Gravel driveway maintenance

[joshuabardwell]

Did a little touch-up on my gravel drive today with the box blade. I have worked it with the loader, but this is the first time I really got in there with the box. Suffice it to say, I'll never go back to the loader again if I don't have to. The box did a great job, both at aggressive leveling and removing ruts, and finish spreading. My method was to do one or two passes down the driveway with the box tilted forward aggressively, to help level the base and to scrape off as much of the plants growing in the drive was possible, then a few passes with the box just barely tilted backwards, to pull the piles of material back over the area, then a final pass or two with the box tilted hard backwards to put the final finish on it. It was interesting to see what a difference just a few turns of the top link made in that middle position. With the box hard forward, it dug in pretty much no matter what. With the box hard backward, it slid over, no matter what. But in that middle position, just a few turns of the top link made the difference between carrying and spreading the pile and just dumping it all out the back in the first few feet of travel.

One issue that I don't know how to solve is how to keep gravel from spreading off the side of the driveway. If I had a rake or a grader blade, I could pivot it to the side, to pull material towards the center. I wonder if I could cock the box blade slightly to the side with the sway bars to approximate that effect. Would that even do anything, since the material can't fall out the side of the box?

Here are some pics, because I know the policy. No tractor pics though. I was too busy working to take pics then.



I went back afterwards and, by hand, raked the gravel that was thrown into the grass back onto the drive. The indignity! By hand!

 

[DKCDKC]

Looks good. I too love a box blade for my 5,300 foot gravel drive. Not only does it leave a nice roadway, but it allows you to really stretch out having to add more expensive gravel all the time. Certainly some gravel does spill out on the sides. At first I moved the blade over next pass to catch it, and that widened the road a mite. Now I always run with the outer edge of the BB about six inches in from the edge. I build up a small ridge there after a while. I would hand-rake it out to allow water flow where that was needful, but basically I would rent a landscape rake locally for a half-day twice a year (cost $15 a half-day) and make a few passes with the rake angled toward the inside to pull in and spread those gravel ridges. Worked like a champ. However I bought an old, rusty rake today at a yard sale for $100. It's a Landmaster and has seen hard use. It's also missing 4 tines, but no big deal. I replaced the setting pin with a bolt to stiffen it up and raked the driveway successfully later today. I'll replace the missing tines eventually, and straighten out a few more. But it's nice to have a rake here all the time - and handy for pulling rocks out of the garden plots too.

The box blade does different tasks dependent on the top length setting, and you can get an hydraulic top link so you can do adjustments from the seat if you wish. I don't change it enough to warrant the expense. And my tractor doesn't have a remote available anyway.

 

[newcountry]

Nice Job! I'm interested in answers to your question as well, I've wondered about the same thing.

 

[Bob77064]

Good job.

 

[joshuabardwell]

The box blade does different tasks dependent on the top length setting, and you can get an hydraulic top link so you can do adjustments from the seat if you wish. I don't change it enough to warrant the expense. And my tractor doesn't have a remote available anyway.

Boy, howdy did I see the advantage of a hydraulic top link today! I was on and off the tractor getting things just right. And I did a section of the drive at a time, so I made all the adjustments more than once.

Another issue with the box blade, that I forgot to mention, is that it just left the big pile of material at the end of the run. With a rake or grader blade, it would create a windrow that I would straddle. As it is, I had to back over the big pile to go back to the start of the run, and then run over it again at the end of the next run in order to combine the piles. Not ideal, as it spread the pile out and made it harder to pick up and spread back out again after the leveling had been done. Don't get me wrong: it's a great tool! But I can see where a grader blade or rake would do the job a little better in some respects.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Boy, howdy did I see the advantage of a hydraulic top link today! I was on and off the tractor getting things just right. And I did a section of the drive at a time, so I made all the adjustments more than once.

Another issue with the box blade, that I forgot to mention, is that it just left the big pile of material at the end of the run. With a rake or grader blade, it would create a windrow that I would straddle. As it is, I had to back over the big pile to go back to the start of the run, and then run over it again at the end of the next run in order to combine the piles. Not ideal, as it spread the pile out and made it harder to pick up and spread back out again after the leveling had been done. Don't get me wrong: it's a great tool! But I can see where a grader blade or rake would do the job a little better in some respects.

