DIY Dirt and Rock Sifter for Tractor | Simple Design

I am trying out a few new things on the channel today. Let me know what you think, thanks for watching!
The Video that inspired me to build mine:
• Simple DIY Dirt Screener!

[@mikesmyth4829]

You've solved the problem I've been having. We're building a new home on sandy-loam type soil. The soil is full of rocks, from 1-in size to a couple of feet in size. The plan is to put in grass, but there's too many rocks right now to do that. I'm removing the big rocks by hand, but the small rocks are impossible. I'll be building one of these that's 6-ft wide on the inside. I've ordered the screen and as soon as it arrives, I'll get the lumber and knock one together.

[@KnightFlesh]

Good luck! It should work out pretty good for you. I built mine in a few hours by myself as you saw so it's a very simple, yet very effective little project.

[@georgepersonius3302]

Cheap, quick and functional. Looks like a winner to me.

[@KnightFlesh]

Haha thanks for checking it out!

[@alanm3438]

It seems to work fine. What you could do is run you gravel threw a second time to get more dirt out. I like how it works.

[@Golden_SnowFlake]

love DIY solutions. I have been trying one out with a wheel barrow, but didn't think it would hold up to the tractor, so this is my next project. To improve the soil, Grow beans, then something leafy like sorghum, and knock it down, let it rot into the soil. Beans grow shallow, but add nitrogen, the sorghum grows tall, so it out competes the weeds. You could even let the beans use the sorghum for a trellis, to kill two birds. assuming you are into renewable agriculture, there are many other remedies, but this ones simple enough. Chop and drop. :D (Save seeds each year, so you can do this with little overhead after the first.)

[@lyonna7499]

Haven’t built it yet.. but the idea was 16’ cattle panel cut in half, off center overlap, desired screen size and it’s lifted with chain to a bucket *maybe a frame for additional support

[@kevin1gasman]

I made one out of scrap lumber . I first used to big of wire . Them I put smaller wire over top of that wire . I got free . they use the wire put concrete stucco on the siding of homes . Work pretty good. It come in 8ft x 4ft sheets just make sure you lay bottom up overlap so the rocks don’t get in between the sheets of the wire . I got a lot of weeds stuck in the wire so I keep a garden hoe handy to weeds out of the wire .

[@KnightFlesh]

Yeah for sure I get roots stuck in mine as well. But usually after another load they clear out. Good to know about the alternative materials as well and how to do it all for free!

[@geraldcroft9020]

Built the exact thing Love it

[@wholesystems]

Been thinking about this, have a lot of nice compost with roots.. Was thinking of expanded metal for durability but i guess this works...and like you said, doesn't need to last forever.

[@KnightFlesh]

This would hold up great for compost with roots. Mine has held up good with LOTS of rocks so far

[@formdog9861]

love it very simple works great

[@KnightFlesh]

I really appreciate the support. Thanks for stopping by

[@guillermodehollander]

Perfect. Just Exactly what I was looking for I plan on building one soon. I will probably make it a couple feet wider.

[@KnightFlesh]

Good luck and let me know how it works out!

[@MerwinARTist]

Nicely Done!!

[@TimBruce1]

Thanks for sharing... need to screen some dirt and will do similar.

[@KnightFlesh]

Let me know if you have any questions! Mine works good but there is just a few things I would change. For being built of scrap though, it isn't too bad

[@TORAH-613]

Well im gonna build one now. Thanks

[@KnightFlesh]

You bet! Hope it works out good for you

[@craigc8198]

Great idea good build

[@KnightFlesh]

Thanks!

[@ibrahimnundlall8958]

nice... simple 👍👍👍👍

[@mikewaller1702]

I’ve done several similar screens and using 6x6 welded concrete reinforcing wire under the small screen will help

[@KnightFlesh]

That would beef it up indeed. I considered it as well, but for my application it wasn't too necessary. The largest rocks I have are about softball size, and there arent too many of those. But that is a great idea if someone has larger material to sift

[@willrine8614]

I'd be upwind when dumping the bucket! 😃🤣

[@KnightFlesh]

Absolutely!

[@yuumetal2363]

great idea. I guess more moderate incline separates rock and sand more.

[@KnightFlesh]

I'm sure there is some science to it, but I am lazy and didn't wanna do the research haha thanks for checking it out

[@marctrossbach6560]

Worth it!

[@DS-ps6il]

I think it worked great! Gonna go out and build me one this week! Helpful to have your after use insights, maybe sell plans?

