Going backwards with a tail-wheel on blade?

[FatTire]

We just laid down several hundred yards of road base on a new loop we added to our driveway. I spread it and built the crown with my rear blade (Land Pride RBT3584) but I have some high and low spots, very gradual but I don't like it. I'm considering getting a tail-wheel for the blade, but the material is still soft and I've been doing all the final passes in reverse. Does going backwards work ok with a tail-wheel, or would I have to turn the blade around every time I want to grade on blade's back side? Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[LD1]

Can it be used....yes.

Is it gonna get the results you desire....probably not.

Going in reverse is essentially putting the tailwheel before the blade. So any uneven spots.....the tail wheel is gonna find and this alter the height of the blade.....creating even more uneven spots. It will get worse and worse as you go.

 

[Egon]

Once you have a tail wheel the back blade becomes a different attachment. It will do a lot of things much better.

 

[BrokenTrack]

We just laid down several hundred yards of road base on a new loop we added to our driveway. I spread it and built the crown with my rear blade (Land Pride RBT3584) but I have some high and low spots, very gradual but I don't like it. I'm considering getting a tail-wheel for the blade, but the material is still soft and I've been doing all the final passes in reverse. Does going backwards work ok with a tail-wheel, or would I have to turn the blade around every time I want to grade on blade's back side? Thanks in advance for your input.

I had the same problem while I was trying to extend a heavy haul road for my woodlot. I could spread the gravel out reasonably well, but the finish grade was nearly impossible to get with a 3 point hitch mounted grader blade. The problem with those is, as the tractor rides into a hole, the grader blade dips down, and coming out of it; it goes up. For a smooth, flat road along its length, that is no good.

To cure this, I welded my grader blade to a goose-neck shaped I beam that bolts between the front hitch of my log trailer, and the back portion of it. This lengthened my trailer to 18 feet giving me a much more smoother road. The walking beam suspension of the trailer also allows the blade to stay flat even when one tire hits a rock or bump helping to make a smoother road as well, And of course the goose-neck design allows the grader blade to be angled in each direction.

It does lack a tilt function, but honestly I can reestablish any crown with my bulldozer much easier, and then just smooth up my roads with my grader. The worst issue is that it can be a pain to bolt and unbolt from the trailer. But as for a finish, it leaves my roads satin-smooth.

If you really want a smooth finish, that is what it is going to take, because you really need length to span the most dips and hummocks. The distance between the rear wheel of the tractor, and the first wheel (or only wheel) of the trailer will make the blade rise and fall half the distance. In practice what I have found is, the first drag will mean deep cuts and then places where it just skips over, but on the second pass i set the blade to just kiss the ground and it smooths my road perfectly...two passes, that is it!

Do you have an old trailer frame you could mount your grader blade on?

 

[FatTire]

I had the same problem while I was trying to extend a heavy haul road for my woodlot. I could spread the gravel out reasonably well, but the finish grade was nearly impossible to get with a 3 point hitch mounted grader blade. The problem with those is, as the tractor rides into a hole, the grader blade dips down, and coming out of it; it goes up. For a smooth, flat road along its length, that is no good.

To cure this, I welded my grader blade to a goose-neck shaped I beam that bolts between the front hitch of my log trailer, and the back portion of it. This lengthened my trailer to 18 feet giving me a much more smoother road. The walking beam suspension of the trailer also allows the blade to stay flat even when one tire hits a rock or bump helping to make a smoother road as well, And of course the goose-neck design allows the grader blade to be angled in each direction.

It does lack a tilt function, but honestly I can reestablish any crown with my bulldozer much easier, and then just smooth up my roads with my grader. The worst issue is that it can be a pain to bolt and unbolt from the trailer. But as for a finish, it leaves my roads satin-smooth.

If you really want a smooth finish, that is what it is going to take, because you really need length to span the most dips and hummocks. The distance between the rear wheel of the tractor, and the first wheel (or only wheel) of the trailer will make the blade rise and fall half the distance. In practice what I have found is, the first drag will mean deep cuts and then places where it just skips over, but on the second pass i set the blade to just kiss the ground and it smooths my road perfectly...two passes, that is it!

Do you have an old trailer frame you could mount your grader blade on?

Wow, nice. I don't have anything to use for that type of build. But I wonder if I should fabricate my own tail-wheel, I could make it extra long. What I have on the road right now isn't horrible, but if I could just knock a couple inches off the high areas...

 

[52wej]

FT, As others have said a tail wheel will make a big difference when pulling forward. You will be able to get a much smoother grade, assuming you have the weight to keep the blade from bouncing. My dad added a tail wheel to a road blade we have more than 30 years ago and it is still being used to maintain a 1 mile gravel drive. If you do construct one, make sure the tail wheel swivels and is sufficiently far back so you can rotate your blade a full 360 degrees. You also may want to provide adjustment for height right at the wheel. Something as simple as a few spacers will work. The length and adjustments will give you a lot more flexibility and a smoother finish. W Jones

 

[teg]

....I've been doing all the final passes in reverse. Does going backwards work ok with a tail-wheel...

When you are going in reverse, is the curve of the blade facing towards the tractor? Also, (very important) is the blade straight across (90*) or is it angled?

Three point hitches don't have any down force so it tends to ride up and over piles.

My "finishing touches" is driving on 1/2 of the road with the blade turned around backwards, at 30*- 35* angled, as I drive forward. Down and back a few times. Moving some material to the center of the road then a final pass down the middle with the blade 90* knocking down and smoothing out the middle with the blade still backwards and I'm driving forward.

 

[cqaigy2]

When you are going in reverse, is the curve of the blade facing towards the tractor? Also, (very important) is the blade straight across (90*) or is it angled?

Three point hitches don't have any down force so it tends to ride up and over piles.

My "finishing touches" is driving on 1/2 of the road with the blade turned around backwards, at 30*- 35* angled, as I drive forward. Down and back a few times. Moving some material to the center of the road then a final pass down the middle with the blade 90* knocking down and smoothing out the middle with the blade still backwards and I'm driving forward.

I've found the blade "backwards" works well for finishing too. From time to time you might notice road crew using a grader with the blade reversed, when filling dips and knocking tops off. I think it does a better job on the finish side as it seems to me, that it applies pressure downward on the material, causing it to be somewhat compressed, which is particularly good for low spots.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long - straight as an arrow - gravel driveway. I've tried my old Land Pride seven foot rear blade in every position possible - except up-side-down. Finally had to admit, that at 560#, it was just too light. It did well in the winter for plowing snow but its just a "bouncer" when it comes to summer maintenance. Bring on my new Rhino 950 - 8 foot - 1000#. That is sufficient weight to cut into my summer "turn to concrete" driveway.

The final finish to the driveway is best done with my Land Pride - GS2584 - land plane grading scraper. Easy to use/learn - hard to beat the final finish.

 

[FatTire]

The humps/dips that I want to remove are very gradual. Its probably about 14 to 16 feet between high spots. Can something like the GS2584 deal with that gradual of a dip? I always pictured those as being best at filling ruts and potholes, but I've never used one.