Homebrewed Rock Picker

[DAP]

K, sorry I don't have pics yet. I'll post a drawing. My neighbor has 17 acres of contracted blueberries growing.

Being this is Coastal Maine, he's got issues with subterranean igneous (ROCKS!) .. starting at basketball size and getting bigger. He learned that the industrious folks in this state have used the following to get em out of the ground and then bucket them.

Find a large leaf spring set (like from an old superduty). Bolt 1 of the leafs to the bottom of the bucket (top surface of the bottom that is) and all the way to the side of the bucket.

Approach the rock and stab that leaf under the rock and use the bucket and the spring's tension to pop it out.

Sounds ingenious. My only concern would be the offset stress loads on one side of the loader.

I'll let you know how i works out. Anyone else hear of such a thing?

Surely this is worth some REP points!!!!

 

[joncowcare]

Any pictures ?
This I gotta see !

 

[Mark777]

What are rocks?? - The only rocks in S.E. Texas are the $280. per 5 Yard dump kind.

DAP, I can't imagine why that wouldn't work. There is some mighty power in spring steel shackles and I believe the only limitations would be much larger and heavier rocks that refuse to POP. You know...the 'back hoe' kind of rocks.

Look forward to future pictures or drawings (as there's a few things I'd like to POP back into my neighbors yard.

Mark

 

[Big Dog]

Surely this is worth some REP points!!!!

Only when we get the drawing or pics!

 

[Big D]

I can sometimes come up with some pretty wild ideas and might be able to help you out but i don't think i quite understand the set up. Like everyone else, like to see some pics.

 

[DAP]

OK, here is the concept drawing ....

I hear its working like a charm ... just haven't made it out there yet.

 

[Mith]

Could you not put the spring in the middle of the bucket to remove the offset load, you might need to beef up the cutting edge though.
Sounds like quite a workable idea, I'll be interested to hear how it works out

 

[Doc]

Very interesting. I have lots of rocks. Some are HUGE. One we found when making a road / trail was 4ft across, and that was only the exposed area. A DC8 dozer worked for 15 minutes on it, until I finally said leave it.
Your tool would work for smaller rocks but for the big stuff I'd be worried you would break the tool before moving the rock.
Action pics would be awesome.

 

[DAP]

Could you not put the spring in the middle of the bucket to remove the offset load, you might need to beef up the cutting edge though.
Sounds like quite a workable idea, I'll be interested to hear how it works out

That was my first comment also, but apparently it is all the way to the side so the spring has some extra surface area (side of the bucket) and most importantly, it enables one to see what you are doing exactly.

You would not see didly if it was centered into the bucket.

Incidently, this implementation is on a JD 4000 series with the bucket having a bolt on cutting edge.

 

[DAP]

Very interesting. I have lots of rocks. Some are HUGE. One we found when making a road / trail was 4ft across, and that was only the exposed area. A DC8 dozer worked for 15 minutes on it, until I finally said leave it.
Your tool would work for smaller rocks but for the big stuff I'd be worried you would break the tool before moving the rock.
Action pics would be awesome.

I had a 1 foot bald rock showing in a paddock last year. I had hired an excavator (JD 35D) to do some work and it was on site. I asked him if he could take out that rock. 20 minutes later, he had dug continusly and this thing turned out to be the size of a small car.

Solution, dig out the sides and the bottoms and try to sink it down a couple of feet and cover it up. That worked. Clever boy.