The Fastest and Easiest Way to Remove a Fence Post (that works every time)
In this video, you'll learn the best way to remove a fence post and the concrete footing. This is the fastest, easiest fence post removal method that works every time, with no expensive tools, and very little digging.
This will even work when the fence post has rotted off at the base.
The secret to pulling a fence post, even if it's in hard packed or rocky soil, is to use a hi-lift jack and a steel chain.
First, wrap the steel chain around the concrete footing. You may have to dig a few inches down, but not far.
Then, hook the chain to the high lift jack and start jacking it up. The post should easily pop right out of the ground, allowing you to repair or replace the broken post without having to spend all day digging.
I also cover a few other methods that you could use to remove a fence post that is set in concrete, and I talk about why I don't recommend those methods.
Video on how to repair a fence post: • How to Fix a Broken Fe...
Learn how to generate a six figure income fixing fences (and many other home repairs) at www.handymanstartup.com.
I had 4 rotted out fence post with concrete stuck in the ground. I spent hours trying to dig it out and then my wife found this video. Next day we went out and bought a $60 farm jack and some chain. I had all 4 post pulled in an hour and a half. It was 100% worth buying the jack and this video saved me a lot of pain. Thanks!
I would’ve charge them 60$ to take em out and in less then an hour
@@jorgesoriano8906 , if you're around Chicago, I have 4 of them that need to come out. $60 it is!!
@@ernestanderson3726 Since Jorge never replied I just yanked two out today. $47 at Harbor Freight for the jack. Kankakee county here.
@@manninc2000 we only use sledge hammers to remove them here in Houston
@@tonysnowtexas8906 that doesn’t sound like the best way lol
I can vouch for this video. Several years ago I bought that same heavy lifting jack expressly for that same exact purpose he demonstrating and it definitely does the job.
Just wanted to say thanks for this! I had to pull 21 4x4 posts today, and I was able to do it all in under two hours, by myself, because of this video (didn't have to dig anything, because the posts were still unrotted).
I've seen a dozen of these videos, and yours was the clearest and best. Thank you.
Thanks! The ones I'd seen before used a wood jig drilled into a wood fence post but we have metal poles. This works so much better pulling with the chain on the cement directly!
Thank you for posting this video. Using your instructions I just removed an old concrete post that's been an eyesore for many years.
Thanks for taking the extra time to teach some other methods and the reason this method is the best. Great tutorial.
My case was the rotted and broken post. I used the chain as yours, a piece of 4X4 over the cement footing and the floor jack, instead of the farm jack. Ratcheting or hydraulic force, the same idea. Your video proves I was on the right track. Thanks.
This definitely is a time saver as well as labor cost! Thank you for sharing!
"A TON " of information, thanks. best one yet. & , no music . Nice.
Thank you, sir. I was leaning towards the spare rim method prior to seeing this video.
2 minutes and 15 seconds in you got a subscriber lol. I have rarely seen someone go over other methods and give you the cons right off the bat. Love it! Great vid!
Huge thanks for this video. Spent two hours trying to dig out two posts that were side by side before seeing this video. Quick trip to harbor freight and Farm and Fleet and boom out in like 30ish minutes.
Great to hear!
Just removed 6 post so quickly thanks to this method (have a few more to go). It’s gonna save us a ton of money for the fence install. Thanks a ton!
Glad it helped
How long did it take you?
Probably about an hour. So each post took about 10 mins to wrap the chain, crank up the post, take the chain off, and transfer to where we were storing to toss them.
@@Pizzamays That's pretty impressive.
I’m going into the fence repair business as there seems to be no one in this field that is affordable. So needles to say I am looking up all the secrets of the trade to get all my tools and supplies. This video gave me a ton of insight as to what I may be into. I purchased a farm jack and chain. Wish me luck. Thank you much for sharing this trick. It out of all that I have found seems to be the best of most choices I have with my budget. I’ll let you know how I’m doing.
Thx for this video..A old lady needs help sometimes and this really helps out getting rid of a old swingset in the backyard! Thx
Thanks for the good video. The last one with the car jack was the best.
Thanks for sharing. I like how you show and compare the different methods.
Works like a charm. I also pulled some metal posts and used vice grips to prevent the chain from slipping. And now an associate at Tractor Supply knows what a farm jack is.
Just found this and LOVE that last method. I've got lots of these to dig up and replace. Definitely going to use this method. Thank you!
Contented Spirit o
Great video and great method for removing posts. Worth every penny using the jack
Perfect solution after digging for an hour I found this 5 minutes later it was out. Thank you so much
Connect two 5 ft long 2x4s to the top of the jack post using a 6" bolt & nut to act as 2 legs of a tripod (your jack post serving as the 3rd leg of the tripod) & then your jack won't lean while lifting the post out of the ground. Very good vid! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! The hi-lift jack worked great! Worth the investment on the jack and chain.
