ATV to drag road

[JimMorrissey]

I've been wondering what folks use to maintain their dirt roads with a utility ATV.....I need to "drag" our road with something other than a section of chain-link fence. What can I use (craft or purchase) to smooth out the beginnings of washboards and small pot holes?? ATV can pull something like 1000lbs off a 2" ball. I don't know...maybe chain-link is the way to go.

 

[whistlepig]

A chain tine harrow is what I use behind my ATV. They are not all that expensive. I can dig with the tines down and then flip it over to smooth. These things work extremely well. If you want to really do some digging tie about eight concrete blocks on top with the tines down.

 

[barneyrb]

A little pricey but give you an idea.

DR Power Equipment - Power Driveway Grader - models and pricing for driveway graders

 

[BAYOUBENGAL]

I've been tempted by the DR but it is pricey. I have a DR Field and Brush that I could not do without and a DR Trimmer Mower that I like but could do with out. But that power grader is expensive...

 

[JimMorrissey]

A chain tine harrow is what I use behind my ATV.If you want to really do some digging tie about eight concrete blocks on top with the tines down.

My road is dense.....lots of packed ground stone. Not sure if a harrow would do it, but maybe with cement blocks it would work.

 

[Skyco]

Your profile indicates you have a tractor and a box blade
I'd skip the ATV and get a chain harrow to pull behind the tractor after you boxbladed it off..

IMHO why put a lot of wear and tear on an ATV not really designed for work when you have tractor that is

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I've been wondering what folks use to maintain their dirt roads with a utility ATV.....I need to "drag" our road with something other than a section of chain-link fence. What can I use (craft or purchase) to smooth out the beginnings of washboards and small pot holes?? ATV can pull something like 1000lbs off a 2" ball. I don't know...maybe chain-link is the way to go.

Here's several for ATVs. Atv Harrow - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag - Price - Review

One made from chain-link works fine too... and A LOT cheaper

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Your profile indicates you have a tractor and a box blade
I'd skip the ATV and get a chain harrow to pull behind the tractor after you boxbladed it off..

IMHO why put a lot of wear and tear on an ATV not really designed for work when you have tractor that is

ATVs are designed to work.. I use my Honda Rubicon where I can't use my tractor, mostly on my hunting property.. I use it to work on the trails going to the top of the mountain, and the trails are just wide enough for an ATV and its very steep.


They make all kinds of implements for ATVs... Even a "box-blade."

 

[HCJ]

I made a drag that works great. It smooths the roads and also smooths our food plots after plowing and discing. Sorry I don't have pictures. I used 3 seven foot pieces of 4x6" angle iron which are pretty stout. I drilled three holes in each, one in the middle and one near each end and placed hardened eyes bolts. Then I connected each angle in parallel about 3 or 4 feet apart with 3/16 chain. I then criss crossed or wove chain between the connecting chains to make sort of a net, and connect these crossing chains to each other with links. Added a length of chain on the front attached to the two eye bolts to make a pull harness that I connect to my drawbar or even the bumper hitch on my car. This thing weighs about 300 lbs. and is indestructable. I have pulled it many miles around our roads and food plots for ten years. You can find scrap angle at any salvage yard pretty cheap and the only other cost is the chain and connecting links. It is unbelievable how well it works. Our food plots had 18 " deep ruts from the plow and disc, and after several passes, they look like a lawn. You can also drive pretty fast, as it works better at speed. Since we have no cultipacker, we use it to cover our seed, also driving very fast so it won't cover them too deeply. When going slowly, It moves dirt so well, that it will occasionally stall my 70 hp Kubota. It moves more dirt when the angle irons are turned down. We find it more comfortable to pull it with a vehicle as you can do it in comfort with air conditioning and smoother suspension than a tractor. It also allows one person to be on the tractor discing or seeding and another to follow in a truck pulling this drag. Makes finishing food plots quicker, and it takes no skill to drag this thing around.

That being said, I would hesitate to pull it with my 4 wheeler. If you snag a rock or hang it on a tree going around a corner which occasionally happens, I fear you could bend the tubular frame of the 4 wheeler. If I need to drag tight places that my vehicle or tractor could not reach, I would buy one of the common drag harrows made for a 4 wheeler or make a smaller lighter version of this. But I agree that a four wheeler is an expensive toy to use for dragging, and I will pull drags with my truck or tractor when ever possible, as they are simply much less likely to be damaged. Dragging with a 4 wheeler can't do the transmission or frame any good, although I am sure lots of people use them for this.

