Difficulty using box blade to smooth a gravel drive way
- Thread starter Wilburn Cox
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HunterWare
Bronze Member
It seems that the good advice directly addressing your question is already being given. I had a Deere 2305 (also without position control) and never was able to do an effective job with the box blade. The box blade either dug in too quickly to compensate when my front tires hit a bump or it dumped a ridge when my tires hit any dip in the road. I accept that if I had gotten much better at using the tool it would have worked, but I tried and eventually got tired of using something I had to fight/manage the whole way.
For me, getting a land plane made all the difference. Especially without position control, a land plane basically just does most of that thinking and adjusting for you. You can effectively use it just by adjusting the toplink so the rear blade is enough higher than the front that it deposits a smooth stream under it as you go. Nothing else... The runners/skids on the plan take care of all the bumps and dips. A couple trips up and back on the drive and it's perfect.
Good luck with your drive,
Hunter
For me, getting a land plane made all the difference. Especially without position control, a land plane basically just does most of that thinking and adjusting for you. You can effectively use it just by adjusting the toplink so the rear blade is enough higher than the front that it deposits a smooth stream under it as you go. Nothing else... The runners/skids on the plan take care of all the bumps and dips. A couple trips up and back on the drive and it's perfect.
Good luck with your drive,
Hunter
oosik
Epic Contributor
I have found that to spread material either of these two methods work well. FEL - either float the bucket going in reverse or with slight down pressure going in reverse. Same with a box blade - float box blade while going in reverse with tractor.
After watching numerous videos of both box blades and land planes (road graders) it seems like a Land Plane might be easier to use on a SCUT and also works better at loosening up packed gravel and regrading while a box blade might be better at putting in the road from the beginning and spreading a lot of fresh gravel.
Like you, I had previously used my large backhoe FEL to spread gravel, but with a lil 4' loader I would think that would be a lot tougher and less consistent.
Your thoughts?
I am currently clearing my home site and a land plane would be useless in this rocky, hard clay material to build the initial driveway after the trees have been removed. I really wanted a land plane, but it takes my 710# ROBB's shanks to make any progress in leveling my property by first breaking up the soil and then immediately going back over with the ROBB's blade. I have looked long and hard at a land plane and feel it would be perfect for an established drive. Just hook it up- adjust the top link (I have TNT) and go. Pretty simple and all of the hard work is accomplished by the tool. However, I have never used one but sure would love to have an excuse to own one 
For my current leveling of anything less than hard packed clay, including loose gravel, I also use my FEL bucket moving in reverse with the back of the bucket at a slight down angle, empty, either in float or with some down pressure, to smooth things out and it does a wonderful job. But all of my work is on dirt, clay or loose gravel- not compacted gravel. You can always add material to your bucket as weight as a trial and see how it works. Another option is to do what I am doing establishing my driveway, by first using the BB's shanks to loosen the material and then go back over with a bucket or BB in whichever direction suits your type of equipment. My ROBB has a blade in each direction, so I can just pull forward by selecting a different blade for each job.
This is the land plane I had initially decided to get due to its weight, length and delivered price: Road Grader, Driveway Grader, Power Grader, Tractor Grader ::ABI Attachments::
For my current leveling of anything less than hard packed clay, including loose gravel, I also use my FEL bucket moving in reverse with the back of the bucket at a slight down angle, empty, either in float or with some down pressure, to smooth things out and it does a wonderful job. But all of my work is on dirt, clay or loose gravel- not compacted gravel. You can always add material to your bucket as weight as a trial and see how it works. Another option is to do what I am doing establishing my driveway, by first using the BB's shanks to loosen the material and then go back over with a bucket or BB in whichever direction suits your type of equipment. My ROBB has a blade in each direction, so I can just pull forward by selecting a different blade for each job.
This is the land plane I had initially decided to get due to its weight, length and delivered price: Road Grader, Driveway Grader, Power Grader, Tractor Grader ::ABI Attachments::
oosik
Epic Contributor
I did not suggest a grading scraper even though I have and use it on my driveway. The LandPride GS2584 does a fantastic job on the driveway. I don't know if Wilburn is in the market for more & expensive implements. Dragging the bucket on the fel or a box blade works well also and doesn't cost anything if you already have the implements.
Anyhow - sdef, I totally agree - a grading scraper is difficult if not impossible under difficult conditions. Its NOT the implement to build a driveway.
I have a rear blade - I use it to blade snow off the driveway. I have a Bush Hog roll-over box blade - I use it to move material from here to there and to dig up new soil. I have a grading scraper that is used to maintain the driveway.
Actually a tractor is not the equipment best suited to build a driveway unless you have the time and operating conditions are not difficult. I know I would never be able to build my driveway with my current tractor. Too much heavy rock and too much bedrock to contend with.
Anyhow - sdef, I totally agree - a grading scraper is difficult if not impossible under difficult conditions. Its NOT the implement to build a driveway.
I have a rear blade - I use it to blade snow off the driveway. I have a Bush Hog roll-over box blade - I use it to move material from here to there and to dig up new soil. I have a grading scraper that is used to maintain the driveway.
Actually a tractor is not the equipment best suited to build a driveway unless you have the time and operating conditions are not difficult. I know I would never be able to build my driveway with my current tractor. Too much heavy rock and too much bedrock to contend with.
Agreed. A bulldozer is the best equipment for my driveway, but I do not want to deal with the aftermath. Fortunately bedrock is not my issue, but I have serious amounts of large, heavy rocks. If they are large enough, I pick them up with the grapple bucket. If too small for the grapple. we manually load them into the bucket. There are a few too large for my tractor to lift. But the driveway is now ready for leveling and removal of all of the smaller rocks in preparation for gravel.
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
Looks like a tough place to build a driveway. I use a rock bucket to collect rocks the size you have in the pictures above, any thing smaller than 3 inches I would cover with base course (3/4" to fines) and pack down.
I also viewed the pics of the land plane mentioned in your previous post. I noticed the blades are set far enough back that cutting would be difficult to do. Most of the landplanes I have seen have the front blade much closer to the front of the skids.
The landplanes pictured below I built with the blades set straight and flush with the skids. When I shorten the top link both of these will dig in aggressively if there is a need to. Most of the time I feather the top link to get the best results but a heavy landplane can cut through the hard clay when needed. It would help to pick a time when the soil is softer after a rain in your locale.
Attachments
Not fair to post pics of your 4 wheel steering SCUT. Never saw that before. :thumbsup:
How does the little guy do hauling the land plane and with those tires? I have Turf tire on mine too
jenkinsph
Super Star Member
That is an x749 garden tractor, 4x4ws diesel with hdap tires. Most of the work is done with the larger compact but the small one is great for the tight spots and running around the trees. I use the smaller one on town lots as it is cheaper to transport and a better fit.
