Land Plane on clay Road

[tscott8201]

I'm considering getting a land leveler similar to the unit sold by everything attachments for maintaining our clay road. Almost all the posts relating to land levelers seem to mention gravel roads and I was wondering if anyone uses them to maintain clay roads. I realize the concepts are the same, but I'm just curious if they perform as well on straight clay as they do on a mixed road with sand and aggregate?

The road I'll be working on is about a mile of mostly well packed clay with some areas of sand clay mix. The big issue we have is small potholes and wash outs that form due to heavy rainfall. We also get some wash boarding in the dry season in the sandy areas but that is generally easy to fix with a homemade drag we pull behind a truck. I'm currently using a small road maintainer with a 9 foot belly blade to take care of it, but I'd like something simpler I can just throw on my tractor and leave that requires no maintenance.

Tom

 

[budepps3760]

I use a 7' land plane on both a gravel road as well as a red clay/gravel mix and it does a wonderful job on both. All together about 1.25 miles in length so you should have no problem.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I'm considering getting a land leveler similar to the unit sold by everything attachments for maintaining our clay road. Almost all the posts relating to land levelers seem to mention gravel roads and I was wondering if anyone uses them to maintain clay roads. I realize the concepts are the same, but I'm just curious if they perform as well on straight clay as they do on a mixed road with sand and aggregate?

The road I'll be working on is about a mile of mostly well packed clay with some areas of sand clay mix. The big issue we have is small potholes and wash outs that form due to heavy rainfall. We also get some wash boarding in the dry season in the sandy areas but that is generally easy to fix with a homemade drag we pull behind a truck. I'm currently using a small road maintainer with a 9 foot belly blade to take care of it, but I'd like something simpler I can just throw on my tractor and leave that requires no maintenance.

Tom

Typically, the heavier the better.

 

[tscott8201]

Perfect. I'm looking at the heavier units only at this point. Looks like whatever I get will be around 800 to 900 lbs.

Thanks for the info.

Tom

 

[bcp]

I've seen many old wooden versions work well on dirt roads.

But, every time I see this thread title, it makes me think of this photo.



Bruce

 

[airbiscuit]

Now that's funny!

 

[airbiscuit]

The big issue we have is small potholes and wash outs that form due to heavy rainfall. We also get some wash boarding in the dry season in the sandy areas but that is generally easy to fix with a homemade drag we pull behind a truck. I'm currently using a small road maintainer with a 9 foot belly blade to take care of it, but I'd like something simpler I can just throw on my tractor and leave that requires no maintenance.

Tom

I'd like to see a picture of that.

 

[tscott8201]

It's a Huber M500 from somewhere around the mid 70's as best as I can tell. Works pretty well but is just more maintenance than I want to deal with. I had a buyer lined up but he backed out. I think I'm going to re-gasket the engine (Head gasket seems to have a small leak and the front cover leaks oil) and make sure it doesn't need anything internal and then raise my asking price a bit to reflect the work done.

 

[boggen]

i would say a box blade with rippers better choice for you.

not sure a land plane / grader scraper would work well. they are better with rock. due to they act like a "sifter" allowing rock to come to the top and dirt to fall down below. in all seriousness they might be better called "road rock sifters".

a box blade on other hand, = rear blade with sides + optional rippers. the rear blade with sides, lets you move the dirt. and not run it side to side like a rear blade.

with above said....
TNT (top and tilt) = replace top link on 3pt hitch with hydrualic cylinder, and/or replacing a side link on 3pt hitch with a hydraulic cylinder, some times both side links get replaced with hydraulic cylinders.

this allows you on the fly adjustment of 3pt hitch stuff from seat of tractor, such as rear blades to box blades, allowing you to feather stuff out, and/or angle stuff to keep the crown on the road (high spot on road so water runs off of it).

===========
dirt/rock/gravel roads = keep the water off of it *no if's and's or but's* make it so water runs off the road, and then make sure ditches carry the water away from the road and not just puddling up along side of the road. this alone can drastically reduce road maintance by just getting the water off and away from it.

the wash boarding and pot holes. can be result of DRIVING WAY TO FAST. slow it down. while folks in vehicle may seem like a smooth ride. the suspension of the vehicle is taking a beating. and the tires on vehicles are acting like mega sledge hammers beating the road to death. try to stay off of it when road is wet. to reduce ruts which form into pot holes and puddles.

there is a point of having it to wet, and/or to dry to work it nice and smooth and were you want it. if you can fix the water issues with crowning it and ditches. and then what i normally do (tire width at a time) run over the entire thing in multiple directions. to compact it when it is just a tiny bit wet. (not making ruts) wait for things to dry and get wet one more time and then (tire width at a time) run over it again in multiple directions again. for another good compaction. and call it good enough. to point of starting to abuse the road some.

=============
with above said. current tractor, if you could see about some sort of "bolt on side wings" for the belly grader), and perhaps some sort of "rippers" for the front blade, or getting a 3pt hitch box blade on rear of that tractor. you would have one heck of a road maintenance tractor.

it just getting the crown and ditches in, getting folks to slow down. and trying to stay off of it when it is wet.

 

[Thomas]

Ripper teeth ahead of land scape rake...raise/low ripper teeth when needed.