How to use a box blade for road maint?

MESSMAKER · May 24, 2011

If you have a good base, you may not want to go wild. If at all possible, I try to move the loose stuff to fill up the holes and disturb the base as little as possible. You can drop the rippers a couple of times and then lift them up and drag until it smothes out. It will look great, but until it gets time to settle and get compacted, it is very easy to wash out.

Mousefield · May 24, 2011

I have had my tractor and boxblade for 3 years now. I maintain our private road that is about 3/4 mile long. Most of it is the natural soil/gravel. As others have suggested just spend some time playing with it. The box blade is a 6 ft and the tractor is 35 HP.

Grandad4 · May 24, 2011

TripleR said:
Just filling in the low spots with loose material is not going to do a whole lot of good long term if you don't loosen up the surrounding material.

+1 to that. Same with potholes... just filling them won't last.

Also, I've had better luck with our road by planning for drainage... either a crown or some slope or both. If you grade the road level and flat, it lets water accumulate in even the slightest low spots, which eventually become potholes. Getting rainwater to drain gradually minimizes the ruts and potholes, but it still needs attention 2-3 times a year.

Question: If you've got clay + sand, but no aggregate, doesn't it turn to mud in the spring?

2dawoodz · May 25, 2011

Grandad4 said:
+1 to that. Same with potholes... just filling them won't last.

Also, I've had better luck with our road by planning for drainage... either a crown or some slope or both. If you grade the road level and flat, it lets water accumulate in even the slightest low spots, which eventually become potholes. Getting rainwater to drain gradually minimizes the ruts and potholes, but it still needs attention 2-3 times a year.

Question: If you've got clay + sand, but no aggregate, doesn't it turn to mud in the spring?[/QUOTE]

The road does get slick and pretty sticky after a rain. I stay off it for a day to 2 after a rain.