Stone picker

Stone pickers are used in farming and landscaping, where stones need to be removed from the soil and ground surface to prevent damage to other farm machinery (such as hay balers, combines, and mowers), improve the soil for crop production, or improve the appearance of the ground surface in preparation for a lawn or a golf course.

Surface stones and large rocks often left from plowing can damage a hay bailer, the header or reciprocating knives on a combine, and blades on a rotary mower.

Additionally, using stone pickers is particularly useful for crops forming tubers (such as potatoes) in the ground.

The digging teeth are at the leading edge of the stone picker and removes soil, which is placed on the conveyor system.

Some stone pickers use a large tractor, generally over 100 horsepower, equipped with hydraulics and power take-off driven mechanisms.