So are you ready to purchase that hydraulic top link now? Only $250+ shipping cost for a complete kit. That's the top link, hoses with QD ends and a flow restrictor.

 

[s219]

At least on my road, which is new and dealing with heavy construction traffic from homebuilding, ruts form. If I go down the edge, the box collect material from the edge of the driveway, fills the box, and then naturally starts depositing it in the ruts.

Normally, I do the first pass down the middle to knock down the hump and move material into the ruts from the center on out. Then a pass down the edges to move material from the edge into the ruts. And then reduce the box's angle of attack so that only the rear cutter is touching, and make passes to smooth/blend everything out.

Since this is a new road that is still settling out and dealing with high construction traffic, the situation may not be typical. It's obvious that the road base is still migrating around a bit. But from what I have seen, the box will naturally pull material from high spots and deposit it in low spots.

My box is not letting material spill out the side edge -- to me, that would be the sign of too aggressive of an angle of attack.

 

[s219]

Boy, howdy did I see the advantage of a hydraulic top link today! I was on and off the tractor getting things just right. And I did a section of the drive at a time, so I made all the adjustments more than once.

I'm lucky that I can adjust my top link from the seat by reaching around back. I know where the max angle is, and set the stop nut there. Then at the end, to lessen the angle of attack for smoothing, back off from the nut by a certain amount (eyeball it). Over time, I bet you'll know where/how to set it by eye.

 

[94BULLITT]

It looks good.

 

[joshuabardwell]

So are you ready to purchase that hydraulic top link now? Only $250+ shipping cost for a complete kit. That's the top link, hoses with QD ends and a flow restrictor.

... plus the cost of a rear remote. Whoops. :yuck:

EDIT: But the answer to your question is yes. If I had a rear remote or two, a hydraulic top link would be high on my list.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I'm lucky that I can adjust my top link from the seat by reaching around back. I know where the max angle is, and set the stop nut there. Then at the end, to lessen the angle of attack for smoothing, back off from the nut by a certain amount (eyeball it). Over time, I bet you'll know where/how to set it by eye.

I could probably reach the top link from the seat if I raised the implement, but the weight of the blade is enough that it requires some muscle to turn the link. I have found that there is a sweet spot where the box blade is perfectly balanced, and I can easily turn the link. I raise or lower the lift arms until I see the tension come off the top link retainer pin, then adjust the link until it gets tight again. Move the arms. Adjust the link. That way I'm not wearing out my forearms torqueing at the link.

 

[94BULLITT]

I could probably reach the top link from the seat if I raised the implement, but the weight of the blade is enough that it requires some muscle to turn the link. I have found that there is a sweet spot where the box blade is perfectly balanced, and I can easily turn the link. I raise or lower the lift arms until I see the tension come off the top link retainer pin, then adjust the link until it gets tight again. Move the arms. Adjust the link. That way I'm not wearing out my forearms torqueing at the link.

That what I did. Adjust some pick it up then let it down and adjust more, the same works on the sidelink. I have to do this on the bx but the implements are light. It needs a tnt.

 

[Mechanos]

I made an adjustable side link out of a rachet binder with a folding handle. Makes adjustments quick and easy.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I maintain about two miles of gravel road. I use the BB most of the time. Occasionally I have to move gravel from the side back to center and I attach my Land Pride grader blade for that. As nice as the grader blade is to use, it does leave a rather tall windrow on one or both sides of the blade depending on whether you are moving gravel from one side to the other or have it 90 degrees to the tractor. In either case, you must make one or two additional passes to smooth the windrow. The box doesn't do this.

 

[pwright]

I made an adjustable side link out of a rachet binder with a folding handle. Makes adjustments quick and easy.

That's clever!

