Uhhh, you guys act like there are just a dozen loose rocks lying
around on top of the ground that can be picked up by hand. Come out
to my place and see the acre+ of projecting rocks that are merely the
tip of the much large deeply embedded rocks (boulders to you) that
cannot easily be gathered up.

(This is an open area below the acre or so that has been finished off
for lawn - we have a total of about 12 acres - the rest is wooded.)

We have a heavy duty belt driven large self propelled mower with a
thick blade that can withstand bouncing off the ocassional fixed rock.
Another popular method is to use the various heavy duty wheeled walk
behind string trimmers. Those are OK for grass, but we have a lot of
woody shoots or actual sprouting trees that come up, so we need more
cutting power.

A person without heavy equipment could not possible "clean up" the
rocks in my yard, and I expect his too.


Rubble fields do not make good meadows. If you can't set the cutting
blades on the mower high enough to miss the rocks, then
(A) Switch to a sickle-bar mower,
(B) Truck in dirt to bury the rocks, and then clear them over the
years as they float to the surface.
(C) fence the area and buy about 3 sheep and a goat.
(D) Build a dam and flood the area every couple years, drowning
the plants that you don't like.
(E) Clear the perimeter, mow that, and burn the middle off.
Plant blueberries.

--Goedjn