FIRST PRIORITY: DRY DIRT! POWDER DRY! (I can't overstate it, and it needs to be at the top of the list, especially with all the wet weather we've been having!)
The process of arena rock removal starts with ripping the ground to a uniform depth and consistency. We can dig down as deep or as shallow as the client prefers but it's generally in the 8" to 10" range.
The next step is usually tilling; we have a Valentini H1800 tiller that is a real monster. It can till down to 10" and chew up even the worst clods! It's important to make those clods back into dirt or else the machine may think they're rocks and gather them up and now we're taking material that's just not necessary. Taking some clods is normal, no tiller will pulverize them all and if they're so hard that the equipment thinks it's a rock, your horse's foot will think it's a rock and it's best to get it out of there anyway.
The third step is the actual screening. This will take the majority of the time involved. The machine is pulled at a speed of approximately .1 mph and makes a 5' pass. This rate of speed is necessary to be able to get every bit of material run over that screen which removes any rock larger than 3/8" minus. Depending on the size of the project, this step alone could take 2 or 3 days.
The last and very important step is harrowing to flatten, smooth, and semi-compact the screened and rock-free dirt. This provides a barrier to the rocks that are below this level, waiting to percolate to the top. As long as this layer is not disturbed, your ground should remain relatively rock-free for several years.
Our charge for this service runs $175 per tractor hour depending on dirt composition, arena size, and locale. This means a typical 150' x 300' arena with no big surprises underground could run between $6,125 and $7,000.
We also will collect a trip charge of $2.00 per mile, one way, from Mertzon to your arena.
Please keep in mind that your arena dirt needs to be DRY, and by that, we mean that if y
In Bryson these next few days at Marcus & Mollie McCrary's place.
Just getting started but it's shaping up to be a real beauty!
Stay tuned for the before & afters...
The machine at work in College Station.
When we call ourselves Rock B Gone...we mean it!
Even when it turns out to be a column from some long ago building, complete with an I-beam that needs a torch to be removed.
Arenas keep trying to find ways to beat him, but they haven't yet!
This is a video sent to us by our client, Tyrus Jeffers, when I asked how dry (or damp) was his dirt. This is a perfect illustration of what we're looking for when we ask that question!
How does it flow through your hands?
Does it clump immediately? Is it a tight clump or does it fall apart with little to no help from you?
These are important factors in figuring out if you're ready for us to head your way or stay home for a day or two longer.
Our Valentini H1800 tiller in use
This our Valentini H1800 tiller that we use to get the clods as small as possible. The arena in Andrews really put her through her paces!! (I'm not sure the manufacturer intended it to be used quite like this...lol)
Arena rock removal. "The Surefire Solution For Your Rocky Arena!"
