Ratchet Rake Questions - specific to our tractor bucket & our use

[fried1765]

@CoyPatton - Thanks for your in-sight again...
I didn't take your comments as an anti-R.R. post, actually you really addressed many of the concerns I had about it for my particular planned use... I appreciated your perspective. Like you I have no doubt the R.R. is a good product & works really well for many of it's intended applications. We may be purchasing one anyways, to use for our trails & removal of vines & briars on the property....

I think I'm going to take your suggestion & try the backhoe route... although I didn't want to dig out the drainage trenches / culverts, I do think it will work... even if it is a slow process. I have a 758C backhoe for the TC40D & a 12" bucket I can swap over to. The TC40 should be able to straddle the drainage trenches in most areas. Again it will be slow but there are some areas that need to be reshaped & I definitely want to do it prior to repairing & possibly topping the driveway with new process....

Sorry for the terrible pictures... some of them are older but they give an idea of parts of the drainage...


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If you are retired (as I am) your 758C BH should be able to the job, albeit at a rather slow pace.
Nice driveway!

 

[dlctcg]

Yeah... not retired (even worse - Self-employed) ... which is why I was looking for a simpler way... The backhoe will definitely work especially with the smaller bucket but you are correct it will be slow...

Driveway is not so nice right now... but thanks! This past year has really taken its toll on it, but I really shouldn't complaint, this will be the first major work it has needed since I redid it back in 2008; took it from about 7ft wide to 12 - 14ft wide all the way up.

I usually just rake it, then land plane it, & then roll it, & it has held up well... but this year will be different....

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[CoyPatton]

Yeah... not retired (even worse - Self-employed) ... which is why I was looking for a simpler way... The backhoe will definitely work especially with the smaller bucket but you are correct it will be slow...

Driveway is not so nice right now... but thanks! This past year has really taken its toll on it, but I really shouldn't complaint, this will be the first major work it has needed since I redid it back in 2008; took it from about 7ft wide to 12 - 14ft wide all the way up.

I usually just rake it, then land plane it, & then roll it, & it has held up well... but this year will be different....

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13 years with only dressing up the driveway! You have gotten good service.
Personally, I would probably only deal with the areas where I think drainage is an issue at least initially on the ditch and culverts. Seems like water management and driveway maintenance are always need some attention.

As I am sure your figured out, I have spent a bit of time on both. If you can keep a crown on the drive and water not flowing in the drive or cutting across it, life is easier for the driveway for sure.

 

[dlctcg]

13 years with only dressing up the driveway! You have gotten good service.
Personally, I would probably only deal with the areas where I think drainage is an issue at least initially on the ditch and culverts. Seems like water management and driveway maintenance are always need some attention.

As I am sure your figured out, I have spent a bit of time on both. If you can keep a crown on the drive and water not flowing in the drive or cutting across it, life is easier for the driveway for sure.

Yes... I'm not complaining it has held up really well & probably would still be ok if I was around when the damage was taking place to correct it.... It is my plan to only work the drainage areas that need work... I have no intension of digging up approx. 1/2 mile of Rip-Rap to reclaim a little process but there are many areas that are bad enough they are causing issues & they are only going to get worse. So hoping to get those areas fixed using the backhoe... Then repair some damaged areas of the drive (resent washout), grade & pitch it.... Then hopefully have 7 to 10 tri-axle load of 1 1/4" process brought in & hopefully tailgate spread to make things easier....

 

[CoyPatton]

Yes... I'm not complaining it has held up really well & probably would still be ok if I was around when the damage was taking place to correct it.... It is my plan to only work the drainage areas that need work... I have no intension of digging up approx. 1/2 mile of Rip-Rap to reclaim a little process but there are many areas that are bad enough they are causing issues & they are only going to get worse. So hoping to get those areas fixed using the backhoe... Then repair some damaged areas of the drive (resent washout), grade & pitch it.... Then hopefully have 7 to 10 tri-axle load of 1 1/4" process brought in & hopefully tailgate spread to make things easier....

No doubt a good driver can make life much simpler on gravel dumps!

 

[dlctcg]

No doubt a good driver can make life much simpler on gravel dumps!

Your preaching to the choir on what a good operator / driver can make a world of difference a great operator / driver can make the universe spin... I'm at best an armature operator of multiple pieces of equipment.... ok a novice... but I do ok...

When we re-did the driveway & widened it back in 2008 from the previous owners nightmare of a driveway, after we prepped the drainage pipe & had the base set, we had 36 tri-axles of process tailgate drop spread in one day (one after another) & we were rolling the driveway the next morning.... Granted I had more than just the TC40d there to help out... I had a CAT 580 Backhoe, a CAT D4 Dozer, a Bobcat s510, a Hitachi EX200LC Excavator, an Ingersoll Rand SP-48 Roller, & 2 other REAL operators beside myself....

What a difference... an operator can make....