Thank you, great instructional on different approaches to pull out a concreted post!
Just the video I was looking for. Thank you!!!
Great idea, there is also a Fence Post popper that works well using this method, cheaper than a house jack. Thanks for posting.
This is how I was trained. I’ve since moved on. Now I use two jacks on both sides. Use a hose to blast the water into the dirt (straight down) around the concrete to soften the soil. It acts like WD-40 for the concrete. Push the hose as deep as possible into the dirt. Let it soak more than a minute like that each time. You can use one jack but it tends to snap posts. Two jacks (chains) can wrap the base of the wood post without having to wrap the concrete. Save yourself the digging. If post snaps then dig around the now soft dirt around the concrete. Use one jack for concrete as it’s hard to get two chains on them. Alternatively if replacing a fenceline only pull the corner posts. The inline posts just cut them off and leave the concrete. Don’t forget to call 811 first.
Deff the best way to go with the jack. Thanks for the vid
Just what I was looking for Dan, post rotted out to the concrete Thanks!
Best video on this topic! Simple steps and relatively safe process.
Glad it was helpful!
I have done it the leverage way and you are right, it is brutal-your jack idea is how I will fix the next rotted post that comes along=thanks for sharing.
Great informative video! I love that you covered all the options for removing the post. Definitely subscribed!
Awesome! Thank you!
I liked the way you explained all the other methods. I dont wont to hire that jack as I only have a few post to remove so, I wil ltry the method where do dig just one side and see if that works.
Darn. If I only had such a chain and a high lift jack. Doh. I got so excited. You covered every angle too.
Yeah me too
Dude, all I can honestly say is thank you!!!
brilliant. worked perfectly for me. thanks for the terrific idea.
My son and I just completed removing two posts using a high jack as in the video. We discovered several things. 1. The concrete around the post tends to crumble when the chain is tighten around it. 2. In order to reduce the jack from leaning toward the post, it’s best to have the chain pulled directly above where it’s attached to either the post or concrete. 3. It’s best to remove at least a foot of dirt from around the concrete. 4. It’s best to attach the chain to the post, even if you have to remove some concrete from around the post 5. Because the high jack doesn’t have a large base, it’s best if it can be attached on a larger base to better stabilize it.
Removing one foot dirt around the concrete??? Oh ma'am pls. That's a lot of work. You don't need to dig around the post at all. Why don't you wind the chain around the base of post directly instead winding it around the concrete? Much more easier and faster. Tried, confirmed.
I bet two jacks and two chains . You on one side, your son on the other . Post comes straight out ?
I just used my pressure washer and cut the dirt using the pressure washer done in in 4 minutes.
@@crosisskebbel3513 Nice, good thinking. Prob messy af though.
@@emrahgokcebayram2538 That only works if you have a post sticking out of the concrete. Mine are snapped off flush with the concrete. The wood left in the concrete is rotten and soft - which is why we're replacing the post. Our soil is wet clay, so the jack will just sink into the ground. Her tips are going to make this actually work in my yard.
Sir, You did an OUTSTANDING job of explaining everything. Your approach was professional and could easily be understood by all viewers. Kudos all around!!! Please accept my best wishes for continued success. All the best........
Glad it was helpful!
Too much work. Just duct tape a mailbox to it, and someone will knock the post down within 2 days.
Bob, Now you're using your head. That's the easiest way yet. Sometimes you just have to think a little to come up with a good plan. Great idea Bob..
Good one Bob!
Thanks Bob
You sound like a Red Green kinda guy! Lol
LMAO! Even if it's in the BACKyard, that method should STILL work!
Thank you for the information. I had an old fence that I was replacing. I had someone to offer to and clean up some brush that had grown up. Also clean up and haul away. He asked for $1,000. After seeing your video I went down to the local farm store and bought the Jack ($100.00). It took my wife and I a day and a half to do it. Thanks
Glad it worked out for you!
Bought the farm jack at HF, the chain at Home Depot and also the bolt to drill thru the post if I had to use that method to pull the post out. Went out to do the job thinking I'll be out of there in no time flat! And make some easy $$. Bad news! Post was all rotted so couldn't drill a bolt through it to anchor the chain on and the concrete was buried deep along next to a utility cable line so I couldn't anchor the chain on it. So I had to hammer and chisel that darn concrete out gently around the cable line. Took hours! Anyway, glad I got it done but learned 3 things next time I bid a job like this: 1) call the company that marks the freaking utility lines 2) check to see if the post is rotten 3) If rotten, then see if I'm able to dig around it to access the footing of the concrete I'm not hand chiseling any more concrete footings!
