How do I get this boulder out of this hole?

[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