quicksandfarmer
Elite Member
So we got some snow last week, the first measurable accumulation we've had in almost two years. And if you're like me, you've been wondering, "when are we going to get some snow so I can move some really big rocks?"
So I spent some time moving five rocks that I've had my eye on because they're too big to lift and too heavy to slide without snow. Here's a picture of one of them:
Yes, that's a 4x8 sheet of plywood underneath. That's one of the smallest, the biggest was about twice that size but I didn't have the camera.
My "sleigh" is just a sheet of 1/2" plywood. I fastened a 4' piece of pressure treated 2x6 to one end with about a dozen drywall screws, and then drilled two 1" holes about a foot apart through both pieces. I put a piece of 1" webbing through the holes and then towed it with a 2" tow strap. To get the stones onto the sled I wrapped them with the two strap and pulled them on, that was the hardest part. My first sled was just a sheet of plywood with holes drilled in it, but the strap pulled through the holes instantly. With the 2x6 it held up fine.
Once the stones were on the sleigh they moved pretty easily, I put them along the bank of the pond for places to sit. I did snap the 2" tow strap (rated at 10,000 lbs) moving one of the rocks onto the sleigh, and the 1" strap (rated at 3,000 lbs) broke repeatedly. I don't think my tractor can generate 10,000 lbs (or even 3,000 lbs) of pulling force, but it says something about the forces involved -- and about how you need a safety factor when looking at strength ratings.
So I spent some time moving five rocks that I've had my eye on because they're too big to lift and too heavy to slide without snow. Here's a picture of one of them:
Yes, that's a 4x8 sheet of plywood underneath. That's one of the smallest, the biggest was about twice that size but I didn't have the camera.
My "sleigh" is just a sheet of 1/2" plywood. I fastened a 4' piece of pressure treated 2x6 to one end with about a dozen drywall screws, and then drilled two 1" holes about a foot apart through both pieces. I put a piece of 1" webbing through the holes and then towed it with a 2" tow strap. To get the stones onto the sled I wrapped them with the two strap and pulled them on, that was the hardest part. My first sled was just a sheet of plywood with holes drilled in it, but the strap pulled through the holes instantly. With the 2x6 it held up fine.
Once the stones were on the sleigh they moved pretty easily, I put them along the bank of the pond for places to sit. I did snap the 2" tow strap (rated at 10,000 lbs) moving one of the rocks onto the sleigh, and the 1" strap (rated at 3,000 lbs) broke repeatedly. I don't think my tractor can generate 10,000 lbs (or even 3,000 lbs) of pulling force, but it says something about the forces involved -- and about how you need a safety factor when looking at strength ratings.
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