Land plane Vs. Harley rake

TugHillDog · Monday at 12:04 PM

Here is another vote for the land plane. I have a quarter mile access road and a couple parking lots that I tend. The box blade and even the york rake were my initial tools. I found that small variations in front tire elevations while driving were amplified through the tractor body to the rear implement [no guide wheels].
When I upgraded to my current tractor, I bought a used land plane from the dealer. After years of road grading, I can tell you that patience and many passes with the top link allowing the front of the plane to dig [not aggressively] will eventually achieve the same pothole removal and running the box blade with the scarifiers. Lengthening the top link will put a fine finish on the surface. Echoing what others have said, be sure to shorten one of the lift arms on the 3point so as to make the road center higher and establish a watershed crown.

Good luck and let us know what you decide and how it goes.

bridge4 · Monday at 12:23 PM

I have found with the landplane, forwards for ripping/crowning and reverse for smoothing anything out.
@TugHillDog I have that same issue with the york rake, but once I get a good set in the spring with the land plan, I can mainly just york rake after small storms and things.

EmeraldCity · Monday at 10:35 PM

I have a box blade with extra weights on it. If the gravel road is bad, the box blade works great to stir up the top 4-6" if the scarifiers are set low. I then dragged a heavy I-beam to level. BUT, I recently got a heavy duty (meaning heavy) drag harrow that works great when the road needs a little attention. It levels and smooths amazingly well. Maybe you could borrow one to try. BTW, they are designed to use both sides, one digs up the gravel more and smooths, the other smooths more without digging too much.

Rich
Formerly the wet PNW
Currently Central Texas.
1967 Ford 3000 FEL, custom hydraulic 3-point
Kubota BX-24d
Kubota GR2000
Various attachments