Cheap and Easy Fence Post Puller

"Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the earth."

-Archimedes

If you have need of a fence post puller for metal posts, sometimes called 'T-Posts', most equipment rental outfits don't carry them, and they cost $40-50 at the farm supply store. Then after you've pulled a couple of posts it goes to the back of the garden shed next to the post pounder.

Or, you can spend less than $5 and get the job done just as easily with some stainless steel cable, a wire nut and whatever you have lying about for a fulcrum and a lever.

Safety glasses MUST be worn. You'll be using some serious pulling and twisting on metal parts. Please don't follow my poor example.

Safety glasses

Leather gloves

3' of 1/8" stainless steel cable

1- 3/16" wire nut (larger size makes it easier to thread the cable)

7/16th" nut driver, wrench or socket for the wire nut

Whatever you have around for a fulcrum and lever. I used pieces of old 4x4 posts. Just be sure it's stable and steady before pulling the posts.

The gloves are for protection from the cable after you've threaded it through a couple of posts. Don't run one of those wires under a fingernail. Cotton gloves aren't up to the task if you need to twist the ends of the wire together.

You'll be making a loop with the wire cable to go around the lever and attach to the post. Some posts have metal lugs like this one, some have holes drilled through the post making for easy attachment.

If your post has metal ears or lugs the wire will usually catch but if it doesn't just make a couple of turns around the post with the cable. It will grab.

Be sure the wire nut is tightened securely.

Set the fulcrum far enough from the post to allow the lever room to move. Loop the cable around the post, set low enough to allow for upward motion, then over the top of the lever...

If you wanted you could permanently hinge the lever and fulcrum if you have many posts. I just needed to pull three so it wasn't worth the cash to buy a fence post puller.

Remember- don't follow my poor example- wear safety glasses!