Cementened 4x4 poles

How do I get 4x4 posts cemented in out of the large holes they are in. The people who lived here before me put in 4x4's all around the yard for such things as swing poles, volleyball court net, decoration (very questionable), I have about 12 to dig up and remove. Is there an eaiser way? I have gotten 2 out, one the 4x4 cracked the concrete and I just pulled it out, busted off the concrete and buried it. The other one was a lot of work and took 3 guys to lift is. I have a garden tractor, Z, 4X pickup, and most other tools normal guys have. I really want to work smarter not harder.

How deep is the cement? Can you just cut off the posts flush with the top, and put dirt back on top of everything? Grass only needs a couple inches of soil. You could also get a long drill bit and drill out the wood after cutting most of the post away. This would let water in there this winter where it might split the chunk of concrete. You could even keep pouring water in there on purpose to get it to crack. Maybe use a hammer drill to put a dozen holes in the concrete and let these freeze and crack also.

I dug most of the dirt around mine and then wrapped a Grade 70 chain around them and pulled them out with my tractor. Your 4x4 could probably do it in 4 low.

I'm not sure I'd just leave them there unless you were covering the area with rocks or something. You would get brown dry spots in your lawn in the summer if there was only a few inches of soil over the concrete.

PB

I just tore down a deck and the idiot that built it, me, cemented the poles in with an 80# bag each. I found that the best thing to do was to take a large sledge hammer and bust the concrete while the post was still in the ground. Then I could wallow the post around enough to loosen it up and pull it out. Hutch

mak2 - If the posts are still there, you may be able to dig out one side then pull the post in that direction (basically allowing it to tilt into the area you just dug.

Hutchman said:

I just tore down a deck and the idiot that built it, me, cemented the poles in with an 80# bag each.

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I hope my neighbor never has to rip his deck out... We put (8) 80# bags in each of his holes. (180 bags for 22 posts)

Try one of those "Tractor Jacks " like you see on all the Jeep 4x4's . I have had pretty good luck pulling fence post by wrapping a choke chain around the post and hooking back to the jack .

You could rig what I've always heard called a "jillpoke". It requires at least two people. Do as PB said and dig down around it enough to get a chain around the top. Then get a wood pallet and the longer the chain the better. Have the chain hooked around the top of concrete and to 4x4 P/U,lean the pallet at 45* away from the pickup and the end in the air directly above the concrete.Position chain on pallet so it is lying on the end of one of the 2x4 stringers in the middle of pallet. Keep chain snug between pallet and concrete and have your helper SLOWLY tighten chain 'til you can step away.
Once you are clear start pulling slowly and if chain doesn't slip off concrete,it should start lifting the concrete. However if the holes were "belled" before concrete was poured,this will require a lot more digging.
HTH,
Mike