Desperately need to fix driveway

   / Desperately need to fix driveway #1  

Binx

Bronze Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2019
Messages
65
Location
SE
Tractor
Kubota MX5800
Hello All,

I posted a similar thread about 1.5 years ago regarding our driveway and after much thought, we decided to get a professional to fix it and get it done right. Well, after having a "professional" add gravel and smooth the driveway about 10 months ago, we are back to the same driveway with ruts....but we now have more gravel.

Info on our wonderful driveway. We currently have a .25 mile driveway (future driveway will be around .25 miles also) with surge stone and gravel. When the UPS/Fed Ex/Amazon driver comes down the driveway, they rut it up really bad. I have a small sporty'ish sedan and it's dinging up my skid plate and who knows what else.

My husband has given me the go ahead to purchase an implement to fix the driveway! Woohoo! I'm leaning towards the box blade mainly for the future house we hope to build in the next 2 years if lumber prices ever come down. The box blade would be used to maintain about 1/2 mile of existing trails, smooth out the land around the future house and finish building the rest of the .25 mile driveway.

We have an MX5800 (no hydraulics) and I think a 6-7', >700lb box blade would work best, maybe an EA Severe Extreme (78' or 84') or a Woods (76-84'). My husband thinks a land plane would be better. Any suggestions? I need to purchase it quickly before he changes his mind. :)

Thank you!
 

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   / Desperately need to fix driveway #2  
A box blade will help with that, but is not the ideal attachment. Look into a 'land plane', especially one that has scarifiers.
Here is an example:
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #3  
I started out in the same condition and fixed it easily with a Landscape rake set at a 45 degree angle for starters. The key ingredient is a rake with 2 gauge wheels on each end and a chain for the top link. First comb the material from the outside inward for a few passes. Then comb the center to the edges and then a few passes outside inward. After this, set the rake to zero angle and drive down the center. The rake has to be as wide as possible. Mine was 8', but at 45 degrees it's only 5.6' wide. All this then should be enough to get a very nice 10' wide driveway. Use a loose chain for a top link so the rake sets the cull, not the tractor. You can still pick up the rake when the lower arms are raised a bit. Put a LOT of weight on the rake for an easy job. You can dress it up easily after this with just a down and back run.
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #4  
My suggestion...fix any/all places where storm water runs down the drive and not across the drive...then get it topped with something like "crusher run" that has fines that will pack down hard...loose gravel will only get worse over time...

Working a gravel drive when it's been dry is not recommended...it tends to separate the fines and leaves nothing but more lose gravel...regardless of the implement used...
Fines are the key to maintaining a gravel lane that is like concrete...

Good Luck...
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #5  
All the above are good guidance. I use a skid, mini x, and 70 horse tractor with a pile of implements on my half mile drive, and I still have challenging spots.

I could have saved some money and effort if I had done it this way.

1. Grade, road must be higher than surrounding area, either ditch or raise road with base and gravel.
2. If you get number one correct, you can use a few inches of base (dirty gravel or crusher runs) under road rock, and have a pretty nice driveway that only needs piddled with a couple of times a year.
3. Pack the fines as best you can before laying the road rock. If you can avoid the stupid tire ruts being lower than the edges of the drive you will have a great chance of success.
4. Land plane or harley rack is a home run, you want to 1. keep a little crown, and 2, fill the tire ruts. Don't working the drive any more than you have to, and don't scar any deeper than is absolutely needed.

God bless, and it helps to look at the driveway as a spoiled high maintenance pet/child:)

Best,

ed
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #6  
Agree with pine and dirt toys about the fines. You need a good hard packed base that is locked together. 4 to 6 inches of loose gravel will turn into ruts from heavy delivery trucks speeding in and out. My neighbor fussed at his wife and teen age driving kids for going too fast in the driveway and slinging all the rock to the outside in the curves. Hard pack with a crown with minimum amount of loose gravel is what you need.
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #7  
I have a mile long "gravel" driveway. Actually, the top layer is gravel, sand, silt & volcanic ash. Soft in our wet spring - dries and turns to concrete in our dry summers. I have a Land Pride 2584 LPGS with scarifiers, Bush Hog 720 ROBB with scarifiers & Rhino 950 - 96" rear blade. Each has its own use on my driveway maintenance.

The LPGS is great to smooth, level the driveway. With its scarifiers - will quickly repair potholes, rainwater washouts and associated riffles.

The ROBB is used to loosen soil and bring the soil to the driveway for larger repairs. The scarifiers are a great assist with this implement also.

The Rhino rear blade is my snow removal implement. It also work great for cleaning and regrading the driveway ditches. At 1050# it's finally heavy enough to cut into the driveway - even when it hardens up during the summer.

There is one "problem" section on my driveway. It's about 175 feet long. A very large field drains to this section. It's been a constant problem keeping the water draining away from the driveway. I use all three implements almost every year on this particular section.

The OP needs to get fines worked into that gravel. This will hold the gravel in place and allow it to be crowned and compacted.
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #8  
My suggestion...fix any/all places where storm water runs down the drive and not across the drive...then get it topped with something like "crusher run" that has fines that will pack down hard...loose gravel will only get worse over time...
^^^
This is very true. And what I would do. But on the positive side if that is not in the cards for you right now a drive with loose surface material is very easy to dress up. But you have to do it often to keep it the way you want. A box blade or landplane work well on hard packed drives with their ability to "cut" the packed surface and then spread the loosened material. They will also work fine on what you have. But because your surface is loose it gets thrown off on the turns by aggressive drivers. You need something to pull the escaped material back onto the road. A box blade or a land plane are not good choices for that task. You need something that can angle like a rake or back blade. If that were mine I would use a back blade turned backwards and angled to pull the stone back into the road and spread it evenly. A back blade is a universal tool so you can also use it to fix any places with erosion ruts or to build and maintain crown a crown on a packed driveway.

gg
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #9  
Here are a couple pics of what I was talking about. In this one I am doing a spring time chore after snow plow season. Pulling the plowed off material back into the road with the back blade turned backwards.
OffsetBlade2.JPG


And another spreading fresh stone

RoadWork1.JPG


And crownig

CornerRearBlade.JPG


I should add that I have a rear blade, box blade, and land plane. Also a lot of road to maintain. They all have their place.

gg
 
   / Desperately need to fix driveway #10  
Don’t think the surface material shown will pack or hold its shape. You require a crushed well graded gravel.

A rear blade with gauge wheels would work best for bringing in the sides and shaping the road. Scarifying well first would really help. The gauge wheels will really help with a back blade.

The stages:
scarify
pull up the edges and define ditches
roll a windrow of material back and forth to fill in hollows and get
nice smooth grade. This is very important. One pass just doesn’t
do it. Rolling a windrow will also help mix the aggregate on the road. The vertical angle of the back blade is important to do this
correctly.
You may end up up with a few larger rocks on top. Blade these into the ditch.

Then a vibratory drum compactor.

Now you would be ready for additional crushed gravel. ( 3/4 in. And less )

The tilt of the blade and the angle can be varied so certain tasks can be carried out. Again one setting just don’t do it.
 
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