You're right about needing dry soil. Till first to eliminate clods. The first day using it I added chicken wire, held on with tie wire. The chicken wire worked fine but I wanted even smaller rocks, so I tried hardware cloth, with 1/2" openings, and that worked perfect for me. I also learned to wire the sides and back of the basket. The best advice, though, is to do it on a windy day, with the wind blowing away from your house. I just tilled for a winter garden today, brought up a ton or rocks. So next week I'll be sifting the rocks again. Every season the garden gets better and better. Hopefully someday the rocks will have disappeared entirely.
Bradco Rock Bucket
- Thread starter Davidlx
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The first time I tried to use it I had just tillered in a Buckwheat crop and didn't let it rot down before trying to get rocks. A few days later and with a retilling things went a lot better. I would be thrilled to get down to only 1/2" rocks.
Regarding the rocks disappearing, from your lips to God's ear as my grandmother would have said. Thanks.
David
Regarding the rocks disappearing, from your lips to God's ear as my grandmother would have said. Thanks.
David
Phred, the rake in my pics just happened to be there. The stone fork (rock bucket) did all the work. I've used the rake like a rear blade to help level things out afterwards, but the rake gathers too much soil in my experience to help get rocks out. Once rocks are in a pile, the loader bucket carries the rocks away. The tractor can carry more rocks in the bucket because the bucket weighs a fraction of the what the stone forks do.
Phred
Veteran Member
Sorry for the confusion.
I am looking for away to collect rocks over about a ~50 acre area. The bucket would be way to slow, unless you could windrow the rocks first.
They make tools for this job but they are very proud of them.
Just hoping for a cheap yet better way than the 5 gallon bucket and hand approach.
Fred
I am looking for away to collect rocks over about a ~50 acre area. The bucket would be way to slow, unless you could windrow the rocks first.
They make tools for this job but they are very proud of them.
Just hoping for a cheap yet better way than the 5 gallon bucket and hand approach.
Fred
Phred, it sound like you need something like a Harley Rake. The Harley is way beyond my experience but I get the idea it can handle large areas. For 50 acres it might be more cost effective to hire someone with a Harley to do the work? Perhaps someone on this board can help. Best of luck.
Hoeman00
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J,
A local farmer got one of the larger rock pickers (I think rented it) and went over all his 400 or so acres.
Vermeer and Klonside (sp?) make them along w/ others.
U may have to find the right dealer or large farmer that has one and rent it.
We are renting a tile plow right now to put in 80,000' of field tile.
The plow and 350hp 4wd tractor are $250.00/day which is cheap and the owner is letting us use his cart for the 3000' rolls of tile.
A local farmer got one of the larger rock pickers (I think rented it) and went over all his 400 or so acres.
Vermeer and Klonside (sp?) make them along w/ others.
U may have to find the right dealer or large farmer that has one and rent it.
We are renting a tile plow right now to put in 80,000' of field tile.
The plow and 350hp 4wd tractor are $250.00/day which is cheap and the owner is letting us use his cart for the 3000' rolls of tile.