# rock bucket



## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

Anyone ever use a rock bucket for a skidsteer? I have 3 lawns on new homes & tree belts in subdivision to loam & rake. The jobs were based on spreading existing loam & raking but the loam is really bony to go over with the rockhound.

It won't be cost effective to screen the loam. I was thinking about spreading the loam & then using rock bucket. Not sure how well these buckets work.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Cleaning up after a timber harvest my buddy used a bucket like that to spread a couple of hundred yards of chips that had been setting for over a year. Worked great.:thumbsup:


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I have a grapple bucket that is configured similar to the bucket in the picture, it grades pretty well.

In your situation, I'd give it a try.


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## ajbackhoe (Nov 26, 2006)

It's not going to work. If you're wanting to screen out rocks you need a rockhound not a rock bucket. It's going to clog up and be frustrating.


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## ctkiteboarding (Jul 10, 2006)

hand labor the large stone and let the rock hound earn its keep !!!


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## jmacd (Jul 14, 2009)

or a power rake, Harley rake, soil conditioner. All the same thing just different names.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

ajbackhoe said:


> It's not going to work. If you're wanting to screen out rocks you need a rockhound not a rock bucket. It's going to clog up and be frustrating.


I've got a rockhound but there are too many larger rocks to use it without removing larger rocks first.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

ctkiteboarding said:


> hand labor the large stone and let the rock hound earn its keep !!!


Never seen loam with this much 3" to 6" stone in it. I was thinking rock bucket might be worth the investment.


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## ctkiteboarding (Jul 10, 2006)

hard to say but if it clumps your screwed.... id grab some laborers and the skid , scoop the larger stones and get to it:thumbsup:.... 3" isn't a problem for a rock hound , hell that's what it is for i feel,

6 " becomes more difficult ,but ive raised the rake and scooped those as well , your call ... whats a bucket cost?


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## SixHoeBob (Jan 26, 2013)

When the Rockhound breaks or is mangled by that one rock, you will have lost. The stone fork/rock bucket will work if the loam is reasonably dry, and the Rockhound will thank you.

Step 1; Screen the soil with the stone fork.
Step 2; Finish with the Rockhound.
Step 3; Backcharge the customer for the use of the loader & stone fork.

The other option is to tell the customer to call you when he has some topsoil that is useable, or call some other fool.


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## peteo (Jan 8, 2011)

Go to cat/bobcat/deere wherever and rent an eliminator. That will loosen the soil and you will be able to snatch up the bigger rocks, roots and any other debris. Then hit it with the rockhound. Repeat as necessary. We do a lot of lawn installs that way and it works great. Just be careful around the utilities like the cable and phone. The rippers on an eliminator could grab a line somewhere, not that I've ever had that happen :whistling:


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

I have one of those, but I've always called it a skeleton bucket. Never used it though. 

A rockhound is the way to go. We use it all the time. If you are using existing loam, I am assuming that you will be spreading it with a dozer ?? When I use a dozer I am able to roll the 6" size and bigger rocks out then hit it with the rockhoud.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

ctkiteboarding said:


> hard to say but if it clumps your screwed.... id grab some laborers and the skid , scoop the larger stones and get to it:thumbsup:.... 3" isn't a problem for a rock hound , hell that's what it is for i feel,
> 
> 6 " becomes more difficult ,but ive raised the rake and scooped those as well , your call ... whats a bucket cost?


Bucket cost more than I thought. around $1200. This loam will finish off my rockhound if I'm not careful.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

rino1494 said:


> I have one of those, but I've always called it a skeleton bucket. Never used it though.
> 
> A rockhound is the way to go. We use it all the time. If you are using existing loam, I am assuming that you will be spreading it with a dozer ?? When I use a dozer I am able to roll the 6" size and bigger rocks out then hit it with the rockhoud.


Our dozer operator is good and he can do that but the amount of stone in this loam is crazy. More and more we encounter horrible loam. I'm really just looking for an easier way to remove larger stones before rockhounding the loam. 

I rather just screen the loam but nobody is willing to pay for that. Still got to find work.


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## Upchuck (Apr 7, 2009)

SixHoeBob said:


> When the Rockhound breaks or is mangled by that one rock, you will have lost. The stone fork/rock bucket will work if the loam is reasonably dry, and the Rockhound will thank you.
> 
> Step 1; Screen the soil with the stone fork.
> Step 2; Finish with the Rockhound.
> ...


The customer is a regular builder we work for. He's a fair guy but I think he would even complain about me backcharging him. It's not like I can claim I didn't know there would be rocks in the loam.

That being said, the price will be adjusted on future houses in this subdivision.


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## ctkiteboarding (Jul 10, 2006)

just teeth rake it with the excavator, then dozer , skid steer and some hand labor to get it ready to rock hound and prep the seed bed. good luck


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## wyoming 1 (May 7, 2008)

I don't know if you know what a grizzley is but it might work if the loam is dry enough to drop through.


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