Eradicating rocks before tilling

[Rockbadchild]

I’m in central Kentucky and have clay soil.

With a clay soil it would be harder to remove rocks in a undisturbed soil, for any implements to dig in and for your tractor to pull that implements.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Back in the day when my dad was young farmers would drive around town with their tractor and wagon picking up kids in order to pay them a few pennies for each rocks they would pick up…. this wouldn’t work nowadays but hey if you pay enough never know lol

 

[Yander]

Yanmar SA 425 is an 1,850 pound, under 25-horsepower tractor.

Not enough tractor weight, not enough power to pull a Disk Harrow of effective weight.


I suggest a Middlebuster, AKA Potato Plow, with replaceable plow blades. Ample for a one (1) acre food plot. Relatively cheap, low draft resistance (low traction requirement), short operator learning curve.

Tarter produces 'CountyLine' brand implements as private labels for Tractor Supply Company.

MORE ON YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tractor+middlebuster

I have the same tractor and a one bottom plow and a disc so we are going to find out, if it ever stops raining . Thought I might get to this weekend but we have a swamp in the yard, AGAIN! Wet spring it's looking like.

Which brings up a good point. When you till, may sure you stick a shover in the ground about 6 inches and pull a handful of dirt off the bottom of the shovel and if it is slightly moist but not wet you can till. If it is wet and clumps together and sticks like playdough, it is too wet. Do not till yet. It will turn to concrete once it dries. I like the ground to be a little moist but still crumble a bit in your hand.

 

[jeff9366]

Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b)

Disc Harrows come in numerous types. However, for 18-45 horsepower tractors the three point hitch mounted, Tandem Disc Harrow, secondary tillage implement, is ubiquitous. Tandem Disc Harrows are manufactured in two structural types: Angle Iron Frame and Box Frame. Box Frame Disc Harrows are...

www.tractorbynet.com

ADJUSTING Three Point Hitch Mounted TANDEM DISC HARROWS

If you are considering the acquisition of a Disc Harrow, first read this LINK covering Disc Harrow selection: LINK: Disc Harrow Selection For 18-45 Horsepower Tractors (Revision 2b) The Three Point Hitch mounted Tandem Disc Harrow is a secondary tillage implement. The Disc Harrow is a...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Red_Ranger]

I guess maybe I should specify a little more on these rocks. I’m not talking softball sized rocks, I’m talking 2 plus footers. We have huge chunks of limestone in the ground where I’m at

 

[Yander]

If you're just putting in deer food plots you don't need to go deep. till up the top two inches, seed it, rake it or drag a light piece of chain link fence over it, run empty lawn roller over it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I guess maybe I should specify a little more on these rocks. I’m not talking softball sized rocks, I’m talking 2 plus footers. We have huge chunks of limestone in the ground where I’m at

one guy I worked with wanted to expand his field and there was what look like couple feet diameter rocks but it didn’t matter what you throw at them they didn’t want to budge, so after trying a few things without result he rented a excavator to dig these rocks. Turn out these rock where huge 20' long megalithic like rocks… like iceberg only the tip was sticking out, only then he understood why the old timer left that area alone…

 

[Yander]

one guy I worked with wanted to expand his field and there was what look like couple feet diameter rocks but it didn’t matter what you throw at them they didn’t want to budge, so after trying a few things without result he rented a excavator to dig these rocks. Turn out these rock where huge 20” long megalithic like rocks… like iceberg only the tip was sticking out, only then he understood why the old timer left that area alone…

Last summer I was in my neighbor's yard doing a small job with my tiller and noticed he had a rock that he had been mowing around.

It was about a foot in diameter and stuck out of the ground about 6 in. I asked him if he wanted me to pop that out of the ground while I was there with my tractor. He said you can if you want but I've put this spud bar on it and I can't budge it or get it out of the ground. Should have been my first red flag but... "Oh cool a challenge."

Long story short, an hour and a half later I started out with my small SCUT and we got the rock and it's brother, almost as big, exposed but we could not lift them out of the ground. With the help of a spud bar shovel and tractor. They were probably 700+ pounds. One was about two and a half feet across and the other one was at least two feet.

So I went up the road and got the big tractor and popped them out.

It was actually kind of fun for me I don't know about him.

 

[mikester]

Stone Fork (Retainer Style Tine) COMPACT DUTY

1" Shaft diameter 2-½" spacing between tines Points are ⅝" thick, 400 Brinell high strength steel 23" high 35" deep 2000 lbs capacity

hlaattachments.com

 

[jeff9366]

Red_Ranger​

I guess I should specify a more on these rocks. I’m not talking softball sized rocks, I’m talking 2 plus footers.​

​

YANMAR SA425​

Lift Capacity (Pivot Pin) lb. (kg)

1,200 (545)

Stone Fork weight is around 450 pounds. Therefore, Stone Fork payload in theory could be 750 pounds (1,200 - 450 = 750). However, both Stone Fork and payload are carried forward of the FEL pins, therefore "real world" payload capacity will be around 600 pounds, with enough counterbalance mounted on the Three Point Hitch to maintain rear tires in solid ground contact.



