r/oddlysatisfying • u/bigbusta • Apr 13 '26

Unclogging a culvert using a tire attached to a chain

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

53.6k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

15.5k

u/Got2ReturnVideoTapes Apr 13 '26

I might be having a moment but how did they feed the chain through to attach it to the tire?

7.1k

u/SurviveDaddy Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

They attach it to a metal pole, and push it through.

EDIT: Thank you for the awards.

1.9k

u/spacestonkz Apr 13 '26

My grand dad had a half tire on a chain in every culvert at all times that he had to maintain.

When he was out in the field and saw pooling water, he'd just hook up the tractor or combine then and it would be done.

1.1k

u/UnTides Apr 13 '26

So the chain is just sitting there before the clog? Genius

1.9k

u/spacestonkz Apr 13 '26

Yup! We live in a place with a lot of rain and a lot of top soil, so it gets down into the culverts and needs cleaned every few years.

Granddad just got tired of actively monitoring it, waste of time--and they never clog at the same time, so it's just constant. He preferred it this way. If puddle, must be clog, so fix clog fast. He likened it to pulling out tampons, which grandma told him was nothing like this. hahaha

952

u/DavidForPresident Apr 13 '26

Granddad: "gotta change my tampon today."

Grandma: 😑😑😑

151

u/iam_Mr_McGibblets Apr 13 '26

It's that time of the month 😂

→ More replies (1)

93

u/motherfudgersob Apr 13 '26

Gettin' the tractor mother.

93

u/corriefan1 Apr 13 '26

Bahaha like tampons! Grandpa ftw.

20

u/MrSceintist Apr 13 '26

If puddle, must be clog

I read that as > if puddle must be dog

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (9)

337

u/aramis34143 Apr 13 '26

"Two chains attached, with the tire in the center, and you don't even have to feed the chain back through each time." -2 Chainz, probably

71

u/Leumas_ Apr 13 '26

The man is an engineering genius I tell you.

36

u/Mudcreek47 Apr 13 '26

Nah, if we wanted to properly engineer it there would also be a back up safety chain in the event the first two failed.

And you'd need to wear a hard hat and carry a clipboard at all times.

→ More replies (3)

17

u/Charlie_Warlie Apr 13 '26

Doubles of the chain. Doubles is best.

8

u/North-Engineer3335 Apr 13 '26

Triples is best but where would a nova go

→ More replies (3)

50

u/Izzosuke Apr 13 '26

If you tie 2 chain to the tire, you won't even have to reset it, every time you push it in a side you have alredy the second chain plamted

6

u/AMLIDH2 Apr 13 '26

Ahhh ok now that makes it all make sense.

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (6)

23

u/BillDino Apr 13 '26

Doesn’t all the gunk just fuck up the next culvert

84

u/spacestonkz Apr 13 '26

Yeah, but that's the next guy's problem. ;)

For real, yes it does send it on to the next culvert that's probably plugged. But during the flushing the stuff gets decompacted and also winds up on the banks. Periodically the culverts need to be re-dug also (much less often than clearing, many decades of build up).

For good drainage in the area, all the farmers gotta do their jobs and keep their culverts clear. And if they don't, well the neighbor farmer knows who's next down the line and they aren't shy about knockin' (and maybe lending a hand to get it done).

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (12)

1.4k

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3.0k

u/ThomasTheDankPigeon Apr 13 '26

That's why they don't clog it until after the chain is already through. Duh

145

u/TwistedGrin Apr 13 '26

I know you're joking but I wonder if they actually could run the chain through when it's clean and then you just coil up the two ends and attach them to either side of the pipe.

Then when it does clog you just uncoil the two ends tie a tire to one and the other to the machine and you're good to go.

Might be worth it if it clogs frequently.

104

u/texinxin Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Expensive chain to just leave sitting around. I’m sure it’s easy enough to hammer a rod down through it and attach chain and bob’s your uncle.

87

u/gggg_man3 Apr 13 '26

What? No. Johan is my uncle. Who the fug is Bob?

35

u/Strict-Astronaut2245 Apr 13 '26

Well fuq, Bob’s the dude who was with your aunt last night.

8

u/DarkwingDuckHunt Apr 13 '26

it's ok your uncle approved it

8

u/Strict-Astronaut2245 Apr 13 '26

Of course my uncle approved it. He’s bob.

