boxblade v. rake?

[VTtractorguy]

Sorry if this has been covered before, but here goes… We have a 2000 foot driveway which is hardpack. Pretty solid stuff. I want to buy either a boxblade or rake to maintain it. It is a gentle rise up to the house and about 12 feet wide. Over time I will have a truck load or two of hardpack dumped which I will spread and level. So what will work best for digging through the dense base and/or adding new material to level?

Thanks very much.

 

[dirtworksequip]

I would say the box blade would be better for the initial work of regrading the driveway,but the landscape rake will be better once that work is done.Your'e not going to loosen any hardpacked material with the rake. The advantage of the rake is you can touch up the drive when it needs it. It will also work for removing snow. Angle the rake and lower it just so it touches the stone. With the rake set like this you will not be plowing off the stone on your driveway. It will also loosen up alittle sone on the surface to give you better traction.

 

[ddivinia]

I agree 100%. I always used a boxblade, but just recently bought a landscape rake to clean up parts of my pasture. I have found all kinds of projects that the rake will work a lot better than my boxblade. You will probably need both.

D.

 

[jcmseven]

There is no question in your case a box blade. I love the landscape rakes for maintaining gravel driveways, but living in Vermont and dealing with sub-freezing temps in the winter daily, the LR will not do any digging but would skip above the surface. I borrowed a dealer's LR though and in warmer summer it did great (better than my BB) for smoothing the drive. It just does not have the versatility though to buy it INSTEAD of a BB; why choose though, get BOTH!!!!

John M

 

[2nstonge]

dirtworks got it right. I bought a BB when my drive (about 500ft) was a shambles, got it into shape toot sweet. Once that was done the rake is all I've needed to keep it in shape. A quick swipe every couple of months and it's as good as new.

The Frontier BB (at a steep $900) has been virtually unused on my drive since. Although I do a nice little side business with it in the spring cleaning up the neighbors driveways.

If all you're going to do is maintain your own driveway try to rent or borrow a BB and buy a rake - you'll be all set.

-Norm

 

[Neophyte]

I agree 100%. I always used a boxblade, but just recently bought a landscape rake to clean up parts of my pasture. I have found all kinds of projects that the rake will work a lot better than my boxblade. You will probably need both.

D.

ddivinia, I'm curious how you are using this in your pasture. What exactly are you doing with it? I know it's commonly used on dirt drives but I have always wondered if it would help turn my former field into a better lawn.

 

[ddivinia]

I specifically use it to clean up "junk". I have been clearing cedar trees and burning them. So, I run that thru the ashes, etc to catch what I missed like rocks, old fence posts, barbed wire, etc. It does a great job of finding all that stuff.

D.

 

[2nstonge]

Neophyte,

I've "re-done" a couple of former farm fields that have been converted into house lots. I'm not an expert at it but the BB was used to knock down the old crop rows and with the scarifiers set deep I could pull up old roots, rocks, and the occasional tangle of barb wire or irrigation pipe. A couple of passes with the BB would get the field reasonably level and then several passes with the landscape rake would finish it. Oh, I should mention that gauge wheels on the landscape rake are essential.

A FEL is essential. The process created lots of scattered mounds of debris that had to be moved.

Good luck. -Norm

 

[jbunkley]

Take a look at this...may be just what you need.
If I had a drive way, this is what I would get.

http://www.drpower.com/TwoStepCategory.aspx?p1Name=DRPowerHome&Name=PowerGrader2Step&BC=0:Home&LinkType=2&src=IP00066

 

[Neophyte]

A couple of passes with the BB would get the field reasonably level and then several passes with the landscape rake would finish it. Oh, I should mention that gauge wheels on the landscape rake are essential.

Were you running the LR over dirt or grass? My field is currently all grass/ weeds that grew wild, however, it is lumpy and very hard to walk on barefoot. Would an LR help me in this case or should I be using a drag harrow (harrow rake) or something else?