If I Only Buy One Piece of Equiptment...

[ning]

My 36 hp tractor with loader and filled tires weighs 7,000 lbs.

Sounds like quite the beast - what tractor is that?

 

[scaredychicken]

The biggest parking lot I can find is in Edmonton Canada and holds 20000 cars.

MoKelly

West Edmonton Mall ?
I'm going there next week, I'll bring a tape measure

 

[pokey1416]

who sells that frame? i have the harrow.

Wingfield American Harrow - American Steel. American Labor. American Quality.

 

[ridgerambler]

I recently bought a business that has approximately 40 acres of gravel lot. The lot sees infrequent automobile use (5-15 cars/day), and less frequent use by a seventy-ton capacity Marine Travelift carrying up to 80,000 lbs of boat (up to 4 times a day). The gravel lot was in rough shape when i purchased the business and i would like to repair and maintain it. I know nothing about grading but can drive a tractor. If I Only Buy One Piece of Equiptment to fix/maintain this lot, what would you recommend? I've thought of perhaps a tractor/box blade, or a skid steer ("Bobcat"), or a backhoe, but am not experienced enough in grading to choose intelligently. If you have a recommendation, could you please include model and/or minimum horsepower. Oh, i should maybe mention the lot seems to have undergone some haphazard repairs along the way. There are spots with #57 slag, fine slag, fist-sized concrete chunks, #8 stone, sand, etc. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

If I had a 40 A lot, my first choice would be a small motor grader. I know a new one is high $'s, but you can find good used at DOT/government auctions, or even at construction equipment auctions. Second choice would be land plane, but you still have to have a 40-60 hp tractor.

 

[Fuddy1952]

If I had a 40 A lot, my first choice would be a small motor grader. I know a new one is high $'s, but you can find good used at DOT/government auctions, or even at construction equipment auctions. Second choice would be land plane, but you still have to have a 40-60 hp tractor.

4 acres. 40 was mistake.

 

[Xfaxman]

First of all, did I say forty acres? Yikes , I meant four acres lol. And almost half of that has boats on it, so most of the ongoing maintenance will be on the remaining 2 acres. It's sort of like 40 foot wide driveways running between the stored boats. I wonder if the smaller lot size changes what some of you might suggest? I apologize if my typo sent some of you in the wrong direction with your suggestions.

And only about 2 acres to maintain.

It is surprising to me that most of the people that have responded have not read the first 24 posts.

Also sad that the OP did not click Edit on the first post and correct it.

 

[Fuddy1952]

To me it's down to two choices since I think everyone agrees just keep it gravel. No snow to worry about. So:
1) pay someone to fix it now one time...then probably would need minor repairs in the future which wouldn't cost much.
2) buy equipment to do it yourself. You have to factor in equipment cost, your time, gravel cost, fuel, equipment maintenance, etc.
Me I'd lean towards #1. I'm thinking once it's done it will last many years, especially if it's hard packed and level.
Once it's fixed right, how much & how often would anything have to be done to it?

 

[fried1765]

To me it's down to two choices since I think everyone agrees just keep it gravel. No snow to worry about. So:
1) pay someone to fix it now one time...then probably would need minor repairs in the future which wouldn't cost much.
2) buy equipment to do it yourself. You have to factor in equipment cost, your time, gravel cost, fuel, equipment maintenance, etc.
Me I'd lean towards #1. I'm thinking once it's done it will last many years, especially if it's hard packed and level.
Once it's fixed right, how much & how often would anything have to be done to it?

Rain will be the killer to a gravel surface if people are continually driving on it.
Puddles will form, and prompt periodic maintenance will become necessary to maintain a decent surface.

 

[sandman2234]

My setup would work pretty well on this job. A Kubota M7030SU with shuttle shift, front end loader and a homemade 7 foot HEAVY land plane grader blade. You could also use it for moving smaller boats to speed up putting them in the water faster? (Assuming smaller boats are also an hour each with the travel lift.
I do not agree with using a skid steer, as they tend to cause ruts every time they turn, which is what you are trying to avoid!
David from jax

 

[oosik]

Having professionals come in and "fix it" one time sounds great. However - to really fix it - shouldn't the entire four ( 4 ) acres be totally vacant. Is that possible. Otherwise you will just be fixing the paths, access ways, roads - whatever you call them. You will still be left with all that area under/around the stored boats that you can not get to.

Get a tractor - 50 to 75 hp - and a commercial grade LPGS. Do the paths, access ways, roads now and as the boats vacate spots - do them then.