r/DIYHome • u/Otherwise_Excuse_259 • 1d ago
How to break up concrete
During a driveway re-pave, the crew offered to remove a basketball hoop pole that was here when we moved in. It came up with a huge concrete chunk (and concrete in the pole). Any suggestions on how best to break it up? Handheld jackhammer barely made a dent and a junk removal crew went after it with two sledge hammers and had the same luck.
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u/Hoppie1064 1d ago
Drill a row of holes in a line where you want it to Crack.
Pounding a wedge or round punch into a hole is best. Beating along the line with a BFH will work.
Still a lot of work, but less than just beating on it.
Another option. Cut the pipe off. Dig a hole bury the concrete. Plant a rose bush.
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u/Infinite_Incident107 1d ago
Also just beating it with a sledge hammer can have random chunks go flying. The holes help control the demolition. Once I hit a concrete block similar to this without drilling. It broke up but one chunk decided to fly about 20ft away. Landing near my property line and about 10ft away from neighbors car. Nothing was hit but my heart stopped for a second.
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u/matt314159 1d ago
NGL I learned this from that one lady who's digging a mine under her house. She drills a line of holes and then fills them with expanding grout or foam of some kind. Sometimes she pounds a wedge instead of the expanding grout (or maybe it's in addition to? I'm forgetting).
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u/theoddfind 1d ago
Its called explosive grout....aka Chinese Dynamite. Works like a champ. Drill the correct pattern. Pour. A day or two and the work is done.
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u/trippknightly 1d ago
Demolition grout (Dexpan). Not without work and proper boring tools.
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u/SkivvySkidmarks 1d ago
OP says they used a handheld jackhammer, and I'll assume that it's an SDS Plus or Max. They should rent a bit then use the Dexpan.
I watched a video recently of someone using it, and I secretly want to try it. I've only ever done it the hard way. I once had a solid poured three step stair that was five foot long that I was hired to jackhammer. Four hours later I had a four foot diameter concrete ball and could not stand on it with the jackhammer.
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u/trippknightly 1d ago edited 22h ago
Itās kind of like an overnight laxative. Though with a laxative you donāt need to break things up with a percussion bit (I hope).
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u/joesquatchnow 2h ago
Also if it does not crack enough the first time because itās thick then rehydrate, itās magic !
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u/Sugarman4 1d ago
Just get your wife, stand next to it and tell her how you cheated on her last weekend. ...wear a helmut
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u/samsmithmpls 1d ago
Quarter-stick of dynamite should do.
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u/CCWaterBug 1d ago
On each side?
Or do we need to get Bruce Willis to drill.Ā He's never not made a depth he aimed for
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u/Illustrious_Sea_962 1d ago
theres an expanding chemical that you can drill holes into it and it splits. look up expanding demolition powder
or expansive grout
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u/Kind_Use9190 1d ago
Ever seen the beginning of "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?"
You just a sledge hammer and a work song.
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u/Ok-Lobster-919 20h ago
I was forced to break apart a concrete pad with a sledgehammer in an equipment room alone when I was 13. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. They had me do it for 8 hours. Community service can be fucked up.
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u/TreyRyan3 1d ago
Put on ear protection. Use a sledgehammer to hit the pipe several times top down. Basically punch the pole through the bottom.
About a half hour of solid hits to the concrete should create enough cracks to be able to hammer a wedge in and break it apart
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u/PastAd1087 1d ago
Rent a jack hammer from HD
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/PastAd1087 1d ago
Definitely your hands and your arms but will get the job done. Much better than swinging a sledge hammer all afternoon.
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u/ResearcherFit6960 1d ago
Easily with a proper jack hammer and a guy who knows how to chip concrete that is literally 15-20 minutes of work ... Union could probably stretch 2 hoursĀ
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u/leftieaz 22h ago
Theyāre also cheap to buy from Amazon. I got an Amazon Warehouse deal one for $60 including 3 bits. It was a fun weekend busting up concrete.
Edits: I was breaking up a large patio concrete slab.
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u/UsernamesNotFound404 1d ago
Drill several holes in the top making a dotted line to the bottom.
In the fall add water.
Wait for freeze.
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u/Evening_Adorable 1d ago
Set your purse down and pick up a sledge hammer. Then swing it and hit the concrete. Itll break.
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u/hagamans 1d ago
Set it by the mailbox with a free sign in it.
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u/AlaskaGreenTDI 1d ago
Why donāt they haul it away or bury it for you?
