Home-Built High-Dump Rock Picker

Home-Built High-Dump Rock Picker ROCK PICKERS Rock Pickers 6-3-8 E.G. Leek, of Arnegard, N. Dak., spent two winters building what may be the most innovative rock picker anywhere ù a self-propelled, high-dumping machine with tremendous mobility for clearing up rocky fields. "Rocks don't get pushed into the ground as they do when you pull a rock picker with a tractor because the picker rides in front," Leek told FARM SHOW. "You also have more maneuverability because it bends in the middle. When you reach a rocky knoll or other rocky area, you can circle around much more easily with this unit than with a trailing picker." Leek built his picker completely from scratch, making use of the axle and drive wheels off a Deere 55 combine. A 302 6-cyl. engine powers the drive unit, provides the hydraulics for steering, and powers the rock picker. The picker consists of a 5-ft. wide rotating reel with metal fingers that operate close to the ground to rake rocks onto a grate. It'll handle rocks up to 150 lbs., according to Leek, and push them up into a bucket behind. Once full, the bucket raises hydraulically to dump into trucks with sides as high as 8-ft. Johnson would like to compare notes with any manufacturers interested in putting his rock picker into production. He spent $2,500 to build the prototype but has a simpler, lower cost design "on the drawing board". Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, E.G. Leek, Rt. 1, Box 3, Arnegard, N. Dak. 58835 (ph 701 586-3564).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.