Modified Drainage Ditch Digger for gravel driveway

[Steave]

I like your idea, thanks for sharing it. If you plant potatoes you could still use it to dig em up. Raise your blade up out of the way or remove it if necessary and run your tractor tire down the ditch.

Got a few places around here that your plow would be the trick for a small ditch up against a bank on one of the old farm roads. I don't have a box blade so I'll have to rig it up on something else. Might rig it up on the outside of a bucket on the skid steer but like you I grow rocks and would have to move with caution to keep from ripping it off.

 

[cordak]

A 'tool' that I made works quite well for that sort of thing.
It is basically one big tooth made from a 4WD front axle that I had in the scrap box.
What I did is fashion a clamp on tooth similar to what you often see for a trailer hitch that clamps onto the FEL bucket.
It ends up looking like one big ugly tooth and really digs and loosens up the soil making forming a ditch a breeze.
Passes with the rear blade then makes forming a ditch an easy task.

I'd like to see a picture of that!

 

[cordak]

I like your idea, thanks for sharing it. If you plant potatoes you could still use it to dig em up. Raise your blade up out of the way or remove it if necessary and run your tractor tire down the ditch.

Got a few places around here that your plow would be the trick for a small ditch up against a bank on one of the old farm roads. I don't have a box blade so I'll have to rig it up on something else. Might rig it up on the outside of a bucket on the skid steer but like you I grow rocks and would have to move with caution to keep from ripping it off.

Steave, I plan to make potato boxes instead of using up garden space. But I see what you're saying. I have a regular 3 point middle buster that I use to use on the driveway. It works in some areas but as you said, up against a bank is where this one really helps out a lot!! There's a guy on youtube who clamps down a large piece of 'L' channel steel to his tractor bucket and makes a nice ditch with that. I would be concerned with messing up the hydraulics was my concern. My tractor's getting older by the day and I need it so I didn't want to attempt his idea.

 

[DB3TX]

First post here (other than my "New to Forum" in the new members section). This was a concept I thought of after trying numerous ways to dig and keep good drainage ditches.

So I have 800 feet of driveway (200 feet are 26% grade on rocky terrain) that was never in any good shape since I bought the house/property 3 years ago. Over time I've accumulated a tractor and some attachments. I had this idea that using a middle buster would really dig my drainage ditches out and would solve half of my problem of having to monthly fix issues. Well, it worked and surprisingly well. The only issue is that the MB is in the center of the tractor and parts of my driveway have hillsides which meant that I couldn't dig it deeper in certain areas when I really needed to. I also have a Woods 5' box blade. I also have an old spade from a MB and an old bent lift arm. So I modified the spade and welded a chunk of the lift arm onto it. Now I can slide the MB spade into the box blade directly behind my tires and not only will it dig deeper, the box blade will assist in cleaning up the busted up dirt meaning less passes, less time, and better cut ditch.

First pass with it worked 1000 times better than anything I've tried yet. The only issue I can see so far is that the lift arm I used is a cheap Tractor Supply one and it does jump around a little when hitting the sandstone in the hill. But it could be a good thing too as it lets the spade somewhat jump around if it needs to, keeping it from becoming bent or twisted.

Wow, Thanks! This is a great idea and just what I need. I have small side ditches with a high bank too, and I've been thinking of ways to rig some kind of custom attachment. I think this will do the job for me too. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm also working on a roller, that's easier, but I'm hoping to find your posts on your build.

 

[oosik]

I'm able to tilt my rear blade enough to create a ditch in the area needed. That's because this "mud hole" is bone dry this time of year. There is one other area where something like the OP created would work well. I'll have to give it more thought.

Thanks for the post - CORDAK.

 

[nyone]

That will make a ditch but since your just pushing dirt up each side the water wont get in there very well.

 

[Xfaxman]

I'm also working on a roller, that's easier, but I'm hoping to find your posts on your build.

If you are using a computer and put the pointer on his Avatar or Name it will show his Threads. Click on the number and they will be listed.

This is the roller thread: Roller Build

 

[npalen]

You have one year from first public display to file for a patent on your invention. (Just a little patent trivia)

 

[sandman2234]

I added a middle buster spade to a box blade ripper, and ripped out the back side of the tubing that is slotted for the rippers to go into. I was pulling it behind a 70 HP tractor, so when the spade hits something, something is going to give. I strengthened the back side of the tubing by adding a piece of flatbar to cover it, and the next time I used it, I bent the ripper. Guess it wasn't in the cards for it to work for me!
David from jax