The storms took out several fence panels at the side of my house and also did for a couple of rotten posts at the same time snapping them at the base. Does anyone have a quick way of removing these below ground post remains or is it a case of a big long drill bit and a bit of patience?

The posts were set into a concrete path and on one side have newish stone paving hence I don’t want to break the concrete and reset new posts in, rather I’d like to remove stubs and replace with new posts of the same size.

Good luck. The last lot I did with my dad it took ages and we were breaking the old concrete to remove the old post stump and then resetting the new concrete post back in concrete.

To do it without disrupting anything I think will take a while and I don’t think it’s guaranteed that a new post will just slide in to the hole even if you manage to dig the old one out cleanly.

“The posts were set into a concrete path and on one side have newish stone paving hence I don’t want to break the concrete and reset new posts in, rather I’d like to remove stubs and replace with new posts of the same size.”

doing this will ensure shonky fence ensues.

I had success with the concrete-in model that Metpost do, after some graft with a crowbar, jemmy and such. Another version of their fencepost support is aimed at precisely this. However I found that the soft rotten wood didn’t extend far enough down, and that Metpost soon stopped in more solid wood. They call that one the repair spur.

http://www.metpost.co.uk/mp_prod_selection.html

If you can wait until the weekend, I’ve got a professional coming round to do that very thing for me. I’ll let you know. Unless someone else does first…

One option if it’s not been done before and your replacing a whole side is to cut ’em off as low as you can and leave them. Then dig new holes in the middle between the old ones.

Dig holes and remove the concrete. You might be able to get something from a tool hire centre to break it up.
But exertion will be required. No easy way, unless you have access to a backhoe JCB.

Just had a local fencing place repair my fence after 6 posts snapped at ground level. The underground bit was just rotten but all above ground was sound. They broke out the old concrete, put in concrete repair spurs and bolted the posts to the repair spurs. They also replaced some pieces of close board and soil retaining board. They had all the right tools so managed to work in a very tight space without disturbing paving. it all seems very secure at the moment. It cost about £60 a post but saved an awful lot of graft. If you add up the material & hire costs then only you can decide if it’s worth the effort to save the cash.

doing this will ensure shonky fence ensues

If it starts to look too shonky I will rethink. At the moment I don’t have the spare cash to do a full professional dig out and reset with concrete posts which I’d like to do long term.

Another version of their fencepost support is aimed at precisely this. However I found that the soft rotten wood didn’t extend far enough down, and that Metpost soon stopped in more solid wood. They call that one the repair spur.

May get one to see how it goes but unsure how deep the post goes down.

If you can wait until the weekend, I’ve got a professional coming round to do that very thing for me. I’ll let you know.

Please do, certainly won’t be doing anything before then.

One option if it’s not been done before and your replacing a whole side is to cut ’em off as low as you can and leave them. Then dig new holes in the middle between the old ones.

Dig holes and remove the concrete. You might be able to get something from a tool hire centre to break it up.

If the posts were in soft ground this is what I would do (actually will be doing with those ones). The ones causing trouble are set into a concrete path which I don’t want to break if I can help it.

Takes ages and is back breaking if you do it yourself. If you don’t fancy the work put in a half panel and stagger the new posts to avoid the existing.

I had to take out 3 last summer and it was infuriating how hard it was when I was CERTAIN there was barely any concrete left holding on.

I tried the method your proposing, it worked to a fashion but was bloody hard work and I still had to shave the posts to fit.

This year Ive done half a dozen by breaking the concrete, as an otherwise office dwelling slacker I found it strangely theraputic.

This might not be the most environmentally friendly solution, but you could pour some diesel in the hole and try and burn them out.