Need help clearing rocks

[Nolove]

I'll keep it short and to the point. I have about 20 acres of rocks that I need to clean up I was thinking about just using a landscape rake and drag everything into rows ( like raking hay) but I really have no clue how to do this anybody have any advice I posted pic of what my land looks like thanks

 

[jeff9366]

I think you will destroy a Landscape Rake in short order.

A solid Rear/Angle blade might do.

Do you have an FEL on your tractor? A GRAPPLE would be the best tool.

And, after windrowing, how are you going to move the concentrated rocks?

THERE ARE THREE CLEARING ROCKS THREADS IN THE "SIMILAR THREADS" BOX AT FOOT OF THIS PAGE.

 

[NHbotanut]

I would think the landscape rake would be the best tool to start with. You could rent a Harley rake later. I think a lot of those rocks would be too big for the Harley rake to move.

Gonna be a lot of trips to make the windrows and then scoop the rocks up, but hey isn't that the goal,...to get some seat time on the tractor?

 

[Nolove]

I plan on using a front loader and a dump trailer to move the rocks after I windrow everything up. Yeah it's going to take a lot of seat time and feel like I'm in way over my head but most likely just putting to much thought into a time consuming project

 

[truckdiagnostics]

It looks like the moon, I will never complain about the rocks we have again! If I was going to do it, I would use the riper bar teeth on the front of my bucket, using it/them as fingers racking pushing the rocks into piles. I have done it that way, we however don't have the rocks you do, and I already had the ripper bar.

 

[CalG]

That's going to be some real tonnage! The ones in pictures are just those on top, there are MORE underneath!! ;-) Start with 2 acres, work out a system, then do another section. repeat until you feel done.

Unless you spend real $$$, moving 20 acres of rocks is going to be a lot of time moving material. Close spaced tines (like hay tines) on a front end loader bucket can pick up stones as you drive towards the dumping spot, and letting the soil fall through. (A potato harvester)

 

[mfridenmaker]

For a job that big, you need a skidsteer attachment called a rockhound. There are different names for the same tool but this is what the tool was designed for. Mark

 

[1026mrg]

Have removed a lot of rocks. Up in the mtns in VT.

Grapple not the best tool.

I would go with a stone fork. Second choice a bucket attachment. If you get real serious there are dedicated rock pickets that will either turn up & windrow rocks, or roll them into a large rock basket. These last two items are very pricey.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Rockhound on the back and skeleton rock bucket on the front

 

[Nolove]

Rockhound on the back and skeleton rock bucket on the front

Hey lukestafford I see you have the MX4800 how do you like it, how's the power on that tractor, do you move round bails around with it, I guess what I'm asking is if you had it to do all over again would you buy the same tractor?

 

[chim]

Someone always has it worse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGBqO3IgGkA

 

[Ken45101]

I would start with a rock rakeBradco 66" Skid Steer, Skidsteer, Rock Bucket, 3" Tine Spacing Universal Skid Steer Quick Attach
You can rent them.

Once you get the majority out, then a powered rake (Harley rake, etc.) will do well. I have used one on the skid steer but I do not think I would start with one with as many rocks as you have.

Have you considered if this is a worthwhile project? Assuming there are just as many buried rocks, they will migrate to the surface every year. You may be fighting a losing battle!

Good luck!

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I have been extremely happy and impressed with the MX4800. I have loaded rear (r4s) and 1000lbs in a 3pt ballast and it's very planted and stable. No round bails but lots of over 2000lb granite boulders with confidence.

With that much weight on it I have occasionally lugged down the engine before I lost traction while bulldozing withe root grapple. If i had R1s and was pulling 8+ ft ground equipment I might consider the turbo charged version.
I run a 6ft brushhog and have never lugged the engine with it.
https://youtu.be/kVtu03glaiE

 

[Nolove]

I would start with a rock rakeBradco 66" Skid Steer, Skidsteer, Rock Bucket, 3" Tine Spacing Universal Skid Steer Quick Attach
You can rent them.

YES SIR I think about that everyday I look at it I'm thinking this will be a good effort and if it doesn't do any

Once you get the majority out, then a powered rake (Harley rake, etc.) will do well. I have used one on the skid steer but I do not think I would start with one with as many rocks as you have.

Have you considered if this is a worthwhile project? Assuming there are just as many buried rocks, they will migrate to the surface every year. You may be fighting a losing battle!

Good luck!

YES SIR I think about that every time I look at it I'm thinking I will but a good effort in cleaning it up and if it doesn't look like is going to get any better I thinking about pine trees as much as I hate to do that

 

[franklinute]

20 acres of those rocks is a really big job. A skeleton bucket should do a good job getting the bigger rocks. It might help
to try and windrow the rocks with a grader blade first. My sons and I did a 2 acre field like that and we pick up big rocks
by hand and put in a skid steer bucket. Then used a tined rake to windrow a few more. Everytime it rained more rocks
popped up. A harley rake does a good job. I rented a rockhound for my skid steer but is it very slow and fills with rocks
quickly.

 

[crazyal]

If you have a loader on your tractor then I would suggest a ratchet rake. Much stronger than a york rake. I think they sell them on this forum. There's plenty of threads here about using one.

Ratchet Rake, LLC - Rip and Dig, All Terrain Rake, Snow Edge, Tractor attachment, Bucket attachment, Loader, Skid loader, Kubota, Skid steer, Landscape rake, Brush remover, York Rake, Harley Rake, Rock Rake, Tractor rake attachment, Construction attac

 

[pwright]

My 2 cents...

My property is pretty much rocks with a little bit of dirt mixed in. My "driveway" was carved out of the native soil with a dozer and has no gravel or other materials added to it. Just last week I cleaned up where recent rains had brought the rocks up. I used a landscape rake and box blade.

What it looks like after about a week. Don't have a before shot.



Close up of the windrowed rocks at the side of the road. See the lovely boulder.



I used my box blade with the rippers dropped down all the way and the box tipped aggressively forward but not really using the blade itself. After several passes up and down to bring up the top layer of rocks I then walked it and tossed out most of the cantaloupe-sized and larger rocks off. Followed up with the rake set at 45 degrees. As it is only a 72" rake (tractor width 60") it left the windrow right behind the trailing side tire which is why in the picture it isn't quite off the driveway. Getting ready to order a rake with offset capability so that I can push them the rest of the way the next time.

As someone else mentioned if there are that many rocks on top there is at least that many underneath. Turning that into a field suitable for planting doesn't seem realistic to me (if that's what hte OP is thinking) but you could certainly clean up the surface with a rake.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I have a ratchet rake and I can attest that it would be helpful if used the correct way. You would need to just lightly let the loader down so that the points off the teeth just graze the top of the soil, not digging in. If you were to dig in, it would undoubtedly bring up more rocks. Now when I say helpful, I don't mean it is going to be perfect. You'll still end up needing to windrow them and do some handwork.

But I question the value of doing it on 20 acres.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Start a rumor that there is potential for gold or diamond in the rocks and sell them by the 5gal bucket. 'U-pick' of course!
I recommend advertising durring the next Republican presidential debat.