Muddy tracks

TheMadOne · Mar 13, 2018

I've been storing the L3301 in the back "yard". It's now mud season, and my heavy clay soil has turned simple tracks into fairly deep ponds.

Short of either putting stone down on what's supposed to be a yard-like area or stocking up on goldfish is there a solution? Would subsoiling the tracks help with drainage?

deezler · Mar 13, 2018

It's just that time of year where water can't drain due to frozen soil further down. Same thing here in Michigan right now, you only get one or two passes through an area with a tractor that size before it is cutting ruts in the top muck. I would find a place to store the tractor on some more solid ground... stone, preferably.

TheMadOne · Mar 13, 2018

Stone isn't going to happen. I'd need...a lot...to stabilize the area it's in(at least a couple truck loads), and all my actual parking is taken up with other vehicles. I just thought maybe ripping down a bit would help the drainage. Plus it would let me buy and use a new toy. Last thing I bought was a ratchet rake. Between that, some forks, and a box blade I find I'm pretty well covered for "needs", but I do have the urge to buy other attachments, bigger tractors, smaller tractors...you know how it is.

deezler · Mar 13, 2018

So you are space constrained, I get it. The only other thought I have is that pure sand drains a lot better than muck. So if you could excavate the area/path out and fill with a couple feet of sand instead....

I have the blessing of naturally sandy soils, and it stays much more stable than areas where I haven't disturbed the top soil layer, which is much more mucky.

You could rip it up and smooth it back out dozens of times... but you'll still cut muddy tracks, I believe.

tcreeley · Mar 13, 2018

I live in a clay mud season area. I drive the tractor over the lawn to get wood up onto the deck to come into the house.

Sometimes you can smooth things out a bit by back dragging the bucket over the ruts while the ground is soft.

I find the key is to not break through the surface when you drive over with the tractor. I've had good luck spreading 3-4" of gravel over muddy clay areas that I drive over. The ground flexes a bit, but the tires stay on top, and out of the mud. There are some days it is better to just leave the tractor put! What is good about gravel is that it can blend in when it gets overgrown.

Gravel is also good to fill in the ruts you do create! Better than stone because you can run a mower over it later, without any worry!

ericm979 · Mar 13, 2018

I use the chips I make with the PTO chipper on the dirt roads that I drive the tractor on most often. They reduce the mud in the winter and dust in the summer.

bigtiller · Mar 14, 2018

The best thing I have found to do with mud-ruts is watch them dry. Anything else causes problems later.

bdog · Mar 15, 2018

Subsoiling them is the last thing you want to do. Next time you drive after doing that you will sink worse and make the ruts worse.

TheMan419 · Mar 15, 2018

I have a very small area that I drive over frequently that gets muddy. I make ruts. When it dries out a bit I either back drag them with the bucket or grade them with the back blade or something if I happen to have it hooked up. Other than that I try to drive around the muddy area as much as possible to NOT make the tracks. Sometimes there is no choice. When things get bad I just have to grade it out later. When it dries out more this summer I am going to extend the limestone drive way to include this area and crown for better run off. But until then the mud fight continues.