Are there any implements for sorting rocks from dirt?

[Tractor_Chunks]

Ok, I'm not sure if this is a tractor question, but maybe it is. I'm wondering about dealing with landscaping where you have spots that have lots of small rocks mixed in with dirt. In my area this is common where a homeowner has half-assed a little project of their own, and I have to redo something. Many times I end up with a yard to two of soil that will have gravel or pea gravel mixed into it, and I need to deal with it. No good place to simply get rid of it, so I end up having to process it. I always end up doing something annoying and time consuming like screening it by hand over trash cans and/or dumping it all onto a driveway and raking it out while running water over it.

I know you can buy stand alone vibrating screens, but that's a bit much for me. Are there any tractor implements that might help me here? Or maybe I need to build something? Keep in mind, I'm often dealing with fairly small rocks - 3/4" stone down to pea gravel.

I have read that power rakes are great for kicking rocks out of dirt, but those are very expensive and probably only help you in the top couple inches of soil. I'm not sure there are power rakes for the BX series, but if there are good options there, that might interest me too, for other applications.

 

[Sodark]

Something as small as pea gravel would be difficult. I've seen rock screening buckets, but they are probably way too big for your application. You could, theoretically... Buy a new or used high volume bucket, cut some patterns of metal out of the bottom (leaving enough to provide some support for the screen) and weld some expanded metal over the bottom then lay some hardware cloth over the expanded metal of an appropriate size? The hardware cloth would need pretty regular replacing, but it's not that expensive... Anyway that's the first idea that comes to my mind.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

use Google ...'dirt trommel'. essentially a rotary screen that separates 'small' from 'big'. It's on my 'todo project' list to make.need to find 2 free treadmills. one as the infeed taking a bucket at a time, other as outfeed to dump rocks.
'real' ones are $$$ and too big, homemade ones are '1 shovel at a time' small.
you can build a 'stand' with a screen at 45* and it'll process fairly fast.
My original vibrating screen was just too dang noisy though it did a great job.
How you do it depends on available space. If you can store small loads into a big pile THEN process, it'll be easier.

Jay

 

[Lil Foot]

As mentioned above, you could build a Rock Grizzly, and adjust screen size as needed:

 

[Lil Foot]

Or, as mentioned above, you could build a rotary trommel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le-Nmg0q9jE

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'll second the grizzly suggestion!

 

[BruceP]

I have seen farmers use an old 'potato harvester' dragged behind their tractor to extract the larger stones from their corn-fields.

 

[BAP]

Around here, dirt with pea sized stone and gravelly sized stone in it is considered topsoil. I’m not sure why you would waist your time getting those small stones out, but each his own. Usually with a roller of some kind they pack in to make a nice surface for a lawn.

 

[Tractor_Chunks]

Around here, dirt with pea sized stone and gravelly sized stone in it is considered topsoil. I’m not sure why you would waist your time getting those small stones out, but each his own. Usually with a roller of some kind they pack in to make a nice surface for a lawn.

I wouldn't worry about pea gravel except in the situations where someone has dumped 50 bags of of it someplace in the ground trying to make a french drain or something. You're not growing a nice lawn in that even after it has become infiltrated with dirt. I have to pull it out, and then what? I'm in a residential area and I can't just push it down a gorge someplace. Pea gravel I might be ok with burying someplace, if a reasonable someplace exists at the time. Anything bigger, I wouldn't just bury it. I've learned not to randomly bury junk on my property out of convenience.

I have to deal with areas where 10 years ago someone dumped an inch of gravel in a muddy area, thinking they were making a nice walking path or parking spot. Of course it doesn't work and I have to deal with the material later when I'm trying to landscape.

It seems like building a angled screen, what people seem to be calling a 'grizzly', might be ok. Maybe I can come up with a nice design sized just right for my BX. Height and width sized right for the loader bucket, and with a 3 point hitch attachment so that I can pick it up and carry it around with the back of the tractor. Maybe also so that it could be moved with forks? Could be a good project for someone who needs to relearn how to weld after a long time

 

[Dennis.D]

sounds like a Harley power rake might work. Then you won't have to dig it up sift it and landscape it again.

 

[D2Cat]

Here's your rear implement. Find them used on CL for $150-$200. Make sure it's reversible. Meaning you can pull it forward or turn it around on your tractor and back into the material.

https://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/d/peculiar-dirt-scoop-3pt-cat1/7008385266.html

 

[Tractor_Chunks]

sounds like a Harley power rake might work. Then you won't have to dig it up sift it and landscape it again.

I've been googling and it doesn't seem like there is a power rake designed for the BX. Land Pride makes a 3PH version but it weighs almost 1,000lb, so I don't think a BX can even lift it.
If I can run a 48 or 54" tiller on a BX, I feel like a power rake should run fine. A front mount version would be great.

D2Cat, I can't understand what that thing does, or how it would help sort out rocks from dirt.

 

[js5020]

I made a grizzly BX sized for sifting rock out of dirt. It's made from scrap lumber, 3/4EMT conduit and conduit clamps. Sifts out pretty good as long as the dirt is dry. I move it around by picking it up with the loader bucket. Mine is made for removing large rock but with a screen could do smaller stuff. I've run hundreds of bucket loads through it.

 

[BAP]

Here is a rock screening bucket that goes down to 1/2” stone.
https://www.spartanequipment.com/mini-skid-steer-attachments/rock-buckets/rock-screening-bucket/