SylvanLakeWH 25,496 #26 Posted December 5, 2020 Reminds me of the stone fences on the Aran Islands in Ireland... I was fortunate enough to visit about 30 years ago... Centuries in the making... it is a beautiful place... the soil is from composted sea weed brought up and dumped by the farmers over the years... Notice the “gate” - they just knock down the wall, move the animals, put wall back up... don’t waste wood on a gate... 3 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #27 Posted December 5, 2020 2 hours ago, ebinmaine said: We could use one o these to skim the driveway. When speaking of the scarifier teeth I'm imagining that we're wanting to loosen up the top 2 to 4 inches so as to scrape with a mid mount grader blade or dozer. Maybe to reshape the land area or remove the soil. The idea I'd had this past summer was to use the mechanism of the mid mount grader and put ((4 or 5 ??)) 3/8" or 1/2" teeth about 10" apart. Judging by past experiences moving our soil that may actually be too many teeth. Another thought was to use a rear mounted carriage of some sort with 2 or 3 teeth say... 6 inches apart?? To go any more quantity here we would just plain need a MUCH bigger machine. Yep. Both of my box scrapers have scarifiers that first tear up. Otherwise the box scraper just glides across the stones. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,310 #28 Posted December 5, 2020 5 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said: Reminds me of the stone fences on the Aran Islands in Ireland... I was fortunate enough to visit about 30 years ago... Centuries in the making... it is a beautiful place... the soil is from composted sea weed brought up and dumped by the farmers over the years... Notice the “gate” - they just knock down the wall, move the animals, put wall back up... don’t waste wood on a gate... Absolutely beautiful country!!! Our walls are all about half the height but we have some couch sized boulders built into them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 25,496 #29 Posted December 5, 2020 Just looking at this issue in a bit more detail... What about an actual rock picker? They make them for atv’s and such...? Kinda like this: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,163 #30 Posted December 6, 2020 8 hours ago, JoeM said: This place is full of rocks and makes baby rocks too. Had a garden, i tilled year in and year out. made rocks every time I tilled. Denis you are worse off then me but I just decided to leave them alone! Rocks abhor a vacuum in a garden. Remove rocks and the rest pair off and make baby rocks, But it you ignore the baby rocks, they grow into big rocks. Can't win. Those pictures of the Aran Island walls show that their rock to soil ratio is pretty darned high, even after centuries of composting in seaweed. Very tenacious people to stick there and find ways to make it work. I recall one of the islanders pointing out that wood gates don't last long enough with the severe weather. Rocks don't rot, was their observation! 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,163 #31 Posted December 6, 2020 (edited) oops Edited December 6, 2020 by Handy Don oops Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,163 #32 Posted December 6, 2020 (edited) oops. double submit Edited December 6, 2020 by Handy Don double tap 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Digger 66 3,478 #33 Posted December 6, 2020 We've got some good sized glacial boulders 'round here too . 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #34 Posted December 6, 2020 14 hours ago, SylvanLakeWH said: Just looking at this issue in a bit more detail... What about an actual rock picker? They make them for atv’s and such...? Kinda like this: That would be awesome but only after the large rocks were removed. The last two planting beds I had to tear up with the backhoe first and pull out the big rocks. I removed SO much that I still had to haul screened material. I might have a rock bucket someday. And/Or Even with these I'd still have to have the backhoe for the really big ones. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,871 #35 Posted December 6, 2020 similar to a rock hound? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seuadr 488 #36 Posted March 29, 2021 On 12/4/2020 at 4:58 PM, DennisThornton said: I have 40 acres of glacial till in the Adirondacks and I can't stick a shovel in the ground anywhere without hitting a rock. There is some decent soil in between in some areas but every time I challenge the earth I fight rocks. Some as big as vehicles but even when the big ones are removed I still fight rocks. ROCKS! Anybody used one of these? Or anyone want some rocks? i like it! i was just thinking about how to do something similar utilizing my mid mounted grader (i have the smaller one) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seuadr 488 #37 Posted March 29, 2021 On 12/6/2020 at 3:16 AM, Digger 66 said: We've got some good sized glacial boulders 'round here too . i am jealous, that is some beautiful country! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #38 Posted March 29, 2021 2 minutes ago, seuadr said: i am jealous, that is some beautiful country! It truly is. Big reason I moved here. The valleys and near Lake Champlain have some good topsoil but the higher one goes the thinner the topsoil and the more rocks and boulders. I started a garden plot and there was more rock than soil. Gave up and brought in screen soil instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,163 #39 Posted March 29, 2021 55 minutes ago, DennisThornton said: It truly is. Big reason I moved here. The valleys and near Lake Champlain have some good topsoil but the higher one goes the thinner the topsoil and the more rocks and boulders. I started a garden plot and there was more rock than soil. Gave up and brought in screen soil instead. My sister and BIL maintain that in a well tended garden in your area the rocks grow faster than the vegetables. Just sayin'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #40 Posted March 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Handy Don said: My sister and BIL maintain that in a well tended garden in your area the rocks grow faster than the vegetables. Just sayin'. Frost heaves help the rocks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,648 #41 Posted March 30, 2021 On 12/5/2020 at 10:39 AM, ebinmaine said: You boys what ain't got enough rocks c'mon up. I'll even help load 'em. Careful there we have seen what you call work! Don't make promises that you can't keep. Tell it like it is Trina will help load them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,310 #42 Posted March 30, 2021 1 minute ago, Lee1977 said: Careful there we have seen what you call work! Don't make promises that you can't keep. Tell it like it is Trina will help load them. To get rid of rocks I'd get involved 😂😂😂😂 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
