Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:33:39 -0800,
wrote:

(...)

I got a set of HF 18" augers for $8 and have been using them for a
decade (so far) on things like that. A smaller $4 trio of 18" twist
billdrits accompany it in my truck. Handy!

I dropped ~ $30. for that missing auger so color me green.

(...)

(power winch)

Precisely. I'm able to appreciate those more and more with age.

I hear ya.

And there's always the lovely aroma of gunpowder to contemplate.

Basement Skeet!

(...)

The tensile strength of that rotted wood is about zilch point zip.

Luckily, most of the posts I've removed haven't been that far rotted.

You are lucky. The stuff I'm working with is quite damp
and *full* of termite trails.

Now I'm dumping about half a box of borax into each hole
just prior to placing the PT posts.

Termites don't like borax. Heh.

(...)

Yeah, redwood doesn't have the integrity that the absolute lowest
grade of SPF (with brown dye and fungicide on it!) has, does it?
Especially after a dozen years of marination.

I dislike redwood but I can't get people to buy teak for
some strange reason.

it, it is holey red mush. An expanding masonry fastener or a
couple powder fasteners into the footing would work 'way better.

Only if the cement is solid. I've pulled apart some mighty thin-walled
and crumbly footings.

As have I, for sure. OTOH, a year back I pulled some 30 year old
footings that had been placed by a friend of mine.
They were solid ~120 lb monsters! The hydraulic cart worked a treat
and they each came out of the ground in one piece.
I'm on the hook for further duty so I want a speedy means of
removing the big'uns.

--Winston