The only problem we have with this is turning around at the end of a narrow food plot. We try to design our plots to avoid narrow dead ends. Worse case, you can disconnect it, turn around, drive over it and reconnect it and the pull it back over itself in tight spots.

I hook it to my truck when I drive around the property and smooth the roads frequently. You don't even know it's back there. Just take the turns wide as if you were pulling a trailer.

By the way, I prefer to not attach the chain directly to my trailer ball, but instead use a short six foot nylon strap (like a tree strap used in winching). This acts like a shock absorber to give a little when the drag snags something, to reduce the shock effect on your vehicle.

 

[whistlepig]

My road is dense.....lots of packed ground stone. Not sure if a harrow would do it, but maybe with cement blocks it would work.

I don't think a tine harrow behind an ATV would work on a hard packed road. Cement blocks or not. I have a hard packed gravel driveway and would not even think of trying the harrow on it. Although I don't have a box blade they say these are the best for leveling a gravel driveway. I am not going to buy a box blade. Just going to have several tons of chips and dust dumped and level it with the FEL.

 

[Skyco]

ATVs are designed to work.. I use my Honda Rubicon where I can't use my tractor, mostly on my hunting property.. I use it to work on the trails going to the top of the mountain, and the trails are just wide enough for an ATV and its very steep.


They make all kinds of implements for ATVs... Even a "box-blade."

I reiterate "not really". Not like a tractor, sure they'll work, but when I have a tractor that can get to a location then I use the tractor. Obviously an ATV can go places a tractor can't. The right tool for the job.
Besides when dragging a drive my BX24 actually will turn sharper than an ATV! I'd love to see an ATV with the front knuckle axle drive like a tractor, that would be real handy in tight spots.
I'm on my 5th ATV and currently am running a Yamaha Big Bear bought precisely because it will easily do work some others won't with a super low first gear and no fancy electronics. But I'm not tugging a 400 lb box blade with 500 lbs of rock in it down my drive when I got a tractor
I have and do drag 1000 lb logs out of the woods with my ATV where the tractor shoudn't go, primarily because I'm afraid of turning it over with its high COG.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I reiterate "not really". Not like a tractor, sure they'll work, but when I have a tractor that can get to a location then I use the tractor. Obviously an ATV can go places a tractor can't. The right tool for the job.
Besides when dragging a drive my BX24 actually will turn sharper than an ATV! I'd love to see an ATV with the front knuckle axle drive like a tractor, that would be real handy in tight spots.
I'm on my 5th ATV and currently am running a Yamaha Big Bear bought precisely because it will easily do work some others won't with a super low first gear and no fancy electronics. But I'm not tugging a 400 lb box blade with 500 lbs of rock in it down my drive when I got a tractor
I have and do drag 1000 lb logs out of the woods with my ATV where the tractor shoudn't go, primarily because I'm afraid of turning it over with its high COG.

Yea, If I can get my tractor to a place to work, then I use it...I would rather use it because I can get the job done much quicker, and do a better job.

The reason I bought a Honda Rubicon was the low gear it has, and the hold back on steep hills... I can go down very steep hills in low-gear and it won't go over 3mph


I once tried to back up my trail that goes to the top of the mountain, and use my backhoe to make the trail wider..But I was afraid I would turn over, and it's about 80ft to the bottom in some places... What I need is a dozer

 

[John White]

Every one has different acess to different things to do a job. I do my drive way and several others a year as that is sort of a part time income. #1 thing when I do any drive (unless it is a emergency) I wait till it rains or is wet. Sure saves alot of wear on eqpt. and you will be suprised how much eaiser it is to do and the rocks flip up eaiser. I have a box blade that I use. I also have a York rake with spikes. But I have done many the poor mans way, a piece of angle iron with some old rail road spikes welded on it. Have also used a couple of old pallets nailed together with some cement blocks on it and after the bust apart, use it for fire wood. Have also used some old truck tires chained together with log on them. A gravel drive or limestone drive does require maintaince. You can haul new gravel but in time it too will need smoothed out. Best thing is is when you get it smooth, keep after it and try not to let pot holes develop that hold water and causes larger ones when you drive through. Its just like changing oil in your car, you gotta keep doing it.