Rock Picking Options with Deere 2010

The Famous Grouse · Jun 2, 2018

I run a 120 acre farm as a hunting property. We have about 12-15 acres of various food plots and all our fields have rocks. Not huge boulders, just stuff from baseball to basketball size.

I picked all the fields with a rented skid steer and rock bucket when I first bought the property. Effective, but expensive to rent this every year.

Basically, I need a faster way of dealing with the rock that the disc turns up every year. I just want to "skim" the surface and pick up the stuff that's laying on top.

My question is this. I have a 1965 Deere 2010 gas with a Schwartz loader. I don't want to hear any crap about the 2010, it is what it is and mine runs great and everything on her works.

Would it work to buy a small (like 5-6 foot) rock bucket for this tractor? I'm not looking to set any speed records, but keep in mind I only need to skim 5-7 acres a year to pick up the stuff on top right before I plant.

I'm concerned about HP, but then again I can drag an 8 foot 3 point disc (1100 pounds) set at a pretty aggressive V without issues, so why not a 5-6 foot rock bucket?

Is this workable on the 2010 and how well would it work?

Grouse

jacksun65 · Jun 2, 2018

sounds like you need a manure bucket tines on front and a solid back

jon f mn · Jun 2, 2018

Pick them by hand like me. The manure
bucket works good for larger rocks.

The Famous Grouse · Jun 2, 2018

Picks up too much dirt. I want to leave the dirt where it is and pick up the rocks.

Grouse

Bruce from Can. · Jun 2, 2018

A few fellas near me have rock crushers , and they
will come to your farm and crush the rocks in your
field to a depth of six inches.
I think it requires a 200 hp tractor, and does about
a 8 foot wide swath each pass down the field. Ideal
for cleaning up debris left from fence row removal,
as it will grind stumps as well as rocks. Bit pricey,
but it will free up some minerals in the rocks to feed
the plants. Friend of mine has had 1000 acres of
their families 4000 acre farm done. And they think it
is money well spent.

Bob Bancroft · Jun 2, 2018

A rock bucket will work fine, BUT, the 2010 is going to have enough weight on the front with just the loader and the rock bucket. If you don't try to carry off too much at once, and/or the ground is firm, you can probably get by.
HP is not an issue. Compaction/flotation is. The smaller the rock bucket the better.
I bought a mini track loader just for picking rocks. The problem with that is it's so small that the only rock bucket that I could find for it has two inch gaps. Three inches would be better.

Bob · Jun 2, 2018

"Stone Boat", GOOGLE it, and, YES, you can pull one with a tractor just as well as with horses.

You have to load 'em and unload 'em BY HAND.

Builds MUSCLES.

Had to pick TONS of rocks that way, as a kid. Didn't like it much, tho!

Bob Bancroft · Jun 2, 2018

One nice thing about that was you could roll the big ones on instead of trying to pick them up.
A cousin had a JD 420 crawler. He would pull the stone boat to where he wanted to dump, and flip the boat over with the dozer blade.

jeffcat · Jun 2, 2018

Damn those are big potatoes. Sure is what they look like. Sure glad I didn't need to mess around with that but it did make some beautiful houses and barns long ago.

snoopnc · Jun 2, 2018

GROUSE: I understand money can be an issue, but GOOGLE "powered rock rake" and see some of the powered options available. Perhaps you could do a little sideline business after taking care of your own needs.

From your posting I gather that rocks are continuing to float to the ground's surface after a few years and you are having to start over. I remember seeing one demonstrated many years ago and it did a good job of windrowing small rock and leaving the ground in good condition for sowing grass (or some of your food plot plantings??)

Something to think about and maybe even dream about. I don't relish the idea of picking rocks!!

Have a good day ? Rick

2underage · Jun 2, 2018

A good idea that will not work because you will not be able to see the stones that you will be trying to remove. If you do try it half the bucket will be dirt that you do not want to remove. Those rock buckets are designed for skid steer loaders and they work ok on them Invite your friends to a rock picking party where you can provide the food and drinks and just make it a fun day.

JD Seller · Jun 2, 2018

I would try a rock rake. Tri-L manufacturing makes a good one. You can make windrows of rocks and then pick with the rented skid steer or push them into piles. Then every so often rent the skid steer with a rock bucket to clear the piles out..

2510Paul · Jun 2, 2018

How about a flat hayrack with 2x4?s nailed on the sides and a four or five tine fork for each of your hunting buddies. I
suppose some timely refreshments would help.

You don?t have a lot to pick so it is hard to justify much
expense. I will spare you my rock picking experience.
Paul
P.S. if it worked that rented skid steer sounds like a good
idea.

steve_in_mo · Jun 2, 2018

Salvaged car hood.

showcrop · Jun 2, 2018

Google Spartan equipment. They make rock buckets in various widths and tine spacings.

The Famous Grouse · Jun 2, 2018

Guys, I know there are all kinds of ways to bust my buttski hand picking rock. The 2010 has a loader bucket already, so I'm not looking for a bunch of different ways to hand load rock onto some other thing that then has to be hand unloaded.

Basically, every time I disk up a plot, just 1 good rain reveals the next crop of rock sitting on top. I'm looking for a faster way of skimming those off so I can drag and plant.

How big of a rock will a rock rake move from the soil? Maybe that's a better option, at least windrow the rocks for faster pickup?

