Replacing a broken fencepost?

[Simkie]

How exactly does one do this? We have a fence post that’s broken underground somewhere. Not set in cement.

We have a little tractor with a front end loader and hay forks. No hydraulic post pounder or auger. Do have a t post pounder and post hole hand digger thing. The new post needs to go in the same spot as the old one.

Small words would be good–explain to me as if I’m three? I feel like this is something two reasonably intelligent grown adults SHOULD be able to figure out and accomplish in an afternoon, but I am a bit perplexed

[2DogsFarm]

Well, when I had the same problem after the first Winter with my pro-installed fence, the company placed a new post right next to the he broken one. They did cut the cracked post down to the ground, but did not remove what was left. My posts are set in cement, so I assumed that was the Why.
Sorry, I did not watch the work done, so I’m no help for How To.

[minnie]

Take the connecting boards down. Dig down around the broken post. Lower the front end bucket, wrap a large chain around the broken post ( at least 12 to 18 inches, wrap chain around the bucket and lift up. Broken piece should come out. You’ll probably have to use the post hole digger to enlarge the hole a little. Put in new post. Do not fill dirt in until you have nailed all the boards back up. If the post is off even an inch or so at the bottom, your middle and top boards might not be long enough on one side. I usually start by nailing back the top boards first, because you can always use a hammer to move the bottom end an inch or so if needed. Once all boards are nailed back up you can fill in the dirt and tamp. It’s a pain in the behind. I have about a dozen that need replacing.

[minnie]

Take the connecting boards down. Dig down around the broken post. Lower the front end bucket, wrap a large chain around the broken post ( at least 12 to 18 inches, wrap chain around the bucket and lift up. Broken piece should come out. You’ll probably have to use the post hole digger to enlarge the hole a little. Put in new post. Do not fill dirt in until you have nailed all the boards back up. If the post is off even an inch or so at the bottom, your middle and top boards might not be long enough on one side. I usually start by nailing back the top boards first, because you can always use a hammer to move the bottom end an inch or so if needed. Once all boards are nailed back up you can fill in the dirt and tamp. It’s a pain in the behind. I have about a dozen that need replacing.

[Hermein]

We have used purpose-built brackets that are pounded into the ground around your bad post. They work fine–but we weren’t putting them around horse fencing. Here’s a link to one brand of the brackets: http://www.stur-dfence.com/repair-fence-brackets/

You can’t see the brackets at all.

In a pinch you can do a red-necky repair by pounding a t-post in right against the broken post. This will hold the post until you can do more esthetically pleasing repairs.

[Bluey]

We are allergic to leaving any broken post in the ground, as we have had years down the road someone get hurt or run into and break something or ruin a tire because of them.

Any such that breaks, be it a T steel post or wooden post, concreted in or not, what is left in the ground gets pulled up, so no one ever has a problem with what is left of it down the decades to come.

As already explained, you have to dig around the broken post enough to attach a chain to it and pull it with your tractor, or far enough down there so you can pull it by hand.
If you can’t get the tractor in there, after you dig it loose, you can use a long tamping bar on the chain and a block of wood or rock on the other side of the hole and pull on the tamping bar to raise the broken end up from the hole.

Then you can put a new post in the same hole, tamping it very good as you fill the now big hole back up.

Someone mentioned already, if it is not unsightly, since you are speaking of a few inches only, pounding your new post in by it would work fine too and minimize the broken post end problems down the road by the other post marking the spot.

[SuzieQNutter]

It does help if you put a bucket of water or 2 in the hole before you try pulling it out.

[caper]

What Minnie said works! Husband has a bunch of old ones to replace.

[AKB]

I have replaced posts several times by using the techniques described above. It is exhausting, but can be done, even by a 60 year old woman like me. If you have several posts that need replacing, I would pay someone to do the job. I had 8 posts replaced this week because I was dreading doing it myself.

[HorsesinHaiti]

About how long do the wooden fence posts last where you all are? Cemented in and non cemented in.

[saultgirl]

Take down the connecting boards, dig out the post, put in a new post.

You should put gravel in around the new post to allow water to drain away from the post.

I’ve never used a tractor for this.

[Tom_King]

I use these with the loader, but bought it long enough ago that the price was probably less than half of this: http://www.baileysonline.com/Forestry-Woodcutting/Chains-Cables-Grapplers/Timber-Tongs/Dixie-Industries-25-Lifting-Tongs.axd

[clanter]

[QUOTE=minnie;8207038]
. If the post is off even an inch or so at the bottom, your middle and top boards might not be long enough on one side. :([/QUOTE]

I cheat, if I have miss aligned (or have a compromised fence post) I add a cripple 2by 4 to the post to provide a nailer for the panel board

[goodhors]

We use the backend hydraulics for pulling posts in most cases, not the bucket. The leverage is better, tractor is stronger behind than in front. Some of broken posts are REALLY in the ground, so you can’t get them out with the bucket pull or folding bucket back, the back wheels WILL come up off the ground!!

