raising large posts

[Anonymous-0]

I have hole dug for my 20 foot poles (8"butt) , and I have the poles. But I am looking for advice on how to raise the posts into the holes. Pretty heavy. I do have a loader tractor. Its a bit of a tight space. Looking for some logistic advice.

Any ideas without buying new implements.

 

[Dan-IA]

I'd find a nice long bar and weld it it the bucket on the loader as a gin pole, then chain the top of your post to the pole. This will give you more reach too, but your controls will seem a lot more touchy...

 

[Kevin in OK]

I don't know if this would work, but it popped into my mind as something that may work. If your loader can lift high enough, tie or chain the pole to the loader at its center of gravity. Raise up the loader as high as you can, drive over the hole, then toss a rope over the big end and rotate it down into the hole.

If that doesn't work or the pole is too long, do it like they do at those strong man competitions. Lay it down with the big end at the hole, lift up the small end up above your head and walk towards the hole, raising the pole as you go. I don't recommend this though.

Kevin

 

[Anonymous-0]

We tried the good old 'caber' approach, its too much. Soaked pretty heavy in treatment fluid.

I like the idea of the center chain and the rop to pull it in the hole on the bottom.

 

[Mike M]

I have set a few poles old electric pole included so they get pretty big. If I can get to the center of ploe and still lift it high enough I just hook a chain there if it is too long I then get it up over the bucket and tractor lengthwise and chain it solid to the bucket in a couple of spots with binders. Then you can lift it and tilt the bucket to get it vert. into the hole.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I did ( and won't do it again ... raise 6"x6" 18'-0" timbers for a pole barn by myself, 8 of them, used a backhoe for the holes, they're in over 4 feet. One of them was real heavy, so I choked it up high with a chain and set it with the hoe, still had to brace, plumb and hold to a string line, hold center to center dimensions, and backfill same at the same time, helper would have been great, the building is square considering, really should have gotten some help, but did get er painstakingly done.


The gin pole idea is a good idea, if you were to weld 2 angle iron brackets to the center of your bucket, drilled and aligned for a pin, you could easily pin a tube, pipe or similar steel member in place. On the top of the bucket, if you have a chain hook, and if you were to weld a lift hook to the the steel member, you could run a chain from the bucket hook, to the steel member hook to support the gin pole at the appropriate angle, you would obviously need to fabricate a pick point on the end, for light bulky items, including posts, this would work well, but it's not meant for heavy items, and with anything swinging in the air like posts, use care and have some helpers.

 

[Coloken]

Wear a hard hat.
Don't ask ..............

 

[VADAVE]

Done this a few times--it isn't hard.
There are two ways:
1) With the loader--like Mike says put a chain around it above the center of gravity so the butt is down, drive over the hole and lower it in.
2) Load the pole on a reuck with a dump bed, butt out the back. Place a plywood panel in hole on the far side. Back truck with pole to the hole and place butt against plywood in hole by raising truck bed. Pull forward slightly so butt stays in the hole, lower bed--the pole should now be above cab with the butt against plywood in hole. Back up smartly. The pole will go up as you approach the hole and will drop into same--do not back past the hole. If you back up too slow the pole will slide off side ways.

 

[Janicholson]

High towers are set using the following simple thinking:
Dig a slot on the side of the hole where the pole will lay so that the but of the pole can be tilted into it if it was lifted 6' high at the tip end.
Put a 5/16X4" eye bolt in the top of the pole. Take two 3/8" poly ropes about 50' long, and tie a knot at 30 feet from one end of each. Thread the rope long end into the Eye bolt from opposite ends so the knots catch in the eyebolt and cannot pull through.
Park two vehicles, or ground anchors to ether side of the post hole so that they can be used as anchors to prevent the pole from tipping sideways.
lift the pole as high as the loader will take it from the tip end. Block it up at that point, then use the loader from the other side to pull it verticle. it will slide into the hole. If yoy have the help, it is best to have them adjust the tension on the guide ropes as it is lifted. When it is up, pull on the short end of the ropes to pull them out of the eye. JimN

 

[Anonymous-0]

No I agree. - Here is my darwin award. One year I has heading to Manitoba for a holiday, and I had some weak fences, and didnt want the steers to get out. So I took a big manualpost pounder, and went off to put in a few new post so the line was stronger. Got some good momentum going, going well. But I over did it on one stroke, and the bottom lip hit the top of the post, and bounced off at me. Onto me noodle. Bong. Out. Cold. Snoozing for a while in the field. I knew better, chose poorly in haste.