Grouse

johndeeregreg · Jun 2, 2018

not sure if its within budget but we pick a lot of rock every year with John Deere gators. if your just going for the larger ones on top (such as the
ones you described) you can cover a lot of ground quick. they have electric dump so you don't have to throw the rocks off, they are easy to get on and
off of, and they are very versatile for other tasks around the farm we started with a 6x4 and then added a 850D which is a 4x4 diesel a few years
after the first one. if possible get the 4x4 model such as the 620i or 850D, they will dump more and the suspension is great to have, the 6x4 ride
like a lumber wagon and the dump wont dump a full load you usually have to throw a few off the front of the box and then still have to help it dump.
once you have one for a little while and realize how much you can utilize it you'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner.

Ferd · Jun 2, 2018

This is a Harley rock rake. When when winrowing rocks, you take the side shields off and angle the Rake. The drum has carbide spikes and rotates so the dirt goes over the top between the drum and the shield which sends the rocks into a winrow. It'll dig up basketball size rock. Easy to pick them up with the loader. Also makes a great seed bed which is what I'm doing in the photo. Doesn't need a lot of horsepower though.

Bob · Jun 2, 2018

(quoted from post at 22:22:20 06/02/18) Guys, I know there are all kinds of ways to bust my buttski hand picking rock. The 2010 has a loader bucket already, so I'm not looking for a bunch of different ways to hand load rock onto some other thing that then has to be hand unloaded.

Basically, every time I disk up a plot, just 1 good rain reveals the next crop of rock sitting on top. I'm looking for a faster way of skimming those off so I can drag and plant.

How big of a rock will a rock rake move from the soil? Maybe that's a better option, at least windrow the rocks for faster pickup?

Grouse

Heck, Grouse, if you don't want to put any "sweat equity" into your land, and have the $$$$ you mite as well just hire a rock picking outfit, sounds like a win-win situation, NO sweat for you and $$$ for them!

jon f mn · Jun 3, 2018

Having grown up on Rocky farms I can say this for sure, any rock picking that's cheap
is hard work, any that's easy is very expensive. And by easy I mean that in a relative
way, as there is no real easy way, only easier.

2510Paul · Jun 3, 2018

Ferd?s Rock rake seems like a great idea. It sounds like it
gets more rocks than just those on top and then leaves them
on top so a rock bucket on your 2010 could pick them up
easier. If you have trouble seeing the rock bucket on the front
of the 2010 I bet you could rig up an old truck mirror to see
over the hood. Paul

TimWafer · Jun 3, 2018

I do about the same acreage as you every year so can relate. Over the years Ive used numerous ways of removing the never ending crop of rocks.
I started by hand with a stone boat and yes even the mentioned old car hood. At 60 years old now I have pretty much given up on that method.
I had a manure bucket on a skid steer at one point as well and that worked OK except the tines were spaced too wide.
Then I also had a tow behind rock picker The kind with tines that flipped them into a rear bucket. It worked OK but was cumbersome and on side hills took some maneuvering to make it work. I just sold mine a year or so ago for $600. Something like it might be an option for you. Slower than the skid steer but it was tolerable at the time.
Currently use a small 4' wide rock bucket on a skid-steer that I bought for $500. It was almost new and even has a grapple. Only thing is, I had to change the mount over to a quick attach style. Thought it was a great deal. It works the best of anything Ive used. I can see as mentioned, being on a tractor, visibility wouldn't be ideal but probably manageable. The guy I bought the rock bucket from was using it on a small tractor and he said it worked fine for him. I like the narrow width even on the skid steer.
Tim

MSD · Jun 3, 2018

A flat bed and 4 young boys. You drive and 2 on each side throwing them on the trailer. That's the way we did it at home course child labor was cheap and not punishable back
then.

Grandpa's Fords · Jun 3, 2018

(quoted from post at 11:27:02 06/03/18) A flat bed and 4 young boys. You drive and 2 on each side throwing them on the trailer. That's the way we did it at home course child labor was cheap and not punishable back
then.

Them boys all left home so I built a rock bucket from mostly scrap and some steel grade stakes for my B7500 Kubota, worked pretty good, Worked great for just skimming the surface. Didn't have quick-tach bucket so had to make it so I could pull pins easily.

The Famous Grouse · Jun 4, 2018

Thanks for the replies from the rock bucket owners. Sounds like that might be the most workable solution

I thought about the tow-behind rock picker, but it'd be a lot of messing around to get one hooked up because I only have one pair of hydro hookups and so the loader would have to come off, etc, etc.

I'm seriously thinking about having a metal fab place make me a 5 foot wide rock bucket for the Deere. Spendy, but that might be the best solution.

I'd love to try the rake, but that doesn't skim them off, just puts them in rows so the bucket would sooner or later be required.

(quoted from post at 23:34:36 06/02/18)

(quoted from post at 22:22:20 06/02/18)

Click to expand...

Heck, Grouse, if you don't want to put any "sweat equity" into your land, and have the $$$$ you mite as well just hire a rock picking outfit, sounds like a win-win situation, NO sweat for you and $$$ for them!

I've got plenty of sweat equity into my land. Just looking to work smarter, not harder and like my grandpa always said, if you're constantly busting your @ss, sooner or later the smart man asks himself if he's just doing it wrong?

Grouse

Grandpa's Fords · Jun 4, 2018

Just a thought if you were able to find or had a 5' or 6' regular (JD)bucket your fab guy would be able to convert one probably a little cheaper. I was going to do that but the guy that was going to give a bucket that was wore out on the bottom forgot he gave it to me and let it go to someone else. 6' skid steer buckets are sometimes easy to find especially around stone quarries where they get beat to h#77.

Rock Picking Options with Deere 2010

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