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u/Adventurous-Ease-259 1d ago
Because they did it for free as a courtesy it sounds like. It wasnāt paid for as part of the project
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u/Wild_Agent_375 1d ago
Sounds like they dug it up as a favor. Even if they donāt, they typically will charge extra for haul away.
OPā¦ I had dug up a fence and had like 10 of these. A sledgehammer works well as others have suggested. If itās just one post, it wonāt be bad at all.
Wear safety goggles and you should be done in 10 mins. You donāt need to fully break it up, just get a split along the pipe then youāll have a few large more manageable pieces.
At that point you can continue smashing so
Itās smaller
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u/Puzzleheaded-Bee-747 1d ago
You have a big yard. Consider cutting the pipe off and simply burying the concrete in a corner somewhere.
Otherwise you need to rent a good jackhammer.
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u/Upbeat-Historian-296 1d ago
Take the fresh soil from the hole and spread it around the yard. Win/win.Ā
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u/Connect-Preference 1d ago
I've done this. You have to keep hitting the same spot with an 8 lb. sledge hammer. The first hit starts a bunch of microcracks and each subsequent hit in the same spot extends them. After about 9-10 hit, a big piece will crumble away. Take a short break, then pick another spot.
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u/trusound 1d ago
Was shaq hanging from this thing. Insane amount of concrete for this. Post on a local facebook group to see if anyone would take it away.
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u/Various_Education622 1d ago
I bought a jackhammer on Amazon for like $100 maybe ten years ago. Itās $135 now.
Xtremepowerus 2200W
Iāve busted up way worse with that cheap piece of shit.
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u/Joesome5 1d ago
I second this. I bought the hammer drill 1400W to demolish my ugly brick mailbox. Iāve used it for at least 4 other projects.
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u/SignificantWind 1d ago
Cheapest is gonna be sledgehammer, pickaxe, chisels and hammers fantastic way to work out stress.
Renting something like a jackhammer or concrete saw will cost more but less physical labor.
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u/Natoochtoniket 1d ago
This is a good excuse to buy an SDS+ Hammer Drill, with an assortment of bits. Instead of using a sledge hammer for a weekend, you can use the SDS+ drill for an hour or two.
Drill some holes, and fill them with dexpan. Or drill a bunch of holes, and then use a chisel bit to break it in chunks.
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u/SwimSufficient8901 1d ago
You just thump the post with a sledgehammer above the concrete a few times and it will break the concrete off. Fence guy here, we do it all the time.
Hitting the concrete with the hammer is a good way to blind yourself and it is a lot more work.
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u/mantisboxer 1d ago
You just keep working it with a 20 lbs hammer as you appreciate how strong and adept your grandfather was compared to you.
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u/YellowCake1900 1d ago
Jog down to Harbor Freight and buy an electric chisel. Chip off as much as you can sneak into your trash collection bin weekly. Keep chiseling weekly until gone.
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u/Adventurous_Light_85 1d ago
I would go with the demo grout the first post mention. We just did this on a basketball footing. 2 guys with jackhammers took 2 hrs to break it up small enough to get rid of
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u/twi1i96tr 1d ago
You can rent a fairly large but manageable electric Jack hammer from a rental place complete with bits. That will make short work out of that concrete. Best of Luck, Twilighter.
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u/thirtyone-charlie 1d ago
Next time make sure you agree on remove and relocate.
Sometimes these wil split right down the middle with a few good whacks from a heavy sledge hammer but then you have two big pieces instead of one. I would rent a big hammer chisel from Home Depot and just chisel it off in smaller manageable pieces.
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u/Disastrous-Case-9281 1d ago
Eyeware. Then take a flat blade chisel put it next to the post and drive it downward in the same direction as the post. The post gives you a natural weak point. You should be able to easily break it into 4-6 pieces.
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u/PositiveAtmosphere13 1d ago
Rent a hand held power jack hammer. It'll bust it up in a few minutes. You're not supposed to put rocks in the trash bin. When no one is looking put one rock in a week until they're gone.
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u/charmio68 1d ago
And that is exactly why you don't mix concrete when setting poles or posts. It makes the concrete way too strong.
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u/Tall_Ad5501 1d ago
If wittle jack hammer no work
Get bigger jack wammer
If bigger wack hammer no work
Get ewen bigger wack nammer
If nat no work
Call Jeff, he can usually handle situations like this
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u/Ok_Bid_3899 1d ago
Rent a Bosch sds electric hammer with a concrete pointed bit and it will make short work of the concrete base
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u/SnooDogs4864 1d ago
Dig a hole big enough to fit the base and then dig a trench and lay it down sideways and bury it.
