Rock Bucket

[jinman]

My dealer showed me an attachment for my tractor he called a rock bucket and I found a similar item when I did an internet search. Bradco Rock Bucket

Has anyone seen one of these in use? I have lots of rocks on the sides of gullies and I think one of these buckets could just be the right tool for picking and sorting rocks while leaving most of the fines behind. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif My dealer also showed me an additional grapple attachment for the rock bucket. I figure the combination of a completely clear view and the ability to grip and drag with the grapple could make this a tool I would use often.

Of course, I'd have to get the skid steer quick-attach conversion to use this bucket, but I think it would be worth it.

 

[KenNTx]

Looks good for the surface, but what is down a little deeper??
Could be a never ending battle!!

 

[Slamfire]

What do you plan to do with the baseball size rocks it leaves behind?

 

[DocHeb]

I think he could just let them be, and harvest them when they get a little larger. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Slamfire]

Oh, I thought it was too dry in that part of TX for rocks to grow. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[PineRidge]

Slamfire that's Texas he is talking about. You know everything in Texas gets bigger sooner or later.

 

[JFarms]

Jinman, I get just enough rain to grow the little kind, and then they breed like rabbits! I got a stone fork about 2 years back, and a few threads here have discussed similar problems. Here's some links. If you do a search on this web site for "stone forks" with no date limit, you'll find lots more discussions. Best of luck.

Thread 1

Thread 2

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...too dry in that part of TX for rocks to grow )</font>

Oh my! Slamfire, if that were only true, I'd have a lot simpler job. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I'm really not worried about the small stones. I'd like to be able to screen them out too, but my major problem right now is these big rocks on the sides of my gullies (see attachment).
My loader bucket is probably large enough for most of these, but I just don't have the visibility to be able to easily use the bucket to dislodge the stones. The rock bucket/rock fork is much longer than the standard bucket and you can actually see through those tines and know exactly what you are doing. I have pushed rocks 15-20 ft before getting the bucket angle right to pick them up. I'd bet even a rookie like me could pick a rock off the side of a hill with a rock fork.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...everything in Texas gets bigger sooner or later. )</font>

You are absolutely right, Mike. In my case, the erosion gullies just keep getting bigger and bigger (see attachment). I am going to eventually get a dozer in here to move some of this dirt around and build a dam. One day soon I hope to have a nice 4 acre lake where I now have useless land -- unless you like spending all your time in gullies looking for arrowheads. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I got a stone fork about 2 years back.... )</font>

Jonathan, thank you very much. That's exactly the type of info I need. It seems there are several versions of this bucket/forks and they all have various tube sizes & spacings. My tractor is 45 hp and can lift about a ton in the bucket so I should be able to handle 1/2 ton rocks without a problem. I figure if I get a quick attach set of forks and bucket, I can carry both with me and switch as needed during a days work. If I mount a grapple, I'll bet I could sure clean up brush piles too. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif