Mounting a post-puller on a truck

[puttsy]

How would you go about it, or, is it even worth it?

Every year I drive 30+ posts into the field (corn or beans depending) around my home that surrounds my driveway for snow fence. (1/4 mile driveway I own, farmers field on both sides and surrounding my house...basically a 3-acre island in a 150 acre field with a stick to drive up) well, after driving posts for 10 years and pulling them out by hand every spring I'm tired of it. So, I bought a post puller

but, that's not good enough (should be but hey, we all want to have fun )

My thoughts, mount it onto the front or back of the truck (1994 Dodge Ram 1500. 2" receivers on both sides) so that a driver pulls up to the post, I hook onto it, pull it out, toss it in the bed, rinse, repeat.

Think it's viable and worth while? I don't have the post puller yet so I can't take measurements but, my initial thought was to get a clevis hitch, turn it sideways (may need to add holes for the receiver pin) and drill through the puller to put a clevis pin through.

Sounds simple to me BUT, I'm not at home until next weekend and that's when the posts need to be removed. So, I would need to order everything this week to have it delivered by weeks end and fabricate Friday night. Kind-of a gamble since the puller *may* not fit in the spread of the clevis tongues. Will it be more expensive than it's worth? I'm used to rocking posts back-and-forth in soft ground and then lifting out so a tool just to lift them out should be better...just wondering though.

 

[venturesomerite]

Maybe get an adjustable pintle receiver (has like 8 holes in it so you can adjust up or down) and just make a 90* bracket to bolt to it. And when you are not using it, you can bolt a hitch to it like normal. It would also make it work on both the front and back hitch like you want.

I believe when I bought mine it was only like 50 bucks.

 

[puttsy]

Maybe get an adjustable pintle receiver (has like 8 holes in it so you can adjust up or down) and just make a 90* bracket to bolt to it. And when you are not using it, you can bolt a hitch to it like normal. It would also make it work on both the front and back hitch like you want.

I believe when I bought mine it was only like 50 bucks.

Hmm...That would make things a lot easier, Thanks!. Would pulling a post be too much to use u-bolts to affix the post puller to it? I would *think* there would be enough force and friction that 2 or more u-bolts would keep it in-place. If anything, it would push it down so it wouldn't do damage if it DID slip. Otherwise I suppose it wouldn't be to difficult to make a platform at the base of one of these to rest the puller on and keep the tight to the vertical plate.

 

[venturesomerite]

Hmm...That would make things a lot easier, Thanks!. Would pulling a post be too much to use u-bolts to affix the post puller to it? I would *think* there would be enough force and friction that 2 or more u-bolts would keep it in-place. If anything, it would push it down so it wouldn't do damage if it DID slip. Otherwise I suppose it wouldn't be to difficult to make a platform at the base of one of these to rest the puller on and keep the tight to the vertical plate.

I think some big u bolts should work. If you are worried about it slipping, you can weld the bolts to the pipe for the puller, or if you don't have access to one, maybe drill two holes and use a big hitch pin or something on top of one of the ubolts, it can't slip if there's a big pin in the way!

Maybe look into some ubolts for a s10 or something for the axel to leafsprings, I think that's probably about the same size as what I am picturing for the puller.

 

[puttsy]

Sweet, Thanks! Big 'ol pin in the way sounds good! And nope, don't have access to a welder, really wish I did though.

Thanks for the thoughts! Hopefully it all works out. I do fear it'll be more of a pain getting it all lined up than it's worth. Really, lugging a 20 pound puller shouldn't be too much of a hassle considering what I used to do. But I want to make it even better!

 

[venturesomerite]

Be sure to post up a pic when you do it, I'd love to see it.

 

[puttsy]

Will do, hopefully it gets done this season...may be a summer project though. Last thing I want is a rush job and someone to get hurt.

 

[honEXduner]

Sweet, Thanks! Big 'ol pin in the way sounds good! And nope, don't have access to a welder, really wish I did though.

Thanks for the thoughts! Hopefully it all works out. I do fear it'll be more of a pain getting it all lined up than it's worth. Really, lugging a 20 pound puller shouldn't be too much of a hassle considering what I used to do. But I want to make it even better!

An idea to fix the alignment problem would be to mount the puller on an arm setup that pivots off of the receiver hitch.

Similar to this but with another pivot at the hitch point also
http://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Cargo...tml?feed=npn&gclid=CK6GrryfurYCFeZxQgod5HIAHA

Mounting to the rear would allow simple operation in one trip down and back with all posts easily in the bed- tailgate down even.

 

[kevin47]

I don't really get it ...We always just used a four-wheel jack and a piece of chain...But I'm just an old timer...So what do I know...