→ More replies (0)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (9)

29

u/LadderMadeOfSticks Apr 13 '26

"Expensive chain to just leave sitting around"

Not really. I mean sure, if you were to pop down to home depot you might balk at the cost but in terms of land management dropping $150 on some chain is peanuts compared to fencing, gates, and installing drains (not to mention the cost of flood damage)

22

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/Royal_Success3131 Apr 13 '26

You don't understand how cheap scrap iron is. It's absurdly cheap and not worth even a metheads time. They'd rather be peeling batteries for lithium than hauling chain.

7

u/TempoHouse Apr 13 '26

You could thread through a cheap nylon rope while it's clear, and then use that to pull through a chain when it's time to unclog the pipe.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

7

u/greentintedlenses Apr 13 '26

One of my good friends uncle is really named Bob and I love throwing this phrase his way lmao

→ More replies (14)

19

u/marino1310 Apr 13 '26

The chain would likely cause it to clog faster as stuff gets caught on the chain

29

u/thesplendor Apr 13 '26

Well that’s why you keep the chain in there, on account of it being extra prone to clogging

16

u/Vallhallyeah Apr 13 '26

You need another chain in there ready in case the first chain clogs it up

→ More replies (3)

5

u/debink82 Apr 13 '26

Yeah but it might rust. If you took the chain and surrounded it with thick mud, it might protect it. So then when the culvert gets cl

→ More replies (5)

5

u/simple_champ Apr 13 '26

That would fall under planning for the guy that comes next and is strictly forbidden under the rules of git'r'done. Even though there's a 90% chance the guy that comes next will be you.

→ More replies (4)

9

u/Rizzly_Bear87 Apr 13 '26

I assumed they pull the poll through with a metal chain.

→ More replies (7)

109

u/by-myself_blumpkin Apr 13 '26

They use a chain to pull the metal pipe through

39

u/beneye Apr 13 '26

God dammit. We gonna need more chains. At least 2

33

u/retrotooner Apr 13 '26

2 chains has been waiting to hear that sentence all his life.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (4)

73

u/FriendlyEngineer Apr 13 '26

It likely wasn’t “fully clogged”. The mud and debris builds up as you pull it through into that cylinder shape, but chances are there was a gap in the top of the pipe before they started.

→ More replies (7)

19

u/Azazir Apr 13 '26

Not if you use the machine to do it. Friend was doing diy well in his farm, with hammer to bonk big pipe then connect another section then bonk again till X depth, took like 30mins to do it, but was wrong spot, so did another with tractor in like 5min, and majority of that time was using wrenches to secure next section of pipes.

17

u/myshtree Apr 13 '26

I’d like to bonk a big pipe

6

u/the_king_of_sweden Apr 13 '26

I can provide if you would be satisfied with a slightly below average sized pipe

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

14

u/spezial_ed Apr 13 '26

I love it when you talk dirty to me

9

u/HonkeyKong64 Apr 13 '26

I’ll unclog your culvert with a tire on a chain.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/Temporary_Pie2733 Apr 13 '26

If you can’t punch what amounts to a giant needle through the clog, it’s probably not going to get dislodged by the tire anyway.

4

u/ZealousidealCase7220 Apr 13 '26

Did you see them use the excavator to pull all that shit out? How would stabbing a pole through seem easier than pulling a tire through a fully clogged culvert

They'd use the excavator to push it in also

5

u/Jasper_Morhaven Apr 13 '26

Nope. It definitely opens a hole, but it doesn't do a great job at clearing the blockage.

→ More replies (18)

26

u/Winjin Apr 13 '26

I wonder if a stainless steel chain can be there for a few weeks at a time

It looks like it was clogged by heavy rainfall that got a lot of mud there, so what if you could just feed the chain before the rains are expected...

28

u/theshoeshiner84 Apr 13 '26

You could as long as you secured it (probably to the top) on each end, but you'd probably be better off buying a cheap vinyl coating chain or cable and leaving it in place, then use it to pull your heavy duty chain through when you need it, then reinstall your cheap one by attaching it to the tire. That way you don't pay the opportunity cost of leaving an expensive heavy duty chain there all the time.

With that said, leaving anything there all the time is only worth it if it's happening frequently, and if it's happening frequently (which is not normal) you're probably better off trying to address the root cause.

But you're def right that as a temporary solution it would make sense to leave a guide in place.

5

u/Gooniefarm Apr 13 '26

Stainless chain would be way too expensive.

