# Moving large Stones



## Ed Hill

I have a Kubota B1750 with a 1640 FEL. I tried to pick up one of the smaller stones I wish to move, and no go.
I have heard of "stone boats" used with horse teams years ago. Does anyone have some experience moving large stone with small equipment? What I have in mind is to build a stone wall as the back wall of an equipment shed built into a slope.
I can post some photos of the proposed location as well as the stones I have saved up so far if there is any interest.:homereat:


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## chrpmaster

Sounds like a fun project Ed. Of course we always like pics of any project so feel free to post any you have. Maybe you could start a thread showing the project as it progresses. 

As far as moving the big rocks I have seen some guys use simple sleds to move them. If I recall some of them even used a sheet of plywood and rolled the stone onto it then hooked a chain on and drug it around. A lot depends on how big the rocks are and what kind of terrain you need to cover.

Andy


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## Cannuck-elhead

A few things come to mind.

First, a stone wall high enough to form a building wall is not a good idea, even if it doesn't slump, fall over or lean too badly, the hill above it will still direct a lot of water into the building.

Secondly, if they can't be picked up off the ground, just how do you plan on making a wall that high with them?

Finally, stones or any uninsulated similar product (concrete, blocks, ricks, etc.) don't make good material for storing equipment in, they heat up during the day and then give heat back off during cold overnights. This leads to big condensation problems.

Condensation + equipment = rust.b


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## Ed Hill

*Good points*

First, you raise some good points. Perhaps I should relocate my shed and build a plain wooden structure on a slab, or maybe on a gravel base.

On the other hand, there is a man in England building a model of Stonehenge out of concrete by himself with simple tools. I figure that if he can do that, I should be able to move stones. You can Google him for details.

The terrain is such that if I can drag the stones up hill from where the wall will be, then I can slide them down into place, maybe.

Ed Hill


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## Cannuck-elhead

*Re: Good points*



> _Originally posted by Ed Hill _
> * The terrain is such that if I can drag the stones up hill from where the wall will be, then I can slide them down into place, maybe.
> 
> Ed Hill *


Ed, with all due respect, if the stones are so heavy that the machine won't even pick them up, I have serious reservations about the ability to "slide them down into place" without them merely rolling away out of control.

BTW, I'm not against the idea of building some storage space that way, but, first I don't think it's a good place for storing a tractor, implements maybe, or firewood or something of that nature. Secondly, if you do decide to do it, just rent (or hire) a bigger machine for a day or two. It will be worth it in the long run.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Ed, I built a 3 car garage with additional storage enough to house 22 cords of wood and a nice work area, built entirely for free! I took some large rocks like what you are talking about, but put them in the ground, as piers and left about a foot sticking out of the ground. For poles, I cut logs from my land. I doweled the rocks with rebar, sticking out the tops of the rocks and drilled my post logs to sit upon the rocks over the rebar. We have a metal recycler in our area, and they let me pick out a bunch of sheet metal from their scrap pile, for no charge. I did the roof and walls in that, and collected 3 garage roll up doors over the years for free as well. The doors are different sizes and one of them is from a vintage full service gas station, from when I was a kid. It's nearly solid glass! Lets in a lot of light! The building looks a bit rough but did I mention it was free to build? Just thought I'd mention it to ya as yet another option, as it sounds as though you too might be on a budget or just a simple meiser!  Keep us posted on your destination with this will ya? Chris


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## Bob_583

with this 
no problem










http://www.europe-machinery.com/img_1/excavators/excavators.jpeg


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## Ed Hill

Yes, that would do the job. The project is an evolving thing, as many are. Currently I am considering the advice against using stone as a back wall in a hillside, and have come to agree that it might be a better design for a prison cell than for equipment storage. I am inclined to think I could use a car hood for a sled to move stones, but now wonder if I need to move them at all.


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## 275 massey

Anybody have any ideas about building a stone deck? We have so many rocks huge ones, small ones, flat all kinds, I figure might as well use what we have.What kind of base would you have to have? A cement one or gravel? This deck or porch would only be about 3 feet high, but around 12 feet by 16 feet.Alot of rocks! It might clear one field. hahaha


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## Fordfarm

I use an old car hood to slide rocks. Roll them over onto the hood, then attach a chain and away you got. Be sure the hood is upside down. Sometimes, a pickup will pull a rock that a tractor won't....


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## Cannuck-elhead

275 massey said:


> Anybody have any ideas about building a stone deck?


I've done several at my summer place at the lake.

Layout the area you want to build it on and remove all the topsoil, roots, etc., and lay in a good bed of sand fill, then start placing stones in a nice pattern, about 2" - 3" apart from each other and with the flat sides up and the tops all lined up flat and level. When you have the area filled, or run out of stones, beer or energy, build a form around it using 1" x 6" or 8" boards. Then carefully place concrete between all the stones filling all the gaps completely and smoothing it off as you go.

Voila, rocks gone, patio finished.


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## 275 massey

Thanks cannuck-elhead for the ideas. I always seem to run out of beer first.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Ed Hill said:


> First, you raise some good points. Perhaps I should relocate my shed and build a plain wooden structure on a slab, or maybe on a gravel base.
> 
> On the other hand, there is a man in England building a model of Stonehenge out of concrete by himself with simple tools. I figure that if he can do that, I should be able to move stones. You can Google him for details.
> 
> The terrain is such that if I can drag the stones up hill from where the wall will be, then I can slide them down into place, maybe.
> 
> Ed Hill


Just curious what you ended up with Ed?