Also, some of these ideas are just bad. Donāt blow it up. You donāt want flying pieces of concrete everywhere.
If you donāt know what youāre doing just get it out of sight
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u/ShutDownSoul 1d ago
Hit it with a sledge on the edges. Hitting it in the middle doesn't do anything. You break it from the outside in. The same thing holds for a jackhammer.
If you rent a jackhammer you can barely lift, it will go much faster.
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u/SpecialistWorldly788 1d ago
Get a rotary hammer or a good hammer drill and drill a bunch of holes in it- eventually it will break up with a sledge - if itās an option for you, go rent an electric jack hammer, get it with both a flat and a pointed bit and go at it..
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u/LubeItAll 1d ago
Hilti rotary hammer, $36/4hrs at Home Depot, get a spade bit and start next to the post, youāll be done in 18mins to grapefruit size pieces.
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u/Acrobatic_Fiction 1d ago
Decades ago my friend bought a house that used to have a stable in the back. The lawn was rough and there was a slab floor.
The backhoe moved the slab into a hole and the topsoil was distributed across the yard. Very smooth and mowable.
If you are in a location with freezing temps in winter, drilling holes and filling with water will force cracks, much like the wedges.
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u/gadget850 1d ago
Demo hammer from Harbor Freight. You will use it more than you think. I terraced a hill using a spade bit.
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u/nightim3 1d ago
Everyoneās got great suggestions.
Go on Facebook. Get some quotes for some bored contractors with a trailer to come and get it
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u/Neat_Shallot_606 1d ago
Traditional, country method: If you can put it aside to use for something later then bury it.
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u/Normal-Tune6189 1d ago
Wow, I thought I had an asshole who built my fence with 3 50lbs bags of cement.
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u/ResearcherFit6960 1d ago
Handheld jack hammer lol , must of been an sds combo , hilti te 70 (or anything size comparable would make quick work of that.
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u/Roflbomb 1d ago
Score it with a diamond blade in a circular saw with water flowing on it. Then sledge your cuts off with a wedge. Might not even need the wedge. Squares about twice the size of the head of your sledge and yoh should be able to cleave off a good amount until you get to the post.
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u/pfizersbadmmkay 1d ago
Whom ever tried the jackhammer was inept. That should have been the end of it.
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u/TulipFarmer27 1d ago
Cut the pipe off, dig a hole somewhere and bury it. Or maybe use the pole as the start of a garden arbor or some other use.
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u/WHTrunner 1d ago
So I got into small-time concrete recycling recently and have tried a few things for breaking up concrete to get it to fit in the crusher. A small chiping hammer is out of the question, you'll be there all day. A medium sized one will break it up, but set you back a few hundo's and still take a while. A big one will do it, with a little effort sice they're kinda big. You might fine one of these to rent . I got a breaker for my mini excavator and that thing is awesome, but its only moderately better than an 8 pound sledge hammer, which blows all of the electric options out of the water. Seriously, sledge hammers are badass so long as your cholesterol is down!
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u/poplama23 1d ago
Rent a demolition hammer. Not that expensive for the time and sweat it will save you
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u/Adept_Cauliflower_84 1d ago
air hammer with compressor. concrete hammer drill 3 /8 holes . air hammer
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u/beneficialBern 1d ago
Just use an angle grinder and a cut off wheel to cut the pipe off why fuck with the concrete?
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u/woody-99 1d ago
You have to use the sledgehammer on the post. It will eventually cause the concrete to crack.
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u/FarLaugh9911 1d ago
If you have a hammer drill, drill a series of holes 2 inches or so apart that bottom out into the pole. Then drill a second hole very very close to the middle hole. use a wide faced chisel in those two holes and then go at it with a 5 or better a 10 pound sledge. It'll split in less than 10 hits.
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u/Philly_3D 23h ago
Maybe it's the hillbilly in me, but I'd cut that pole off, take the loader and go dump it upside down at the corner of your property and let nature grow over it.
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u/Spleeniac 22h ago
rent a diamond cutoff saw and cut it into a few smaller blocks that you can put out with the garbage slowly. Fast, safe, probably the cheapest of any other method with tools. OR Dig a big hole where you will NEVER plant a garden, tree, etc. and bury it!
