# The number of rocks is endless



## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

I hate rocks. There are trillions of them.










I have been looking on YouTube for solutions. Here is a front loader attachment that seems like it would do a decent job of gathering the rocks:










Unfortunately I have not seen something similar that hooks on to the back of a small tractor, using the 3 point harness. A few weeks ago while doing errands I came across this beast, but my small Bobcat tractor could likely not pull it because of how heavy it is:










Not only that, but it would likely cost $7,000 or so. I've also considered a rock rake like this one:










But although this would work with small stones, I'm not sure how good it would be with the larger rocks in my field. Plus, at the end of the day, there is no easy way of scooping up the rocks and dumping them into a ravine.

Does anyone have any better options? I'm determined to get rid of these rocks so we can plant some wild grasses, and be able to mow without destroying the blades of a mower deck.

Thank you!


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## Ford5610II (Jun 11, 2020)

Looks like you have most of the ideas already. Here is another option I didn't see above, since you already have a Bobcat: 












You can also use my method, which is to pick them up with a narrow tined pitch fork (manure fork) and throw into a tractor bucket or a truck.


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

Ford5610II said:


> Here is another option I didn't see above, since you already have a Bobcat. You can also use my method, which is to pick them up with a narrow tined pitch fork (manure fork) and throw into a tractor bucket or a truck.


I do have a Bobcat, but it's a tractor and not a skidster type machine. Although I'm guessing this attachment would work on both types of machine. You use a pitch fork, so I'm guessing you have less than 5 acres of land. When you have 40+ acres, a pitch fork would take too long.

Here is one that I found in Spain, but it requires at least 80 HP. If I could just find something like this but on a smaller scale, it might just work.










Here is one made by Duragrade but it costs $5,000! And it's more geared for being pulled behind a 4 wheeler.










I'm open to other suggestions, besides using a pitch fork.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

The pitch fork is the least expensive way.
You can get a rock bucket for your loader. The ground does need to be dry and well worked up for them to work.
Scooping up the rocks and letting the dirt fall through, they don't work very well in good sticky load or clay soils.
72'' Skid Steer Skeleton Rock Bucket
that one has appearently 3.2" spacing.
60" Rock Bucket Skeleton Loader w/ Teeth Skid Steer Bobcat
that one has 4" spacing.
You can also get grapples on them to hold on to larger ones.


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## Ford5610II (Jun 11, 2020)

I currently farm about 80 acres. And I have cleaned rocks off of many 40+ acre fields with a pickup and a pitchfork over the years. It just takes patience. I usually collect most of them before planting, and then do a finish-touch rock sweep after planting . I walk thru and put them in piles, and then drive thru and collect them. I have the clay soil problem mentioned by LouNY above. Don't forget about the resource of neighbor kids, too.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

pioneerMan said:


> I hate rocks. There are trillions of them.
> 
> View attachment 77268
> 
> ...


With a small tractor I would guess the rock rake you posted would be best option…maybe put it at angle and windrow them. Ya could get two pulls in one row. Then he unpleasant task of scooping and hauling with rock bucket I reckon.

other option is rent a skid steer with large rock bucket


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Have a rock picking party. Buy a keg and invite all your friends over and pick them up and put them in a pickup truck and deposit them elsewhere. Just makes sure they don't get too loaded and get sloppy with the chore. You need a rock picker but your little unit won't work for power.


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## BinVa (Sep 21, 2020)

I realize it's not the ideal situation but have you looked into a rental or neighbor that has a true rock picker to do the work? Unless you have the only rocks in the area!! A Harley rake or such will do the job...but that's a lot to pick up and move. A true hyd dump rock rake makes work lite and efficient...B.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

good alternative as well.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

The landscape rake works good as long as the rocks are mostly loose and not buried in the ground........I have one that I use in the outside horse arena from time to time......


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

You can pull every other tooth off the york rake (landscape) to allow it to gather rocks and not quite as much dirt,
I have heard of people pulling 2 out for an even larger gap but just having teeth in space 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 .............,
could lead to breaking teeth


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

BinVa said:


> I realize it's not the ideal situation but have you looked into a rental or neighbor that has a true rock picker to do the work?


