lifting heavy stone post/electric winch?

[Stephen]

Hello,

We have a stone post, roughly 4' tall by 1' by 1'. It's an old gatepost but purely ornamental. It has two hinge pins inserted but the bottom one is so near the base that it is buried. If the post was raised sufficient to allow the bottom pin to be used, the post simply would not be secure in the ground. So I can only imagine that the post was originally bigger but some broke off the bottom, rendering it ornamental only.

SWMBO wants to rearrange the garden and move this post to give us more room. Obviously it is very heavy. What are the safe ways to move it? Breaking it up (angle grinder!) is one option, but I am told these can be sold, so keeping it intact might be better. That said, are they only worth something when they can be used?

A farm jack could be used to lift it, only I don't own one and I they seem to cost £75, which is a bit much for a one off job (and would I need two: one for each end?).

I did buy an electric winch from Aldi a long time ago, thinking it would be useful for something one day. I've never known what to secure it to, to use it. I think the picture on the box shows it being used to lift a car engine, which is something I have never done and I am unlikely to ever do. Perhaps they think that people who know how to disconnect engines will know how to fit a winch? Perhaps they think mechanics will weld their own frame?

Perhaps a metal frame on wheels, designed that it will not topple over, would work but as I have never welded it is outside my capabilities. I guess another thing to consider with such a design would be a way to brake the wheels to stop the frame running away and running someone over or smashing into obstacles.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Andy Dingley]

Something crude involving a shedload of pallets. Provided that you design so that everything is always in simple vertical compression, never relying on them as a beam in bending, or with any sideways forces, this isn't as hazardous as one might think.

or:

Take my engine crane (=A3200, a bargain, used regularly, sometimes even for engines) and set that up around the post to lift it. Although it's meant to sit on a tricycle of four wheels (two close-set), the frame's also pretty stable as two sides of a triangle even on soft ground. Then drop the post onto a trolley made of a pallet with four big casters fastened to it (handy things).

I have one of those electric winches. Rarely use it as the engine crane is generally far more useful. I've a high-lift jack too, which is one of the most dangerous bits of kit I own, on a par with chainsaws.

[NT]

2x4 timber's plenty strong enough for that

I'd be more inclined to dig around it, placing crates so it falls over gracefully, then let the buyer take it from there. Buyer must have the means to move it.

NT

[John Williamson]

Back of an envelope says under half a ton, so if the ground you want to move it over is hard and level, hire a commercial engine crane for the day you want to move it, or use the chocked engine crane for lifting and a heavy duty trolley or trailer to move it. A lifting strap wrapped round the middle of it connected to the crane hook will lift it, and either stand clear or use ropes to steady it as it comes out of the hole.

[Dave Liquorice]

How much more is in the ground? Add another 1.5 cuft to the 4 cuft you can see and the weight will be around 350kg...

I don't think a farm jack could handle that and how do you spread the load enough close enough to the post to stop the end of the jack just sinking into the ground? That's assuming a farm ack is rated that high...

Max lift rating? Need a very strurdy frame, and the problems of spreading the load again so the wheels down sink in.

I also have a gate post that could do with moving but I'll just ask one of the local farmers with a front bucket on a tractor to come along with a strop or two. Access isn't a problem...

If that isn't an option for you I suggest Egyption/Stone age methods with rollers on boards, ropes and several strong blokes. ie the lump doesn't have to be actually lifted very much at all. Pivoted at groundlevel against a steep ramp down onto onto a set of rollers on boards the pushed shoved to the new location and the end lowered by wedging/levering/blocking up the top end.

Just remember if it wants to go in any given direction you won't be able to stop it just get the F out of the way. So you need to think about how the direction it wants to go is also the direction you want as well.

[Phil L]

It's highly unlkikely that anyone would want it. It weighs approx 260kg, so crack it into two pieces and lob it in a skip

[Stephen]

Is your crane something like this?

's the kind of thing I had in mind but I don't have one ;(

When you do use it, what is it fastened to?I might use mine (not for this but for other jobs) if only I could work out what to fix it to!

Are we talking about something like this:

hadn't seen or heard of these before, until I googled for ideas of how to move it. Looking at this photo, it doesn't look like the lifting "arm" protrudes very far, so I would need something to go underneath and if I could lift it to put something underneath, I wouldn't be asking how to lift it!

Why do you say they are as dangerous as a chainsaw? Is it the consequences of the object being lifted falling off and on top of you or something else?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Stephen]

Bolt the winch to 2x4? I could certainly try that, even if not for this job but other applications. I hear people talking about winches, though I suspect ones bolted to their cars, being used to pull out tree stumps and all sorts of things but I could never work out what to fit mine to, to do these.

I was thinking that!

[Stephen]

I hadn't heard of farm jacks until today and your point about them sinking is one I had not thought of. There are several on Amazon rated to 3000kg (I can't work out how to quote Amazon urls they seem to be so long; does all of it need to be copied and pasted or is some session information?)

So I think the weight would be within the limits of a farm jack. Though as I don't have a farm jack and as you and others have highlighted possible problems, I don't think I will be going down this route.

I wonder whether something with a bucket was used to get it in place originally, though there is only a narrow gate, not much larger than a doorway. Do slim machines exist that could get through such a small space?

[GB]

I had a quick look on ebay, and this sort of thing seems to go for around £100-ish. I think that probably sets a limit on how much you should pay for gear to unearth it - ie not very much.

It's not very DIY, but I'd stick it on ebay with a 99p start and a condition that the buyer digs it up and takes it away.

[John Williamson]

You could start with that, then add in the probability that at some point the ratchet *will* fail under load, dropping whatever's being supported from a great height. The ratchet is also prone to getting jammed by mud and dirt.

One common use for them is to lift a Land Rover out of deep ruts, then push sideways to let the jack fall over and hope that the Land Rover will land on higher ground. Half the time, the base kicks out sideways and gets you in the shins or worse, while the Land Rover just drops back into the ruts.

The safest way to use them is as a sort of short pull winch, with one end attached to something solid, and the cable attached to the arm. Even then, you need to watch them like a hawk.

[John Williamson]

Installing them is simple. You put them on a trolley, dig a hole to take the base, then tip them into the hole. With a bit of careful measuring and a few blokes hanging round, it's not a big deal.

[ss]

Buyer collects!....To get it out prop it up in the direction you wish it to fall so that it cant fall. (ropes wood whatever) then dig away the soil at the base at the side you wish it to fall, then take away the props and push it. You could ensure it falls onto old scaffold pipe and you could easily manoevre this around quite easily.

[newshound]

The little mini diggers weigh about a ton, so they might be able to pick it up with the back-hoe, as long as they can get close. Could also add ballast to the other end.

For a farm jack, just put the base on a railway sleeper and that would spread the load.

[newshound]

I reckon they are *more* dangerous than a chainsaw. At least with them, you know exactly which bit to avoid, and the kickback brake should protect you from the most common accident

[Adam Aglionby]

No ones mentioned Wally Wallington....

[Dave Liquorice]

But make damn sure the base of the jack *cannot* slip.

[Dave Liquorice]

At least three bits of scaff pole under it at all time so you need four bits and the poles on boards or they will just squidge into the ground and not act as rollers at all. 300kg is 47 stone...

[Dave Liquorice]

At least three bits of scaff pole under it at all time so you need four bits and the poles on boards or they will just squidge into the ground and not act as rollers at all. 300kg is 47 stone...

[Nightjar]

...

Several big blokes and a crate of beer.

Colin Bignell