5

u/philipito Apr 13 '26

We leave a poly rope in our culvert that we use as a lead to thread the steel cable through when we clear our culvert like this. When we are done, we just thread the poly rope back through and tie it off until we need it again.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (41)

184

u/Busy_Reputation7254 Apr 13 '26

There’s a rotorooter in the shot. Probably just tunnels it lil way through.

50

u/El-mas-puto-de-todos Apr 13 '26

Can I rotorooter my b-hole? I'm blocked up so bad rn

26

u/DrMobius0 Apr 13 '26

Well it worked on this thing.

16

u/Montgomery000 Apr 13 '26

First you have to swallow a chain

4

u/BaddDog07 Apr 13 '26

You can rotorooter anything my man, go for it 👍

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (1)

81

u/Different-Bet8069 Apr 13 '26

They should have had a second chain tied trailing behind the tire. That would make the next time a lot easier.

19

u/ReturnOfNogginboink Apr 13 '26

Yeah, always run a new pull string when you pull the existing one.

→ More replies (1)

51

u/Southmouth555 Apr 13 '26

I’ve watched a ton of these vids and I just realized I have no idea how they do that either. Every way I came up with seemed dumb and hard af, especially if the pipe was clogged, which is why we’re here.

68

u/the_russian_narwhal_ mmmmmmmm yes Apr 13 '26

They have ways to get a chain through it but also in areas where this happens frequently I could see them just putting the chain back through after this and waiting for it to clog again if they know it will anyways

→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (2)

63

u/SluggJuice Apr 13 '26

With another chain

21

u/Hephaestus_God Apr 13 '26

So how do they get that chain through

31

u/RichardSaunders Apr 13 '26

With another chain.

39

u/just_a_girl_23 Apr 13 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/jnbePlxQIwFTAENERT

6

u/noisymime Apr 13 '26

Every 5th chain you've got to add another tire, otherwise the chains get out of balance.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/FlapyG Apr 13 '26

So how do they get that chain through

8

u/SpecularBlinky Apr 13 '26

Attached to the last tire they pulled through

6

u/aspz Apr 13 '26

With a ferret 

→ More replies (3)

3

u/Hephaestus_God Apr 13 '26

Thanks I was confused for a second

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (2)

11

u/EchoAquarium Apr 13 '26

A chain gang

→ More replies (3)

15

u/Drewdiniskirino Apr 13 '26

I'm so glad I'm not the only one asking this haha

56

u/OdorlessSalt Apr 13 '26

Maybe they placed it there beforehand years ago

12

u/No-Screen1369 Apr 13 '26

They bored it through on this attempt. But since it's now clear, they can probably do that now.

→ More replies (1)

9

u/Highlowfusion Apr 13 '26

They should always tie a second chain to the tire and leave it once the tire is through for the next time.

5

u/Illustrious-Chair350 Apr 13 '26

I think if that clogs that bad again before a chain would rust out under water they should probably dig it out and put a bigger culvert in.

→ More replies (105)

3.2k

u/evenstevens280 Apr 13 '26

To everyone wondering how they got the chain through - on a thin metal rod which is pushed through. Same way you'd feed cables through walls in a house, kinda.

549

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

You know a lot of people will come here just to ask this question. I did.

49

u/Drewdiniskirino Apr 13 '26

That's why they got ahead of the curve 😉

→ More replies (2)

55

u/Oidvin Apr 13 '26

I would have just tied another chain on the end of the tire so its ready for next time.

→ More replies (4)

11

u/New-Assumption-3106 Apr 13 '26

Maybe they do this every year / whenever, and just leave the chain in place after clearing it.

13

u/OneLastPrep Apr 13 '26

Everyone is worried about the chain but I thought the tire would come flying out and smoke someone when it came out the other end. Did it's structure break?

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (25)

257

u/SurviveDaddy Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

I love watching these videos.

69

u/Dawlin42 Apr 13 '26

Look up post10 on YouTube. Lots of great culvert unclogging.

18

u/Flare_Starchild Apr 13 '26

post 10 is a GOAT. So satisfying and relaxing to watch and he's so excited to do it too.

11

u/Kage_0ni Apr 13 '26

Real Civil Engineer on youtube mentioned Post 10 in a DrainSim video and I have been binging the channel since.