[@bensnocker3599]

Angle irons work great if you can find them

[@thespig13]

i live on a mountain so rocks are plentiful! I'm thinking about building one of these to help with them, I'm guessing if you were to add a hog/cow panel to it, it would go under the hardware clothe correct? cause on top, rocks would get stuck

[@KnightFlesh]

If you are going to do a large mesh like a 1"x1" or a 1"X2" panel I would do it underneath the fine mesh, at that point all it is doing is adding strength in my mind. If you are going to do very large rocks then adding the hog paneling would be a good idea. I'm not dealing with anything much bigger than 2"-3" rocks on mine and the 1/2" hardware cloth seems surprisingly strong. Good luck on your build and let me know how it turns out

[@thespig13]

@@KnightFlesh good we're on the same track... i got all size rocks to deal with, small medium and large enough that the tractor can't deal with them lol

[@MichaelKesner]

It's too narrow! :) Just kidding, you did a great job.

[@KnightFlesh]

It is too narrow! Yeah I mention that the width is fine, but I left the uprights tall thinking it would help line me up easier. Which would have been fine if it was about a foot wider than my bucket and not 4 inches or so. Thanks for checking it out

[@alanwood8737]

What angle did you use 45? Or just a random ? Did you ever mess with angle? About to whip one up . Thanks I have tons of that wire for animal cages . Cheepskates rule!

[@KnightFlesh]

I mostly just set my tractor bucket to it's max height to where it could still dump a full load of dirt. Then at the other end just sort of guessed. It's probably about 2ft off the ground at the back, maybe a little less. That measurement mostly came from the OSB that was already cut up. The hardware cloth has worked out great so far, and held up really well too. As long as you aren't dumping huge rocks over it it should hold up well. And for sure I was a cheepskate on this, and I think it turned out great!

[@Choppinwoodandridingood]

I like it

[@louisbrentnell2551]

Its working.

[@KnightFlesh]

Yup it works good

[@carlosmartins99]

Great job. You mentioned that u would add a link to the video that inspired you. I did not see it on description.

[@KnightFlesh]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3PXdIiwiMqWj7M Here it is, I totally forgot to add it. Thanks for reminding me!

[@Lawn_Care_Lounge_tv_uk]

we made one for my friends reno here in the uk our videos of it will be on our channel over the next 8 weeks follow us if u like

[@robertmcgreevy]

good job

[@KnightFlesh]

Thank you very much, I appreciate that

[@robertmcgreevy]

@@KnightFlesh I am going to make one for the same reason.

[@wxmyjnsn]

Good video. You could rerun the stuff that fell off again. Looks like a lot of soil falls off. I have a bunch of gravel mixed in my soil do you think that 1/2" mesh is strong enough? Did you make any other changes since you made this video?

[@KnightFlesh]

The 1/2" mesh is absolutely strong enough as long as your framing pieces arent spaced too far apart. I have easily been running 3 and 4 inch rocks through mine and no issues so far. I also have run the stuff through again that falls off, usually just one more pass because after that it isnt worth it. I have not made any changes to mine, but if I was going to, I would cut off the posts that are sticking out above the top. I thought they would act as an easy guide, but because I didn't make mine wide enough (other change I would make), I end up hitting hitting the posts a lot. I would make mine at least a full foot if not a foot and a half wider than the bucket. This isnt completely necessary but will save a lot of headaches. It works great for what I needed it for, my soil has a ton of rocks in it, and rather than buy a ton of soil I just decided to try this and so far I am very happy with the results. I think the angle is good and allows the dirt to flow very fast and flow through the mesh. The half inch mesh I think is perfect for getting fine sifted soil. The only other option you could do is put some like 3" x 1" hardware cloth below that if you needed the added strength. I personally wouldnt go bigger than the 1/2" squares though simply because I like the fine dirt it produces.

[@wxmyjnsn]

@@KnightFlesh Thanks for the reply. My house used to be a restaurant and it had a gravel parking lot. The seller remodeled it into a home but the yard needs a lot of work. I need to sift all the gravel out, most of it is not very big so I think the 1/2" will work. I just have a JD 1025r so my bucket is only 53" SO I could make it 6' wide and maybe 8' long (standard 2x4 length). I see in the video you are wearing a CG shirt. Did you serve? I am an AF vet.

[@KnightFlesh]

@@wxmyjnsn Yeah the sizing that you are looking at would be plenty big. I did mine 8ft long as well for the same reason that framing 2x4s worked well. I did serve for almost 8 years. Thank you for your service buddy

[@wxmyjnsn]

@@KnightFlesh Thank you too!

[@niltonneto7233]

gostei

[@jamesfordjhfcontractingltd1627]

That wouldn’t last 5 minutes

[@KnightFlesh]

For simple dirt and small rocks, it has lasted several summers. Of course it wouldn't last on a contracting site... It also lasts longer than 5 minutes in the video so... Yeah.

[@deanwilson7047]

wicked