Posted by Clint Dixon on Saturday, September 13, 2003 at 2:45PM :
In Reply to: How to pull poles out of the ground? posted by Glenn Reid in CA on Saturday, September 13, 2003 at 1:08PM :
You probably have a spare wheel or tire/wheel combination laying around somewhere. A rear tractor wheel works best, but the spare off your Power-Wagon will work just fine. The tire does not have to have air in it, or even be a good tire at all for that matter. Here is how it was done the old farmer way:
Wrap a log chain around the base of the post. Roll the wheel or tire/wheel right up to and against the post. Drape the chain up and over the tire/wheel and hook to what ever you are pulling with. Directly to a draw bar of a tractor, or to a hitch on your truck, works best. Adding a winch cable to the mix just increases the number of things that can come loose and go flying. Drape a coat, rug, floor mat, or what ever over the chain and wheel. The chain should be snug as it passes over the wheel between the post and drawbar. Ease the vehicle away from the post VERY slowly. The wheel creates a lever effect and transmits the horizontal pull on the chain into vertical pull on the post. No jerking or tire spinning, the post will usually pull straight out of the ground nice and slow. Get in a hurry and it can become a missle.
This was not meant to be a recipe for disaster, just a description of how it was done safetly for years here in farm country. Use this information at your own risk.
Clint
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