Strategies for Removing Rocks from Yard
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:14 pm
I have a rock that sticks up in my front yard. It's in a grassy area where one would expect to be able to take a mower without running into stuff. Before I started working today to remove it, the exposed part of the rock was about as big as a salad plate. I decided to be bold and see what was under the ground. For all I knew, it covered an acre. I shoveled a lot of dirt away, and I gradually excavated a boulder about two feet long and 10 inches wide. I have not seen the bottom of it yet, but I can tell it's not huge, because I got it to move with the tractor.
I managed to hook a tow strap around one end of it, and I yanked it with the tractor. I got it to move about 9 inches, but there is an oak root across it at the forward end, and I'm pretty sure the tractor drove it farther under the root. I guess I'm going to have to cut the root with an axe or mattock in order to get the rock free so I can lift it with the front end loader. Annoying. If I could get a chain around the rock, I could probably pull it backward and out with the front end loader, but the rock is not cooperating.
The mattock is a huge disappointment. I got it at Home Depot a few years back. The vertical edge seems to be fairly sound, but the horizontal blade is so soft you can bend it while trying to pull it out of a root. I'm wondering if I should heat it and quench it in oil to see if it improves. It's just about useless. Must be Chinese. I think a mattock is a good tool for this purpose, but that's not helpful information if it's not possible to buy a good mattock.
I am wondering what other people do to remove big rocks they can't get under with a front end loader or backhoe. If I had a really big backhoe, I'd rip this thing out, roots and all, but all I have is a 37 HP tractor with a loader. I suppose I could remove rocks with the front end loader if I removed the brush forks, but that's a major operation, and the forks are very useful, so I am reluctant to take them off.
I have read that people sometimes use rear-mounted middle busters or subsoilers to remove rocks. I barely know what these things are, but the idea seems to make sense.
In the past, I have yanked concrete slugs by drilling two holes in them, filling the holes with epoxy, and inserting U-shaped rebar. It makes useful eyes for chains or ropes. I can do that now if I get desperate, but I was hoping to save the rocks for landscaping, and rebar is not good for their appearance.
I have a number of other partially buried rocks, and I intend to get rid of them. I never want to see sparks when I'm mowing again.
If anyone knows of a fast way to bust underground tree roots, I would love to hear about it. Right now I'm planning to use the rotary hammer with a chisel-y bit attached.
If all else fails, I can go after the roots with a Fein Multimaster.
I managed to hook a tow strap around one end of it, and I yanked it with the tractor. I got it to move about 9 inches, but there is an oak root across it at the forward end, and I'm pretty sure the tractor drove it farther under the root. I guess I'm going to have to cut the root with an axe or mattock in order to get the rock free so I can lift it with the front end loader. Annoying. If I could get a chain around the rock, I could probably pull it backward and out with the front end loader, but the rock is not cooperating.
The mattock is a huge disappointment. I got it at Home Depot a few years back. The vertical edge seems to be fairly sound, but the horizontal blade is so soft you can bend it while trying to pull it out of a root. I'm wondering if I should heat it and quench it in oil to see if it improves. It's just about useless. Must be Chinese. I think a mattock is a good tool for this purpose, but that's not helpful information if it's not possible to buy a good mattock.
I am wondering what other people do to remove big rocks they can't get under with a front end loader or backhoe. If I had a really big backhoe, I'd rip this thing out, roots and all, but all I have is a 37 HP tractor with a loader. I suppose I could remove rocks with the front end loader if I removed the brush forks, but that's a major operation, and the forks are very useful, so I am reluctant to take them off.
I have read that people sometimes use rear-mounted middle busters or subsoilers to remove rocks. I barely know what these things are, but the idea seems to make sense.
In the past, I have yanked concrete slugs by drilling two holes in them, filling the holes with epoxy, and inserting U-shaped rebar. It makes useful eyes for chains or ropes. I can do that now if I get desperate, but I was hoping to save the rocks for landscaping, and rebar is not good for their appearance.
I have a number of other partially buried rocks, and I intend to get rid of them. I never want to see sparks when I'm mowing again.
If anyone knows of a fast way to bust underground tree roots, I would love to hear about it. Right now I'm planning to use the rotary hammer with a chisel-y bit attached.
If all else fails, I can go after the roots with a Fein Multimaster.