I suggest a Middlebuster, AKA Potato Plow, with replaceable plow blades.

Ample for a one (1) acre food plot.

Relatively cheap (<$400), low draft resistance (low traction requirement), short operator learning curve. Three Point Hitch counterbalance not needed.

 

[jeff9366]

Your LOCATION will allow your respondents to match implement recommendations to availability in your area.

I’m in central Kentucky and have clay soil.

Tarter/CountyLine implements and attachments are produced by Tarter in Dunneville, Kentucky.


Considering inserting your LOCATION into your T-B-N PROFILE so it appears with every post you author.

 

[Jstpssng]

Last summer I was in my neighbor's yard doing a small job with my tiller and noticed he had a rock that he had been mowing around.

It was about a foot in diameter and stuck out of the ground about 6 in. I asked him if he wanted me to pop that out of the ground while I was there with my tractor. He said you can if you want but I've put this spud bar on it and I can't budge it or get it out of the ground. Should have been my first red flag but... "Oh cool a challenge."

Long story short, an hour and a half later I started out with my small SCUT and we got the rock and it's brother, almost as big, exposed but we could not lift them out of the ground. With the help of a spud bar shovel and tractor. They were probably 700+ pounds. One was about two and a half feet across and the other one was at least two feet.

So I went up the road and got the big tractor and popped them out.

It was actually kind of fun for me I don't know about him.

My father had a rock like that which he was tired of mowing around, so he started working at it with his 1010 JD crawler. He got it out of the ground but that's as far as he could get it. So they planted flowers around it, and that's where it's been for 30 years or more.

 

[Tropical Jack]

When I cleared a small plot intending to put in a small orchard, I had a similar situation. Lots of rocks, some 2-3 footers. I used my box blade with the shanks down to “pull them to the surface”. Then used my front end loader bucket, rolling them in, moving them, and creating a huge rock pile that my neighbors and I utilize when we need rocks.

Jack

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have removed a few (in clay soil as well) with my root rake grappler it went pretty well, it was pretty wet that time of the year it made it easier, but I have a lot more tractor then you. This one was barely stinking out before I removed it ...

 

[Smokeydog]

The old Massey with trip forked manure bucket gathered lots of rocks. The Howard Rotovator with the tailgate up would spew new crop of rocks out back to pick up from the garden spots. Woman I bought the farm from built a 600’ rock wall and 3,500’ sqft house from the rocks. Structurally from rocks as some of the walls are 4’ thick. Rock foundations and walls on cabins, barns, spring house. Got to pick them up from fields might as well do something with them.

 

[masseyrider]

Talk about mowing around a rock.
My former outlaws had a rock in the backyard that was considered unmoveable.
About 3 feet around sticking up about a foot.
I asked if they would want it removed.
OK, but it's a big one and will take a lot of digging and work.
I brought shovels and pry bars and at the time a Massey 255 with FEL.
Just to get an idea of what I had got myself into I started to dig down with the shovel.
About 8" was the end of the rock.
Popped out this unmoveable "monster" rock in about 20 minutes.
Didn't even take a full bucket of soil to backfill.

 

[Jstpssng]

When I cleared a small plot intending to put in a small orchard, I had a similar situation. Lots of rocks, some 2-3 footers. I used my box blade with the shanks down to “pull them to the surface”. Then used my front end loader bucket, rolling them in, moving them, and creating a huge rock pile that my neighbors and I utilize when we need rocks.

Jack

If you ever run out I have plenty that I can donate.

 

[CADplans]

Right at the limit of what my IH 584 could pull,,

I got it through the gate without tearing down any fence,,

A small one that my loader could pick up,,

This one had a nice flat side,,

It became my entrance marker,,

 

[Vigo327]

Im assuming you meant 20 feet.. I have numerous 20” rocks and those are not too bad to dig out.. biggest rocks ive found on my property are maybe 36” in one direction but usually smaller in the other. Not 36” spheres, is what i mean. Anyway, judging by the fact that my tiny loader struggled with the biggest one and knowing the loader lift at various heights, the heaviest one ive found was around 1100lbs.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Im assuming you meant 20 feet.. I have numerous 20” rocks and those are not too bad to dig out.. biggest rocks ive found on my property are maybe 36” in one direction but usually smaller in the other. Not 36” spheres, is what i mean. Anyway, judging by the fact that my tiny loader struggled with the biggest one and knowing the loader lift at various heights, the heaviest one ive found was around 1100lbs.

you are talking about me right ? yes I met 20 feet my bad and good catch... thanks I'll edit it