I see a number of posts about guys just cutting anchors off after the season. Was wondering if those who do typically make them themselves to cut down on costs?

Where do you prefer to get components?

I run Pogos and I make my own. I buy the washers at Fastenal and the rest I get at conventions.

Get some black 1/2" pipe. Then you need a 1/2" bolt.
Take the pipe and cut 3" long sections. About 2" down from the top drill a hole this Is where you attach the cable. Cut your cable to length then shove one end Into the hole and push enough out so you can crimp on a nut or aluminum stop button Once the cable has been attached you can take a hammer and flatten one end of the pipe.. If you have a welder you can weld a nut on the outside of the pipe to attach your cable.
Making the driver. Take the 1/2" bolt and cut off the threaded end. You need to cut off eggnog of the bolt so when it's inserted Into the stake it won't hit the cable. Then your going to have to get a piece of cold roll rod and have It welded on the bolt end to finish your driver.
You don't have to use black pipe you can get away with using conduit for the disposable stake.

I use anchors in some places but I am tight and go back and dig them out in the spring. But on the other hand I have anchors in good spots that stay there. I cut a 8 inch piece of rebar and hook a heavier galvanized chasing to it. I put them in the ground and packed them good in the spring. Hook up and go in the fall.

Yes...make my own. 3/32" 7x7 cable 15".

I have very sandy soil in most areas here. So, 2" pogos used to be what I made.

But, if you can purchase Wolf Fang-type ends for $40/100 or less, then you can make them for about what it costs to make the 2" pogos. Smaller size pogos would be cheaper to make.

To keep costs down: buy cable in 1000' rolls and use 20p nails and make your own j-hooks.

Using Fangs also eliminates the need for any j-hooks.

Still have to buy the aluminum double ferrules, but buy those 1000 at a time too.

For every one I cut, I lose about .60cent but it's just a cost of doing business...and a tremendous time and back saver.

I cut and run when pulling traps.
Berkshire standard E/As.
Buy in bulk, because prices never go back down.
Johnson's Fur out of Enola

I have modified my Berkshire ends so I can pull them easily. I drill a hole in the V-shaped end, add 15" of 3/32" cable and loop the top. I've caught hundreds of coon and coyotes and have never had an amimal pull one but I can easily pull on with just a t-bar.

I’m with wet dog. I cut and run and only use inexpensive Berkshire style now. Hold every coyote I catch no problemo.
I buy in bulk and replace after each season. Lighter than rebar and well for as much as I spend on fishing crap, golf, etc in the off season a few dozen berks and cable for trapping really isn’t that much extra for my trapping hobby.
I start trapping around first of December and our ground gets rock solid frozen here by mid January to late winter when I am wrapping up my season and no way I would get most of them back out of the ground.
Jim

I buy wolf fangs and make my own 15 inch anchors with 3/16 7x7 cable. I either cut and run or undo the quick link. Our soil is a red clay iron Orr mix and you’re not pulling 50% of them and out of that the other 50% you do pull are folded over and really not reusable. I’ll never go back to pulling anchors unless I get some ground with a much different soul makeup.

I make my own to cheap to buy.

I use Berkshire standard stake end on 15" cables for everything except coyotes. For coyotes i use the HD Berkshire ends on 24" cables. I figure I have $0.40 into the standard cable stakes and $0.50 into the HD cables. I have started cutting almost all my cables while pulling. Takes 1/4 the time to pull, saves on my body, and most of the time the plates fold in half when I pull them so they aren't useable for more than 2 years anyway. The key is to buy everything in bulk to get cost per down.

Schmattz

I make my own super stacks, 1/2" schedule 40 black pipe
about 3" long cut 45s both ends, weld a 1/4" nut on.

Schedule 80 black pipe will not work with the orange stake drivers.

Schedule 80 is Gas pipe, Schedule 20 is water pipe and works just as well for a lot less $.