Buckets 'N Boulders....
If they fit, the bucket is fine. These are way too large and would probably bend the bucket so I simply sling them. Its almost effortless. The belts stick to the granite like Velcro... This is a larger volcanic I slung out of the way because of the weight. The 13,000lb ratchet ($13 Home Depot) is shortened to 10 ft and the two sling bands are from Harbor Freight and ran $8 apiece.
I deconstructed an existing backyard that was mostly rock and cactus. There were over 200 boulders of various sizes. There were 48 decent large granite boulders so I started a boulder nursery and sat all the biggies on blocking. That made it cake to pick them up later. I have 65-70 smaller ones I was able to "bucket haul." And, I have another 70 or so volcanic black that got bucketed away to my shop for use there.
I'll update pics as the project gets completed. We have used the tractor a bunch during this remodel over the last 2.5 years but deconstructing this back yard in prep for the new yard would have cost us $10-15,000 alone. My wife agrees, once the backyard is done, the Kubota has paid for itself. Next Fall we start some minor upgrade to the front. Then Mr. K gets to lead the life of retirement pulling an occasional weed drag or the box scraper on the driveway.
Forgot to answer... The boulders will get "married" (partially buried) to the ground to make them look like they were always there. There is a real art to that and I will let the pros do that part. The concrete is a free-formed patio and the boulders will be on dirt.
Here is what we are working towards...