Pulling T-Posts

[Flintknapper]

Here's a home made puller that leaves the tractor operator in the seat.

I like the concept, but that particular puller requires some fairly precise placement of the bucket.

A hydrostatic tractor is much better suited for that type of thing than my gear tractor. If I overshoot the post then I am going to have to change gears (reverse) to correct the alignment. Certainly a handy way to pull posts however.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Do you have a set of pallet forks?
If you do and it has the hole in the end, you can bolt that plate to a pallet fork and use the to pull the post while never having to get off.
You could do it with a bucket but it makes it hard to see what your doing.

EDIT: I Just read what you posted above and agree you would have to be fairly precise to thread the plate over the t-post.
Short chain and a clevis sounds like the quickest method for you.

 

[William1]

Fortunately, I have few posts to pull.
While sitting and just doing one after another is great, you still have to pick them up. Two guys, a chain and pallet forks could do miles in a day. Chain, pull, drop, load, next one.
One guy is still just one guy and most likely could only do half the work. Pull, drop, off the tractor to load, back on the tractor to do the next one. With a chain, off the tractor, load the one you just pulled, chain the next, pull, repeat. One guy still has to get off the seat a lot.
Seems like a lot of work!!! <S Penny from Big Bang>

 

[Flintknapper]

One guy is still just one guy and most likely could only do half the work. Pull, drop, off the tractor to load, back on the tractor to do the next one. With a chain, off the tractor, load the one you just pulled, chain the next, pull, repeat. One guy still has to get off the seat a lot.
Seems like a lot of work!!!

It IS a lot of work, not arguing that. It's just something I need to do before hot weather gets here.

Deep East Texas in the hot months (June thru Sept) is like a Sauna. Right now I can take my time.

It isn't something that has to be done in a day (or I'd hire some help). Most of the posts I need to pull are short (only sticking up about 18") where wire net and plastic was attached to control run off when some of our gas wells were put in place.

All of that is grown over in grass now and I can't mow those areas without pulling the posts and wire up first. If you've ever wrapped a bunch of wire around your bush-hog blades....you understand.

I also have some old cross fencing I am going to remove.

So it will be an on going project for awhile....no matter how I choose to attack it.

 

[Chad D.]

https://a.co/d/2a4lP7I

I use this one. Recommend a steel plate model rather than cast.

 

[Lil Foot]

Years ago I was trying to accumulate t-posts for garden fencing, and maybe to start fencing my land.
I carried one of those HF style manual pullers in the truck and would occasionally find posts from old political signs, and such. One day I was driving by an old farmhouse site that was being torn down for a new church. I stopped & asked a backhoe operator if I could have the 10 or so T-posts on the site, and he readily agreed, because he hated the posts. (flat tire danger) I pulled 10 or 12, but found one heavy duty one I could not pull. He saw me struggling, and brought over the backhoe & a chain. He lifted the back of the tractor off the ground without the post budging. He called over an earthmover (scraper) and hooked the chain to it. The earthmover spun, but then pulled it out. Turns out it was a section of mini railroad rail from a mine, and it was 18-20 ft in the ground. Not sure how the drove it in. The backhoe operator wanted it, so he kept it.

 

[Flintknapper]

Well the verdict is in. I have other things to do today...but thought I'd go pull 10-12 short T-Posts and see how the rig works (or doesn't work). I can tell you right away its 'the cat's meow' for what I need to do.

I don't know if they ALL work this well....but this one does. I rigged it with a clevis on each end because I don't see the need in having to place the plate over the T-post and then thread the chain through the slot all the while holding tension on it. Crazy if you ask me.

Also the clevis allows the chain to seek its own best angle for the pull.

The first pull I placed the plate in its intended orientation and made the pull.

Observing how well the plate would 'bite' the T-post I determined that it doesn't matter how it goes on the post. Forward, Backward, Sideways.....it will grab the post and not slip no matter what.

I can imagine a situation where a really stubborn post might need the plate to engage one of the 'nubs' but none that I pulled needed that.

Just throw the plate on the T-post. It doesn't matter how far it goes down or what direction. It took me all of 20 seconds to walk up to the post, throw the plate on it, walk back to the loader control and pull it....and I'm old!

And yes, I know I need to rebuild the bottom of my bucket (after 27 yrs).

Photos continued next post:

 

[Flintknapper]

 

[NCL4701]

Worst part of pulling the silt fence we removed was that wire mesh and cloth like that in one of your pics that was partially buried and all entwined in vegetation. The grapple was great at getting tangled up in it enough to pull it out in large runs and then wad it up to stuff it in a dumpster. When we were trying to pull it by hand, it was near impossible and hooking to it with a chain just pulled it apart. After 10 years of neglect that wire mesh was some evil stuff.

 

[mcfarmall]

Based on the other videos, I think it's a M5040. I don't think it has a DPF considering it was built the last time in 2010 and is Tier II.

I watched on my phone and didn't see the description of the video nor the model number on the hood. It looked like a later model, so my bad. Still excellent advice for tier IV units!

 

[jimh406]

I watched on my phone and didn't see the description of the video nor the model number on the hood. It looked like a later model, so my bad. Still excellent advice for tier IV units!

He has the same tractor in the other videos with a description of what it is. You are right though, it is not good to idle DPF tractors.

 

[Outnumbered]

I just finished pulling a couple hundred posts with one of these. They are worth it for sure if you have a lot of posts to pull. I have "Ken's Bolt on Hooks" on my bucket. Had about a 8 ft length of chain and simply hooked it over the post then in the grab hook on the bucket and hit the lever. A Lot of on and off the tractor but well worth it over using the grab hook and wrapping the post with a chain. Over $500 at the scrapyard for all the old posts, barbed and woven wire. Makes the old farm place look a lot better and easier to maintain.

 

[Flintknapper]

Worst part of pulling the silt fence we removed was that wire mesh and cloth like that in one of your pics that was partially buried and all entwined in vegetation. The grapple was great at getting tangled up in it enough to pull it out in large runs and then wad it up to stuff it in a dumpster. When we were trying to pull it by hand, it was near impossible and hooking to it with a chain just pulled it apart. After 10 years of neglect that wire mesh was some evil stuff.

That is going to be my next problem. How to pull the wire out of the grass, vines and roots that have grown into it.

 

[D2Cat]

If all else fails a bale spike on you loader works pretty good to get the wire out of the dirt.

 

[jyoutz]

If all else fails a bale spike on you loader works pretty good to get the wire out of the dirt.

Pallet forks also work.

 

[barts]

After 10 years of neglect that wire mesh was some evil stuff.

My dad once hired a guy to mow his pasture/hay lot. The fellow showed up w/ a nice flail mower, and tried getting close to the edges, and found a bunch of wire mesh that got wrapped around that flail really tight... What a miserable job getting that stuff off.

Now that I'm managing the place, I'm keeping the wire well away from the mowed areas... and walking new mowed spots before hand.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Bale spear, teeth on a bucket, grapple, pallet forks, ripper on the three point, spring tooth harrow all work for this.
Or hook a chain to it and start rolling it sideways.

 

[Flintknapper]

Bale spear, teeth on a bucket, grapple, pallet forks, ripper on the three point, spring tooth harrow all work for this.
Or hook a chain to it and start rolling it sideways.

^^^^^

Hmmmmm.........hadn't thought about the rippers on my box blade. Might just do the trick digging the wire out of the grass and at least exposing it....so I can see what I am dealing with.

I have a feeling a lot of it is going to tear though.

 

[Russell King]

One of this style can also be used. A lot lighter than the farm jack but these are only a one trick pony

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tarter-t-post-puller-tpp?cid=Shopping-Bing-Product1323150-&msclkid=c116b76ec76411b8440bd3735a74cb22&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&utm_term=4585375807245420&utm_content=All%20Products

 

[Lil Foot]

One of this style can also be used. A lot lighter than the farm jack but these are only a one trick pony

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tarter-t-post-puller-tpp?cid=Shopping-Bing-Product1323150-&msclkid=c116b76ec76411b8440bd3735a74cb22&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&utm_term=4585375807245420&utm_content=All%20Products

That is what I use.