Finding Rocks in Tall Grass

[JimHam]

I own 55 acres of reclaimed strip mine land in So. IL and it has lots of rocks laying on the surface. I put it in the Conservation Stewardship program to keep my taxes down and in my 5 year plan I said we were going to maintain trails and firebreaks. So I wanted to start mowing firebreaks but the rocks have to be found which is not easy in the thick vegetation. I intend to burn it off section by section once I retire and get over there but in the meantime I want to start mowing the firebreaks. To find the rocks I decided to try and backdrag the bucket on my Kubota and see if it would pull the rocks up. Well, it doesn't pull the rocks up, unless they are really big, but you can quickly tell when you hit a rock even a small one. So, by putting the bucket down on "float" and backing through the grass I can find the rocks I would hit with the mower. Then I get to climb down from the cab and find them and throw them in the bucket. Now I am just trying to convince my wife to walk behind the bucket and I will just stop and she can throw the rocks in the bucket once I find them with the tractor. :thumbsup: Anyway, this dragging the bucket seems to be working so I thought I would share if anybody else has this situation.

 

[Travelover]

Best technique is to hire your neighbor to mow it the first time.

 

[k0ua]

Best technique is to hire your neighbor to mow it the first time.

Yeah with his mower too.

 

[farmer2009]

Instead of using the cutting edge to back drag use the heel of the bucket. It won't ride I've as many and then when you get several pick up bucket backup and scoop. Or get a rock bucket like this. http://attachmentspecialists.com/rock-buckets/ a grapple will add usefulness.

 

[CCWKen]

Your wife might be more interested if you taught her to drive the tractor and YOU walked.

How large are the rocks? Can you raise the cutter? A power rake is good for loosening the top layer of dirt and rock then it's just a matter of raking them into windrows. If the whole property is like that, you might consider investing in a rock picker. Or build one. They'll pick up the rocks as you drive and put them in a large bin that can be dumped.

And if you have rocks now, you'll have them forever so you'll need to equip and plan for it. Those rascals will dig their way to the surface on a constant basis.

 

[bcp]

How about driving the firebreak path with a rear blade down, with the blade reversed? When it jumps, there is a rock.

Bruce

 

[square1]

Now I am just trying to convince my wife to walk behind the bucket and I will just stop and she can throw the rocks in the bucket once I find them with the tractor.

Women never appreciate a truly well thought out plan :confused3:
I have no trouble finding rocks in tall grass, finding them before hitting them with the brush hog is the problem

 

[Mendonsy]

What you really need is a teenager who wants to borrow your car. He will follow you anywhere! :thumbsup:

 

[Hill Farmer]

I run my mower high, my loader down low, and watch as best I can. Still hit some rocks, and stumps, but that's just the way it is on rough ground.

 

[JimHam]

I was using the heel of the bucket but I had it level not with the blade tilted up. I will try it tilted up and see if it will drag them. I don't have a back blade so that is out. I've been looking at the rock buckets but I've also seen rock forks that attach to the front of the bucket which would be cheaper and look pretty quick to install and remove. I have the older style bucket with pins not the quick attach. Forks would work well on bare ground but with the tall grasses I have a rock bucket would be loaded up with grass in about 10ft of travel. The rocks run anywhere from the size of a baseball to 2 ft. in Dia. Some are buried boulders that I cannot move even with the bucket. We'll be marking those and mowing around them. When the county put in the water lines last summer they used a track hoe and a dozer. Some of the boulders they dug up were 5 to 6 feet long and 3 ft dia. Burning off sections is part of my management plan so after I burn we can see the rocks and pick them up.

 

[MMagis]

If you’re going to resort to buying something, just buy a cheap set of blades and mow it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I typically use a bushog for that. Makes the rocks smaller.

 

[ProjectKing]

Pull a box blade with the teeth retracted. The box blade will collect the rocks into piles and then you can scoop them up with the front bucket. Adjust box blade angle so that it bites into ground slightly without digging in. This will help to dislodge rocks.

After first pass to remove big stuff then bushhog with mower set HIGH. Then repeat box blade passes to remove the smaller rocks. Then mow low.

Avoid hitting the rocks with the mower blades.

 

[JimHam]

Yep, that's the main idea - don't mow rocks with the bushhog! A box blade is my next purchase and I may get it on my next trip over to my property. Found some that look pretty heavy duty and are reasonably priced at a nearby dealer. Not sure how the box blade will do with the thick grass though. Seems to me it would pile up grass in the box and plug pretty fast. Again, works good on bare ground but might not work in the thick vegetation I have. That's why I was backing up with the tractor and bucket instead of running forward.

 

[bcp]

Put some angle iron skids on the box blade sides so the cutting edge is an inch or two high. Drive around and collect rocks.

Bruce