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How would you move these rocks?
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Posted by valray z4 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 6, 06 at 11:19
| I had a local farmer drop a couple of loads of rocks down by my new pond. Well, they've been sitting there for a year because I don't know how to move them (or where to put them, but I am posting that question on the Landscape Design forum if you have any thoughts).
There are about 8 in total: one that is 24x36x9", three that are 24x24x30" - ish and about 4 smaller. The larger ones are too heavy for one or two people to roll into position.
They are sitting on the top of the bank, and I'd like to position them on/in the bank and down in the pond bottom. The bank is about 4' tall. The water level rises and falls with the ground water levels. Currently there is very little water in the pond - about 8". It will start to rise again in November.
I thought we could maybe push/flip them into place using a mini-excavator. The local rent-all place said it was the wrong machine for the job and were afraid it might be damaged. I am afraid of tipping machine and all into the pond. They recommended a front-end loader but we wouldn't have much control of placement using a loader.
Then I thought of getting a local farmer to bring his tractor and chains. We could lift the rocks up by chains and lower them into position that way.
A problem is that there is not a lot of room to maneuvre in the space. So maybe I could enlist 3 or 4 big strong men (where do I get those again...?) to use crowbars and muscle to move them into position. But if the rocks roll into the bottom of the pond, we may need more than 3 or 4 men to roll them back up the bank.
I would really like to get this done asap before the water starts rising. Any suggestions? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| See if you can rent a tree dolly. They are very heavy duty and can lift hundreds of pounds. You just push the boulder onto the dolly, then can maneuver into place. |
Here is a link that might be useful: tree dolly
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| I'm sure it's too late but I would use chains and come-alongs staked firmly into the ground or tied to trees uphill from the pond. If you use two to balance the load, you can release the come-alongs one chain link at a time on both of them and move the rocks very slowly into the pond. We moved a 20 ton piece of equipment all over a concrete floor using only two pretty small come-alongs, chains and a few rollers. Or if the question is how to move them toward the pond, mount the come-alongs on the other side of the pond and pull them into the pond. If you fill the pond with sand, the rocks will land on the sand and not hurt anything when they fall 4 feet. Then you can dig out the sand afterwards. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| Just hire some guy with a bobcat. He could put them exactly where you want them. Be through in 15 minutes. All you have to do is point your finger where. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| Hi, It seems to me as you maybe making a bigger deal out of it than need be. I think I could move those rocks by myself, not lifting but tumbling. For sure two guys from any lawn service for $50.00? Like the guy said above, any machine, skidsteer, tractor, hoe, decent riding lawn mower moves those in minutes, where ever, how close, no big deal. I'm certainly not trying to be cheeky, the size rocks you described I move in granite. I think you should ask the local farmer you got them from to come move them for you. If there is a slope that leads to the water and your afraid they'll roll in, then the mover should dig the rocks bed before getting them there so the rocks fall into them, with a contolled decent, as well as hitting the removed dirt bank to stop them, again I think those rocks are controllable as long as the grade is not extreme. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| I built two huge Inukshuks in my backyard and thought about renting a skidsteer . It was going to be 350 bucks plus gas for a day. I said I would only need it a couple of hours and they said they only rent it per day. I ended up useing muscle and an engine crane. The engine crane (cherry picker)worked great but it is meant to roll on a cement garage floor , not grass , so it was really only good for lifting not lifting and moving. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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I move some pretty large stuff with my garden tractor. I got a plastic 55 gallon drum. removed the ends, cut in half length wise to make a sled. I simply used a hole saw to put a couple of 3' holes in it. I passed the loop of chain through each hole and then inserted a piece of pipe threw the loops so they could not pull back through the holes.
Slides easy on the yard and does not tear up the yard.Works really well for moving rocks no lifting just roll them on roll them off.
I use pieces of pipe as levers for lifting, and to roll and slide the stones into place. Can be hard work, I guess everyone enjoys the fruits of their labors in different ways, I like doing as much as possible by hand. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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Ya I do pretty much everything I can by hand. I did use the engine crane for a few of the heavy stones so that I could still do it by myself or with my son instead of having 4 guys or 8 guys lifting.
http://www.youtube.com/user/gumper5242#play/uploads
Check out my 18 short videos on youtube. |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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Well, set a new record for sliding rocks. Moved these 7 miles with SUV, trailer and garden tractor... oh and my wife..
 Ready for mulch.. 
All but the biggest 2 rocks on the left were moved around with the garden tractor (16hp) the big ones I had to move with the durango.
The plastic makes them side easily. Some one pass the Ben Gay! |
RE: How would you move these rocks?
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| Well......your rocks must not be a heavy as our rocks...lol. I thought my husband and I were going to kill ourselves moving some rocks this summer. We don't have access to a backhoe, tractor or other equipment. We do have an older truck my husband uses to hunt and haul wood with that we installed a wench in. He also welded a skid ramp to pull the rocks up into the truck bed. We did have a few issues getting them back out...:0) We also have a few tight places we needed to move the rocks to, and I like the idea given by bonecarver for using a flattened plastic drum (thanks for the pictures..it helps to visualize it). We do have a 700 4-wheeler we could use to drag them. We just don't want to damage the existing lawn. Thanks to all of you who have shared such creative ideas. I have been a rock hound since I was little. Mom always checked my pant pockets for rocks and pebbles before washing. My liking for larger rocks (and my pants size) grew as I got older. We are doing some major rock gardens which my husband reminds me that he spent most of his life removing rocks from our property, and now I am asking him to bring more back in!! |
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