# Hayfield boulder removal ideas



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Have a good hayfield thats a hillside with about 30 limestone boulders sticking up between 3" and 18".
If I could remove them, it would make my life considerably easier since the nail-biting part of looking for them in the tall grass is eliminated
and more productive since I can cut all the hay and not leave a bunch of patches. Also theres the risk of hitting one and damaging a nice cutterbar 
Talked to boulder-grinder guy. He's $550/hr and $400 to bring machine to my field. I cant find anyone closer.
Trying to think of other ideas to remove most or all of them.
1) rent a skid steer with a small/heavy/stout bucket and try to work them out of the ground.
B . Rent a skid steer with a concrete milling/grinding attachment. This would be great for my situation since I think most of the boulders are fairly large. Guy at the rental joint says it wont work for boulders. 
3) Buddy has Mack Triaxle with log grapple. Says he can drop grapple forks open around boulder, then "pluck" them out of the ground. I'm skeptical of that and he's not offering to do it free, either (I wouldnt expect him to, just making that known).

If I spend $1,000 removing them, it would probably take 5+ years to get my money back, but theres the relaxation factor knowing my cutterbar is safer and a much nicer looking job when cutting is completed.

Suggestions?


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Drill 'em and blast 'em to kingdom come!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I've been doing the same thing. Heavy set of pallet forks on a loader does wonders up to the size you can't lift. Have dug out hundreds.

Have also used 120 excavator with thumb, it was able to get the lazy boy to couch sized ones. Larger than that I've drilled the tops with rotary hammer, or put jack hammer bit in or just plain sledge hammer!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

slowzuki said:


> I've been doing the same thing. Heavy set of pallet forks on a loader does wonders up to the size you can't lift. Have dug out hundreds.
> 
> Have also used 120 excavator with thumb, it was able to get the lazy boy to couch sized ones. Larger than that I've drilled the tops with rotary hammer, or put jack hammer bit in or just plain sledge hammer!


I do have a fairly heavy set of pallet forks, but I wonder about loader damage? Bending something? Skid loaders are stout.
I kinda like my nice, straight loader. haha


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The trick to only damaging the forks is gently work them in at a steep angle down. Then you apply down and curl gently. Where it gets rough is while doing that, you reverse so the tractor helps pull on the forks as a set of pry bars. It’s not rough on the loader if done right but it’s sure hard on the forks but I’ve only bent the tips a bit.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We've had one we dug out around it, seen just how big it was then dug the hole even deeper then rolled it into the hole and covered it up. The other big one dug a ramp on either side of it and wrapped several chains around it and pulled with a tractor while pushing with the back hoe. Dad sold that one about four times before somebody finally showed up with enough crane to load it.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

JD, just got in from the chain gang. breaking limestone outcrops sticking up just as you say, 2-16 inches. Tired of cutting around and over and hitting occasionally etc. Bought an old low hour mini ex with a hammer. works like a charm. Bobcat 334 with 2k hours. The way I figured it I would do rocks when I wasn't doing something else. When I finish the rocks i will resell for about what I have in it. I just did not want to hammer my brains to bits with a rental and besides, it is nice having a backhoe.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

A backhoe would be my choice, dig a really deep hole beside it and flip, slide, it into a deep hole then cover and on to the next one....


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Alternative would be to clean them off and paint them bright red with a smiley face on them....


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

excavator with a thumb would be my first choice


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Around here most guys get a hoe or excavator with a hammer. Knocker them down 12" below the surface and clean up the pieces. Many dont bother to dig them out. You dont know if you have a 900 lb rock or a 30k lb rock till you are well under way, and by then its too late.

What rock grinding guy did you call? There was an ad in lanc farming a month or so ago for rock grinding. Do you get that paper?


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

If I was closer we would drill and shoot it (dynamite)!!


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

The cost of hitting one can get expensive, I was chopping corn for a farmer with his less then 1 year old new holland chopper and caught a big rock on with the outside tip of the corn head, I was probably going in the 3-4 mph range and it put a big kink in the tongue of the chopper. It could happen on a haybine also. First thought is to dig them out but if they are that big u may be biting off more then you can chew. The one I hit they dug out the next year it wasn't huge just big enough to do damage.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I like the mini ex w/ hammer idea


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

That’s best bet for ledge.


