Help on Removing Pole in Yard

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For several days now, I've been trying to take out a metal pole in my back yard. I THINK it's half of an old clothes line. It's a steel pipe probably 3" in diameter that stands probably 6 1/2" feet off the ground(I'm a bit over 6'2", and the top is a couple of inches over my head).

When I first started, without doing anything, it was "loose" in the relatively soft ground. I started digging a bit and using an 8lb sledge to break up the cement around it. I got the easy part, but now I'm seemingly stuck.

I keep digging but I can't seem to really even find the bottom of the cement. I'd guess I'm down about 2 1/2 feet all around the cement, and it still feels like I'm hitting it as I keep going down.

It's looser still, but is defying all my attempts at budging or falling over. I seem to have hit the end of the cement that will break up easily, as hitting it now only will seem to knock a few flakes or some dust off.

BTW, this may or may not be a great idea, but I've also tried striking way up the pole in hopes that that might move it around and break it loose a little better, but that doesn't seem to accomplish anything beyond starting every dog in the neighborhood barking and deafening me.

I've tried a crow bar, but first of all can't seem to get under it, and second when I do try to pry the dirt around is soft enough that the crow bar sinks into it rather than moving the pole.

I'm wondering if, first of all, I should be using something heavier than 8lbs to break it up, or if that's the best I can hope for. Alternatively, is there something other than a sledgehammer that might be more effective at breaking it?

Second, I'm wondering if there are any other "brute force" ways to get it out. I've thought of using a tow strap on a truck, but again the ground is soft enough that I don't want to drive back there, and it's far enough back from the street that I'm not sure how great of an idea that is.

Can anyone give me some insight/suggestions?

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I think you need to dig your hole a lot wider. I'm guessing there is a big ball of cement at the bottom still covered with dirt.

I've done similar to what Bighorn2500 suggested with a hydraulic jack. to pull out t-posts. You might give that a try.
 
Can you drill a hole through and put a bolt/nut on it then use a hydraulic jack to lift straight up off a couple of 2x4 as a base?

I've just used my tractor hydraulics with a lift bar in the past to get stuff like this.

Thsi is what I was going to suggest. Put a hole in it and a bolt or something then just lift it out with a farm/ hi-lift jack. That's how I remove fence post. You might be able to just wrap a chain around it a bunch of times and jack on that as well.

Or just cut it off at the top of the cement.. looks like its a good bit below ground level.
 
Can you drill a hole through and put a bolt/nut on it then use a hydraulic jack to lift straight up off a couple of 2x4 as a base?

I've just used my tractor hydraulics with a lift bar in the past to get stuff like this.
I have done this with fence posts worked like a charm.
 
Yeah, I had something like that in my old house that had to be removed and a neighbor with a tractor was the answer. While he was there I had him pull out a few bushes that needed to come out as well.
 
I'd wrap a chain around it about 10x then hook it to a tow strap and give it a few tugs with a tractor, jeep, or truck.
filling the hole with water might soften it too.

caution if you have never done this it is possible to do damage (lol)
 
A longer sawzall blade will blow through that thing like butta. Why go though the hassle of yanking it out if you don't need to?

My old and out of shape arse is getting tired just thinking about digging and spud-baring around that loose toof.
 
I've jacked wooden fence posts encased in concrete out of the ground. And I like the idea of putting a bolt through it to make sure you have a good grip.

Though the idea of cutting it off just above the concrete sounds pretty attractive too.
 
I saw someone on u-tube pull a tree stump out doing this. They wrapped a chain around the stump as low as they could, then put the chain on top of a tire like your spare , then hooked it to their vehicle, I'm guessing a pick-up truck would work the best, then slowly drove away and the stump came out easier then you would think. The tire helps give it upward force to pull it out, compared to pulling it at an angle.,,,
 
Thanks everyone for the ideas.

I've thought about cutting it flush, but the dirt is already in a mount around it and the concrete was just barely below the dirt when I started(I doubt I took off a half inch of dirt doing it). I'm this far into it already, and really feel like I would just like to get it out and be done with it.

Right now a chain+truck sounds appealing, but failing that the jack method sounds viable.
 
You want the personal satisfaction of getting all the concrete out.

First, I would do some more digging.
Then, as others have said, "fill the hole with water to soften the ground"
Followed by the best method to remove concrete.
 
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The chain and truck approach may have unpredictable downsides. It's a bit of an all (sudden success) or nothing (something nasty happens) approach. Don't think I'd like a few extra dents or something broken on the truck for example.

The jack method (+/- water to soften the hole) is known to work, it takes place over a little time so you can back off if things aren't going as hoped, and there should just be less to go wrong. I'd start with that myself.
 
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