big stones to move with little bx, looking for leverage ideas.

[ChuckinNH]

When I had my BX, I moved some pretty large rocks by getting the bucket under them, and using the curl function to lift the front edge of the bucket just slightly. This kind of uses the back of the bucket for leverage. I then chained them to the loader, and drove backwards to where I wanted the rocks moved. In essence, I was using the bucket for a stone boat. As others have mentioned, I have also rolled some pretty big ones too, like the large ones in the background here.

 

[radioman]

NSbound- I like that rock sling. Is that yours ?

 

[NSBound]

NSbound- I like that rock sling. Is that yours ?

Nope, saw it posted on a great website a month or two ago and saved the link for future use! (Guess which website!)

 

[beenthere]

Several good suggestions here.
40+ years ago I moved onto some land that is the terminal morraine of the last glacier that dropped down through WI. Left many a boulder (not what we called them 40 years ago, but now are PC).
Had a little Deere LA model with maybe 15 hp. Made a stone boat that I would roll the stones onto. Getting them dug out, and with strong posts as levers, would roll them an inch or two at a time out of the hole. Throwing dirt back whenever there was room. Eventually they were on the stone boat and could be dragged to the back of the acerage (now scavengers looking for yard boulders come by and pick out ones they like).

Rigged up a one bottom walking plow, using only the main beam (removed the moldboard) and one handle to root out the boulders. Worked pretty good. Then advanced to a 3 ph subsoiler that would hook the boulders and work them up.

Advanced to a FEL and bucket, but the best way is now with the forks. Use the curl function to get under the boulders, and roll them up. Many are too big to pick up (over 1000 lbs) so they get rolled with the forks.

A set of tractor tire chains make a pretty good net/sling to contain a boulder while dragging them. But a stone boat seems to handle moving rocks the best, as the friction is spread more evenly on the ground and the boulder can't roll around and get wayward on you.
But have now advanced through the bucket st

 

[Baby Grand]

The farmer who originally moved those rocks probably hitched up Prince and Dobbin to the stone boat and skidded them to where they are now. No reason you can't build your own stone boat to hitch up to Jezebel's draw bar and have at it. Simple and cheap, like me.

-Jim

 

[Tom_H]

Search the archives for "rock sled" and "stone boat". Most are old car hoods from the salvage yard. Some shapes work better than others. Threads in the archives will give info about counterweight, which shapes are better, getting the rock on the sled, and towing it.

 

[johann]

Thanks for the help,unfortunatley I am not blessed with stones that need to go down hill..... I have to go up! I think that I am going to have to do something with the 3pt hitch to move the first one and counter weight the FEL. I liked that rig that NSBound posted, assuming that my machine could lift the weight. Any thoughts on rigging up a block and tackle and a tow chain to get stones onto a sled.

 

[Tom_H]

What about an electric winch like the ones you mount on the front of an off road vehicle? You could put the rock on a "rock sled" aka "stone boat" and then use as much extra chain or cable as needed (beyond that already on the winch) to winch it up the hill. Wind the normal amount of cable in. Anchor the sled. Let the cable back out while simultaneously reducing the amount of extra cable/chain in play, reel in again, repeat as many times as needed.

Block and tackle could work, but involves multiple times the cable lengths. With cable, you could use the tractor to pull the end downhill, tie it off, take the tractor back up the hill, pull another section. No way I'd do it with rope.

All in all, I think the winch is simpler, and something you'd be more likely to reuse in the future. Don't suppose you can rent one???