too wide... assuming that the posts are still sound I'm thinking possibly hiring a digger and pulling them out the ground with the ball of concrete on the end!! Anyone on here tried this?? What size digger as a minimum? Tips/advice?? Your help would be much appreciated please, asap! Many thanks"

[Matthew Storrs]

Even a 800kg micro digger will do that. And they’re small enough to nip down into back gardens and down alleys etc.

I’d go a bit bigger though if access allows. Just a bit more the boss of it and you can run an auger for drilling holes- levelling ground etc.

i wouldn’t entertain running a fencing buisness of any kind without a digger now- access is your only limitation if your into domestic fencing.

[DanBous]

Thanks Matthew...so up to 2ft of timber post in the ground with a great ball of builders ballast cement round it will not be an issue?!

[Matthew Storrs]

Depends on ground a bit. Solid ground will hold the concrete ball in more than soft topsoil type ground. A micro will get that out- you may have to dig around the ball too. If the post is still sound you can use it to apply leverage.

like I say though, if you hiring, there isn’t much cost difference so if access allows a 1.5t will be that much more capable. 

[Matthew Storrs]

Getting a bucket tooth under the ball of concrete then curl the bucket in effect leavering it out.

[Matthew Storrs]

Sorry, slightly misread your first post, your hoping to pull them straight out with out any digging? Micro may struggle with a straight pull. Even my 3 ton will grunt a bit pulling big lumps straight out of the ground without any prior digging to loosen it.

[Vespasian]

You might be as well to buy yourself a concrete breaker and bash off the concrete with that..   faffing about in a back garden with a mini digger..  transport and all that hassle..  pry bars spade sledge hammer and breaker..  bite the bullet...

 

 

[woody paul]

13 minutes ago, Vespasian said:

You might be as well to buy yourself a concrete breaker and bash off the concrete with that..   faffing about in a back garden with a mini digger..  transport and all that hassle..  pry bars spade sledge hammer and breaker..  bite the bullet...

 

 

Ditto just hire a big breaker like a hydraulic power pack one split concrete on 4 sides and lift post out then leaver concrete in yo gap left by post and lift out bits.

[Jonny69]

35 minutes ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Sorry, slightly misread your first post, your hoping to pull them straight out with out any digging? Micro may struggle with a straight pull. Even my 3 ton will grunt a bit pulling big lumps straight out of the ground without any prior digging to loosen it.

I have a picture in my mind of an engine crane with a chain/sling and a hydraulic ram. Not sure where I've seen it, but pretty sure it was being advertised as a fence post puller. Maybe cheaper than a digger for the OP if they are any good. 

[Vespasian]

haha, hows about one of these...  might even do for the odd tree stump..

 

 

 

I'd still get a breaker. One, it'll do the job you want doing ie break off the concrete surrounding the post, and easier to get to the job..  as opposed to a mini digger that you might be able to use once every blue moon..