Just passing along this link for those who haven't seen it elsewhere. It's a video of my brother-in-law's new rock picker ... quite the machine it is. http://www.therockpicker.com/video.aspx
um cool machine but you need to ask before posting your business here...
Oh dear, sorry about that. I read the FAQ, and it said that one business post is allowed -- I didn't think to ask about it. I'm happy to hear that you liked the machine!
First of all welcome to the Forums Jids. You are correct the advertising policy here on HEF allows one introductory thread to explain yourself and have members ask questions or just discuss your product. Obviously this is your introductory thread. BTW - interesting machine.
Having worked with rocks on farm land all of my life, from picking them by hand, to crushing them today, I can appreciate the thought and effort that has gone into building that machine. The aim is to pick as much rock as you can, without taking too much soil and then screen the remaining soil out and return it to the paddock. The next problem is to put the rock somewhere when it is picked. Some machines have a truck following them to take the rocks from a conveyor belt, but then the machine stops while the truck is unloading. With his elevating hopper, both the truck and the machine can keep working. It looks like he may have taken the gathering and screening ideas, from some of the other tractor pulled pickers that are on the market and incorporated them in to a self propelled machine. In our our area a lot of farm land is limestone country and stone picking machines have been used to clear thousands of acres, for decades. Two machines were designed and built here, one in the 1930's and one in the 1960's and are still in use today. They are simple mechanical pickers, one that rakes the rocks into a big wheel and it lifts them up ito a hopper and one that rakes and elevates the rocks into a tractor pulled trailer or tip truck. I am looking at designing a picker that will pick up milled limestone, to a depth of around 100mm, screen off the oversize which can be used in our crushing operation and the remainder, around -30mm will be returned to the paddock. I plan to start a thread about that down the track, because I need some ideas. RnR.
Spent more time than I ever wanted... walking fields, picking rocks, throwing them in a stone boat. That machine kicks azz!!! Ed
Jids, One thing you want to make sure you do is leave enough little rocks for seed soz they'll grown into big ones someday. Rocks are the only field crop in New England that require no water or fertilizer to grow. Have you put it on Farmshow yet?
I wonder if it would pay to add a jaw crusher then you could either wash the gravel or use it as base for a driveway or a road. Pretty neat machine though it reminds me of some of the potato harvesters and sugar beat harvesters.
Yep! It was on page 2 of the May issue of Farmshow. Righto, there's certainly no lack for rocks in New England. The machine actually lives and works in MN, though, and it does a pretty good job of "killing" those rocks for good.
Good thought. We've been thinking about that one too. I have a friend that knows of a small, fast crusher that might do the trick. We've had some interest from folks prepping road beds, so it's probably worth pursuing at some point.
has anybody taken one to the Diamond mine in Arkansas?