Abstract: An apparatus for both extracting and installing well pipes respectively from and into the ground includes first and second well pipe gripping devices each having cooperating jaws of arcuate configuration with gripping teeth thereon. The jaws are eccentrically mounted and spring biased for closing rotation toward one another for clamping the well pipe in only one direction causing the jaws to close. And, the jaws open in an opposite direction for permitting relative movement of the well pipe. One of the devices is fixedly disposed near the ground while the other is mounted for vertical movement for extracting the well pipe. The fixed device clamps the pipe against downward movement while the movable device is lowered to again clamp the pipe for further extraction. Likewise, a guiding of the well pipe while being installed into the ground under its own weight is effected as the movable device is lowered in clamping engagement therewith.