Just got through watching 50 pallet breakdown videos on youtube. No cost, no welding, no construction. Pure genius. The Egyptians did it like this. Two people make this a walk in the park. Thank you so much.
You absolutely genius! I’ve watched so many bloody videos of people suggesting the ‘easiest way’ and it’s either some power tool I don’t have or it ends up splitting the boards. Tried your way and I even got up a board that had already split easily.
One reciprocating saw - £50 One Pallet breaker £25 Set of crowbars £20 All I needed was a couple of bits of wood. I've watched many a video on how to break pallets but this one is up there as being the most impressive. Maximum respect
I return days after watching this video to say thank you. I've tried just about all methods and this one is by far the easiest and most efficient. Thank you!
I tried the method where you circular saw the ends and use a crow bar to loosen the middle nail till you get it to pop off / get the head of the nail to pop out enough to claw it out with a hammer - took me forever, broke the wood often, stripped the nails at times and it drove me nuts. Almost bought a pallet buster cause I was so discouraged. Hopped on RU-vid and saw this video, went out to my garage and BAM! broke down a whole pallet in 15 minutes with two 2x4s with ease. THANK YOU, PAUL!
I just tried this at home! Works a treat. No expensive pallet ripping tool required! Thanks a bunch! (Sorry for all the shouting but something this simple and useful fully justifies shouting about!!!!!!!!!!!)
I dont care if this is two yrs old Easiest DIY video I've seen ....even old pallets that have many many splits and cracks come out clean ....thank you sir
I never gave much thought to breaking down a pallet i thought it would take 5 mins well an hour and lots of broken boards later i was going to resort to power tools. Thanks for the top tip 👌
Wow. That's awesome. I'm going to use this method. I also have been using my mom's tire jack even though it fits partially. I add a wooden shimmy wedge to help it. It works, but the two board method looks promising!
I've been doing it this way too. Instead of 2 boards though, I use a crowbar. Oh, and 2 or 3 hammers. And a saws-all. Etc. Yep, just like you. Nice work sir, I've been schooled.
Hands down the best method. Just tried it out and worked like a charm. Does take a little muscle, but far easier, and faster than hammer and crowbar method.
I'm just watching this going "why the heck didn't I think of that?" I was doing a harder version by placing a lot of weight on the corners, and using 2 crowbars and spacer blocks on the ground. thanks for simplifying that for me.
try using one single bar, insert it and stamp down hard and fast (no hesitation) They generally spring off in one piece. Thats how I did it as a pallet refurber on piece-work, and I had to get my stock of spare boards in my own time. Over the years the lads had tried all sorts of methods, and this was what we arrived at as the fastest and most efficient. In the time you did this video I'd have broken down 4 or 5 pallets with at least 80-85% usable boards (sometimes 100% depending on what timber was used, age and condition, wether annular rings or plain or wired gun nails were used, what size, single/double or triple nailed, how rusty etc) Anyway, I earned my crust and paid the mortgage on it.
no cracks! thanks for the tip--a few days ago, with a crowbar and an uneven board, and a yard full of mud, you know that board had me up in the air in and on my back --- twice.
What the hell!! The pallet you are taking apart has been made with love and is perfect with two straight nails at every section. Every pallet I've ever got my hands on was nailed together by a sexually frustrated trigger happy Psychopath.
I'm wondering how often one of these pops up suddenly and makes the worker wish he were wearing a cup... :-) Interesting method though; I really like it.
For best results with no cracks , let the pallet get wet from rain or wet down with water, the night before to soften the wood. Use even force to remove the boards.. Thanks for watching.
I'm going to try that! With 2 people, one on each side of the pallet, it would go so fast, and not be so noisy as other methods. Time for a pallet party!
Looks good, very simple and no cost. I made a steel bar with adjustable L jaws which has been quite good. Once one side of boards are off I can open the jaw wider and lever the blocks or main members off the boards which doesn't cause any splitting. I have wondered about using my hydraulic ram with it's crocodile jaws and some drift timbers to force the boards apart but haven't tried this yet. To make a pallet really strong for use as a bench or table one could open the joints a little, get some good waterproof glue in there and close them again
Hmm! Maybe the same place that you typed your comment! Or perhaps a public library or a wine bar with wifi where you could borrow someone's tablet or phone... While drinking some wine...
This solution is genuinely "eloquent." The degree of labor and the investment of toolage is far and away superior to anything I've seen to date. A homeless wino could disassemble enough pallets to build a pretty decent shack in a couple of hours, never mind what a skillful, well- equipped wood work worker could do. My interest in palletized lumber has just been rekindled. Still got the problem of no salvage pallets to be had in my area, but the creative juices are flowing nevertheless.
Paul, I'm gonna try this. But the boards on some of my pallets are closer together than that. So the 2x4s don't fit in the gaps...any advice? Thanks for yr video. Its fab.
I've broken down a couple of hundred pallets. This way should always be the first one to try. How sweet it is when it works. But just like people, each pallet has it's own personality. Sometimes the pallet is cooperative. Sometimes it a battle. Sometimes all out war.
An easier and more efficient way to dismantle a pallet would be to rig up a some half inch angle iron bars into a 'U' shapes with nuts and bolts holding the form of each rig's 'U' shape. These U shaped rigs would then be pushed through the gap in a pallet. A hydraulic jack would then be mounted on the open end of the rigs to pry the rigs open. Thus forcing the pallets planks to separate from the post boards.
GREAT ...... after taking apart 20 pallets to re-purpose for my home garden, I find your two board method. I will try it on my next project. P.S. I only needed six pallets, but keptbreaking the boards. haha.
Paul Ashe - thanks Paul. With churches close up here in Ottawa, I have some extra time this weekend and about six pallets into take apart. It’s suppose to rain to day. Thanks.
You think this will work on old pallets? Really don’t wanna work on wet wood since I’m trying to stain as soon as I disassembled my pallets.. suggestions?
From experience ripping things up... I've learned to lay nail boards with the nail points down. No one intentionally steps on a nail, but all it takes is a little stumble or inattention for a long, rusty nail to go into the bottom of your foot and maybe even out the top. Even if you're up to date on your tetanus shots, a nail in your foot can make your life miserable for a week or so until it heals. Cheers
Awesome idea. I was wondering what it was that jumped into you're video at around somewhere between 1:00 - 1:13 mins.... it looked like a small mouse or something and even made a little squeaking noise. If your watching it's off to the bottom right of the screen. Don't blink he's fast
