Rock Pickn

[rocksnstumps]

Hello all,
Thought I'd share my favorite tool for dealing with rocks, a FEL and a short set of forks. Got a set from a neighbor who's family owned a business and the forks were worn down so much they couldn't use them anymore as they are really too short to pick up a pallet very well. But they sure work handy on digging out rocks. These are only about 30" after I trimmed them on the chopsaw to be the same and have a little thickness out at the tip. Any longer however would not work as well since I drive these into the ground almost straight up and down behind rocks and pry and push forward while rolling the forks level. I find it works best to do yearly rock pickn in the spring soon after frost is out and there is still good moisture in the ground. On bigger boulders my tractor can't lift (over a ton or so) I dig with the forks on one side of a rock to loosen up the ground and dig that side out with a shovel. Than it's using the tractor on the other side to "break free" from all the soil closely packed and try to roll them up and out of the hole. Having 4 wheel assist, loaded tires, and a heavy implement off the back is also best.












I get lots of practice with this since my ground is a low ridge of glacial till with no shortage of egg shaped granite rocks/boulders/VW size (they ain't movin, lol)

 

[tooln]

I sure am glad the largest I've gotten so far out of my plot is about the size of a football. I know there are bigger ones just have come up in the plot yet.

 

[scott44]

Looks like you've got a good system, glad I don't have trouble with that large of rocks.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Here's a pic of one that is about the biggest I can move with the loader. Could not really pick this one up but enough lift to help slide along the ground. Helps to go down hill too.....:)

 

[tooln]

You need smaller rocks or a bigger tractor.

 

[tcook8296]

Im glad I don't have boulders anywhere near that size to deal with

 

[MoLandOwner]

5 gal pail of Ammonium Nitrate and diesel fuel mixed in a garbage bag for 3 days out in the sun......would be a lot more fun than bending forks on a loader tractor in my book!

Kaboooom!:)

 

[rocksnstumps]

Yep, the locals around here used stone boats with horses too in the past. Seeing the stone fences in the area, those fellas worked hard. The boats I've seen were made out of heavy planks with runners underneath and were maybe 3 ft wide, sorta like a small version of the sleds they used in the winter to haul out a tremendous load of logs when there was good frost and a snowpack.

With the tractor I have dragged a few bigger rocks by wrapping with chains and hooking to the drawbar. Wrapping a rock using tire chains from a tractor or large truck works pretty well. Course moving 'em is easy compared to getting them out of the ground if they have a 3or4 ft taproot. Would be fun like the old days and just take a trip down to the general store and pick up a few sticks of TNT and git er done.