Yes the photo of the Rock Master, which is the 3rd photo from the top of this post, is one I am considering renting if I can make contact with the owner. However, it's an hour drive from our property.


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

What do you guys think of this rock rake I just came across? I think it's the best design for my situation, but the company is in Australia. I contacted them today to see if they have a USA distributor.










More info can be found at their website:





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ROCK/ROOT RAKE 3 PL — WA Machinery Brokers






wamachinerybrokers.com.au


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

pioneerMan said:


> What do you guys think of this rock rake I just came across? I think it's the best design for my situation, but the company is in Australia. I contacted them today to see if they have a USA distributor.
> 
> View attachment 77379
> 
> ...


Looks like it would capture rocks and sift dirt but not sure what results will be….I would guess it will allow you to build up bunch of small piles of rocks, but then what.

I will add that a full implement of rocks in that with small tractor will result in your tires angering in. If that was setup like a pivoting straight blade and allow dirt to sift that would be efficient way to windrow the rocks. Then you would have a steady line of rocks which would be easier to pick up in my opinion.


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

TX MX5200 said:


> Looks like it would capture rocks and sift dirt but not sure what results will be….I would guess it will allow you to build up bunch of small piles of rocks, but then what.


I have a big ravine I can drag the rocks into.


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

Also doesn’t look to be quick hitch compatible with the top link hookup?


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Matey that Company is on the far side of Oz., it would cost a fortune to ship that over to the States, it is also 2.2 meters wide, I think this would be a bit out of your tractor pulling range and the tine spacings are 100 mm wide, your rocks look smaller than that.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I keep coming back to your post and think, it would have been great back in the early 70's to have a paddock like you have, I was part of a 2 man operation making 3 grades of road base from a small quarry and a mobile crushing plant, the stone was no problem, but the binder was, we could only use the top few inches of silicone etc. for binder, could get away with a small amount of clay, and cutting the grass and debris from the top of an area in a paddock with an endloader resulted in losing a percentage of the binder, and I see your area and think WOW!! a road base makers paradise, I can see middle base and top base using a mobile crusher from your block, if only!!.


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

FredM said:


> Matey that Company is on the far side of Oz., it would cost a fortune to ship that over to the States, it is also 2.2 meters wide, I think this would be a bit out of your tractor pulling range and the tine spacings are 100 mm wide, your rocks look smaller than that.


Yes I realize the company is very far away. That's why I mentioned I contacted them to see if they have distributors located in the USA. I also agree that the size is likely larger than what my tractor can handle, but perhaps this company offers different options. And my rocks come in all shapes and sizes.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

pioneerMan said:


> What do you guys think of this rock rake I just came across? I think it's the best design for my situation, but the company is in Australia. I contacted them today to see if they have a USA distributor.
> 
> View attachment 77379
> 
> ...


How hard would it be to make one yourself ?

Or make a suggestion to the Heavy-Hitch company that makes other devices very similar to this.

Or convert a box blade int a device like this. 

BobCat boxblade, just add the rippers.



















But with TRILLIONS of rocks, the snow blade would work even better.










The only issue is, after each pass, you would need to soil sift to place the rocks in the ravine and then to grade back in the soil.


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## SSPLC (11 mo ago)

I had a sub come in for some work and they had a new toy, it did Amazing! I have been on the fence since about getting one myself. The Abi video is fluff and full of itself but the actual machine/attachments performed well.


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

bmaverick said:


> How hard would it be to make one yourself ?


I'm more of a computer guy and have zero welding and fabrication experience. How many people have had decent success with just using a box blade to get the rocks in a pile?


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

pioneerMan said:


> I'm more of a computer guy and have zero welding and fabrication experience. How many people have had decent success with just using a box blade to get the rocks in a pile?


Haha, you are sort of like me. In HS, the bullies took the welding class, thus I took the woodworking class to ensure I wasn't done any harm. So, I still can't weld. BUT, I know how to bend, form cut holes and carriage bolt things together that would of been a welded product. 

