Rock Skidding

[Stonehaller]

Here are some pictures of a little rock my wife found in the woods. It had some fossils on it so she wanted me to dig it out. As you can see from the first picture, there was not much showing. After digging for a bit, I was able to drag it out of the hole with backhoe, but the L39 could not lift the whole thing and I had to move it about 1/2 mile to get it to where she wanted it. I could lift one side at a time so I put a couple 3" oak planks under it. With it chained to the 3 point lift, I could raise the front of the planks and drag it out of the woods.

 

[drivadesl]

Kinda nice when the wifey asks you to do some stuff that requires seat time, and meanwhile you know your gonna have a blast doing it. That looks like it was a challenge, nice job.

 

[Runner]

I'll bet that bad boy must have been close to 1500 lbs. Nice work.

 

[Stonehaller]

Kinda nice when the wifey asks you to do some stuff that requires seat time, and meanwhile you know your gonna have a blast doing it. That looks like it was a challenge, nice job.

Yes, it was fun. It took about a day and a half partly because I had clear a trail wide enough for the tractor off the main trail to get back to it.

 

[Stonehaller]

I'll bet that bad boy must have been close to 1500 lbs. Nice work.

If it was only 1500 I probably could of picked it up with forks on the FEL. I tried and couldn't so I am thinking it is over 2K.

 

[irwin]

If it was only 1500 I probably could of picked it up with forks on the FEL. I tried and couldn't so I am thinking it is over 2K.

Yeah, although I think more like 2500. The L39 could pick up 2000lbs plus, a couple feet high anyway.

 

[Mace Canute]

Be darned if that last pic doesn't look like a skull viewed from the side, at least to me it does!

 

[mjncad]

Be darned if that last pic doesn't look like a skull viewed from the side, at least to me it does!

It sure does. I hope the OP's wife doesn't practice Feng Shui and ask him to move it 5mm NNE to achieve perfect harmony with nature.

 

[The Haymaker]

I did the same idea while disposing of a big rock that was in some fill the state gave me after ditch-digging. Rolled it on to a sheet of plywood and dragged it away. Now putting a rock BACK onto the lawn would be an issue. There'd be a bit of a clash with my rule with the wife of "Either you mow around it, or I mow over it".

 

[JoelD]

Nice project.

I usually roll with the bucket, but 1/2 mile would be a bunch of rolling.

Be sure to take your time when you have the hitch point equal to or above the axle.

Looks like a dinosaur skull to me.

Joel

 

[Reg]

I know it is "BAD PRACTICE", but for stuff the FEL can't quite lift it sometimes works to get the bucket under it, then put the hoe up on the stabilizers, lift as much as as you (almost) can with the FEL and pray that nothing gives out when you take the hoe off it's legs.

As I said, for stuff the FEL can't quite lift.
At 3,000 lbs I probably would have tried it - assuming good R4s with maybe 40 psi on the front.
If it is light enough that the bucket can get under it.... it may be worth a try.
A judgement call (-:

It doesn't work if you have big dips to drive through on the way to where you want to put it and it MIGHT be worth extending the hoe to horizontal as a counterweight.

I know, I know, it is MARGINAL at best.

 

[jimmyj]

Reg, I've done stuff like that. You forgot to mention 'hold your breath and hope you don't break anything.'

Once I saw a HUGE rock in the ditch beside the highway. I went and pushed it up the bank so I could lift the FEL up a bit (could not lift it). It rolled back into the FEL and that way when I backed away from the hill the FEL was in the air with the rock in it.

Well, rock-et scientist that I am, tried to drive home with the boulder and it FELL OUT on the highway! I had to scoot it about a hundred yards down to past the guardrails and push it into the ditch again. Dumb dumb dumb. Luckily we live in the middle of noplace and no vehicles or LEO's came by.

 

[TWD]

Reg, I've done stuff like that. You forgot to mention 'hold your breath and hope you don't break anything.'

Once I saw a HUGE rock in the ditch beside the highway. I went and pushed it up the bank so I could lift the FEL up a bit (could not lift it). It rolled back into the FEL and that way when I backed away from the hill the FEL was in the air with the rock in it.

Well, rock-et scientist that I am, tried to drive home with the boulder and it FELL OUT on the highway! I had to scoot it about a hundred yards down to past the guardrails and push it into the ditch again. Dumb dumb dumb. Luckily we live in the middle of noplace and no vehicles or LEO's came by.

That's probably why it was in the ditch to begin with :laughing:
Good story!

 

[Reg]

That's probably why it was in the ditch to begin with :laughing:
Good story!

I wonder if the guy who dropped it the FIRST time found it in it's new location and tried yet again to haul it to his house in the opposite direction ?
(-:

 

[jimmyj]

I wonder if the guy who dropped it the FIRST time found it in it's new location and tried yet again to haul it to his house in the opposite direction ?
(-:

Ha ha. I better go check. Don't want anybody gettin my rock!

 

[jpm]

from looking at the pic we may have to change your name from stonehaller to stonehead :laughing:

 

[Farmerford]

How did the fossils survive the trip? I hope well enough that you at least got credit for moving it!

 

[Stonehaller]

The fossils held up pretty well. It looks like a piece of sea floor and is loaded with small fossils and some large coral.

My wife is a rockhound and does lapidary. She is always finding rocks for me to haul.

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