Best attachment for digging out rocks?

[RSR]

I've been clearing some land to open up parking space. This has involved digging back a hill in very rocky clay soil. To give an idea, I have pulled everything from softball to 1/2 refrigerator sized rocks, and everything in between, out. This was doable when digging back into the hill by going slow with a toothbar, and swapping out with a Frostbite style grapple. To compound matters, the rocks are very densely packed. Every 1-2 feet in any direction, and you'll hit one, or multiple.

I have the hill dug back, but now I'd like to dig down 10-12 inches to lay stone, then gravel. I think trying to do this with the toothbar will be next to impossible. I've tried using the rippers on my box blade with little to no luck.

Are they any suggestion on how to work up the rocks and soil so I can come in with the bucket after it's loosened, and clean it up?

I've thought maybe trying a ripper/subsoiler and making a bunch of passes?

It's not a large area. Roughly 15' x 40'.

 

[leonz]

A half a day with the smallest rental track excavator will finish it and then you can use the blade to spread the rip rap/crushed stone gravel/crushed bank run gravel.

Are you planning on laying down rip rap stone then crushed stone on top of that or crushed stone then crushed bank run gravel?

 

[oosik]

I've used my single bottom mold board plow to break loose soil. Remove everything on the plow - I'm left with a single carbide tooth shank. It's slow work but it can be done. leonz suggestion is a whole lot better/faster - if you have a place that rents excavators. I do not..........

 

[jeff9366]

A bucket spade will do you for 10" to 18" depth.

MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/328798-bucket-spade-today-fel-bucket.html?highlight=

 

[coldsteelva]

Backhoe mounted Root Ripper

 

[PILOON]

I DIY'd a big clamp on 'tooth' for just that purpose.
Used an old truck axle for the tooth material.
I poke it under the rock and tilt my bucket and out pops the rock.
Basically hydraulics do all the work.
Made the 'tooth' about 12 ins long and the clamp on is much like clamp on bucket forks. (that's where I got the idea)

 

[RSR]

A half a day with the smallest rental track excavator will finish it and then you can use the blade to spread the rip rap/crushed stone gravel/crushed bank run gravel.

Are you planning on laying down rip rap stone then crushed stone on top of that or crushed stone then crushed bank run gravel?

Renting and excavator could be done, but it would be quite expensive, and cumbersome as there aren't many close places. In addition, I bought a tractor for these jobs, so I'd prefer to use what I have, if possible.

 

[RSR]

A bucket spade will do you for 10" to 18" depth.

MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/328798-bucket-spade-today-fel-bucket.html?highlight=

A bucket spade is an interesting idea, and I could find other uses for it as well. Will it mount over a toothbar? (Seems questionable)

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I wonder if a FEL mounted tree spade would work well..??

I suspect it could be possible to over stress your FEL, but with caution I think a lot could be done..

Something similar to this...
WR Long Tree Spade

 

[jeff9366]

A bucket spade is an interesting idea, and I could find other uses for it as well. Will it mount over a toothbar? (Seems questionable)

No. Tree Spades are designed for standard dimension buckets.