Box scraping the driveway. Grrrr!!!

NWhomesteader · Mar 26, 2015

I borrowed by buddies 54" box scraper to resurface the driveway. I got some 3/4 minus and went to work but now I'm getting pretty frustrated. I can move plenty of material but somewhere in the process I've established a "washboard" effect and cant get rid of it. It's not so much washboard as it is wooptie doo's (think dirtbike races). they are spread out just enough that the front of the tractor goes up causing the box scraper to dip/dig in, then the front of the tractor goes down causing the box scraper to deposit a big mound.

It's never ending now. The only thing going over it seems to do is maybe move the mounds. It sucks to drive down and I'm going crazy here. Any suggestions from you seasoned pro's? I've tried adjusting the top link and just dragging the thing across the top, I've tried lifting and lowering the scraper to different levels but it's not doing a whole lot of good.

oosik · Mar 26, 2015

Welcome to TBN there NWhomesteader. I have a mile long gravel driveway that I've tried for 25 years to maintain in the summer with a rear blade - then a box blade. It was a "no joy" situation - all I did was create and accentuate wool-de-doos. The rear blade is fantastic for snow and the box blade is great for moving large amounts of material.

Three years ago I bought a Land Pride Grading Scraper - GS2584. What a world of difference - this implement levels, smoothes and brings the drive back to what it originally was.

The first pass was with the scarifiers down to disrupt the top 3-4 inches. Then with the rippers up it leveled, filled and smoothed the entire drive. Its been over 25 years since the driveway was in this good condition.

Bottom line - either find a friend that will loan his land plane grading scraper or buy one for yourself - you will not be disappointed.

Sysop · Mar 26, 2015

There are a few things you could try.

Slow down; the 3 point is held down by gravity, but the motion is somewhat restricted by the hydraulics. When the front of your tractor pitches up over a hump, it raises the 3 point some. When the front pitches back down off the hump and the back raises up onto it, if you are traveling faster than the 3 point will fall, the blade will raise out of the material leaving a hump that gets worse with every pass.

If it is the changing angle of the blade causing you the grief rather than the speed of travel versus float of the 3pt, instead of mounting it firm on the 3 point, use some short chains to attach it so it can be dragged and the angle of the tractor has no effect. Lots of times for a simple dressing you can put the box on the three point at an angle and run up each side to push material toward the center, then drop the box off the three point and hook it to chains and drag it up the middle to level it out.

Finally, you can use a different tool to take the humps off. Many times I'll use my loader bucket in the dump position, with the loader in float. As I slowly back up I can adjust the angle of the bucket's dump position to change how aggressively it moves material. Backing the tires over the humps I'll keep the bucket curled up some so it isn't aggressively taking material, and as the bucket edge is approaching the leading edge of the hump, I'll cycle the bucket closer to "full dump" and let it tear the hump off. As I reach the crest of the hump with the bucket's edge I roll the bucket up slowly to start depositing the material in the low spot on the back side of the hump.

Hopefully some of this will help.

jesseb3@att.net · Mar 26, 2015

Sysop said:
There are a few things you could try. Slow down; the 3 point is held down by gravity, but the motion is somewhat restricted by the hydraulics. When the front of your tractor pitches up over a hump, it raises the 3 point some. When the front pitches back down off the hump and the back raises up onto it, if you are traveling faster than the 3 point will fall, the blade will raise out of the material leaving a hump that gets worse with every pass. If it is the changing angle of the blade causing you the grief rather than the speed of travel versus float of the 3pt, instead of mounting it firm on the 3 point, use some short chains to attach it so it can be dragged and the angle of the tractor has no effect. Lots of times for a simple dressing you can put the box on the three point at an angle and run up each side to push material toward the center, then drop the box off the three point and hook it to chains and drag it up the middle to level it out. Finally, you can use a different tool to take the humps off. Many times I'll use my loader bucket in the dump position, with the loader in float. As I slowly back up I can adjust the angle of the bucket's dump position to change how aggressively it moves material. Backing the tires over the humps I'll keep the bucket curled up some so it isn't aggressively taking material, and as the bucket edge is approaching the leading edge of the hump, I'll cycle the bucket closer to "full dump" and let it tear the hump off. As I reach the crest of the hump with the bucket's edge I roll the bucket up slowly to start depositing the material in the low spot on the back side of the hump. Hopefully some of this will help.

I think Sysop is on to something. I've never had issue with creating washboards, but I've got Pat's Easy Quick change on mine, causing the loader arms to be longer, thereby allowing me to lower the box further. (The BX arms are a bit short for my BB, in my opinion.) Also, when I'm doing final grading, I have the rear of the box WAY down...to the point that I'm wondering if I'm going to run out of threads on my top link. That way there's lots of travel left in the arms regardless of tractor angle, and the blades aren't trying to pull material. Those scraper/land planes do look awesome though. I'd have bought one by now if I wasn't thinking about getting a bigger tractor.

Sysop · Mar 26, 2015

jesseb3@att.net said:
Those scraper/land planes do look awesome though. I'd have bought one by now if I wasn't thinking about getting a bigger tractor.

Agreed, if you are planning a purchase (or build) to tend to the task in the future, the land planes are pretty awesome at such a task.

ovrszd · Mar 26, 2015

Box Blading is an art. No flame intended here. Some people can't get it. Friend of mine tried one. Got so mad I thought he was going to burn his tractor/BB. He bought a grader attachment and is happy.

I on the other hand can smooth very well with a BB. But I run a road grader on the side. So I understand.

Rather than give up on the BB. I hope you will calm yourself and with patience, diligence, and delicate touch attempt to fix what you have destroyed. If you can master this skill the BB will become your best friend. And you'll save the additional cost of buying a land plane.

I run my BB at a faster than you can walk pace. If I create a divet or hump I go back and fix it. I use a BB on a tractor with 1/4" valving (more challenging), and on a tractor with position control (much easier). I didn't see where you mentioned which you have?? Position Control will speed up your learning curve. 1/4" valving will delay it.

ruffdog · Mar 26, 2015

Sometimes pulling a bigger wood skid or pallet with concrete blocks on it will move the high spots to the low. You can even angle it to move the stone more to one side. This only works on nice loose stone though.

Halftrack · Mar 26, 2015

I'm always looking for the cheapest way out. My suggestion, if you owned the box scraper, would be to get a couple of 2X10s about 8' long and bolt them to the sides of the box scraper, effectively making it a land plane. It would require 2 or 3 half inch holes in the side plate of the scraper to attach the 2x10s and maybe elevate the blade about an inch above the bottom of the boards, maybe more, so you perforate the boards a few more times. Put a cross brace at the front to either tow with a chain or to attach to the lower links of the 3 pt if you want more control. Drag it and if it fills up too much, raise the box on the boards, probably better to start high, then lower. Start down the center of the drive and work out to the edges. How long will it last, hopefully long enough to fix your drive. If it doesn't, you can always use to boards for something else. Good luck!!!!

Tul01 · Mar 26, 2015

I've also found once you have it nice and loose, to go backwards, using the back of the blade to allow the tires to always be driving on freshly leveled ground. This reduces the washboard effect. Then I drag it with a railway iron to start packing, followed by a chain link fence drag to level the new ridges from the iron and continues to pack it. Then I drive it all and pack it, sometimes with gravel in the bucket to get more pressure on the front tires. Works for me, but I only have 450' of driveway and 2- 200' parking lots to maintain.

Brent