Digging out old concrete in fence posts

[oddballodd]

I want to replace some/all of my wooden fence posts with the concrete type, however the wooden ones are held in place with small concrete supports (I am sure that there is a name for them). I will need to get rid of the old concrete ones but as they are concreted into the ground, am not looking forward to digging all the way round creating a HUGE hole and re-rilling with concrete.

My questions are:

1. Is there some whizzy way to easily do this ?

2. If I have to break the old concrete bases up, can I use the broken hardcore to fill the hole around the new post ?

All replies/experiences appreciated....

 

[Thermo]

no theres no easy way. you need to disturb them as little as possible, therefore digging them out is not a good idea, as it means that the ground is not left firm for the new post. Hire out a breaker eg kango etc and break the concrete out in pieces. you then still have a relativly small hole left to work with that will give you a much more stable fixing for the new post nd foundation.

 

[oddballodd]

Thanks Thermo

 

[noseall]

off set the holes? chop the old ones off with a stihl saw??

 

[Thermo]

easiest way if you can work it. Mind you, it can backfire, we did a fence like that last week and we started hitting the old old concrete foundations that had been left from the time before.

 

[noseall]

doh! bummer.