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

We have plenty of granite boulders in these parts and I've removed several large ones from our hay fields over the years. The cheapest way is slow and labor intensive, but, works every time. We rent a hammer drill and drill a line of 1" holes across the rock, preferably along a seam, and fill the holes with a non explosive expanding agent like Betonamit. The next day the boulder is removed as several smaller pieces that are manageable with the loader bucket and forks. Here's a link for the chemical

http://www.betonamit.net/Home.html


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I've used bentonite here but it doesn't work as well on limestone as granite.

Pins and feathers work well on granite too.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I guess I'd better determine the true type of rock. Assumed it's limestone because of grayish color
Assumed granite is darker gray-almost black


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

I still have pins and feathers in the shop along with a hand held star drill bit. The old timers would just drill the holes and let mother nature do her thing over the winter. Amazing how those simple ice holes worked if you were patient!

I didn't bother removing the complete boulders from our fields if they were too large. As long as I had 18"-24" of soil over them I could get decent growth and peace of mind while mowing or haying. That's probably all you could do with ledge anyway.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I’m happy if I can get them level with the ground never mind 18”!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Thanks to all your input:
I think my options are:

1. tractor with forks- "free" but there's a chance I could bend loader.
2. pay someone probably close to $1,000 to brink a mini-ex over and dig them out
or 2a. rent mini ex for a day and dig out myself
3. I have an excellent Milwaukee demolition hammer- the really big one and I have a 1" bit.I could hook hammer up to a gasoline powered generator and drill holes in the boulders and use the chemical
or 3b fill the holes with water and let freezing do the work. However, I don't think it'll get cold enough to freeze really hard here. So that's not a sure bet.

Also could try to get easy boulders out with tractor, then try the drilling/chemical method if the tractor/forks doesn't get them. That way I minimize possibility of bending loader.

PS: I would be fine if the rocks were level with or flat and slightly above ground. I have high skid shoes on my disk mower.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I had 2 that I pulled out of the ground in old pasture I renovated. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Mine looked small, round and the width of a 5 gallon bucket. When I was done I was hooking a chain to pull them up out of the ground. One was almost 5 ft. tall and wider than that. Dug around them with loader then pulled them out. It will take a lot of dirt to fill in the hole if you are just patching it back up. I would look hard at just breaking the tops off.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

A few pics of rock removal. Dig out dozens of the worst one every year.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Excavator with a hammer seems to the go to in my area for the guys in limestone soil. I'm on high slate ground so no rocks to speak of, but unfortunately the same goes for topsoil.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Ughh! This thread is bringing back nightmares! Here in New England (central north MA) you have only a few choices of land..rock, rock and sand, or rock and swamp..very rare not to snag a stone around here! I have used every method mentioned! None are fun...drilling stone is hard work, digging with an excavator is messy but when not in ledge it is the best way. We are cheap and squeak when we walk so we try at all times to dig a hole and roll the stone in. This way the dirt you removed covers it.(in theory)
Never is it a garentee..ledge will always ruin your day..
Hammers on an excavator are big$$ and maintenance. We avoid them if at all possible.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Made a few calls. A 4 ton mini ex with a bucket and thumb is about $250/day. Hammer is another $150/day. Plus all the fuel, tax & waiver its probably $450/day.
I think I will see what I can do with my Kubota & loader w/ forks first, then rent something like the mini-ex.
I still think Id be better off with someone local who owns a machine after I get the rocks out that I can with Kubota.
Still formulating my strategy and plan of attack


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Yes. Dig what you can with what you have. You don't have to remove all of them at once.

The rocks on my place are volcanic and I try to remove some each year. My choice of which to remove is based partly on the principle of the largest hay area recovered for the fewest rocks removed, and partly on whether they are small enough for me to remove with the equipment I have. I use a 100 hp FWD tractor (NH TS100) with either a standard or rock bucket, and a single tyne ripper on the 3 point linkage to loosen the larger rocks. With this setup I can remove a rocks up to about 18 inches diameter, maybe 2 feet if I am lucky.

I like the idea of burying the rocks to keep the surface smooth, but around here the rocks float to the surface so I would rather pile them up than risk them popping up again.

Roger


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Im not sure rocks float unless they are pumice lol, I would be more inclined to say you drive the surface down around the rocks. Heavy tractors seem to bring them up faster than normal too lol. 
We freeze up solid here and the frost can wreek havok in fields that get compacted turning things into a bumpy slipery mess.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

While your figuring the price of equipment to rent etc... figure what it would cost to fix your highest price piece of equipment if it snagged it in just the right place and was down for a day or 2!!


