How do I get this boulder out of this hole?

[etpm]

Years ago I had to remove a big rock from my new garden. All I had was my 1945 Gibson tractor. Look up Gibson tractors to see what I had. Anyway, a 7 hp Wisconsin engine was all the power I had. I dug a ramp down to the rock. Then I wrapped a chain basket made from tire chains around the rock. At least a 400 pound rock. I jerked and jerked until the rock started to move up the ramp. Once I got it moving I didn't stop until I had the rock where I wanted it. So a ramp is a good idea I think. Drag the rock onto some sort of sled, maybe a piece of 3/4 plywood or an old car hood. Water the ground heavily along the path you want to drag the rock so it is extra slick. Drag to desired location. Or, as someone else suggested, hire a big wrecker to pick and place it.
Eric

 

[Hay Dude]

 

[newbury]

Your in New England right?
Try digging down like FatJay wrote, water the ramp so it freezes over, put in posts at top of the ramp to attach cable/heavy rope, winch rope and rock up ramp if you don't have something to tow it with.

 

[scootr]

I should have clarified that we want to keep it intact and use it. I'll edit my post to reflect that

Dig a long gradual ramp to it and drag it out with a chain, GL
Oh. I see I'm late to the suggestion box

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Assuming 7' by 5 or 6' that boulder probably weighs in excess of 20,000lbs. Big tow wrecker with crane and sling.

Yep. I would just back my (underrated) 10-ton crane up to it, position two slings, and lift it out.

Is there something I'm missing about this simple task?

 

[jk96]

Yep. I would just back my (underrated) 10-ton crane up to it, position two slings, and lift it out.

Is there something I'm missing about this simple task?

I know the op doesn't have a crane but paying wrecker is how I would do it. I think a lot of comments are greatly underestimating the weight. It is probably in the 24k to 26k range.

 

[Carl_NH]

This is the typical New England boulder and Cat 315 2x the size of the OP machine but was a struggle.

5'H x 6'Wx 10' L a bigin..

 

[jjeff]

Wish I had pics of some of the boulders I moved with my old steel track.over tires JD 326 ss , and a heavier duty stump bucket with grapple. As long as I could get the boulder to move by digging down around it in a hole with stump bucket I could use the bucket like a pry bar to pop it out of hole to more level ground.and push it down an embankment, off a logging two track I was helping make more useable for vehicles to access a camp. Dangerous, problaby, but it worked without any noticeable damage to 326 or injuries. . you will problaby. Have to push a rock that size if you manage to get it out of the hole. Me anyway I'd never try pushing something that big up an incline. Good luck.

 

[DarkBlack]

If you can’t budge it even a little, like you said, meaning not the slightest movement in any direction with your mini excavator, that would lead me to believe it’s attached to a larger rock formation underneath. You should probably look into how large the attached area is, before you move forward with trying to lift it out. You might have to break it up, or at least break the attachment area first

 

[DarkBlack]

One method Ive used in similar situations, is to lift up high, another large boulder with your excavator and drop it on that one. Don’t get the machine too close… eye protection required..

 

[bdhsfz6]

If it were me, I'd be thinking what my time is worth fooling around trying to get that rock where you want it. Do you really need a rock that size, and how much are you willing to spend on your landscaping project?

Rather than spend my time & money trying to move that one, I'd fill in the hole with the rock still in it. I would then hire a landscaper to deliver a similar rock and place it where you want it.

I did this when putting in my wife's rock garden. I had several 5 ton boulders delivered by a local landscaper, who dropped them exactly where I wanted.

 

[newbury]

If it were me, I'd be thinking what my time is worth fooling around trying to get that rock where you want it. Do you really need a rock that size, and how much are you willing to spend on your landscaping project?

That reminds me of my father. About 1959 we lived on a 3 acre plot in just about the center of Underhill Vt.
My Father was set on putting in a garden, about 100'x100', and was doing it all manually. Shovel, cultivator powered by me, etc.

The soil was glacial till with some assorted rocks. One rock in particular was in the way. My father was stubborn and about 6' tall. He had dug around a lot of rocks and moved them out, all about the size of a 5 gallon bucket. Well this one he started digging around and I can still remember seeing him waist deep in the hole trying to get the rock out. I think he finally gave up.
Sometimes it's better to let rocks, sleeping dogs and sleeping babies stay where they are.

 

[jk96]

If you can’t budge it even a little, like you said, meaning not the slightest movement in any direction with your mini excavator, that would lead me to believe it’s attached to a larger rock formation underneath. You should probably look into how large the attached area is, before you move forward with trying to lift it out. You might have to break it up, or at least break the attachment area first

If that rock is still partially in a hole it doesn't surprise me it won't move at all. That rock is double the weight of that 306's bucket breakout force and 4 times the stick numbers.

 

[Rockbadchild]

bigger machine and utilize a A frame above it check how he utilize it in the first second of this video.

 

[civilian]

I know my curl function on my Kubota B26TLB backhoe is a lot stronger than the lift. Can you curl under the rock, fill in with your tractor where the curl is, and repeat? Jon

 

[CalG]

If it were me, I'd be thinking what my time is worth fooling around trying to get that rock where you want it. Do you really need a rock that size, and how much are you willing to spend on your landscaping project?

Rather than spend my time & money trying to move that one, I'd fill in the hole with the rock still in it. I would then hire a landscaper to deliver a similar rock and place it where you want it.

I did this when putting in my wife's rock garden. I had several 5 ton boulders delivered by a local landscaper, who dropped them exactly where I wanted.

Such a great story to inspire the grand children to do for themselves!

 

[CalG]

I know my curl function on my Kubota B26TLB backhoe is a lot stronger than the lift. Can you curl under the rock, fill in with your tractor where the curl is, and repeat? Jon

You can break an axle that way!

 

[CalG]

About 20 years ago, this one showed as a 12 inch "crown" in the garden. I dug it by hand, jacked it out of the hole with a cheap 2 ton hydraulic jack. Inch by inch. Chained it up and drug it to the corner as "an ornry ment" , with the Fordson E27n. Then piled a "cap stone" on top just to be contrary.

The base stone is 92 inches the longest dimension, 64 inches front to back, and 33 inched vertical.

It must be heavy, it hasn't moved an inch since.

 

[RobertEH]

Dig a path down so you can drive down to the rock, then drag the rock up the hill.

View attachment 4449027

And name the rock Sisyphus when you are done.

 

[future_vision]

Dig a path down so you can drive down to the rock, then drag the rock up the hill.

View attachment 4449027

Might be a possibility if the estimated weight wasn't between 40-50K pounds. It won't budge with a 15K excavator. Started exploring using a deadman anchor and about 5 snatch blocks to create a 5:1 system