What attachment is best for:

[birdseye]

I currently have a JD 4120 w/ 400CX FEL and 448 BH on trial for a few days. I am a newbe tractor operator and have spent a few hours this weekend trying to get the feel of the machine and how it may work on our property.

I have two questions about which are right attachments:

1) We have about a 1/2 mile gravel driveway. A lot of the rocks have migrated to the side of the road. I worked one section this weekend using the FEL to move gravel on to the road with some limited success. Was it just my ineptness? Or would a box scraper or a blade work better?

2) We installed a ground source heat pump. The contractor dug 7 125' long trenches and laid coils of tubing 5' down. The trenches have settled leaving 7 long dips in our meadow 18-24" wide and 6-10" deep. What would be the best attachment to smooth out our meadow?

Thanks for the help!

 

[mrutkaus]

I use a reversible and tiltable (from side to side) rear blade to maintain my long gravel driveway. You could easily move the gravel from side to center with it. I had the driveway for 30 years and had various people maintain it, it always rutted after rains.

After I got my tractor and tilting rear blade I crowned the drifeway, made it higher in the middle, and it doesn't rut at all. Wish I or someone had done that long ago.

For the meadow you could carry dirt with your front end loader and smooth it with the back blade.

Mike

 

[CharlieTR]

For the gravel road the best thing is a 3pt grader. I use a box blade for my gravel drive but I really want to get a grader. The box blade is designed to fill in pot holes, I think it will work good for the ditch.

 

[dsgsr]

I have found a landscape Rake with a drop down blade and Gage wheels to be the best all around implement for a gravel drive, I have a Landpride 3584 LR.

As was stated above, you can use the FEL (front end loader) too carry loam, gravel or what ever material you want to fill in the trenches in your Meadows and then the rake to level/spread it out.

David

 

[Thomas]

I use York rake w/blade down to get the grade I wish than feather the driveway w/the rake...also make couple of water bars.

Filling holes...I dump about half bucket than pack it w/the tractor weight than dump the rest again pack it also back drag the fill w/the bucket...if not smooth enough I'll feather it off w/the York rake.

Before you know it...it will become second nature to you on these kind of jobs.

 

[Neophyte]

How useful is the flip-down grader blade with endplates on the LandPride rake? I have a LandPride 1584 and I opted not to get the flip-down blade because I thought it's usefulness was questionable. I have several gravel drives to maintain. After hearing this, now I'm thinking I might add it.

 

[Neophyte]

How much does the flip-down grader blade add to the price of a landscape rake?

 

[amafrank]

Having just had geothermal loops put in back in June I know exactly what you are talking about. . .
I used my rear blade to move dirt around the whole area they put the trenches in. An advantage in my case is that the whole yard was cleared as our house had just been built too. Just be patient and don't try to get the perfect level all in one pass. Many passes are required to get it right and it will settle a little more after you level it this time. As others noted you can use the front loader to move dirt to the trenches and level with the blade. A box blade might be a good way to go but I didn't want to spend the extra cash for an implement I might use a couple times. The regular blade is handy for snow and stuff too....

My gravel drive also tends to have edge buildup so I angle the blade and push the gravel back in the drive. I've had to do it once but we've only been here a year....the blade can be tilted slightly to help crown the drive like another poster noted. That keeps water draining off and the ruts from forming.
hope that helps
Frank