Advice sought about grading gravel driveway

[etpm]

I have a Yanmar YM2310 tractor with an FEL, a 4foot wide box blade, a 4 foot wide back blade and a 6 foot wide back blade with wings.
My driveway is gravel and is about 12 years old. It is in pretty good shape but we do need to add some gravel. I have not done much grading and what I did was way over 20 years ago using my Ford 9N and the 6 foot wide back blade.
So I am asking for advice on what to do with what I have and gravel size and type. I will look on YouTube too but if there are any specific videos I should watch please tell me about them. I live near Seattle but I'm on an island so I'm probably stuck with getting the gravel that's available on the island unless I want to pay a premium for getting paving products from the mainland. The ferry cost and the time the truck has to wait in the ferry line adds up. If a particular paving product is that much better though and is only available off island I would consider it though.
Most of my driveway is flat but some of it is gently sloped.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[/pine]

The key element in maintaining a gravel lane is controlling storm water runoff...the faster you can get the water off the lane the less chance of washouts or ruts...the lane should be crowned or pitched (the latter is much less work)...
on any grades the water should not be allowed to run down hill (controlled by pitch or crown)...
get all the grading work done then add topping...getting the lane graded first will allow for less material needed to top it off...
If you're not having any problems with storm water just have them tailgate whatever topping you want...a good driver will leave little if any need for grading...

To prevent water from laying on flat spots...remove a couple inches from the low side and add to the high side giving the lane a slight pitch...cover with topping...your box blade will be your best friend moving material...

Good Luck

 

[JJT]

If you're happy with the current driveway, stick with the same material.

My 800' driveway is mostly flat, no crown has worked well for me for 30+ years. Slow and steady is the name of the game with a box scraper. My trucker switched to an aluminum box about 10 years ago, he will not tailgate material.

I add about 50 - 60 tons of material every 3 - 4 years, and box scrape or rake once a year in the spring. If the driveway is installed properly there should be little maintenance required. Mine started off with removing 6" of topsoil, then a base of 6-8" of cobbles followed by 4" of crusher run. It's held up well.

 

[jaxs]

Having a fel on tractor make's a box or scraper buck and dip twice as bad. That coupled with inexperience, no amount of utubing can make up for it.

 

[airbiscuit]

This can ....

 

[jyoutz]

I use a rear blade to maintain 1/2 miles of gravel road. I start with the blade offset, tilted and angled to pull the gravel from the ditches to the road. Then I level the blade, turn it around 180 degrees so the back of the blade faces forward. I angle the blade to pull the gravel towards the center of the road and float the blade. A few passes in each direction does a good job of crowning the road, and you’re done.

 

[oosik]

I do the exact same as jyoutz. Except my gravel driveway is a mile long. And I have a 150 foot muddy spot that needs my LPGS with scarifiers. Otherwise - it's the LPGS and scarifiers for those spots with potholes.

Right now it's a waiting game. Need the driveway to dry out more - especially in the mud hole.

About every three or four years - my HD rear blade. Offset, angled, tilted - clean out the ditches and bring the material back up to the center of the driveway. Then the LPGS with scarifiers. Bonds the top material with what was graded up out of the ditches and smooths it all out.

 

[oosik]

Unless your driveway is exceptionally flat - I would reverse your rear blade and drag it to spread the new gravel. I find that using my rear blade in the forward direction - exceptionally difficult to spread most anything evenly.

 

[etpm]

I should add that I want to reestablish the crown on my driveway. It is not as prominent as it was originally and I think it needs to be re done. Since my tractor's rear wheels are set to about 5 feet wide and my box blade is only 4 feet wide will this be a problem if I decide to use it? I have watched some YouTube videos that purport to show how to use what I have but they don't really. Maybe If I get any good at I should post a video. I have only posted one YouTube video and I only did that because someone was interested in following error in servo systems and they asked me to post a video that explained it.
Eric

 

[dirttoys]

Lots of guidance above to consider. I would add/emphasize a few points.

1. Get the shape you want before you put on new material. If you have a good dump driver, have him spread it the depth you want and work it as little as possible.
2. As many above have said, build the shape to get the water off as quickly as possible.
3. Don't work on it, or spread gravel when it is too wet, it'll just eat the rock.

If your base is sloppy like clay, consider using fabric over the base and under the new gravel. I think in the long run it will be better.

Best,

ed