techniques for moving big rock with a CUT

[tractchores]

I've decided to redo my lawn and as part of it I'm regrading sections, but it turns out the 'little rocks' sticking up in the lawn are just tips of huge rocks. I've managed to move all of them except one through digging with the BH and pushing or pulling them out. The last rock I have to move has proved to be a big challenge. I dug it out and managed to move it in the hole and loop a chain around it. However I can't pull it, life it or push it and am looking for other ideas. The rock is maybe 5'x4'x3' and roughly square in shape. I can prop up an end with the BH, but otherwise can't do much. I did create a ramp to drag it out, but pulling just lifts the front-end up even with the FEL filled with dirt.

Anyone have any ideas? My current best ideas are to dig down further with the bh and get it deep enough to re-bury under the final grade. I've also got a drill and wedge and feather's that I'm going to try today to see if it can be cut in half, but I'm not hopeful. Tractor is a B2920 w/ BH and FEL. I haven't tried to lift it with the 3pt, but that's another thing I may try today.

 

[DJ54]

Depending on how your ramp is in relation to the rock. If it is the same as the wide part of the rock, you could try and pull one end a bit, then pull the other end, and walk it out. Just don't pull it too far, and spin it.

A little picking, when trying to pull if it's fairly flat on the bottom, should make it pivot on the other end, instead of spin on the center part.

 

[Egon]

If you can lift one side slide block under it and the get some dirt under the rock. Then repeat until the ramp is shallow enough to let you pull it.

Sounds easy but it takes time.

Just a note, if dragging rocks on inclines they may get away with you and the tractor. That ain't,t no fun!:thumbsup:

 

[PapaPerk]

Rock boat (sled). Google it

 

[Johnp33]

I had a rock that was were I wanted to build my shop, I dug it out and tried to break it with a jack hammer, it is a serpentine granite, I ended up getting a big hoe, and he stood it up on one end, and dug a big hole then dropped it back in about 7 ft lower than what it was, I back filled the hole and packed it all down.
The rock was about 12 ft long 8 ft wide, and 5 ft thick, it was all the hoe could do to stand it up.

 

[JimRB]

I used this to guess it weighs 10,000 pounds. That means you need a lot more pulling power to move it? I never researched tractor pulls and the sleds they pull. Material Weight Calculator Marble Weight Granite Travertine Online Stone Weight Calculation

 

[Jerry/MT]

I've decided to redo my lawn and as part of it I'm regrading sections, but it turns out the 'little rocks' sticking up in the lawn are just tips of huge rocks. I've managed to move all of them except one through digging with the BH and pushing or pulling them out. The last rock I have to move has proved to be a big challenge. I dug it out and managed to move it in the hole and loop a chain around it. However I can't pull it, life it or push it and am looking for other ideas. The rock is maybe 5'x4'x3' and roughly square in shape. I can prop up an end with the BH, but otherwise can't do much. I did create a ramp to drag it out, but pulling just lifts the front-end up even with the FEL filled with dirt.

Anyone have any ideas? My current best ideas are to dig down further with the bh and get it deep enough to re-bury under the final grade. I've also got a drill and wedge and feather's that I'm going to try today to see if it can be cut in half, but I'm not hopeful. Tractor is a B2920 w/ BH and FEL. I haven't tried to lift it with the 3pt, but that's another thing I may try today.

No disrespect meant but I can't believe you're trying to move a rock that big with that toy of a tractor!

Dig a deep hole next to it with the backhoe and shove it in. If you can't lift it or drag it out, short of hiring a powder monkey to blast it, you don't have much choice. We had a big trackhoe at our place to move rocks that big and that's how he handles the big ones. He bured them so that the top was three feet below the surface.

 

[2458n]

Agree with the rock boat. May have to hook a couple trucks,and or tractor together to have enough pull. When I worked on the Interstate highways a good way to get ''famous "was to spend half a day digging a hole to bury a rock. You push the rock in the hole and about 10'' did not fit.

 

[kebo]

I vote for the idea to dig a deeper hole and bury it below grade. That way, you don't have to deal with moving it AFTER you get it out of the hole it's in now.

Either that, or drill a hole through it, get some stick dynamite, and blast it into smaller pieces!!!

 

[J_J]

Just build a good fire around it and let burn for a couple of hours, and then pour cold water on it and it may fracture.

 

[foggy1111]

This advice won't help much with your situation....but oftentimes its hard to get a hold of a big rock. Chains usually slip off at a critical time.

They tend to pull easier than push.....so, I have found a pretty good way to pull rocks. I use a tire chain to form a web behind the rock....then hook a log chain to the tire chain and then to the drawbar.

Also putting chains on your rear tires may provide the extra grip to pull that rock.

 

[OrangeAgain]

I had a few very large rocks in my back lawn several years ago and didn't realize they were large until I started digging them out. Although I had a tractor I did not have a FEL or BH so I used a leverage pole to lift them enough to add smaller rocks under them. I raised them up 12" - 18" this way and they became the centerpieces of plantings around them. Sedum works well as a planting and provides color much of the year.

These "rock gardens" provide interesting breaks in our lawn and because they are clearly visible there is no chance they will be hit with a mower.

 

[bcp]

If it is too big for the BX to lift or push, I can usually roll it.

Bruce

 

[tractchores]

Thanks everyone for all the good suggestions! I spent a bit of time with the beast today and ultimately solved the issue. I was surprised at what my 'toy' tractor could accomplish, but given the size and weight of the rock it wasn't going to happen.... I made a few discoveries that made pulling it out a no-go, the biggest one was that due to the location i would have had to pull it across my newly re-paved driveway. The other problem turned out to be that it was pointed on the bottom, so it really dug in when pulled. I did get it to move a big by lifting one side with the 3 pt and pulling it. Doing that I was able to move it to a deeper part of the hole I dug with the BH and then use rocks to angle it so it was well below grade. The idea of a big hole and pushing the rock in was a nice one, but my soil is more rock than dirt, so I quickly found that it was sitting directly on top of a rock of equal size, so reconfiguration was the only option. I did try the wedge and feather method to split it, but my wedges weren't big enough and drilling into solid granite quickly gets old so I abandoned that approach. I did get another one out that was maybe half the size via the ramp and push technique, that one was more round so it kind of rolled, which to the weight off the tractor.

 

[tuoysRme]

Best options are dig the hole bigger and deeper and bury it. Had one in the back yard. Didn't think it was that big. Hitting it with bh made it move. Dug all around it. this rock was five feet across, about four feet wide and three tall. No way was I going to be able to get it out of the hole. Dug the hole deeper and big enough to roll it into and buried it. The reason for the movement, was because it was sitting on top of another rock.

Brian

 

[loydmeeks]

Just build a good fire around it and let burn for a couple of hours, and then pour cold water on it and it may fracture.

I have used this method along with hammer drill and 1/2" very long masonry bit. Drill a line of holes, build a big fire on top and under if possible. Then with cold water and a sledge I should break.

 

[k0ua]

This advice won't help much with your situation....but oftentimes its hard to get a hold of a big rock. Chains usually slip off at a critical time.

They tend to pull easier than push.....so, I have found a pretty good way to pull rocks. I use a tire chain to form a web behind the rock....then hook a log chain to the tire chain and then to the drawbar.

Also putting chains on your rear tires may provide the extra grip to pull that rock.

Thank you for that idea!

James K0UA