Advice on How to reduce slope on dirt roads

[airbiscuit]

The OP said the road is all dirt and not too hard . I think a box blade with scarifiers should loosen things up well enough to get a full load to pull forward. Adjusting the top link will determine how aggressively the blade cuts. Lots of trips back and forth.

 

[RoyKing]

If you end up moving the driveway and run into a lot roots a subsoiler is handy. Get one where front of vertical bar that holds bottom foot is V'ed that way it will easily cut roots, then you put your rippers all the way down, tilt the box back so it floats and it will collect all the roots. I didn't have a FEL when I built my drive so I used a 3 point soil scoop, moves about two wheel barrows at time

 

[FTG-05]

And this is why tractor YTers for the most part don't post here on TBN: They can't control the narrative (read groupie-think) here like they can on their YT channel.

I posted the content of post #16 to Ask Tractor Mike's YT channel for his box blade video a couple days ago - he's already pulled the comment.

Along with Outdoor with the Morons, this shows how exactly much integrity Ask Tractor Mike has. No wonder he doesn't post here.

Here's the video, you'll note that there are no comments from earlier than 10 months ago.

All About Box Blades - YouTube

 

[RoyKing]

I watched the video and he never mention's using draft control, and no discussion on how to move dirt around, or adjusting the top link.4

 

[fried1765]

Rule #1. Loaders are loaders, not dozers. They are for moving loose material, not digging hardpack.

Yes, you need another tool. It's called a bulldozer.

EXACTLY CORRECT!

 

[RoyKing]

Guy's you didn't pay attention he said he had time and wanted to do it himself, however he never furnished a picture so maybe the job is beyond a tractor.

 

[dragoneggs]

Rule #1. Loaders are loaders, not dozers. They are for moving loose material, not digging hardpack.

Yes, you need another tool. It's called a bulldozer.

Sure Rule #1 applies... but if you don't have a dozer there are other ways to accomplish a job. Not efficiently but 'if there is a will there is a way'. I think there are a lot of people that will poo poo an idea or approach because there are more efficient ways to do it even though it requires someone else to do it.

As a DIYer, I tackle lots of jobs that 'should' be done by others. But I find gratification in tackling it myself and not forking out money to others if I have the time and energy and willingness to learn.

I say go for it... even if you 'fail' you learn by trying, and you can always hire someone anytime to help if the job ends up too big for you.

 

[BrokenTrack]

It always amazes me that people on here will go to great lengths to tell people what they should buy for a tractor and implements, then when it comes down to using them, they suggest to have a contractor come in and do it for them. That makes as much sense as getting married and having the gardener sire a child with your bride.

I am like DragonEggs, I do not have much of a tractor, but people are amazed at how much I do with what I do have.

Adapt and overcome.

My tractor only has a 1/3 cubic yard bucket, but it only burns 7 gallons of fuel per day, and can move a lot of 1/3's of a cubic yard in that day too.

A great resources for small road construction is the Forest Service. They have a lot of information online, starting with both the Maine Forest Service or the US Forest Service. Read up, and jump on your tractor. After that it is just work your road until you are happy with it. Just remember, with these things it is not so much the completion of the project that makes you happy, it is working ON the project, which is what you bought the tractor for in the first place.

 

[oosik]

Hire a good contractor with the correct equipment - dozers, power graders, etc. Tractors were never designed to build/alter roads.

I have a mile long gravel driveway. Straight as an arrow - one fairly steep valley in the middle. I hired a contractor. After I saw what he had to do - it would have torn my brand new tractor up and I would not have the road I have now. Besides - I did not have the knowledge, experience nor equipment.

 

[BrokenTrack]

It is amazing what can be accomplished with small tractors.

I built this 450 foot road section with nothing but a 27 HP Kubota Tractor.

I dug the ditches, put in the sub-base, hauled in the 350 cubic yards of surface gravel from my gravel pit 1/2 mile away, and even installed the rock check dams for erosion. This was only a 9% grade, but in the end it passed inspection as a Heavy Haul Road by the Federal Government (USA).