Box Scraper Grader/Leveler advice or recommendation needed

CJHames · Aug 19, 2014

I have about 1 mile of road to maintain and I'm looking for a good leveler or grader for my 12' wide (on average) dirt/rock road. The road does have some larger rock on it (1.5"-3"), but some areas have what we call "road base" here in North TX. The road base is a little larger than regular gravel, but not much. I'd like to be able to put an angle on it as well (already have an angle blade) for drainage, put a bit of a crown on it.

What do y'all use? Have a system or implement that works well for you? I have about $1000-$1200 to spend.

Thanks in advance for any help or reply's!

jenkinsph · Aug 19, 2014

A 6' land plane grader blade would be my choice for your road and tractor size. If you have the abilities or have a friend that can weld I recommend you build a heavy duty land plane yourself. You can build a very nice one for $1000 or less materials cost. If you need to buy one new it may cost more than you have budgeted.

Gordon Gould · Aug 19, 2014

I agree with jenkinsph. I would say anywhere you can use your blade you can use a land plane. But, if you have a lot of baseball size rock the land plane (or blade) will rip it up. Generally you don't want to rip up the structural road base. It should be covered with a road surface material. If it is just a rock here and there you will have to pick it out and throw it aside or in the bucket.

This is a dirt road I have mixed stone into you can see the size rocks I pick out in the bucket.

gg

1026mrg · Aug 19, 2014

Is road maintenance the only need you will have for leveling & grading? If it is great, land plane may be your best option.
If you have other grading & leveling needs, it may be worth considering a box blade as well.

We have a box blade that works very well for road as well as non-road leveling, grading and maintenance.
While it will not angle as easily or over the same range as a rear blade, it is still not too hard to angle it to maintain & crown
our road/driveway. Simple adjustment on 3pt hitch. A box blade may also not be as specialized as a land plane, but I believe that it may offer
greater versatility. Particularly a model with scarifier blades.

We have found it to be a great, all-around utility attachment for leveling & grading work on fields, lawns, roads, trails, etc.

Just one other guy's opinion ...

IXLR8 · Aug 19, 2014

^^^ I agree, I bought a box blade as I have other grading/leveling needs and I will rent a Land Plane for putting final touch's on our 1/3 mile long dirt road.

CJHames · Aug 19, 2014

That is some beautiful property you have there! Thanks for the info. I do indeed have some softball-sized rocks on the road (put in before we bought the place). I think I'll add in some road base rock and then work that and leave the larger rock underneath as a base. Sounds like I may not have much choice. :laughing: Thanks for your help!

Rocky Hoffler · Aug 19, 2014

I bought a land leveler and after I used it to grade 1/2 mile dirt road I don't have a box blade any more because I wasn't using it.
I see that you live in Tx but here may have these closer but the sunbelt ag expo in Moultrie Ga. is an excellent place to buy discounted implements on the last day of show because they don't want to ship it back home good luck

boggen · Aug 19, 2014

york rake / land scape rake, box blade, rear blade, LPGS (land plane grader scrapper), generally see folks mix and match 2 of them. along with optional TNT (top and tilt)

TNT = replacing top link on 3pt hitch with a hydrualic cylinder, along with optionally replacing side link on 3pt hitch with a hydrulic cylinder.

some were in the mix something with sacrifice teeth / rippers.

no one tool is a do it all thing. certain 3pt hitch stuff does better vs other things at certain tasks. and reason for mix and match.

Tractor Attachments And Skid Steer Attachments For Any Tractor Or Skid Steer has videos and good amount of text to describe and show what various 3pt hitch stuff does, how it operates and like.

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primary road issues = getting water to run off the road first, and then get the water to run into ditches and away from the road / driveway. until ya solve that problem. it can be a constant battle.
2nd issue, is driving way to fast on private dirt/rock/gravel roads. they are not built for 55mph like actual township / county dirt/rock roads. slow it down, keep your suspension of your vehicles from beating the living daylights out of the road from driving to fast.

djw250 · Aug 21, 2014

I built a grader (LPGS) to maintain our gravel road and it has been the best thing I could have done. I never use my box blade anymore, and only rarely use the back blade to move gravel back toward the center. One other benefit is that before I built the grader we were adding gravel about once a year to the road. Since I've been using it, we haven't added gravel at all, and it's been several years.