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I'm trying to come up with a cheap and easy way to remove a broken-off fence post. It's a 4x4 lumber post that's snapped off flush to the ground, without any concrete around it.* I'd like to pull it straight out and sink another post in the same hole without digging too much.

*EDIT 2: I tried digging down a few inches last night to attach the 1x2, and discovered it was set in concrete about 6" below ground level. Looks like I'll be digging this one out.

The current plan that I have in my head is to dig down a few inches and nail a 1x2 strip to the side of the post. Then take a few boards, stack them up as a fulcrum, and wedge another board or a pipe under the 1x2. Then stomp on the other end of the lever to pull up the post. Will this work, or should I just dig it out?

I suppose soaking the area with a hose would help, but I'd rather not soften the ground since I want to reset another post immediately.

Note: I'd like to avoid spending anything extra if at all possible. It's my neighbor's fence, and he's told me that he's in no hurry to repair it. Since I want it back up, I'm taking the initiative and fixing it for him.

Edit: Here's some pictures of the fence line:

enter image description here

And here's where the fence post is snapped:

enter image description here

That big spot without any grass is where my neighbor's shed used to be before the tornado carried it off.

ChrisF
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Doresoom
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9 Answers9

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Depends on how intact it is. If it is good solid wood, screw a long eye-bolt into it and yank it out / work it out that way

If it's all punky, drill some holes down the middle and split it, and remove the pieces.

Alex Feinman
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I would use something like a MetPost repair spur. You drive it into the bottom of the old post and then fix the new post to it.

iamge taken from MetPost website

Walker
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Since you just want to get the fence back up: screw a long board horizontally across the pieces of fence, bridging the broken post. A couple of long 2x4's should do the trick.

Skip fixing the post altogether.

Laura
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Scott Bruns
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Automobile floor jack and a jackstand. Place on both sides of broken pole. Straddle from jackstand to jack with two 2' x 6's screwed together. Wrap chain around 2x6 and using a cordless drill, screw lag bolts through chain into broke off fence post. Raise jackstand to keep level with jack. lift with jack, stop and raise jackstand to equal height. 2-3 rounds of jacking, raising stand, and post will be out without any damage to hole. If ground is soft, place jack and stand on small piece of plywood. My yard looked like yours--only all my poles were snapped off after small TX tornado.

Jim Carb
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If you have a vehicle winch/come along/high lift jack you can use it to pull the post out. Beats wiggling the post back and forth all day.

I dug some post holes in very hard soil with a steel bar and a shop vac. I chipped away at the soil and vacumed out the loose dirt. I went down 4 feet in a very short time. Maybe you can do something similar around the post.

When the post is out, put in the new post and fill around it with crushed stone instead of dirt.

Scott Bruns
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2

It really depends on how deep it is. I'd start with Alex's suggestion of a lagbolt with an eye on the end, then some chains and your lever idea.

I wouldn't wet the ground...that'll just create a suction that will make it that much harder to pull out.

That said, will the new post be in plain dirt like this one? You probably don't want that...and want to use crushed gravel or concrete around the post so you could just start digging out round it. That's make it a lot easier to pull out.

DA01
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I had a similar problem. This is what I did:

  • Removed a paving slab, this gained me 2 inches.
  • Used a hose pipe, with the nozzle set to jet, to erode the soil that had got in, then wiggled what I could, and some came out.
  • Used a chisel to break up what remained.
  • Used the water jet to clear out debris.
ctrl-alt-delor
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Another option:

Get two steel angles, pound them in at opposite corners beside the stub, and lash the upper part to them with wire. They shouldn't be that hard to scavenge.

Chris Cudmore
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You could try just standing it back up as is, since it's not your fence and it might be good enough.

aphoria
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