Trailing Rock Digger

Trailing Rock Digger ROCK PICKERS Rock Pickers 15-1-11 "It works so well we rent it out by the hour and have a long list of satisfied customers," says Gotfred Markestad about the trailing rock digger he built for pulling big rocks out of his fields near Maddock, N. Dak. Markestad built the first version of his digger 21 years ago and has refined the idea with two more versions in the years since then. There are 1,100 lbs. of steel in the dual teeth. The entire machine weighs 4,500 lbs. The huge hydraulic cylinder that raises and lowers the teeth was special-ordered from California. The digger extracts rocks up to 15 ft. in dia. "I've pulled out rocks so big they tipped the machine over on its side. But it's built so heavy, nothing will damage it," says Markestad. Designed to pull behind a 100 to 350 hp. tractor, you use the hydraulic cylinder to lift on the rock while you pull ahead. The harder you pull, the more it lifts and you get a rolling action on the rock. The double arms going back to the teeth keep them going up vertically when raising so they won't slip off the rock. "When we first started clearing big rocks we used a Cat dozer which left big holes and was slow. This machine leaves just a small hole the size of the rock and moves quickly from rock to rock," says Markestad, noting that he also uses the machine for burying cable by replacing the double teeth with a single tooth. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gotfred Markestad, Rt. 1, Box 23, Mad-

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