Dirt Moving How do I grade rocky soil??????

[JohninCT]

You've got a pretty good supply start on rock walls there. In our area of the Northeast when you dig out the rocks you just line em up along your boarder and make a wall out of them. You could also use some of them to ring some planting areas or build some terraces. Make lemonade outta your lemons so to speak. Use the soil you dig out to fill in or smooth out other areas.

Swamp Yankee has figured it right. 1/2 acre is 2419 sq yds. 2 inches is 0.056 yds. 2419 x 0.056 = 135 cu yds. Even at $20/ cu yd your talking about $2700.

If your not looking for the golf course, using a york rake and box blade to scrape up the larger stuff and sowing some grass seed on the dirt you have can give you a pretty decent result. I'd still get some of that $20 delivered stuff and use it where you really need it.

 

[Carl_NH]

Carl.

I just finished stumping, clearing, and picking rocks on an 1.5 ac here on the rocky ledge on the NH coast over the last two years.

This is a long process and as I look at your pics that's what I am dealing with. I have the B21 so a bit smaller than your b26 but in the same class. Its a workhorse. After the stumping I had tons of branches, rocks, roots all over - so last year I used the bucket to back drag the big stuff into a large pile of rocks and roots, then a york rake to get the rocks up (and more rocks every pass) into windrows of rocks.

I pushed the rocks to the edges of the area (for a future wall) then late last year i took the piles of roots and debris and rocks after they composted down and separated this from the dirt then burned the roots over the winter. The cleanup/leveling process took all last summer - a long haul..

Early this spring our local tree guy (makes mulch too) has tailings leftover from his mulch which is dirt, small stones 3/4-1" and fine wood chips. He delivered 60 yards of this for the cost of trucking which I used as a base to cover the exposed rocks and level the ground. Then I got 60 yards of composted loam delivered at the end of May for $18/yard.

I spread this and leveled everything out nice.. all told if you have a half acre I think 32 yards (two 16 yd loads) should cover you if you have most of the rocks removed..

$45 a yard for loam is way out of line - it should be no more than $20-25 a yard delivered. Also would suggest a stockpile of loam for "projects" - we compost our leaves every year and make about 8 yards of compost and mix this with the loam each fall.

Good luck and post some pics of your project when complete.

 

[My Hoe]

Carl,

I believe (IIRC) that I live in your same "rocky" county.

Isn't this the PERFECT Excus--'er, JUSTIFICATION, to purchase a HYDRAULIC THUMB for your backhoe?

If it were me, I would "rototill" the 1/2 acre with the backhoe. As it might take a while, this might also be the perfect time to buy a SUNSHADE for your machine (if you do not already have one, or a cab--not sure what machine you have).

Then, you can hoe/pick/swing and drop, for later round-up with the FEL. Or, as others have mentioned, use a "stone boat." I think a sturdy car hood, from the '50's, could serve as a good, large stone boat, and you could drag them to a storage area, for a future rock wall, reflecting pool, etc....

The money saved in rentals and extra yards of dirt not purchased should more than cover a hydraulic thumb and rear remote, no?

Just a thought. I tend to see problems as an opportunity to buy a new toy--'er, tool, especially if it will pay for itself in avoiding rentals and other purchases.

I've never used a BB, but that does seem like a sweet tool, after the boulders are gone. Perhaps a BB can be rented/borrowed, once the car-sized boulders are removed?

Again, just a thought--others here have waaay more experience with this stuff than me. I just like the idea of a hydraulic thumb, as you can tell.

Good luck with your project!

My Hoe

 

[Carl Bert]

Carl,

I believe (IIRC) that I live in your same "rocky" county.

Isn't this the PERFECT Excus--'er, JUSTIFICATION, to purchase a HYDRAULIC THUMB for your backhoe?

If it were me, I would "rototill" the 1/2 acre with the backhoe. As it might take a while, this might also be the perfect time to buy a SUNSHADE for your machine (if you do not already have one, or a cab--not sure what machine you have).

Then, you can hoe/pick/swing and drop, for later round-up with the FEL. Or, as others have mentioned, use a "stone boat." I think a sturdy car hood, from the '50's, could serve as a good, large stone boat, and you could drag them to a storage area, for a future rock wall, reflecting pool, etc....

The money saved in rentals and extra yards of dirt not purchased should more than cover a hydraulic thumb and rear remote, no?

Just a thought. I tend to see problems as an opportunity to buy a new toy--'er, tool, especially if it will pay for itself in avoiding rentals and other purchases.

I've never used a BB, but that does seem like a sweet tool, after the boulders are gone. Perhaps a BB can be rented/borrowed, once the car-sized boulders are removed?

Again, just a thought--others here have waaay more experience with this stuff than me. I just like the idea of a hydraulic thumb, as you can tell.

Good luck with your project!

My Hoe

Hello fellow Rocklander. I'm in Stony Point, in a developement called "The Cliffs". There are actually three developements that were built on this mountain. One being the Cliffs, the second is "Cedar pond estates" and the third is Indian something. My house sits where they all meet. Anyway its one big mountain of rock and I hate it. I have a B26 with the hyd thumb and its doing a great job for its size, but it seems never ending.

I have been looking for a used BB, but no luck so far. I would much rather rent one, since after I finish clearing this piece of property, I will have no other use for it, but I can't find a rental yard who carries one. Do you know of one?

I just started, doing what you had mentioned, turning the entire lot with the backhoe. I got a small section done, but with all the rock that I dig up and have to pick out and move, it just takes forever.

After turning and removing the larger rock, I plan on using a BB to grade off and remove the smaller stones. Hopefully I can find a BB by then.