How do I get this boulder out of this hole?

[etpm]

Years ago I had to remove a big rock from my new garden. All I had was my 1945 Gibson tractor. Look up Gibson tractors to see what I had. Anyway, a 7 hp Wisconsin engine was all the power I had. I dug a ramp down to the rock. Then I wrapped a chain basket made from tire chains around the rock. At least a 400 pound rock. I jerked and jerked until the rock started to move up the ramp. Once I got it moving I didn't stop until I had the rock where I wanted it. So a ramp is a good idea I think. Drag the rock onto some sort of sled, maybe a piece of 3/4 plywood or an old car hood. Water the ground heavily along the path you want to drag the rock so it is extra slick. Drag to desired location. Or, as someone else suggested, hire a big wrecker to pick and place it.
Eric

 

[Hay Dude]

 

[newbury]

Your in New England right?
Try digging down like FatJay wrote, water the ramp so it freezes over, put in posts at top of the ramp to attach cable/heavy rope, winch rope and rock up ramp if you don't have something to tow it with.

 

[scootr]

I should have clarified that we want to keep it intact and use it. I'll edit my post to reflect that

Dig a long gradual ramp to it and drag it out with a chain, GL
Oh. I see I'm late to the suggestion box

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Assuming 7' by 5 or 6' that boulder probably weighs in excess of 20,000lbs. Big tow wrecker with crane and sling.

Yep. I would just back my (underrated) 10-ton crane up to it, position two slings, and lift it out.

Is there something I'm missing about this simple task?

 

[jk96]

Yep. I would just back my (underrated) 10-ton crane up to it, position two slings, and lift it out.

Is there something I'm missing about this simple task?

I know the op doesn't have a crane but paying wrecker is how I would do it. I think a lot of comments are greatly underestimating the weight. It is probably in the 24k to 26k range.

 

[Carl_NH]

This is the typical New England boulder and Cat 315 2x the size of the OP machine but was a struggle.

5'H x 6'Wx 10' L a bigin..

 

[jjeff]

Wish I had pics of some of the boulders I moved with my old steel track.over tires JD 326 ss , and a heavier duty stump bucket with grapple. As long as I could get the boulder to move by digging down around it in a hole with stump bucket I could use the bucket like a pry bar to pop it out of hole to more level ground.and push it down an embankment, off a logging two track I was helping make more useable for vehicles to access a camp. Dangerous, problaby, but it worked without any noticeable damage to 326 or injuries. . you will problaby. Have to push a rock that size if you manage to get it out of the hole. Me anyway I'd never try pushing something that big up an incline. Good luck.

 

[DarkBlack]

If you can’t budge it even a little, like you said, meaning not the slightest movement in any direction with your mini excavator, that would lead me to believe it’s attached to a larger rock formation underneath. You should probably look into how large the attached area is, before you move forward with trying to lift it out. You might have to break it up, or at least break the attachment area first

 

[DarkBlack]

One method Ive used in similar situations, is to lift up high, another large boulder with your excavator and drop it on that one. Don’t get the machine too close… eye protection required..