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

JD, here is another option to consider if you have a lot of rocks you want to lower... If you can, find a decent used mini excavator and buy it. Then just pay the daily rental on the hammer as needed. When finished, resell the mini excavator. Of course you always run the risk of finding it to be a handy tool to have in the shed and just end up keeping it to dig footers and and whatever else.

That $250 daily adds up rather quickly, especially if you don't have full long days to commit to running it. I have a local guy here who rents these out by the machine hour, and that turns out better for me for most of the projects I end up needing them for - since I end up off the machine more than on it doing the underground work and what not. Maybe you could find someone like that in your area as well.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I think the most sensible thing to do is find a small time operator, like me, to dig them out after I remove the easy rocks with my tractor.
Bending or damaging my loader scares me (right tool for the right job!) Then I cant load hay. Ag tractor loaders are not made for heavy dirt work.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If not in a rush, I'll say the forks method is no where near as rough on the loader as using your bucket to plow snow if you're looking for a comparison.

Not as rough as trying to dig a hole with the loader bucket either.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I know there are a few rock outcrops in the Shippensburg area that the grinder couldn't grind so that would be a huge disappointment. I'm generally with everyone else with trying to dig some to figure out whether you want to keep at that. Someone with a track hoe can do a lot of work if you can't, just depends on what someone around you would charge.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

You might be able to buy a rough old industrial loader really cheaply. I was given one by a neighbour last year. It had sat in a shed unused for 10 years. I started it and drove it the 3 miles home.

Roger


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

If they're big around here we have to get someone out and blast off the top with dynamite. I got one in the old pasture a 200 size excavator couldn't dig out enough to get it to budge. Someday if I get ambitious I'll have to get after getting it blasted.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Oh they have rock busters too, I think you fill the hole with water and a blank cartridge is loaded in an apparatus to be fired and make a hydraulic shock on the rock. The units are small, I’ll see if I can find a link.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Not the right brand but they are something like this:
https://www.ezebreak.com


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Sierra Blaster is another brand, can’t find the one I had seen.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Boulder Buster was the one I saw.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

paoutdoorsman said:


> JD, here is another option to consider if you have a lot of rocks you want to lower... If you can, find a decent used mini excavator and buy it. Then just pay the daily rental on the hammer as needed. When finished, resell the mini excavator. Of course you always run the risk of finding it to be a handy tool to have in the shed and just end up keeping it to dig footers and and whatever else.
> 
> That $250 daily adds up rather quickly, especially if you don't have full long days to commit to running it. I have a local guy here who rents these out by the machine hour, and that turns out better for me for most of the projects I end up needing them for - since I end up off the machine more than on it doing the underground work and what not. Maybe you could find someone like that in your area as well.


I wish I could. I owned one 10 years ago. Sold that, by NH backhoe, my dumptruck and air braked trailer to buy farm equipment.
I'm obsessed with a nice sized mini ex with a cab to work in the winter, but I want to stay married, too....LOL

I just cant. Maybe in my next life.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

PaMike said:


> Around here most guys get a hoe or excavator with a hammer. Knocker them down 12" below the surface and clean up the pieces. Many dont bother to dig them out. You dont know if you have a 900 lb rock or a 30k lb rock till you are well under way, and by then its too late.
> 
> Yep see a lot of that that is the way they do it


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

JD, nice clean machine with good cab with heat and cool could make a very nice valentine gift. Pink box, box of candy and few rose bushes to plant with it would make nice package. Pictures of package and smiling wife would be nice. lol

Hillside, you have video of blasting rocks like that? Not sad in saying this but two thinks we have little of is snow and rocks. Rather we have swamps and insects. Find it interesting following such topics as this.

Will be visiting my baby sister this April for first time at their place in Texas, Spring Branch between Austin and San Antonio. Based upon pictures I have seen of the area it is one rock on top of two others, was a ranch that is now ranchetts. Must have raised some skinny cows there. Very little grass.

I have a JD 5525 with loader on it. Twisted the loader a good bit trying to lift tree off my mother in laws house following hurricane. I knew the loader was doing all it could and may not have twisted it but had tree chained to loader to prevent it slipping off and going through glass wall. It was only about $4,000 to $5,000 lesson in what not to do with loader. For me I would be much more afraid of damaging a loader than excavator.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Here is the rock grinding ad I mentioned earlier...


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

PaMike said:


> Here is the rock grinding ad I mentioned earlier...


At $550 for an hour, I think I'll pass


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