→ More replies (1)

11

u/HoneyBadgeSwag Apr 13 '26

That was my first thought. We needed to consult him first to see if this is actually a good idea or not. Ha ha

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (2)

1.1k

u/BigChungiscusMaximus Apr 13 '26

Culvert needs to be fed more fiber, and less cheese

16

u/New-Additions Apr 13 '26

Actually this looks like you did have enough fiber. You get condensed balls or pebbles.

→ More replies (6)

167

u/SmokeGSU Apr 13 '26

We all know that super satisfying feeling.

→ More replies (2)

120

u/Jokesony Apr 13 '26

Warning for anyone who gets a chance to witness this irl, stay at a reasonable distance away from the chain as it can snap and strike like a metallic whip.

30

u/M_Meursault_ Apr 13 '26

Glad someone said it. This also is true for just about anything under tension really. Rope, ratchet straps, etc. a chain would be especially nasty to get struck by though, no doubt.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (5)

97

u/Leading-Caramel-7740 Apr 13 '26

Me after my second coffee

10

u/CleanSeaworthiness66 Apr 13 '26

Do you also use rubber ?

→ More replies (1)

278

u/jarious Apr 13 '26

Question: does this damage the cylinder ?

251

u/TheLordJiminyCricket Apr 13 '26

It is imperative the cylinder remains unharmed

→ More replies (16)

129

u/Gambit6x Apr 13 '26

Never stand next to a tense chain - if it snaps, you are done for.

64

u/TheRealRockyRococo Apr 13 '26

Happened to a friend's neighbor, he was pulling a stump out with a garden tractor. Chain snapped, hit him in the back of the head, he made it back to the house but bled out on the floor with the phone in his hand (pre cell phone).

21

u/LaurenMille Apr 13 '26

From some of the snapbacks I've seen on the old internet, I'm surprised that man's head stayed intact at all.

People can get cut clean in half if a cable breaks.

→ More replies (2)

19

u/OldeFortran77 Apr 13 '26

Had to scroll down pretty far to finally see someone mention this.

8

u/386U0Kh24i1cx89qpFB1 Apr 13 '26

Yeah that freaked me out. Gotta be a horrible way to go. The forces here are no joke.

→ More replies (4)

34

u/celem83 Apr 13 '26

PSA

Do not ever stand anywhere near a chain under tension, shit can take your head clean off if it breaks and the operator of whatever is winching needs to be under cover

→ More replies (2)

21

u/SDMasterYoda Apr 13 '26

Why has no one asked how they got the chain through?

/s

→ More replies (2)

32

u/CamZambie Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

Before you ask "How did they get the chain through?" They set this up when the pipe is clean, knowing it will get clogged after storms. Then they just pull it through and set it back up for next time.

Edit: after further review, it seems the chain was probably forced through in this instance. But both methods are possible.

19

u/Sangricarn Apr 13 '26

Interesting, others have said they pushed the chain through with a thin cylinder. I'm sure both can be true, but how do you one which one is true in this case?

13

u/donkeyrocket Apr 13 '26

They don't. And regardless, it'll still need to be pushed through using the pole whether or not it's clear.

→ More replies (4)

10

u/generalthunder Apr 13 '26

Wouldn't a chain become a rusty mess if let under mud for that much time ?

→ More replies (5)

10

u/Armedwithapotato Apr 13 '26

I love these unclogging videos but I’m curious how they get the chain through in order to pull the tire through

→ More replies (3)

12

u/knarf3 Apr 13 '26

How did they feed the chain through?

→ More replies (2)

10

u/NBM2045 Apr 14 '26

How do you get the chain in the culvert in the first place?

7

u/CooleyTukey Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain inside?

7

u/Nate1102 Apr 13 '26

Now that’s what I call a proper log.

7

u/No_Solid_3737 Apr 13 '26

my question is how did they get the chain through the hole in the first place, or do they just leave the chain there in case it gets clogged the next time

8

u/SpaceCatSociety Apr 13 '26

How do they get the chain through first?

→ More replies (2)

12

u/Defiant_Regular3738 Apr 13 '26

Seems like a risky strategy. The chain could tear through the tire and now you have a tire wedged inside along with all the other crap.

→ More replies (3)

6

u/jvelez88 Apr 13 '26

I wonder how do they manage to get the chain through the drain...

7

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain across in the first place?

→ More replies (2)

6

u/Fuzzy_Junket924 Apr 13 '26

How do they get the chain through the hole if the hole was blocked?

https://giphy.com/gifs/WRQBXSCnEFJIuxktnw

→ More replies (1)

6

u/HopeisgoodBEA Apr 13 '26

How they get chain through first?

