Okay, I’ve been gathering stuff to start this big fence project here in Dallas. These huge urban areas baffle me with the spotty selection of businesses. There isn’t a hardware store within 5 miles of where I’m staying. It’s kind of weird.
What is even weirder is the abundance and diversity of wood fences here in Richardson. Once you start looking, they are everywhere in every shape and form. It is unbelievable. And they are in every state of disrepair. If I wanted to make a ton money, I’d just camp out down here and go door to door asking people if they wanted their fences fixed. Most are leaning at a few degrees, some much worse.
In Kansas we use wood posts with wood fences. Here metal posts are the norm. I’ve never seen it, but that is how they do it here. I have to remove, maybe 10 posts encased in concrete. I bought a Jackall at a farm supply store yesterday (Picutre below). Hopefully I’ll be able to just pull them out of the ground easily.
There is a training race at the Fair Grounds tonight. Tentatively I’m planning on doing that, but sometimes I get caught up in the work and can’t seem to pry myself away. Hopefully, I’ll get the posts out and and reset in concrete early, so I have time to ride/race my bike.
Here are some of the examples of the craziness of the fences here. Some must cost 10 of thousand of dollars.
A lot of the gates in the alley are on aluminum frames on rails. I have no idea who builds these.
This is a pretty nice custom fence.
Lot of streets are lined the whole way with wood fences.
This is the bracket that connects the wood to the poles. I've never seen these before, but they are everywhere here.
Kent Eriksen told me about these, the Jackall. He says he can lift a 10,000 lbs. machine with one. Should work to pull the post, concrete and all.
I grew up on a farm. If you don’t have a jackall and a come-a-long you don’t have s%#t.
Agreed on the jackall, Orphan. It was as common as a hammer and pliers
Maybe humidity clobbers the posts after a while?
Maybe they are shaving pennies by using galvanized poles?
The use of fences and even their design says many interesting things about a culture.
We always called those Sheepherder’s or HiLift jacks and if you have a 4wheel drive truck or a work on a ranch, they are standard equipment. They also can function as a come-a-long in a pinch with the right attachments.
Used a “handyman jack” as I call it and a few straps to pull my truck out of a ditch at night. Took time, inches at a time,but did the job. Same deal; grew up rural and is a tool I don’t leave home without.
The metal posts are to combat the wind. The TX wind can really do a number on wooden posts and the metal just does a better job of keeping the fence upright and in your own yard.
Interesting topic on the jack. I had no idea it was called all of these various names. Here in Iowa it was known as the handyman jack. Everyone had one but not the safest tool on the farm.
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