EZ Paver Puller

[brickpuller]

Hi Contractors,
We are going to have an add on prohardscape in the next few days showing our new paver puller. www.brickpuller.com I am a contractor in the chicago market. We came up with the tool to pull those pavers that the other tools can't. How many times have you finished a job and had to replace 3 or 4 pavers that have been compacted in before you get paid in full? What do you do when you have 20 "wet" brick or just a few pavers that look a little funny. This tool has saved my hardscape company a lot of time and money and I really feel that it will do the same for you. Take a look at my site and comment. We are selling through dealers and manufacturers, so contact me to find one. If we don't have one in your area we can sell direct. The tool retails for about $300.00 and I promise it will pay for itself the first or second time you use it.

:dance:

[swancreek]

Seems to me that the videos appear to be a lot like every other TV infermmercial. I don't think I have pulled that many pavers in my life! The site says its a one man job but every video has a seperate person drilling the holes to make it look like its faster. Besides the fact that you have just added a second employee, you have also added more power tools, tapcon screws, and masonry bits to an already simple task. As far pulling pavers go for me all I have ever used was hot water, thin putty knife to cut the poly and a puller. On big slabs, if they are ruined anyway cut them if you have to and take them out in pieces.

[Mbella]

What happened on that job that so many pavers had to be pulled?

I like the old style paver extractor for pulling pavers prior to sweeping in, but that definitely looks cleaner and more efficient for removal after joint sand is installed.

[cgland]

Looks like some wet brick. I'd like to see that replacement bill.

[Mbella]

Looks like some wet brick. I'd like to see that replacement bill.

What is wet brick and is that typical?

[brickpuller]

Thanks for the feedback. Wet bricks occur when the absorption rate of the paver is too high. You usually cannot recognize them until the pavers are completed which means that they are usually compacted and possibly poly-sanded.

We complete about 400 install a year through my hardscape company www.prairiepathgroup.com I usually see wet brick about 5 times a year but not usually on a large scale.

In regards to the hot water and the putty knife. It is not possible to remove an Umbriano by Unilock this way or a Mega-Bergarac by Belgard. No less can you remove a properly compacted 8cm hollandstone. The problem that I have with cutting out a paver is that it takes too long and it creates a mess. Using the tool you can quickly and professionally remove a paver that a customer doesn't like. Trust me if you do a lot of hardscapes you will appreciate a tool like this.

Thanks for the feedback. :)

[stoneguy]

After 17 years of not needing a brick puller I don't think I will be in a hurry to buy one. We do over 100 projects a year. Cutting is messy, but buying power tools for every crew and having them carry all the extra supplies is a nightmare. I think I will stick to cutting.

And what with the "call for pricing", makes me think this is an overpriced tool.

[brickpuller]

:boink: The pricing is about $300 a tool depending on the dealer who is selling it. You do not need one per crew and a bunch of power tools. The tool is for when you want to get a brick out quickly and neatly. There is absoultely no way that you can do this is you are removing a paver that is properly compacted or oversized. You will spend 20 minutes + and make a mess doing it the conventional way. With the tool all you need is a cordless and a couple of minutes and you will not chip the pavers adjacent to that bad paver. You may not think you need it, but please keep it in mind next time you are pounding out a bad paver.

Thanks for the feedback. Good luck in 2010!

[yardmanlee]

I wouldnt pay 300$ for that

[brickpuller]

Why not? If you had a job with 10-12 bricks that were cracked to stained and you needed to get out you would save at least that much, especially if they were either poly-sanded, sealed or properly compacted. Trust me I have been installing for years and have saved a lot of money using the tool.

[swancreek]

I have been Brainstorming about this contraption here.....How about if you drill the tapcons and use a slide hammer to pop out the pavers? I know it wouldnt work on large slabs, but on a normal sized paver this could work! Plus slide hammers are cheap!

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200334163_200334163

[cgland]

I think the tool is a great idea and it seems to minimize the damage that the other tools create, but IMO most of the jobs we do use tumbled pavers, so the minimal damage a traditional puller would create is virtually unnoticeable. Again, I think its a great idea and concept, but the $300 price tag puts it out of reach to the bulk of hardscape contractors.

[SCgreenscapes]

I typically have all my pavers with poly sand in them and if i ever need to pull a paver i just take my hand held grinder and cut out the poly, then do the ole screwdriver drill. I can see where that would come in handy if you were replacing broken, settled, etc. on a commercial job, but I only remove about 4-5 pavers a year.

[brickpuller]

It would be possible to use the hammer is you could get enough leverage but the tool just make it easier. I am not sure which market you are in but a product such as Unilock Umbriano really fits tight and with the spacer bars/compaction and sand it is impossible to get out without breaking the stone.

Here is a quick example and a link to a photo of a job on my website, the driveway is on the top right. We installed a 3000 square foot umbriano driveway. The straight away is midnight sky 8" x 16" pavers. The color is mostly black. After the driveway was compacted and polysanded you could see about 1 pallet (81) pavers (scattered throughout) that were a little lighter than the others. The owner wanted these replaced. Please note that the drive also has radiant heat. I had no tool that would take these out at the time and it took 2 men 2 full days to break these pavers out and replace them. 32 man hours at $45 each. That was a loss of $1,440.00 plus lost time, frustration and looking like idiots banging on pavers for two day.

This is why I came up with the tool. We had to replace one more brick a few months later. With a cordless drill and the tool I came in my car and removed the brick in 5 minutes.

This example is extreme but think about how many times you have had those 5 bricks Mrs. Smith doesn't like after you are done? It will save you time and money, and you will look more professional.

Thanks for the questions.


http://prairiepathgroup.com/Driveways.html

[HRLand]

Only time I've ever had a problem removing a paver was on a Cam****ge job because the top was crumbling off. I avoid that problem by not using them.

[brickpuller]

Only one paver! I need to hire you to oversee my crews! You are much luckier than I am. Seriously though, next time you are removing a paver, keep track of the time and think about the tool and if it might be useful.
Best of luck in 2010.

[Mid-Ohio Scaper]

Had one of these given to me cause the dude who bought it thought it was worthless. I tried it once to see if it was......... I can now verify with experience that it is in fact worthless.
Now I can't even give it away...... :noidea:

[stoneguy]

Had one of these given to me cause the dude who bought it thought it was worthless. I tried it once to see if it was......... I can now verify with experience that it is in fact worthless.
Now I can't even give it away...... :noidea:


Good to know

[Mbella]

Had one of these given to me cause the dude who bought it thought it was worthless. I tried it once to see if it was......... I can now verify with experience that it is in fact worthless.
Now I can't even give it away...... :noidea:

What did you attempt to pull with it?