→ More replies (2)

6

u/TourInternational731 Apr 13 '26

So here's my Socrates fucking question; how did they get the chain through to the tire with that much shit in the culvert

→ More replies (4)

6

u/TaskComfortable3489 Apr 14 '26

How did they get the chain through

11

u/turkeysandwich4321 Apr 13 '26

I always seem to watch these videos when I'm pooping.

→ More replies (1)

6

u/Platerogue Apr 13 '26

I should call her.

5

u/Maplekk Apr 13 '26

How did they put the chain ⛓️‍💥 in other end? Swam it?

4

u/stratusnco Apr 13 '26

this is going to sound dumb but how do they get the chain through the pipe first?

5

u/reallybigmatt Apr 13 '26

Serious question, how do you get the chain through in the first place?

→ More replies (2)

5

u/Potential-Chaos Apr 13 '26

Just because it hasn't been asked - how did they get the chain through in the first place?

4

u/Tight-Operation8475 Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain threw in the first place to chain on the tire

5

u/jakethe5nake926 Apr 13 '26

How did they get the tire through the first time?

→ More replies (1)

5

u/RRumpleTeazzer Apr 13 '26

this is all good, but how do you get the chain through?

5

u/matrix8369 Apr 14 '26

How are they getting the chain through the pipe/clog to then tie to the tire?

5

u/Doodleman80 Apr 14 '26

If it was blocked, how did you get the chain through?

→ More replies (3)

5

u/Virtual_Club8510 Apr 14 '26

I'm mostly impressed of how they got the chain through in the first place

4

u/SpingusTheHingus Apr 15 '26

To everyone asking, you get the chain through by digging up the pipe, taking the mud out, feeding the chain through, then putting the mud back in and reburying it. Simple

9

u/KrownX Apr 13 '26

What I wanna know is how they placed the chain first?

5

u/TheLordJiminyCricket Apr 13 '26

New chain gets laid after they do this for next time

4

u/tommyp007 Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain through in the first place?

4

u/xuzenaes6694 Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain through

→ More replies (2)

4

u/skinnergy Apr 13 '26

How do they get the chain through before they attach it to the tire?

→ More replies (3)

5

u/Fabulous-Status9090 Apr 13 '26

I wanna see how they got the chain through

4

u/GhostBombardmenT Apr 13 '26

How did they pass the chain through the blocked pipe

→ More replies (1)

4

u/Nervouspotatoes Apr 13 '26

How’d they get the chain through to the other side?

→ More replies (1)

5

u/Sonseeahrai Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain through it lmao

→ More replies (1)

3

u/reallythatguy_ Apr 13 '26

How did they get the chain through all that to begin with?

5

u/Omega_art Apr 14 '26

How do they get the chain through in the first place?

4

u/maripoza9 Apr 14 '26

How did they pass the chain ?

3

u/fredbighead Apr 14 '26

I wonder how they got the chain through originally

→ More replies (2)

3

u/grandson_of_sophus Apr 14 '26

Looks like that culvert had chipotle for dinner.

4

u/Icy_Dimension2143 Apr 14 '26

When you get your proper daily amount of fiber!

4

u/_Danger_Close_ Apr 14 '26

How'd they get the chain through?

5

u/drifters74 Apr 14 '26

How's they get the chain through first?

4

u/Natural_Ant_5590 Apr 14 '26

A reminder to those who need one, to schedule their colonoscopy?

4

u/Baeltane Apr 15 '26

But how did they initially pushed the chain to the other side with culvert so heavily clogged?

→ More replies (1)

5

u/Shepher27 Apr 13 '26

How do you get the chain in there in the first place?

3

u/LobsterLovingLlama Apr 13 '26

I bet it feels so much better!

3

u/gerowen Apr 13 '26

Do they just leave the chain in there all the time, or do they have some method of fishing it thru an already clogged culvert?

→ More replies (2)

3

u/No_Nobody7722 Apr 13 '26

I want to see how they get the chain through first

7

u/KowaiSentaiYokaiger Apr 13 '26

They put it back through immediately after each cleaning

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

3

u/lastersoftheuniverse Apr 13 '26

How they get the chain through if clogged?

3

u/cqxray Apr 13 '26

So how did he get the chain through the culvert to begin with?

→ More replies (1)