If you need to remove a wood or steel fence post that’s stuck in the ground in concrete, you can do it yourself easily using a farm jack.
Tools / Materials Required
- Farm jack ($50 at Harbor Freight)
- 2×4 wood 48″ (4′) long (mine happened to be 53″ long)
- 3″-long bolt with nut
- 7-foot long Everbilt 5/16 in. chain ($3.05 / ft)
- Everbilt 3/4 in. x 12 in. Zinc Threaded Rod (or similar)
Setup Instructions
- Drill a hole in one end of the 2×4 using a spade bit.
- Insert the bolt into 2×4 and through the top hole on the farm jack and secure using a nut
- Drill a hole near the bottom of the fence post using a 7/8″ spade bit and insert the threaded rod through the hole
How to Use
- Tilt the farm jack and the 2×4 such that the post is in the middle. This is necessary as the post will try to pull the farm jack towards it. The 2×4 acts to prop the farm jack in place.
- Put a piece of plywood under the farm jack to make a solid base so the farm jack doesn’t get pushed into the dirt
- Insert one end of the chain through the hole near the bottom of the farm jack
- Loop the other end of the chain around the fence post and around the threaded rod. Weaving the chain around the rod helps lock the chain in one place along the vertical length of the post.
- Tie a knot using both ends of the chain
- Crank the jack up until it lifts the fence post and concrete footing above the ground
- Crank the lever up and down to raise the chain until the post come up out of the ground
Don’t secure the chain to the farm jack using a carabiner or other tool because those tools will just break.
Update 2024
You don’t need the 2×4. Instead, place a 4×4 piece of wood between the farm jack and the post you want to remove. Doing so will keep the jack straight and parallel to the post and prevent it from hitting the post. When placing the 4×4 wood, you may need to place it at an angle such that the end against the jack is lower than the end against the post. That way, when you crack the jack up, the wood will rotate and be pushed against the post.
Also, if the ground is soft like dirt or grass, screw the base of the jack into a 12″ x 12″ piece of wood that is 2″ or 3″ thick to prevent the jack from being pushed into the ground.