Using 3D computer CAD, one can then build the same product with joining hardware. FreeCAD v19.3 is now out. Or student version of SolidWorks. From there, you can do the hard work to make the physical work EZ-PZ like legos.  

Did you peek at the Heavy-Hitch site? 
All Products - Heavy Hitch - Compact Tractor Attachments 
Look under Yard/Tillage. You can learn a bunch on how to just plainly bolt things together as tractor attachments. 

I'm half way towards making my own potato hiller as a 3PT version.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Something like this would be a good option too, surprising how much spoil you can put over this and being built with timber that shouldn't be a problem for you, the bloke has a problem with his spoil being damp and having the grid so fine, he is losing more soil over the back of the screen, and if the frame is made strong enough, the screen can be moved along with the bucket as you clean up each area.

There are many designs on youtube to look at.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

You do realize that no matter what method you use to remove the rocks from this area that it will not be a one time deal and all the rocks are removed for ever situation, correct? If you are in an area that has rock soil and subsoil then this is going to be a constant ongoing problem with ricks making their way to the surface. I am in southern Indiana, the heart of limestone country, and this is a battle I fight every year........No matter what I am using the ground for, pasture, yard, horse arena, etc, I am still finding new rocks making their way to the surface.....We have a 125 X 150 foot outdoor horse arena that I completely stripped to a depth of 16 inches then brought in several hundred tons of clean top soil, clay and sand and build back the 16 inches that I removed. Even though the dragging and grooming of this arena never gets anywhere close to the depth of the native subsoil, we still fight the issue of having rocks work their way up to the surface... I have found that a good landscape rake works to drag the rocks to the end of the arena in piles then I load them into a wagon with a shovel and/or fork...


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

unsquidly said:


> You do realize that no matter what method you use to remove the rocks from this area that it will not be a one time deal and all the rocks are removed for ever situation, correct?


Thanks, you just made my day!


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

pioneerMan said:


> Thanks, you just made my day!



Sorry bro.......Better to learn this now then think you have the problem solved and find out next year you don't.......


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## pioneerMan (11 mo ago)

Guess what everyone!?! I think I found the perfect tool for my needs. Does anyone have one of these?


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## TX MX5200 (May 12, 2020)

I may be wrong, but looks like that’s for light weight aggregate and a tool for driveway management to me. All would be good til that thin blade catches an embedded heavy rock.

short of that, you would have a box full every 30 feet of travel…then what ya gonna do with them? if your looking at maintaining drive then maybe…if looking a field clearing, I’m thinking you would be pissing into a fan, but that’s my opinion only.

as stated, those rocks will continue to surface. I would be thinking more of wind rowing them into manageable lines with angle blade, which you have…then begin the task of running that line with the loader and hauling them to where ya want them. It will be a process and I would start at road and work way out from there.

Honestly, it sounds as though your trying to attack many large tasks at same time…like a blind dog in a meat market…just settle into the marathon concept as it isn’t a sprint race.


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## NTSOG (Dec 13, 2021)

unsquidly: _"You do realize that no matter what method you use to remove the rocks from this area that it will not be a one time deal and all the rocks are removed for ever situation, correct?"_

Unfortunately it's true. Living on volcanic soil with quartz and basalt rock from tiny to large size, year after year I have to collect rocks that 'worked' their way to the surface due to the action of water and frost and wear from hooved animals. One would think that the blessed things were alive and capable of independent mobility - and spite. To work-up such ground so as to plant a crop is to invite the underground rocky relatives to come to the party at the surface.

Jim


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Ground with rocks, rocks can be removed, but every year new ones appear no matter what you do.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

There is one way to slow down the new crops of rocks, it is labor intensive mechanical and/or manual.
Deep moldboard plow, spring tooth harrow deep and in multiple directions, then pick rocks, and pick rocks.
Harrow one or two more times and pick rocks again.
Depending on your soil it will most likely be very dry and fine by this time, run a cultipacker over it to firm up
a seed bed and then plant or drill. After that do NOT plow again if replanting is needed use a no-till method.
After a few years you will see some rocks appear just remove them as they become visible.


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