Front-End Loader How does a FEL rate for grading a driveway?

[Mousefield]

I bought a used box blade for doing our private road, does a great job. No way would the FEL be suitable for this job, our private road is about 3/4 mile long. It does pay to get the right tools for the job.

 

[Lumberdink]

Just checked in with my Pop. He has a BX1500. Anyone know if the rear blade would fit a 26 Series Kubotee? Did all those 1500's have a 3 point hitch?

 

[kco]

I find a landscape rake is excellent for maintaining my approximately 800' of gravel driveway and parking areas. I also have a rear blade if required and have used the cultivator as a ripper to shape new trails. A box blade and rippers would be best for more aggressive shaping. But once you have it in shape a decent base of small road gravel will be easy to maintain and re-shape with less aggressive equipment.

I am no expert, but I would not use a compact utility tractor's front end loader for road grading/shaping work. I think they are not meant for the repetitive shocks and stresses of that type of work.

I have a Farm King 6' rake without guage wheels which is good quality:

Farm King - Landscape Rake

I've attached a photos showing:
- a section of my driveway that I maintain with the rake
- a section I cut down last year using a box blade, pick/shovel/sledgehammer and now maintain with the rake
- new driveway with added road gravel (plus I renovated the shed)

 

[kco]

I bought a used box blade for doing our private road, does a great job. No way would the FEL be suitable for this job, our private road is about 3/4 mile long. It does pay to get the right tools for the job.

Nice job on the driveway.:thumbsup: Do you have a packer? And if so, what do you use?

Cheers

 

[Fixemall]

A box blade sized to the tractor is a good implement to have. Besides it's usefulness as what it intended for it also makes for a fairly compact piece of ballast for your fel work. I leave mine on all the time other than when i need something else.

That is my thoughts exactly, I have also welded a hitch ball to the top for moving trailers around the parking area, you can snatch and move them easily that way.

 

[Lumberdink]

That rake looks nice---looks like it would separate or "filter out" any goonies.

 

[kco]

That rake looks nice---looks like it would separate or "filter out" any goonies.

Yes, you can angle it so all the larger rocks filter out to the side. It is also good for driveways with large embedded rocks. The rake's fingers flex over them and spread finer material around them.

 

[Charlesaf3]

Rake and fel do a great job on drive maintenance with my b3030. I never use the box blade. That said, it's a great bang for buck implement, I think a fel, rake, and box are no brainers with a tractor. And I understand why people use the box - depends on whether you are redistributing gravel, or reforming it.

If I had a lot of road, I'd get one of the specialty road boxes, sized for your tractor.

Compared to what you are doing now, you'll think just the fel is miraculous, though. But it's going to be mostly backdragging on a little tractor

 

[k0ua]

Here is a very short video of backdragging gravel to smooth it out. But as the others have said this is a very limited thing, compared to actually maintaining a gravel road. It is mostly for smoothing out loose material you have added. You can fill some holes, etc, but you really need something else for the heavy work.

Kubota L3400HST back dragging - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

James K0UA

 

[Mousefield]

Nice job on the driveway.:thumbsup: Do you have a packer? And if so, what do you use?

Cheers

No packer. The box blade does a nice job given that most of the road is natural gravel/dirt.
We have had some gravel put on it years ago in the worst spots.