need to clear small and medium sized rocks from pasture. What is the best tool?

TXgreenjeans · Mar 5, 2017

I have many small and medium sized rocks in a pasture. I would like to clear the rocks and do some reseeding. Not having done this other than by hand before, picking them up one by one.

A landscape rake is what I have been looking at. is there another tool, is that the best tool for this job?

Those of you who have done this before, your input is appreciated.

FTG-05 · Mar 5, 2017

Tagged for answer. I tried to use a rock rack a couple years ago - major failure. But it could have the operator or not adjusted correctly, don't know.

Whatswrong · Mar 5, 2017

How many acres ,by hand sounds the simplest ,IMO just seed it then rent a land roller and push the rocks back where they came from .Everyone seems to roll hay ground these days.
I guess the bigger question is "What is small to medium"?

Gary Fowler · Mar 5, 2017

I disked up a small section of my pasture which turned up tons of rocks. I tried using my landscape rake and all it did was clog up with grass. If your rocks are all above ground now, a rake might work and not pick up much grass and just gather the rocks as long as you don't till up the ground first. I don't think I would buy one thinking it would remove all the rocks-borrow or rent one.

I did end up rock picking my little 1-1.5 acre site by hand.

DieselMonk · Mar 5, 2017

Rock picking by hand gets old fast. I ended up using a rock fork (Horst) on my FEL in combination with a box blade. That picked the rocks above ground up like it should. I've carted truck loads of rock out like that. Only thing is you want to only do that when it is really dry.

Backlight · Mar 5, 2017

Depends how big the rocks are, a power box rake is likely best - SitePrep Demonstrates the Harley Rake - YouTube

They come in PTO versions.

breadtrk · Mar 5, 2017

5ft box blade, teeth all the way down, top link short as it goes full drop with draft control set real light. It rolled up basket sized rocks and everything in between. Let them sit out in the rain a few cycles and rode around with the FEL just skimming the ground scooping them up.

JerryK · Mar 5, 2017

There are as many contraptions to pick up rocks as their are different type of fields with different sizes of rocks in them.. the trick is to find one that will work in your field... [ did not say I would be any help

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