Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard

   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #1  

mdloops

New member
Joined
Jul 24, 2016
Messages
6
Location
Burlington
Tractor
Craftsman ProSeries Riding Mower 7400 Serie
Hello!

I have been doing some research because I need to do some mild grading work on my yard.

What am I looking for: An explanation of various LAWN tractor attachments that would replace or significantly reduce manual labor with a landscape rake. I have a newer Craftsman Pro Series 54 Inch "Yard" tractor that accepts pin type attachments. Many of the attachments such as box blades I have seen require a garden tractor.

Total Yard: .75 Acre
Area that needs to be raised by adding new soil: Maybe .25 acres?

Overall, there are low areas that need to be filled in with maybe 6 inches to 1 foot of soil to they are either level with the surround area of gently sloped. There is only ONE 20 x 20 FT area that needs to be lowered.

My plan:
1. Remove existing grass from areas that I will be adding soil to.
2. Add soil.
3. Evenly distribute and roll soil. THIS IS WHERE I NEED HELP!


Attachments I have found that are compatible with my Tractor but I have no idea whether they would be of value:
- Landscape drag
- Rake: RAKE 4 FOOT YORK Rentals Canton CT, Where to Rent RAKE 4 FOOT YORK in Hartford CT, Torrington, Winsted, Farmington Valley


Thanks!
 
   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #2  
Have you checked into the cost to rent a garden tractor? Your asking a lot out of your lawn tractor. If your assumptions are correct, a scut with a box blade could rough in your area in less than a day. Then your garden tractor could put the finish on it. Just something to think about.
 
   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #3  
My plan:
1. Remove existing grass from areas that I will be adding soil to.
2. Add soil.
3. Evenly distribute and roll soil. THIS IS WHERE I NEED HELP!

Are you trying to do this with a Yard tractor? If you are, I say give it up.. Before I bought a CUT, I had a Craftsman DYT4000... a Yard tractor. I tried all kinds of attachments, to that pin on the back and it's really only good to pull a cart around. The frame on a Yard tractor just isn't strong enough for ground engaging work.

Go rent yourself a skidsteer or a tractor with a loader and you should be able to do this...

BTW, before I got my tractor, I brought over a skidsteer with a loader and a harley rake to grading work... I'm on a 1 acre lot ... and here's what I found.. You don't need to remove any grass to fill more dirt on top. If you use a Harley rake, it pulverize the grass like it was never there and it basically rototills everything in real well. If I had $7K for a Harley rake, I'd get one for my tractor.. I love that attachment.

Here's how I would do it.. Use the loaded to move dirty to where I wanted it, then use the Harley rake to smooth everything out then seed.

I used the Harley rake to smooth out my bumpy yard and reseeded...
 
   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #4  
Time is money . I am sure you want to use your small tractor . Dont do it , a new transmission , plus the cost of what ever you buy as an attachment will more than cover the rent of a machine .
 
   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #5  
I agree with the others above, rent a tractor for the weekend and get it done.
 
   / Lawn Tractor Attachments for Grading Yard #6  
Actually, I disagree. Rent a skidsteer. With that machine you can cut, transport, fill and final grade. You can also use its weight to help compact the deeper fills so they don't settle. Although a tractor is more versatile because of it's 3ph hitch, the skidsteer is a machine that was designed to dig and move dirt while the tractor was adapted to do it. For a farmette, I'd get the tractor. To move dirt, the skidsteer.

Honestly, I see no reason to strip the grass. Getting rid of the turf is the easy part.

To that effect, have you figured out how much dirt you will need and the cost of bringing this material in? 1/4 acre, 6" deep is 200 yards of material. A quad holds roughly 16 yards of dirt so you are looking at 16 truck loads of dirt. There is no need for screened dirt, but even then you are looking at spending at least $300 per load which put the fill at just about $4,000. Hoping this help you gauge the scope of your project.

Over the last couple of years I've moved about 400 yards of dirt and fill around my yard as I've worked to set the grades. Earlier this summer I received 22 loads of fill that needs to get moved, graded and compacted. I own a Gehll 6635 skidsteer which is a large skidsteer. I figure that using this machine I'll have a good two days in moving the dirt and setting the rough grade. Another day to place topsoil and set the final grades because of the transport distance. (I like to strip and stockpile my topsoil so I have good dirt to cover the crummy free fill) Then I'll have a half day in running the Harley rake and the remaining day seeding, back raking and putting straw down. Your project, because of the increased area, will take significantly longer than that.

Do you see how this project is way too large for a lawn mower?
 
 
 
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