dragging big rocks backwards with chain/loader??

[ccdck20hst]

I have been continuing to move rocks from my ruble stone wall and some of the rocks I have left to move are good sized. By this I mean they are too big to fit in the 54" bucket of the loader on my CK20 HST TLB. The biggest are the size of an easy chair. I must have 10-20 rocks about the size of a coffee table (20" to 30" high and 30" to 50+" long some sliver shapes and some almost like beach balls) What these big ones weigh is hard to tell but I would bet 1200 to 3000 lbs. So, either I rent a bigger unit with a bigger bucket, rent a "drill" and buy some dexpan (never used this stuff but looks like fun no idea how long it takes to drill each hole to the required depth) or I try dragging the bigger rocks accross my lawn to a new final resting place about 150 feet. I have 30 feet of new, stout chain and a 6 foot piece of chain I found. I have one hook in the center of my bucket on the loader and no hook on the bucket for the backhoe. Can I wrap the chain entirely around the bucket on the loader and wrap the other end around my big rocks and drag the rocks backwards without wrecking the loader or the bucket?? What might the weight limit be for dragging backwards? I do not want to take the backhoe off. But if experienced users (I am not yet really experienced) say it would be cracy tnot to take it off and drag from the back of the tractor I will listen. And for those who recommend a car hood as a skid any partiulars on the year and make of the car I should try to get one from? Any practical ideas on this would be appreicated.

 

[Steve_Miller]

Hook onto it and see what happens, if something breaks then you've exceeded the limits of whatever broke. Unless your absolutely sure you can't move them with your tractor then you'll have to move up in size to something that will. If you go by the tractor specs then you can only pull something like a 1000lbs at the drawbar. I've pulled way more than that with my CK20J and haven't broke anything yet, have I done any damage to any gears or clutch? Who knows? I'm willing to try what I think I can get away with and more sometimes. Its one of those things you just have to see what happens or never get anything done. Sorry, i'm babbling.

Steve

 

[IslandTractor]

Why not get an old hood of a car from a junkyard and use it to skid the rocks to where you want them. Attach the hood via chain or tow strap to your drawbar. It would probably work better than trying to backup with the rocks chained to the loader and would be easier on whatever lawn or ground you need to traverse.

 

[Highbeam]

I would rather fail at pushing than fail at pulling in reverse. I usually approach something like this with intentions of pushing/rolling/sliding/spinning the rock or stump to its resting place. Chains just cause trouble.

 

[rback33]

Be VERY cautious when doing this. Loaders are designed to life and push. The are much weaker going in reverse. It makes a LOT more sense to pull with the draw bar. Much safer too. Just like a car, one should not operate a tractor in reverse more than is absolutely needed.

 

[Slacker]

+1 on the car hood. I've moved some pretty massive ones that way. Much easier on the gear.

 

[ccdck20hst]

Thanks for the reponses. I can understand about tractor loaders not being at their best when towing backwards and I may try the car hood route. Also, come to think of it I have had good luck using muscle power (and I am not a muscle man) to roll and pivot some very large rocks over short distances. I guess if I used the loader and backhoe to tip, roll and pivot I could get a lot done - suppose the lawn can be fixed.

 

[fastpat]

I have been continuing to move rocks from my ruble stone wall and some of the rocks I have left to move are good sized. By this I mean they are too big to fit in the 54" bucket of the loader on my CK20 HST TLB. The biggest are the size of an easy chair. I must have 10-20 rocks about the size of a coffee table (20" to 30" high and 30" to 50+" long some sliver shapes and some almost like beach balls) What these big ones weigh is hard to tell but I would bet 1200 to 3000 lbs. So, either I rent a bigger unit with a bigger bucket, rent a "drill" and buy some dexpan (never used this stuff but looks like fun no idea how long it takes to drill each hole to the required depth) or I try dragging the bigger rocks accross my lawn to a new final resting place about 150 feet. I have 30 feet of new, stout chain and a 6 foot piece of chain I found. I have one hook in the center of my bucket on the loader and no hook on the bucket for the backhoe. Can I wrap the chain entirely around the bucket on the loader and wrap the other end around my big rocks and drag the rocks backwards without wrecking the loader or the bucket?? What might the weight limit be for dragging backwards? I do not want to take the backhoe off. But if experienced users (I am not yet really experienced) say it would be cracy tnot to take it off and drag from the back of the tractor I will listen. And for those who recommend a car hood as a skid any partiulars on the year and make of the car I should try to get one from? Any practical ideas on this would be appreicated.

I've seen the results of wrapping chains, straps, etc. around the FEL bucket, it almost always bends the upper bucket edge downward in the middle. From your description of size, I'd guess they weigh about twice your estimates, and exceed the capacity of your tractor by several tons.

 

[dillo99]

Car hood works great - I use it all the time for very large rocks. I attach it to the tow bar - figure there is little that I can break that way. If the rock is too big the tires spin.

 

[eanjay]

Why not dig a hole beside the rock, tip it in - rock gone!

EanJay

 

[DIRTCUTTER]

To clear rocks what I did was to bolt a 3/8 metal plate with a ring welded to it to the frame. Run a chain thru it and attach a truck tire snow chain to that. The snow chain will keep the chain from slipping off the rock. ck30 hst.

 

[ccdck20hst]

Burying rocks here in northwest Connecticut, at least on my little piece of ground, would involve digging up other rocks to make room for the rock to be buried. True the larger rocks can be buried and I probably would dig up mostly smaller rocks from the earth to do this. Also, while it probably sounds crazy I actually like the shapes of many of the larger rocks I have. I dream of utilizing the various shapes for practical purposes. I hope to use many of them as "poor man's landscaping features". In fact I have used several suitably shaped rocks, (gotta be flat enough on top to hold a beer bottle and a plate) as wind and weatherproof end tables on my patio. Reconfigured stone wall used many of them already. We get some pretty windy weather here. I would like to use several of the larger rocks that are about the size of chairs as both landscaping features and wind blocks for a decent seating area out on the lawn. Won't bother me to have a little less grass to cut either. I guess I will probably pass on the idea of wraping a chain around the loader bucket as it has been stated here this could bend the lip of the bucket.

 

[coasterez]

If you use your bucket, you are sure to bend it. Pull those rocks from your tow bar. A skid will surely help. I pulled a huge stump with my CK25 that weigedt more than I could move with either the bucket or backhoe, and didn't skid. She pulled it, but it was a struggle to maintain traction and move it about 100 feet. Skidding would have made things much easier.

Don't be ashamed of using those rocks for landscaping. Some folks pay big money for big rocks. I just bought one to use instead of a diving board for my pool. It cost me nearly $700 delivered, and is worth every penny because it is beautiful and will never need maintenance. I know a man who operates a stone quarry, and he regularly gets $1000 to $1500 for really large, flat rocks. My rock is about the size of a small garden tractor; weighs 5180 lbs - purple granite like rock called Mount St. Mary's. So, don't underestimate how heavy they can be. I wouldn't think about dragging that beast around without a skid - digs into the ground too much. A skid will save you time and wear on your tractor.