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## Bamataco

I just came up with an idea for you. See if you can swap the large stones for some other type of building material. You could post it on Craigs list. That way you will be able to build your shed on the cheap and get the area where the stones are cleared at the same time.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Bamataco said:


> I just came up with an idea for you. See if you can swap the large stones for some other type of building material. You could post it on Craigs list. That way you will be able to build your shed on the cheap and get the area where the stones are cleared at the same time.


I can't help but laugh. Down the road a few hundred yards is a county gravel pit, with lots of big ol rocks. It used to be a dump at one time and we'd all go in there and scavenge back in the 70s and 80s. Since then the garbage has been removed. I had been going down the road right of way picking up rocks for this and that, and decided to ask a worker that happen to be there one day. He said "Oh no, these rocks are for sale only, you have to get in touch with the road and bridge department and pay them" To which I told him, "Well that's the cool thing about Vay! There's no shortage of rocks here.All one has to do is cruise the right of way and pick em up for free", as I winked and drove out in the John Deere! I agree though that the large rocks thing is a big booming business anymore. Could work for Ed, I hope!


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## freshtiva

I moved some rocks yesterday. When these were removed to put in a water line a dozer pushed them into an area Im trying to clean up mow which meant I had to move them again. I was able to move them with the FEL but needed some rear ballast. Note first snow dusting of the year overnight.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Bet you're loving that loader right now! The frustration mounts when you get rocks that are big enough to where when you lift, they topple out. I've had to push a few rocks over to another rock or tree and then lift them up. What do you have, a 7 foot bucket on that?


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## freshtiva

tractor beam said:


> Bet you're loving that loader right now! The frustration mounts when you get rocks that are big enough to where when you lift, they topple out. I've had to push a few rocks over to another rock or tree and then lift them up. What do you have, a 7 foot bucket on that?


You hit the nail on the head there. I was getting frustrated trying to get the rocks to roll over into the bucket. Even when Id get them up against a tree or something the center of gravity alway seemed to be outside the bucket. I did more pushing than picking up. I think some forks might be better for moving rocks. Its hard seeing over the bucket at whats going on, but yes I am loving the FEL !! 72" bucket


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## Hoodoo Valley

Always seem to gouge out a big patch of dirt too! I got a set of forks and yes they are much better at moving rocks and the whole visability thing! I can see you heading out to the Kubota dealer at lunch!!:lmao:


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## freshtiva

tractor beam said:


> Always seem to gouge out a big patch of dirt too! I got a set of forks and yes they are much better at moving rocks and the whole visability thing! I can see you heading out to the Kubota dealer at lunch!!:lmao:


Yeah, I did the gouging thing too. I have been looking at some forks. What type do you have or recommend ? I see there are some forks that are just clamped or chained to the bucket.


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## Hoodoo Valley

No!...........


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## Hoodoo Valley

Pay the extra and get a set of factory or aftermarket that attach like the bucket does, to the loader arms. I bought a set of Rankins that John Deere sells and I've been smiling all the way! The clamp ons are cheaper, but you risk bending your bucket and the load is outside the bucket causing more cantalever and decreased lift ability.


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## Hoodoo Valley

A word of advice if you do get the forks.......... If you believe your pushing your luck with excess weight and could cause damage, lift the boom only. Don't roll the forks up. If you have the correct match up, then lifting the boom won't bend the forks, even if the load is at the ends of the forks, because it won't lift it and the hydraulics will stall out. The roll back has at least another 1000 pounds of force and will exhert enough force to bend the forks if they are going to bent at all.


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## freshtiva

^ I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the advice. As an after thought I bet my three point dirt scoop would work pretty good for moving rocks as long as they werent too big. Easy to see and no ballast problem.


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## dangeroustoys56

About a year ago i had a rather large stump from a cluster of trees that i had cut down out by my shed - was rather annoying and had little room to park stuff in front of the shed. I almost rented a stump grinder, but it was too close to the fence, so i decided to dig around the stump ( rather easy due to sandy soil) and use my trusty sawzall to hack the roots. 
I figured thered maybe be a few large ones- heck no- had to be darn near a couple hundred roots! I hacked at that thing for nearly 5 hours, ran thru 6 blades getting that thing out. It was too heavy to move by hand out of the hole, so i wrapped a chain around the stump and hooked it to the back of my trusty 84 dynamark lawntractor - took a couple yanks, but got it out of the hole- i shouldve taken pics of the thing , but i hauled it across the yard and threw it on my branch pile in the corner- i dug up some grass getting it back there, but it grew back.


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## Hoodoo Valley

I was about 14 years old and me and my dad had been hand digging a large stump among others that were in our yard. One day, while my folks had gone to town, I hooked up our Case tractor to the stump and when the tractor hit the end of the chain, it almost flipped over on me. I hit the clutch and the front fell so hard that it bounced!


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## dangeroustoys56

Ouch- probably lucky the front didnt break off ( seen a video of a pulling tractor break the front axle when it landed).

A freind of mine came up with a good idea- he had some metal posts in the back yard from a previous owners dog run set in concrete he wanted gone- so he dragged a garden hose down there with a nozzle and removed the majority of dirt with it and was able to pull the posts out- he did that with a couple stumps as well.


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## Hoodoo Valley

I've heard of this before. I suppose it would work huh?


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## Bamataco

When I lived in Las Vegas I needed to move a few large stones. I didn't have any sort of tractor at all. So I used a come-along and one of those nylon straps that jeepers use. And some chain. I would only recomend this as a last resort though. Very slow and time consuming. But it did get the job done. Oh I used a tree as the anchor point.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Those whacky Egyptians did it without tractors, and even hung them up in the air.


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