Rock Bucket Question

[Haoleguy]

I have been taking a more serious look at rock buckets lately as I'm nearly complete with the large tree and rock removal on 6 acre field. As you can imagine there is a lot of small stuff left after clearing larger items with my grapple. What I have noticed in the rock bucket market is that there are very similar units except in tine diameter. I have seen diameters of 1 1/8"(standard or light duty), 1 3/16" to 1 1/4"(medium duty), and 1 1/2"(heavy duty). I'm leaning towards the 1 1/4" size with 3 inch spacing and 72-75" width based on the impression I have that it will withstand a little more punishment that the 1 1/8". However there are many choices in the 1 1/8" diameter size at lower cost. Am I correct in believing that the 1 1/4" will have better durability?

 

[jbrumberg]

Haoleguy:

Have you looked at the "Rocks & Pasture Help" and
"5 ac rock & clay" threads. If I remember correctly Paul in VT recommended this site Welcome to Absolute Innvoations: Manufacturer of the TR3 Rake.. They also produce a pretty interesting "Rock King". There is not a lot of product information on this site, but these units look expensive. Jay

 

[BarryinMN]

I think your observation is correct. But the small stuff disappears under the tractor's nose. End up guessing & taking a lot of topsoil.

I finally bought an older Deere SS with several buckets one of which is a manure fork which I welded some 1" hot rolled out past the fork tines. Makes for super visibility and easily digs/picks smaller rocks.

Also added a tractor pto powered rock windrower that sweeps a 9' width putting the little buggers in a row for fast pickup.

 

[Haoleguy]

Guys - Some great ideas offered but I wonder if these are the right tools for the stage I'm at. The land area that I am clearing had large rocks( which I will grapple or use an excavator), medium rocks, broken roots, branch bits, and invasive vines with roots. It is not perfectly flat anywhere so I was thinking that the rock buckets by Bradco, Precision, Houle, etc. were possibly the right tool for the job. I will see if I can get a photo into the thread later to show what I'm working with. Thank you.

 

[Haoleguy]

I have added a couple of pics I had on hand. I will try to get better pics up shortly...

 

[BarryinMN]

Digging up with a backhoe/excavator will leave smaller craters than a loader bucket.

A plow or something similar will rip up roots & expose more rocks.

Size the rock bucket to the tractor. You want the bucket to fail before damaging the loader boom, cylinders, etc.

If you get the rocks above grade keep using the grapple.

 

[Bigman]

I just bought a 54" for my Kubota B3030 Iowa Farm Equipment -- Virnig Compact Tractor Skeleton Rock Bucket, its been dry all summer, then the day I get it, it rains!!!, anyways wet soil just clumps up, waiting for it dry up so I can attack my rock/dirt piles, will check back in with my "dry" results

 

[atgreene]

I had this bucket built for my excavator and it works great for stone wall building.

 

[Rara Avis]

Haoleguy:

Have you looked at the "Rocks & Pasture Help" and
"5 ac rock & clay" threads. If I remember correctly Paul in VT recommended this site Welcome to Absolute Innvoations: Manufacturer of the TR3 Rake.. They also produce a pretty interesting "Rock King". There is not a lot of product information on this site, but these units look expensive. Jay

Your right the units are expensive, but you only have to buy them once...
They are designed with the commercial landscaper in mind...
They will send you a DISC, which is where the real info is...videos of the units actually doing the jobs, but you give them your info...

 

[AndyMA]

I just bought a 54" for my Kubota B3030 Iowa Farm Equipment -- Virnig Compact Tractor Skeleton Rock Bucket, its been dry all summer, then the day I get it, it rains!!!, anyways wet soil just clumps up, waiting for it dry up so I can attack my rock/dirt piles, will check back in with my "dry" results

I'm now using the Virnig bucket on my Ford 2120 and TN 75D. It works well since it is short and an agressive digger. I use to have a more expensive 1 1/4" tube set that didn't dig well and also I kept bending the tines. It also didn't roll back as well. That coupled with the fact that when it was loaded heavily out front I could't get if of the ground or curl it even with the TN made me trade it in.

Andy