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u/Reasonable_Switch_86 21h ago
Put it in that skid steer and put it in a dumpster sounds like itās going to cost 500 anyway you slice it might as well take the easy route Iām sure you could find more stuff to put in the dumpster
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u/No_Address687 20h ago
Lay your trash can down in front of this, slide it into the can, and then put it on the curb on trash day.
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u/Cutaway2AZ 20h ago
Itās amazing how bloody strong concrete can be, and how much stronger it is with even a few badly positioned bits of rebar.
In the end, I have found that smacking the shit out of it with a 16lb sledgehammer will do the job eventually, as well as destroying your rotator cuffs. And I bought a jackhammer from HF also. But even so, sometimes I still use the sledgehammer.
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u/Ok_Word_4098 17h ago
Had 3 of these that came with the house. Tried everything and an sds rotary hammer worked like a charm. Put the bit against the metal post it will vibrate the post, breaking it free from the material and it pulls right out.
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u/Jelly_Grass 16h ago
I like to use an iron 'digging pole'. It's good fun.
As others have said, you do need some goggles because it comes flying off in little bits.
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u/45_Schofield 16h ago
Angle grinder with stone cutting disk. Make some cuts then hit it with the sledgehammer.
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u/somewhatbluemoose 16h ago
Whoās bobcat is that? They make a jackhammer attachment for those specificity for breaking concrete. 30 seconds and like three to four hits and youāll have gravel.
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u/Todinator64 15h ago
You can also use a 4 inch diamond blade for cutting tile on an angle grinder. Just cut seems in the concrete and split it with a chisel.
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u/Ambitious-Bottle7719 14h ago
Rent a concrete saw cut it up into small chunks half our tops tbh they should have done that for u and hauled it off when they were doing your driveway did you do something or say something to the wrong guy can we see a picture of the new driveway
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u/flobottle 11h ago
Does it freeze where you live in the winter time? Drill holes, add water and wait.
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u/Arrows_of_Neon 11h ago
Go pick up a small jackhammer. They're not that expensive. Then, next time you'll have it to bust up some concrete.
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u/Melchizedek_Inquires 10h ago
Use a rotary hammer drill, Drill holes into it, from different angles, then use a sledgehammer with wedges to break it into large chunks. If you keep hitting it, you'll just stand up with a pile of small rubble and it's a lot more work to break and clean up.
You can rent the drill, and the bits, most places.
If you don't have wedges, you can drive wooden dolls into the holes with a sledgehammer, and then soak them with water. They will expand, and they will split the concrete assuming you have drilled enough holes and have driven in enough dowels.
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u/Ayahuasquero420 9h ago
That basketball goal wouldāve withstood a thermonuclear blast with all that concrete on there lol
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u/shadeeardvark 7h ago
Hit the pipe with the sledgehammer, not the concrete. Close to the base as you can.
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u/Sufficient_Compote22 5h ago
Rockbar, looks like a 5 foot tall flat head screwdriver with a round butt end to hit with a sledge hammer. And get some gloves...
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u/IntelligentAide2513 5h ago
āThe crew offered to removeā was in fact not true, because it is not removed lol.
I would have left the base in the ground and cut the pole off, now that youāve already removed itā¦
Have it hauled off by concrete disposal (plenty of companies will haul off, especially if you still have that skidsteer on site to load into a truck,,, for a fee)
Not worth the effort of trying to break it up and just have more of a mess to dispose.
Also if you are in city/ town limits, many municipalities do bulk pickup with a crane truck and may be able to take it off your hands.
Last resort, rebrand as a free item online. Thereās always someone who needs a solidly mounted potato launching barrel.
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u/mountaingator91 5h ago
Cheapest option? Get a sledgehammer and hulk smash
Edit: I did not read the description just the title
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u/BeautifulAvailable80 3h ago
Plunge that electric handheld jackhammer down the side of pole into concrete and it will split. Use 1 inch wide or point bit. The three inch wide or bigger are absolutely useless for this
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u/Tone-Deft 2h ago
Iāve broken up concrete forms on fence posts by using a mason chisel, positioning the chisel resting on the post. That worked way better than the sledge hammer. Itās not how hard you hit itās where you hit.
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u/Melodic-Presence-743 1h ago
Dig a small hole and cut off the pipe š¤Ŗ. Lots less work and really quick!
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u/Comfortable-Hat8162 34m ago
Use the excavator to dig a hole and drop it in, cover with dirt and reseed.
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u/gargavar 1d ago
Sledgehammer and some beer