How to remove rocks from soil?

[greenmojo]

I would love to clear land for a big garden or even some orchard trees and grass, but our property up here is plagued with broken basalt rock spread throughout the top layer of soil.

What is the easiest way to get those rocks out? I bought a rock bucket for my JD 4300, but that's only useful if you are sorting through piles of dirt.

Is there an implement or strategy?

Additionally, I have a JD 450C to push dirt around if that helps with any ideas / strategies you all have.

Thanks,

Moses

 

[Gary Fowler]

Well they do make rock pickers that are pulled thru the dirt and sift out the rocks and place them in a basket. I have only seen video of them and they may require some loosening up of the soil first, but they do seem to do a good job of cleaning the soil.

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

I would hire or rent to get it done,
You need remotes to run a picker and at least 12000# of tractor.

 

[Utopia Texas]

There are rock rakes that can be pulled behind most any tractor. Naturally they only work on rocks at the surface unless the ground is plowed and soft. The rakes are about the same size as a pull behind grader blade. I have one that is seven feet wide with about thirty five springy tines.

 

[john_bud]

bucket in left hand, bend over, pick up rock with right hand, put in bucket, walk forward... repeat until bucket is full.

 

[Dozernut]

Rent a 3 pt. Harley Rake. Type in Harley Rake on Google and do some reading.

 

[D7E]

We are on heavy land with no stones but i rent some lighter stony land of an old guy who keeps 200acres for himself to keep him occupied and like a lot of the old timers summer fallows half of it but he spends his summers with a reasonable size rock picker on a MF 135 ...he just does'nt fill the basket all the way up , seems to work very well .

Whats wrong with bending your back a bit ...We farm 2000 acres and every year we run through with the front end loader after seeding for 2-3 days and pick 20-30 odd loader bucket fulls by hand from certain fields or new land .

 

[greenmojo]

bucket in left hand, bend over, pick up rock with right hand, put in bucket, walk forward... repeat until bucket is full.

I'm totally confused now, I have a full bucket and there are no more steps.

 

[greenmojo]

Rent a 3 pt. Harley Rake. Type in Harley Rake on Google and do some reading.

Will do, punching it in now. Thanks.

We are on heavy land with no stones but i rent some lighter stony land of an old guy who keeps 200acres for himself to keep him occupied and like a lot of the old timers summer fallows half of it but he spends his summers with a reasonable size rock picker on a MF 135 ...he just does'nt fill the basket all the way up , seems to work very well .

Whats wrong with bending your back a bit ...We farm 2000 acres and every year we run through with the front end loader after seeding for 2-3 days and pick 20-30 odd loader bucket fulls by hand from certain fields or new land .

I don't mind a good ol' workout. I initially started making piles by hand, but then figured some lazy guy with a bad back figured out a smarter way to do this.

Moses.

 

[Coyote machine]

Rent a skidsteer with Harley rake on front. Use tractor bucket to remove the rocks to your neighbor's yard at night!:laughing: