3-Point Hitch Moving Large Rocks

[splotkin]

careful when lifting rocks . I had one suspended from the front bucket and got it out of a hole ok, but when I backed up the right rear wheel hit a rock that started my suspended rock swinging. That was when I abandoned my seat and ran for it. The momentum of the swing took the tractor over. Next time, I will not lift, but drag the rock.

Jerry

thanks for all the great replies. I am always extremely careful when working with equipment. I had the rock and the bucket just barely scraping the ground or touching almost the entire time. It does not show in the picture but there was also a tag line attached when I did the actual lift out of the creek. That will keep the load from swinging and throwing the center of gravity off causing a possible roll-over. I have done commercial rigging and I ran the high speed boom crane on an ice breaker for close to ten years. I learned while on fishing boats working out of Southeast Alaska unloading king crab and salmon. Later on the Ice breaker I would do crew transfers between vessels. I have seen too many accidents and almost all were either carelessness, poor planning or over stressing equipment. If you do it right you get to tell stories about it. Thanks - Scott

 

[picker77]

Glad you got it out without mishap. Next time you might try moving that chain forward toward the tractor to about the halfway point (just behind the truss gusset) on that boom. Might make a significant difference in the lift capability. The closer to those rear wheels you can make the lift point, the easier it will be to lift. Laws of levers, mechanical advantage, and all that stuff...

 

[splotkin]

Glad you got it out without mishap. Next time you might try moving that chain forward toward the tractor to about the halfway point (just behind the truss gusset) on that boom. Might make a significant difference in the lift capability. The closer to those rear wheels you can make the lift point, the easier it will be to lift. Laws of levers, mechanical advantage, and all that stuff...

If you look you will see two lifting eyes on the boom. I used the one closer to the tractor as the moment arm is shorter. The chain on the end was the one with the tag line on it. I looped it to the end of the boom when I took the picture. I was unable to use a point anyplace closer to the tractor on the boom, or the rear wheels of the tractor would have gotten too close to the edge of the creek which is fairly unstable. I had done quite a bit of pre-planning before attempting the lift. I set the boom angle ahead of time and marked were the rear wheels would be in relationship to the lift point on the boom and to make sure it was a straight up pull. I did not want to have any side load on the boom. Again - Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions. -Scott