Need advice to move 1-1/2 ton pallet of rocks

[ShaunBlake]

I got delivery of a little more than one and one-half tons of rock and it's in a horribly inconvenient spot. I'm faced with hand-loading it into my utility trailer and pulling it around to the back with my B6100D.

Before I do, it occurred to me that wiser heads might have some better ways. I don't have any sheet metal to make a sled, and even if my engine hoist is rated to 2 tons, I seriously doubt it would lift the load high enough, much less position it far enough into the trailer... Don't have any poles or stout pipe either, and ho helpers to circulate them if I could get the pallet up and on them. There's one additional constraint, but it would be moot if I can't move the pallet.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[bcp]

I would get a pair of 12ft 4x6 beams. Cut one end of each at an angle.

Put them in the pallet like forks, to use as a lever. Slip your loader bucket under one end and lift a bit to lift one side of the pallet and block it up. Then do the same on the other side. Go high enough the beams will barely fit under the pallet.

Now put the beams under the pallet and fasten some cross pieces to the beams in front of and behind the pallet. Knock the blocks out, then drag it on the skids to wherever you want it.

Bruce

 

[sheepfarmer]

First thought is watch that old special on how they built the pyramids
Second thought is we need more information/pictures. Are these lots of small rocks or 3 giant rocks? Will they roll into a loader bucket? Is the ground soft or hard or sloped? Feasible to pry the pallet up off the ground as above then position several round 6 inch diameter poles under it with at least two extra and roll forward replacing poles in front with the ones from behind? Don't think this will work on soft ground, but skid might get stuck too. Can you return the rocks as defective and get your money back? Cheaper than getting YOUR back fixed.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Pallet of boulders?

I just loaded my smaller ones into the bucket and the bigger ones I slung.

For the smaller ones, I found "hiking" them (like you'd hike a football) to be the easiest. For me at least, it doesn't strain any one muscle and after 300 moved, I don't have any lingering damage for a 60 year-old fart.

The 300-700 lb beasties I slung using straps from HF. Without a picture I am not sure what you are up against.

Here is the sling that I used...

Moved the biggest one to date this weekend. The loader would get it about 12" off the ground and no more. Hauled it to a far away location for later use. Wanted to "block" the underside for easier slinging to the final location later so I saw a flat rock and reached down to grab it. As I started to pry the 12" diameter slab off the ground I saw that unmistakeable diamondback pattern and recoiled. It looked like a pregnant female, about 30" long, still asleep as it was fairly cool overnight. Baby Rattlers are the most dangerous because they cannot control their venom. It unloads, where a mature snake may not waste any venom in what is known as a "dry bite." I used to haul them off but Cave Creek is not exactly unpopulated so this snake got fed to the birds. And, I am now on high alert for the next 6 months.

 

[Diydave]

dry bites or wet bites don't matter much, if they strike rubber or steel. I'd have changed my pants, fired the kuboter up, and laid waste to that sucker!

 

[skeets]

I think you have a FEL, I would load as many of the smaller one in the bucket, and sling the big ones like CCR said and if you have to sling or drag the larger one. I think you might be surprised how much that little beasty will pull in 4wd low range. It might take a few trips but think of all the fun your gona have

 

[olthumpa]

Like others have said, need more info.

How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.

Sometimes there is no other way.

 

[85Hokie]

Like others have said, need more info.

How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.

Sometimes there is no other way.

thats my line !!! Every time I give my students an assignment that overwhelms them.........

their eyes get big and you can read their thoughts.....how in the .......we gonna do that?

ONE BITE AT A TIME.......and they have never tasted elephant !!!

 

[skeets]

85 what do you teach?

 

[85Hokie]

85 what do you teach?

skeets - i am your ol "industrial arts teacher" - just like the guy you had in HS , I teach construction, engineering explorations, drafting on BOARDs, and CAD, I have advance engineering too.

this is sorta the stuff I make my kids do :

1st year engineering class:
contest to pick up six cups and place them at a central place in the quickest time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0pReMVqe58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzUyW-djBF8

I take all the fun stuff we could not do as kids in the shop and make them find a way to make it work ....

here is one that was a hard one for them.....

robotic corn hole!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaoVYVVXio8

 

[Diydave]

Oh, I thought this was you, hokie: https://youtu.be/2-Bwks3u5C0

Just kidding, LOL

 

[ShaunBlake]

I would get a pair of 12ft 4x6 beams. Cut one end of each at an angle.
Put them in the pallet like forks, to use as a lever. Slip your loader bucket under one end and lift a bit to lift one side of the pallet and block it up. Then do the same on the other side. Go high enough the beams will barely fit under the pallet.
Now put the beams under the pallet and fasten some cross pieces to the beams in front of and behind the pallet. Knock the blocks out, then drag it on the skids to wherever you want it.
Bruce

What an eye-opener! You really got me fired up with your simple, obvious, and expedient (I'm a woodworker, so have most of what I need on hand, and was looking for an excuse to get some 4"x6"x16' beams to re-do some gateposts I sorta mussed.

Sadly, almost all pallets are made of very undersized 2x4s. If this pallet was perfect, I would have had to drive the 4x6 in with a BFH. Woe! It was far from perfect!

First thought is watch that old special on how they built the pyramids
...

I am so disappointed that you did not see me in that special! They showed a very nice (I thought) profile of me when I was cracking the whip, driving the slaves to pull harder. Sheesh! My staring role, worse than "on the cutting-room floor"! <sob>

...
Second thought is we need more information/pictures...