Wedge and Feather, my friend.
Imagine this guy trying to explain to his kids the birds and the bees. It would entail 4 different ways, the messes they create, and the best way he prefers - all backed up with some whiteboard diagrams...
I screwed 3 3 1/2" wood screws into a 2x4 into the wood post and used the farm jack. Within 6 or 7 jacks, the post was out. It was buried 2 feet down with concrete. I took out 4 of them within 10 minutes.
Can u send a video
Thank you much, we were trying to figure out how to do the and come across this video, gonna use this method and will let you know how it went.
Your idea worked best for Canadian soil. Thanks
Glad it helped
In Toronto, our pier footings go 4 feet deep. We pull out posts with a chain on an excavator bucket. That's the best method for multiple posts.
Damn, what a time saver - thanks! I've dug em up completely before, takes hours
I’ve tried digging them too. Not fun.
You are a genius. I love this idea
You rock man! Great idea and great video, thanks for sharing!!
Watched this video three weeks ago. Finally got the jack and a couple of young men in line to do the lifting. They put aside 2 hours to help. Without knowing what they were doing, and taking instruction from me, the first post took perhaps 15 to 20 minutes to get out of the ground. After figuring it all out they had the second harder post out of the ground so fast I missed it. We got two Halco Master Posts in the ground and the concrete removed in an hour and 20 minutes. This including my not being ready to go when they arrived. This is the MOST HELPFUL video I have ever run across on KZhead. I now have a high lift jack for the four wheel drive, and I can say without a doubt it is the best money I have ever spent. Thank you!
now i have a broken post almost under a cement curb. i have a farm jack plus a steal digger. now would i pullout this headache that I been looking at for three years. by the way your video is excellent, keep up the great ideas.
Have been using this method for years.With some variations.
Seriously good explanation of remove a dead fence post !
Thanks!
Excellent presentation! Thank you
Good method, here in UK, as he mentioned, wood posts are usually rotten at the base so the only way is to either break out the post with a heavy breaker or my preferred method is to break out half the concrete then loosen the stump with a few knocks of a lump hammer and extract with log grips/tongs. You are left with a slot for the new post and only need half the amount of Postcrete or just plain cement as the post is held in place
Worth considering.
My Hi-Lift is an extreme model with the a second hook at the top. You can use this same procedure for pulling out deep rooted shrubs but uses two chains, one at the root ball and one anchored elsewhere with a steel stake or heavy vehicle. One last trick is to anchor the top with a chain to keep the jack from wanting to pull into the work. This is mostly for more dangerous and critical work. You can even use it to square framed walls.
Oh YES!……I’ve been digging for hours with absolutely NO MOVEMENT AT ALL! Heading straight back to where I work at Tool Station to grab the stuff I need……post……you’re about to lose the battle!💪🏽🤛🏽 Thank you so much😁
Great video Dan. Start podcasting again please.
We did the method in another video with farm jack from Harbor Freight (it's not the best jack quality wise but it works). I had a scrap 8" 4 x4 block. I used that with two 8" long 1/2" bolts with washers and nuts. Drilled 5/8" clearance holes through block. Then drilled one hole into post, secured bolt loosely, then second hole marked with block in place slight drill to mark, then move and drill through. Then with both bolts in place, put nuts and washers on finger tight, mount about a foot or two off the ground. Set the jack under the block and start lifting. It is still hard when a full 50 lb bag of cement and clay soil is in place to do it. Luckily we were two people and we both had to put full weight on the arm to push the jack (two of us at about 200 lb each. You get the picture). It's like freeing the post from Oden's grip. (These were 4 x 4 wooden posts.) It took the two of us to drag the pole with concrete to another spot as well. Yeesh. Have fun.
Thanks. Well done, and very useful.
Thanks i like the jack method
That was great information - thanks a lot for that. However, how would I replace a post that is being used in a T-bar trellis with a perennial vine being supported by it without destroying the vine?
Awesome video. very informative and well broke down. thanks
Great video. Answered my question.
Really enjoyed this Dan ... thank you
The tire method works great!
Thanks. I am definitely going to try this. I need to remove about 4 post and I think I can do it with this method
Let me know how it goes!
Great video. I found if you attach the chain to the post your wasting your time time. The post will break almost every time. This looks like it will work great.