 

[Coloken]

I would add...don't just use the chain hook, it will unhook when there is slack. Use a bolt.
Mine was a 5 inch heavy drill stem..dropped straight back across the loader, the cross piece above my head on a Farm hand loaded saved me.

 

[Bob85355]

Well, I was a complete novice when I set a 20 foot pole some years back. After trying a couple of things that didn"t work, I figured out how to do it right. Built an A frame out of 2x4 leaving a small X at the top. Moved the pole into position and put a chain loose enough to slide around the bottom end and and staked it securely a couple feet behind the hole. Tied a rope to the top of the pole and crossed over the A frame. Put a piece of wood into the hole to keep the end of the pole from digging in. Hooked the rope to the back of a compact tractor and pulled. The effect was that the A frame caused the top of the pole to lift up and not simply to move forward. Slipped right into the hole.

Bob

 

[JDemaris]

I've put many 24 foot 6" X 6" poles in by hand, just me and my wife (and I'm not a big guy). Have your hole dug, put a vertical board in the hole - for the pole bottom to rub on as you walk it into the hole. Then - get on the end and walk it up. I've done 20 footers by myself - but that's my limit. With 24 footers, my I walk it up from the end and my wife walks it up from the middle.

Now, if your's are 8" diameter or bigger, the loader is a much better option. Just wrap a choker chain around the pole (self-tightening) a little above the center - and lift. With a 24 foot pole, you hook about 13 feet high. I have a 8 foot heavy steel pipe that I bolt to a backhoe bucket that makes a good extension for such work and gives extra height.

 

[thurlow]

Can't imagine you can't do it with the loader, as has been suggested numerous times. I set all these by my-own-self (about 30 of 'em, 12-16 inch diameter and 20-24 ft long) with a 4020 and FEL. I used logging tongs to grab 'em, but a chain would work just as good and probably be safer. Of course, there wasn't any water at the time.

<a href="http://s261.photobucket.com/albums/ii44/thurlow8/?action=view¤t=pavilion013.jpg" target="_blank">

</a>

 

[Cummins 1955]

I am going to take the easy way out here. We have a local truss contractor who has a boom truck and have found it to be the most reasonable SAFE way to do things. We moved round corn cribs and the roofs had to come off. Tried several different ways, and got them off, but it was dicy. Called boom truck out to put them back on out of desperation. Total charge $275 for 4 roofs(2002). We had that much in one gin pole that was not safe! We have had them out several times since for odd and ends and it is always very reasonable. If you are going to set trusses on top of them, I would set an afternoon appointment, and set the poles, work all evening with my buddys get all braced up and headers on and set trusses in the morning. Alot safer and much less headache. Maybe more than you know. LOL

1955

 

[WantACaseLASomeday]

Thurlow - that is just really cool. Thank you for sharing the picture!

 

[Anonymous-0]

My neighbor did the same thing.He's a lawyer-made for some good jokes.

 

[Chris in SK]

Stu, try making your wall and raise it in sections, or at least two poles at a time goal post style. Do as much as you can with them laying flat on the ground …easier and safer than later, 15’ up in the air. Lay them, ends at the holes, and put vertical boards in the holes as mentioned. Attach the girts or header plate, or just temporary cross braces while they lay on the ground. Then lift them up, the posts can’t twist in the holes or fall in any direction. If you have space, put a safety chain on the back, and lift and pull with the loader from the other side. If space is tight, lift and push from one side and keep a safety chain on the FEL to stop them going over center. When up, they’re supported in all directions.
Chris