Okay, I knew that -- thought I'd post pics after the fact. <blush> It's a pallet of "stack rocks", similar to flagstone. Yes, I can load them in the bucket, but moving them that way would kill me. In fact, I intended to unload them into my utility trailer and drag that around back, but that would 'almost' kill me.

And, to your pyramid suggestion, I don't have the material (okay, I could get it) and I have no 'slave labor'. Think about it: okay, the pallet is on a bunch of round poles, and I start dragging it -- every time it gets to the last pole, I have to jump down and move each pole that was uncovered, then back on the tractor to advance another 4'. I'm envisioning someone in the far distant future wondering about this stack of rocks, and why they were left in this peculiar place! (IOW, I know I'd give up pretty quickly. <blush>

...Can you return the rocks as defective and get your money back? Cheaper than getting YOUR back fixed.

Sadly, the courts would hold that I was aware they were defective when I bought them: millions of years old, broken up into (sorta big) pieces -- "Plaintiff, what exactly is your expectation?" And I want to keep my rocks! <stamping feet>

 

[ShaunBlake]

Pallet of boulders?
...
For the smaller ones, I found "hiking" them (like you'd hike a football) to be the easiest. For me at least, it doesn't strain any one muscle and after 300 moved, I don't have any lingering damage for a 60 year-old fart...

Sorry, I "intended" to mention it was a pallet of "stack rocks", but had a false start when posting the message and the finished product did not include pertinent information. (And I confess that I did not think pics would help.)

I can't remember that far back, but I think when I was 60, I would have thought I could sling rocks as you describe and I know that there would have been lingering damage! At my advanced age, with my infirmities, I am careful what I attempt. (Honestly, I was surprised at how much pain I had when I finally quit and came in the feed the dogs, caused by light exertion that you would take in stride. But as "they" say, 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. So tomorrow I'll try hiking some of the rocks... but don't expect pictures! )

 

[Corney]

Young guys don't drink beer where you come from?

Cheap and easy, that would be my plan of attack! After the rocks placed of course.

 

[bcp]

Sadly, almost all pallets are made of very undersized 2x4s. If this pallet was perfect, I would have had to drive the 4x6 in with a BFH. Woe! It was far from perfect!

You could use doubled 2x6's instead. Not as neat for a future project but workable.

Bruce

 

[ShaunBlake]

Folks, I love you all and your contributions are great!

Most of your advice has been along the lines olthumpa expresses. Sadly, I couldn't bear to eat an elephant, so...

No, seriously, as a total last-resort, I would load them one-by-one into the loader move them one bucket at a time. In fact, that was what I envisioned when I went shopping. But reason overwhelmed me, and I sought a more prudent plan.

So, in terms that 85Hkioe will appreciate, here's an image of the "challenge"

Note that moving the Objective is not without Obstacles. And note that there is a Fall-back, but the color suggests how that route would be viewed.

The second pic, showing the face-off, doesn't include the Japanese plum tree (one branch coming into the picture from the right side) that presents a serious obstacle to sliding the load around the corner of the house and down into the back yard. Also, from this viewpoint, the Piranha bar isn't noticeable, so the rocks being in a jumble might be a puzzle.

The third pic shows the Main Event: Mighty B6100 vs. old broken-down rocks. Sadly, the rocks just sat there, so it was no contest. (Don't you hate it when they don't play fair?)

 

[ShaunBlake]

You could use doubled 2x6's instead. Not as neat for a future project but workable.

Bruce

That was my next effort. Actually, I started to use 12' 2x10s but settled for 10' 2x8s since I had half a dozen of them, and only 2 2x10s. They were exactly 3" thick when stacked, and I had to use a maul to drive them into the pallet. They weren't strong enough, and broke.

I considered buying a sheet of 3/4" ply, ripping it to 3", laminating it into 2 3x8s. I believe that would have been the strongest beam I could get -- but only 8' long. As it turns out, your original suggestion for length is just about minimal.

I got a couple of 2-1/2"ID 10' pipes (just over 1/8" thick) and used an engine hoist to lift it. Worked, although the pipes flexed a bit and made me wonder if it would collapse.

Tomorrow hope to get the back side up (no room for the hoist, it'll be a challenge) and get some beams under it (per your original suggestion) and try to drag it around to the back. I'm more confident about that, which is pretty silly -- the B6100 spins its wheels just climbing the curb from the street to the lawn. The puppy has no weight, so the brute force of those 14 horses just don't get properly applied.

(Having second thoughts about using the Socrates quote about stubbornness!)

 

[Russell King]

I have had good luck sliding heavy things on long 2x4s laid flat. I would just try to get the pallet lifted a bit using a floor jack (on plywood?) and then shove the boards under. Go to the other side and repeat just to get it back to level and more likely to slide onto the long boards. Pull it (the pallet) with a power pull/come-along or your tractor (I like the control of the manual system but it does get tiresome.)

If one the boards start to slide that is usually Ok too, you just have to have back up boards since one will usually drag and another will stay so you have to watch for "falling off" the skids

 

[Lil Foot]

If you weren't so far away, Id' offer to move them for you- right into the back of my truck. I'm raising a driveway a couple feet, and need all the "filler" I can get.

 

[D2Cat]

The problem with this whole process is there is not enough paint missing from the machine. Therefore, the ease of operator caused by concerns of cosmetics to machine doesn't allow for full capacity of machine to be used!

Throw a few rocks into the bucket, hoping to scratch paint, maybe you can lift the pile then.