Eradicating rocks before tilling

[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