Using the back hydraulics will force the tractor front end down, giving a better lifting strength and base for the straight up dead pull needed on a tough post or broken off post base.

We do dig down enough to wrap a chain around the broken base for a good pulling point. Like Bluey said, those broken off ends WILL come up to “get” you later on. Puncture a tire or hoof, which will cost you. I find 1 to several old metal post bases in the ground every year. Previous owners let fence posts rust and break off. Fence was pulled out of tree line, so we could not locate ends under dirt cover years later. Ends now work up with freeze thaw cycle over winter so I find them by snagging with weed whacker and tripping on them in the field! No ends were there
LAST year!

I have been mowing and weed trimming the same places for over 12 years, never find these broken T-posts posts until they choose to appear.

[gumtree]

I hate it when a post breaks at or below the grade. At the first sign of a weak post I pull and replace. Much easier to wrap a chain above the grade then digging down below. The broken post comes out and leaves a nice “clean hole”. Take the new post push back into the hole as far as I can and then press it home with the bucket on my tractor.

To get a post out that is broken off below requires digging down at least 6’ if not more so as to get a good purchase on the post with the chain. Which almost always slips a few inches before pulling out.

I have wood fencing so it is not an option to place a post next to a broken one. Attaching a “cheater nailer” on the side of the new post as Clanter suggested works. But doesn’t provide a lot of nailing area. A bit too much like “government work” for me.

When I have to do by hand a posthole digger is a must and a nice long pry/tamping bar also. Dig a hole next to the broken post going about half way down. Put the pry bar on the opposite side and pry/push the post towards the hole. Go to the other side and push it back. Keep “wiggling” back and forth working around the post until loose enough to pull out by hand. If you are lucky you won’t have to dig the new hole all the way down to the bottom of the post to get it out.

If post is cemented double or triple the time to get it out. You will have to “excavate” all around the cement. I don’t cement any posts. Mind are all pretty much pounded in. And haven’t moved much in over 12 years.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=goodhors;8207669]
We use the backend hydraulics for pulling posts in most cases, not the bucket. The leverage is better, tractor is stronger behind than in front. Some of broken posts are REALLY in the ground, so you can’t get them out with the bucket pull or folding bucket back, the back wheels WILL come up off the ground!!

Using the back hydraulics will force the tractor front end down, giving a better lifting strength and base for the straight up dead pull needed on a tough post or broken off post base.

We do dig down enough to wrap a chain around the broken base for a good pulling point. Like Bluey said, those broken off ends WILL come up to “get” you later on. Puncture a tire or hoof, which will cost you. I find 1 to several old metal post bases in the ground every year. Previous owners let fence posts rust and break off. Fence was pulled out of tree line, so we could not locate ends under dirt cover years later. Ends now work up with freeze thaw cycle over winter so I find them by snagging with weed whacker and tripping on them in the field! No ends were there
LAST year!

I have been mowing and weed trimming the same places for over 12 years, never find these broken T-posts posts until they choose to appear.[/QUOTE]

Good points.

I find pulling out with the bucket easier to set up. But I have a pretty good size tractor and a counter weight box if needed.

Old broken T-post can do a lot of damage when the pop up. When I found one I figured there were more so I renteda Meatal detector. Made short work of finding the rest. Getting them out wasn’t as easy.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=Tom King;8207136]
I use these with the loader, but bought it long enough ago that the price was probably less than half of this: http://www.baileysonline.com/Forestry-Woodcutting/Chains-Cables-Grapplers/Timber-Tongs/Dixie-Industries-25-Lifting-Tongs.axd[/QUOTE]

Love those. I thought about buying about 10 years ago but the price put me off. Every broken post since I wish I had committed. Handy for a lot of other things also.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=HorsesinHaiti;8207121]
About how long do the wooden fence posts last where you all are? Cemented in and non cemented in.[/QUOTE]

I have pulled 15 year old 4 X 6 pressure treated pine post that looked good as new. I have some Locust post that are at least 30 years old and the bottoms are in better shape then the tops. I am in SE PA.

All of my post were pounded in. I have lots of oak board fencing and none of the post are cemented. The odd post that could only go 2 feet or less I will cement.

I think it would be a night mare to have cement lots of posts. And add a ton of extra expense and labor.

[Tom_King]

[QUOTE=gumtree;8207718]
Love those. I thought about buying about 10 years ago but the price put me off. Every broken post since I wish I had committed. Handy for a lot of other things also.[/QUOTE

Here’s a link to a picture with the tongs being used for their intended purpose. A longer chain is used for broken fence posts. http://www.historic-house-restoration.com/images/secondlogup.JPG

[Tom_King]

[QUOTE=HorsesinHaiti;8207121]
About how long do the wooden fence posts last where you all are? Cemented in and non cemented in.[/QUOTE]

We have some of the old treated Pine posts that have been in use since 1980. I concreted a new treated post into a new fenceline 8 years ago, and replaced the rotted post last week.