hayfield problem

[s@k3_s@k3]

Hey guys, quick question about my dad's hayfield.

He's got about 30 limestone boulders sticking up in there, anywhere from 3" to 18". It's a huge pain. hard to cut around 'em, big risk to his cutterbar.

That boulder-grinder guy is super expensive ($500/hr plus travel). So we're trying to figure out other ways to get these things out.

Dad's thinking maybe rent a skid steer with a heavy bucket, or even his buddy's log grapple truck to try and pluck 'em out. I'm a little skeptical about the grapple, honestly.

It'll probably cost him about a grand, which takes years to pay back, but he figures the peace of mind and clean cuts would be worth it.

What do you guys think? Any other ideas for getting these rocks out?

 

[Camp.Cassidy]

A skid steer with a tooth bucket could work for anything under 12" but for the deeper ones it might take a mini excavator with hydraulic thumb to pry and lift clean.

 

[Michael Brown]

swelled corn, post hole digger, fence then in turn hogs in on the corn soaked ground around the rocks, watch may need to reapply hog/corn

 

[Prob Kid]

If it's a hayfield and not high-yield cash crop land, it might not even be worth pulling the rocks at all. The ROI on pristine hay isn't great unless you're running a large-scale operation, and most small producers are better off adjusting their cutter bar height or switching to a disc mower that shrugs off low rocks. Spending thousands to make a hayfield "perfect" might be more about pride than profit

 

[k.idmnt66]

Hey guys, quick question about my dad's hayfield.

He's got about 30 limestone boulders sticking up in there, anywhere from 3" to 18". It's a huge pain. hard to cut around 'em, big risk to his cutterbar.

That boulder-grinder guy is super expensive ($500/hr plus travel). So we're trying to figure out other ways to get these things out.

Dad's thinking maybe rent a skid steer with a heavy bucket, or even his buddy's log grapple truck to try and pluck 'em out. I'm a little skeptical about the grapple, honestly.

It'll probably cost him about a grand, which takes years to pay back, but he figures the peace of mind and clean cuts would be worth it.

What do you guys think? Any other ideas for getting these rocks out?

honestly for the price of renting a skid steer and the associated headaches, the boulder-grinder guy might not be that bad!! if you can get a few neighbors together to do a "rock removal day" and split the cost, it becomes much more manageable. you can also try using a tractor with a front-end loader and a chain. wrap the chain around the rock, lift it with the loader, and drag it to a pile at the edge of the field. you might need a grapple truck on some of the bigger ones, but it could be a bust on anything with a deep root system. but ultimately, the peace of mind is definitely worth the cost, whatever you decide!!

 

[saddleandsickle0484]

I think a skid steer with a heavy bucket is probably your best option, it allows you to dig around the rocks and lift them out. A log grapple won't do much if the rocks are buried. You could also consider renting a mini excavator for more digging strength, or even hiring a local farmer who has a rock picker attachment. While $1,000 seems pricey, it's definitely better than having to replace cutterbars over and over.

 

[r9nger_hf]

Hey guys, quick question about my dad's hayfield.

He's got about 30 limestone boulders sticking up in there, anywhere from 3" to 18". It's a huge pain. hard to cut around 'em, big risk to his cutterbar.

That boulder-grinder guy is super expensive ($500/hr plus travel). So we're trying to figure out other ways to get these things out.

Dad's thinking maybe rent a skid steer with a heavy bucket, or even his buddy's log grapple truck to try and pluck 'em out. I'm a little skeptical about the grapple, honestly.

It'll probably cost him about a grand, which takes years to pay back, but he figures the peace of mind and clean cuts would be worth it.

What do you guys think? Any other ideas for getting these rocks out?

Yeah, you've got a real pain there! That skid steer idea is a good one, but a grapple truck probably won't get you anywhere unless the rocks are really loose. If you try it, you'll need to dig around them first to break the dirt up. I also agree with @k.idmnt66 about getting a few neighbors together to share the cost of the grinder guy is a great way to go, especially if you have a lot of rocks. The other option is to use a rock hound or rock picker. They're like rakes for rocks that a tractor pulls. You may not be able to get them all, especially the buried ones, but it'll get the smaller ones and save you a lot of time. But whatever you decide, you're right, the peace of mind is worth it!

 

[Saz3rac]

A skid steer with a tooth bucket could work for anything under 12"

yeah! and I wanna add one tip for OP.
if you're going to rent one, see if the rental place has a skeleton or rock bucket.
They have tines that let the dirt sift through while you're moving the rocks. A regular tooth bucket will work, but you'll end up moving a lot of extra dirt

 

[Alan]

That's a lot of boulders to deal with but does the $1k investment makes sense compared to the damage risk over time