Rear Blade Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane?

   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #1  

wreckedit

New member
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
15
Location
a little upstate NY
Tractor
Kubota L3130
Gents,
New member here. I bought a house with a 1500 foot gravel driveway and two parking areas. I bought the previous owner's tractor Kubota L3130. The drive was in bad shape, I hired a pro to get it in good shape and paid a lot. I want to maintain it, which will mean fixing potholes, maintianing/creating the crown, and pulling gravel back to drive after the snowplow has pushed it on grass. I have a box blade, and a landscape rake. Here is my question, do people think I am better off getting a back blade or a "land plane/ grading scraper"? The sraper looks cool and easy to use, but it is a one trick pony. If you have a box blade , and rear blade, and landscape rake, is there anything you can't do on a gravel drvie that a scraper couild? I see the main function of the scrpar to "rejuvenate" the gravel, which I believe can be done with the rippers on the box blade and then the rake (to "stir it up") almost as effectively.
What do people think?
Thanks
Rich
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #2  
:welcome:
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #3  
The L3130 is a nice tractor by the way,I had one for 4 years.Since you have a box-blade,it should be all you need.I don';t have a land plane and I suppose it would be nice,but a box blade works fine.A little learning curve in how they operate but the can do a nice job on a driveway.
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #4  
The box blade will do a good job and will get better as you learn how to use it. You may want to look into a top N tilt kit for your 3 pt hitch, it will make the job easier.
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #5  
The land plane grader blade is quite a bit easier and faster to use for maintaining a drive. Can you do without it, you bet you can. None of the other implements deal with wash-boarding as well as a grader blade though. Each of these 4 implements excel in certain processes, I happen to have all 4 of them and use them when needed. When it comes to my roads, I use the LPGB the most and then my rear blade.

Good luck with your decision. ;)
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #6  
Take your time and practice with the box blade. The top link adjustment has a lot to do on how the blade scrapes and levels. Time and practice is the key..
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Thansk all for the great replies
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #8  
IMO top and tilt is paramount to making gravel road maintenance anything less than a pain...it will greatly reduce the learning curve of all grading implements...

If your road is in good shape the rake is likely to end up being your favorite choice for grooming...to effectively fix pot-holes the box blade scarifiers/rippers will be needed...

I have rear scrape blade also but I have learned to do a lot of thing I used to use the scrape blade for with my rake...i.e., smoothing minor wash-boarding...swiveling the rake to an angle (same as with a scrape blade)stops the implement from just following the wash-boards...but using the rake to begin with I don't have to change attachments to do the final grooming like I did using the blade...

Again... a side link tilt cylinder will not only make it easy it will make you look like a pro with much less time learning...
 
   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #9  
The land plane grader blade is quite a bit easier and faster to use for maintaining a drive. Can you do without it, you bet you can. None of the other implements deal with wash-boarding as well as a grader blade though. Each of these 4 implements excel in certain processes, I happen to have all 4 of them and use them when needed. When it comes to my roads, I use the LPGB the most and then my rear blade.

Good luck with your decision. ;)

x2, I have all the above implements to choose from and use the landplane grader blade the most. I should add that I have all four implements in a smaller size 4' and 5' for my garden tractor and use a separate pine straw rake the most on this tractor.
 
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   / Rear blade+box blade +landscape rake is there any additionla beneift to a landplane? #10  
To me your question of a rear blade or a LPGS would be a hard one. I think a good rear blade with tilt is the most universal road tool. I maintained a mile long gravel road for ten years and that was all I had. I would never give it up. Add TnT and it is even better. But your box blade can do a lot also. However, if I need to crown or contour a road I prefer a rear blade. That being said, three years ago I got a LPGS. It is now my "go to" road tool. It sees far far more usage than the blade as others have said. It makes it easier to keep my road in better shape. It is less work to keep a road in good shape than to let it go and fix it after it is bad.
If it were me I would learn to use the box blade and rake. That is all you "need". Get a feel for dirt work and what maintaining your road takes. Watch on here what others do with the other tools on their roads and then make the decision to get another tool or not based on your own experience.
 
 
 
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