 

[pat32rf]

Don't have a box blade but do have about 300yds of hilly gravel driveway, so I made a "blade" which is a 3x8 foot rectangle of 4" angle with a bit (500lbs) of extra weight added, plus a few cuts and angles. It gets towed on a section of chain so it can be angled to drag the loose gravel back to the center, maintaining a crown on the road for better drainage.
Once I spend an afternoon in the spring getting the driveway in shape it stays pretty good for a few years as long as I get a good growth of green holding things in place. I will touch up the odd spot with my bucket, filling potholes, etc but if I don't mess with the grasses and weeds in the center, the track stays pretty good.
In the winter I am careful not to take too much of the base off so there is a frozen layer of ice all winter that I drop a bit of sand on.
I'd sooner be working out back than continually fixing my driveway......

 

[pwright]

Sounds very similar to a land plane. Any pictures?

 

[RedHawkRidge]

I use a landscape rake, because it's the only "tool" in my box. It's not the best for moving/leveling road gravel, because it separates the rock from the sand and clay components -- after a few passes, it pulls the rock along while leaving the fine stuff. Pretty soon you have a lot of rock in one area and precious little in others. A rear blade or BB would avoid that, although the rake (especially with gauge wheels) will level it out nicely.
jim

 

[Ron JD670]

One issue that I don't know how to solve is how to keep gravel from spreading off the side of the driveway. If I had a rake or a grader blade, I could pivot it to the side, to pull material towards the center. I wonder if I could cock the box blade slightly to the side with the sway bars to approximate that effect. Would that even do anything, since the material can't fall out the side of the box?

Another issue with the box blade, that I forgot to mention, is that it just left the big pile of material at the end of the run the pile out and made it harder to pick up and spread back out again after the leveling had been done.

I did not read anything about angling the box made and it does not appear fro the photos there is much crown to the road so water runs to the edges and does not puddle. If you angle the BB with the side link so it is higher on the side towards the center the BB will tend to leak gravel to wards the center especially were there are deep ruts. The side panel should keep material from going to the outside as noted earlier.
I like to do the outside first because it is easier to move to the center again assuming there are ruts. This also this tends to be dirtier gravel. Then I level the BB and move the some what cleaner center gravel out to the ruts covering up the outside gravel in the ruts. Someplace a picked up a chart showing a road crown angle of 4" over 7'.

As for the piles when doing the sides I go up one side and then back down the other so the angle on the BB Is angled to move gravel in towards the center going and coming. Dumping piles as needed as I go. I the use the FEL to back drag and level piles pulling at an angle the towards the center of the road. This may not be by the book but it works for me. I also ha a tooth bar to reduce wear a tear on my FEL edge. It appears the pros us the BB to doz the piles going backwards but I still don't have the skill or neck and back for it.

Here are some other resources I found when I got started.

Best wishes
RoN

Check out You Tube Search under
"Using a subcompact tractor to ______"
The following one is good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoc2Mf5yRZI&sns=em
Also check out
Wilsonoutdoors

How To - Tractor Land Plane - Gravel Road Maintenance - YouTube

Also there are some very good threads on here on TBN see if you can find these two.
Beginners guide to using a box blade
Rear Blade: How to grade a driveway

 

[joshuabardwell]

I did not read anything about angling the box made and it does not appear fro the photos there is much crown to the road so water runs to the edges and does not puddle.

Regarding the crown, both sides of the driveway are on quite a slope, and it seems to me like a crown would be undesirable in that case. The left-hand side slopes to the "outside" across its entire length, rather than having a crown in the center. The right-hand side is more or less flat, but also quite downhill. This causes water to run down it and make ruts, which I haven't exactly figured out what to do about yet--other than re-dress it before the ruts really get started. There really isn't much of anywhere to direct the runoff to is the problem. The "island" in the eye of the driveway's loop is higher up than the driveway, so directing the runoff toward the left-hand side and on downhill into the field isn't an option. Unfortunately, the driveway is the lowest point on the right-hand side for most of its length, so the runoff is going to go down it. It's just a question of where. If I had my druthers, I would slope the right-hand drive to the left slightly (the "eye" of the loop) and put a runoff ditch lined with large rocks. Then I would put a culvert in to allow that to pass under the left-hand side of the drive. and empty out somewhere near the front of the property. But there are a lot of other projects ahead of that one on the to-do list.

The other problem I have with the right-hand side drive is it is so steep for most of its length that it seems like it would require a pretty substantial side-slope to overcome the water's desire to run downhill to any significant degree. No?