I used a 2×4 with a log to leverage mynpost out. I only had 1 posfvtovremove and no car Jack thank you do much
Number 2 does not require buying a $60 to $100 hi-lift jack. A digging bar and post hole digger and the second technique works great. If you are setting fence posts, you already need the post hole digger and digging bar. I can do a post in less than 30 minutes, even in hard soil.
drought stricken soil won't gain you access. I dig a perimeter hole as far down as possible (few inches) fill with water, wait, fill with water and then dig. Makes it a lot easier to gain access to wobble it out and remove
I saw a guy and his wife take out a broken post with a ring and a u-hook on a plate of metal and drilled 4 screws attaching it to the post then used leverage to get the post out. Worked well.
The problem I had is that my posts were not buried in concrete. They were just dug into the soil 24-36”. When I used the jack, it would free up and elevate the post, but would then the post would slide back down. I was able to get them out by a series of a couple of freeing jack lifts, then digging around the base, working the post top back and forth til I was able to lift them out of the clay-heavy soil. Hard work!
What if your posts and secured in the ground with the new expanding foam product? Would you still recommend using the chain, or would it shred the foam under the pressure of the jack?
I didn’t even need to dig! I had hard Georgia clay and rotted posts, but I just wrapped the chain tight and used the Jack. They pulled right off the concrete. It did take two rounds of the Jack for some of the posts, but way faster than digging. I tried digging the first one out to test
Cool I will have to give it a try this summer
Good idea.... Definitely worth trying... Thank You..m
Worked like a charm. Thanks.
Glad it helped
Nice! I was looking for an excuse to by a rock bar. Thanks buddy, the previous owner of my house installed 4 fence posts in the middle of the yard without putting an actual fence in. Gonna use this method after reading the success rate in the comments
Enjoy the new tool!
Good video. Thanks for sharing!
Take a 3 foot length of 1/2" copper pipe and solder a female garden hose end to it and connect that to your hose. Turn on the water and push the pipe easily through the soil all around and loosen the post. You can also use one of those flower watering wands and take off the end and your left with a rigid pipe.
Thanks for the helpful video!!
Awesome video! love the way you tackle problems
Screwdriver and a shop vac worked awesome for me in clay and rocky soil.
Wow…thank you so much!
For all of those who are watching this when you have concrete set at the topsoil and not buried 3 ft deep as frost line standard is, you would not need to dig all that out to pull out that you could have just attached it to the post and pulled it out without even digging. I built fencing for a pool and fence company when I was younger for 5 to 6 years and without a doubt the tire and Jane Cole method is by far the most efficient and quickest. If you don't have a vehicle then yes you will have to go another means put this video is overkill because they would not need to dig all that out to pull that out.
Good method i will start using that from now on instead of digging all that dirt
It's a great video w some physics. I bought a lift jack. Didn't work. Central Texas bedrock too dense 6" down. Sledge hammer and chisel, grinder w/ masonry blade, steel chain and hi lift, shovel.. tons of patience & persistence 😥
Very nice explanation
Nice solution. Thanks.
Definitely thumbs up ! Thanks for video !
Thanks for watching!
I have two fence posts that need replaced. I checked youtube to see what techniques were available. I tried this method a few years ago, and my daughter and wife couldn't believe how well it worked. However I didn't have a high-lift jack, so I rented one ($9.00 for one day). Also, it's a good idea to get a utility-locator service out before doing work like this -- it may be required in your area.
Great tip!
Good ideas, and he is pretty cute looking also!
Dan, Nice example of various methods. You forgot skip loader with a chain. You forgot to mention that conditions / conditions / conditions is key. How many posts, what type, what are they set in (sand, soil, rock). What materials/tools do you have on hand to work with & what would you have to purchase or rent . Dig on one side, pull back (leverage) and pop the bottom into the empty hole. Simple but not for 20 posts .
Great idea! Thanks
Wow, this is AWESOME! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very informative science class. But, as for pulling a fence-post out easily, the guy who posted showing how to do it with a couple of 2x4's, a couple of bolts, and a farm jack.....that was much easier and didn't require one iota of digging. I pulled up 15 in my yard with that method in just one morning. But, everybody likes things a certain way, and for those who prefer this method, I consider that you've done a service by being helpful.
It's still too much work of screwing bolts, cutting woods etc. This method is easiest and fastest one. But one correction is required. You can wind the chain directly around the base of the post. You don't need to dig around it and wind around the concrete. That's unnecessary work.
Thank you Dan Perry you’re a genius
Fastest way for me, get skid steer, auger and chain. I use the chain the same way as you.
Any advice/recommendation for my situation? Here is my dilemma. The previous genius (sarcasm) of an owner set a wooden post bordering beside, on three sides, a 1.) wall, 2.) concrete driveway, and 3.) tree with gnarled, encapsulating roots. I am having a hell of a difficult time digging away at even a side or two. Should I continue pounding away at the concrete with a sledge hammer or is there another solution?