Cheap Land smoother

   / Cheap Land smoother #1  
J

john_bud

Super Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2000
Messages
6,596
Hi,

Had a dozer guy out and to help, I did the final smoothing. Used two 12' long I-beams chained together and then to a grab hook on the draw bar. Worked pretty slick. By changing the chain attachment points you can angle the I-beams and windrow rocks off to one side (sort of). I works pretty good when you spiral in around the target dump spot and have a low area so they can drop.

Once the beams fill up with heavy wet soil, they double in weight and do a better job. Not bad at all. I did find that you NEED 2. Or else some rear weight to help keep the lead beam down. I had a fastener failure on the rear beam and a single is about worthless.

CIMG4225.jpg



A combination of rough and smooth grading can get done pretty quick by lowering the box blade to a point just above the grade. It will nip off any high spots.

By the way, it also can pop out rocks that are hiding. Many were popped up. Up to 2' across. I stopped counting at 100 loader buckets filled with rocks, by hand. Oh, my aching back!@!!!
 
   / Cheap Land smoother #3  
I've always been a very big fan of a drag. I have two. One is an oak log with cyclone fence wrapped around it that trails behind the lond when I pull it. My small 35hp tractor pulls it like it's nothing. My other drag is a pair of forklift forks for something massive. They are too big to use on my backoe, but they are great for dragging through the dirt. If it's wet or soft out, I have to use the backhoe. My small tractor will just spin it's wheels!!!! If I ever get some I beams, that's just what I'll use them for.

Thanks,
Eddie
 
   / Cheap Land smoother #4  
Great idea John.
I wish I had a couple of those big beams lying around the scrap pile.
It would sure make short work out of some the large areas I have.
 
   / Cheap Land smoother #5  
My first introduction to the basic drag was 25 years ago when I worked as a ranch hand in NW Colorado. We had 10 miles of dirt road between the county highway and the ranch. The county would grade it a couple times a year but that was not nearly enough to keep it reasonably smooth. We used a 6' lenth of railroad track behind an old JD model A to drag the road between visits from the county maintainer. Sure wish I had that mass of iron and the JD A now!
 
   / Cheap Land smoother #6  
john_bud said:
Used two 12' long I-beams chained together
Click to expand...

Very cool. Low tech, and effective.

Where do you get ahold of I-beams like that? Where could I buy something like that?

Lindy
 
   / Cheap Land smoother
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Hi,

Have not tried a York rake, no idea. I would hope a purpose built tool would be better!

Turning radius? Not bad actually. You can even back over it with little fear of damage to it (or the tractor - no sharp edges). When chained up to drop off rocks and stuff to the right, it turns to the left easy.

I got them used and unloved for cheap. Been sitting on my shop floor as a trip hazard for 12-14 years. I have seen various sized beams at the used iron place. 20-40 cents a pound is about the going rate for used steel. If you buy rusty, they will be shiny pretty quick!

If I were to change it (and I will) it would be in how they are connected. Will be welding on some loops. High edge in the front and low edge on the inside 2. That way the tractor will tend to pick up the leading edge allowing it to trap and distribute dirt while the back on runs on the 2 edges for smoothing.

Then again, I may just weld some 3/4 rod between the two and add some baskets for rock weight. Still thinking about it, and open to ideas (hint hint)

jb
 
   / Cheap Land smoother #10  
Consider offsetting the two drags and have them angled in opposite directions. The second drag will pick up stuff from the first one and carry it back into the center. :D

Pretty sure I've seen pictures of drags set up that way.:D

I surely like that drag but put one like it behind my tractor and I' afraid it would not move far.:eek:
 
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