Road maintainer for trails?

[kossetx]

Howdy all, I have 4-5 miles of woodland trails I would like leveled and cleaned up. Sandy loam soil with some youpon roots in it. Anyone use a road maintainer to do such a job? Reconditions on a manufacture? I can build but searching turns up nothing I like.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I use a combination of my box blade for leveling, and then a landscape rake for general maintenance . I do have a land plane for the gravel driveway, but it doesn't work so well on soil.

 

[kossetx]

Thanks step, any idea why the maintainer doesn't work. I never owned one but I would have thought it would do better for this than the BB.

 

[jeff9366]

I use a combination of my box blade for leveling, and then a landscape rake for general maintenance . I do have a land plane for the gravel driveway, but it doesn't work so well on soil.

I use a Ratchet Rake attachment on my bucket, paired with a Landscape Rake with gauge wheels, mounted on the Three Point Hitch, for maintenance.

During construction I used a <$900 Dirt Dog (brand) All Purpose Plow, more generally known as a Field Cultivator, for softwood root removal, including Yaupon Holly, grape vines and rose corms. My soil, like yours, is mostly sand. I used a Box Blade some.

Gordon's Brush Killer, sold by TSC, will kill Yaupon Holly in one, sometimes two sprays, timed four to six weeks apart.
LINK: Google

 

[Rara Avis]

Watch trail maintenance from 3:40 or so...

 

[17 Oaks]

I have been researching this myself. At first I thought box scraper, then I discovered Land Plane, now this is the solution:

Road Grader, Driveway Grader, Power Grader, Tractor Grader ::ABI Attachments::

Call them up, compare them, these guys do it right!

 

[JerryK]

I drag an old heavy rear gate off of a flatbed trailer that I OVER built years ago. It is about 6-1/2' long and about 3' high. Has about five 1/4" wall angle welded interior to the end pieces, and each one acts as a little land leveler grader blade. [ It was made back when I was rebuilding tricycle John Deere's, in my foolish youth ] Welded some chain onto the end of it and pull it down my trails. Although it could be wider, the length tends to take off the high spots and fill in the low. I was going to take it to the local A&L scrap and get pennies on the dollar for it... but it has earned it's keep on my walking trails.

 

[kossetx]

I have been researching this myself. At first I thought box scraper, then I discovered Land Plane, now this is the solution:

Road Grader, Driveway Grader, Power Grader, Tractor Grader ::ABI Attachments::

Call them up, compare them, these guys do it right!

But that's what step said doesn't work. Maybe he'll clarify.

 

[jeff9366]

The problem with an ABI TR3 rake is the cost. For my tractor $5,000 with freight from Texas to Florida.

 

[airbiscuit]

I like this design

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Steppenwolfe]

OK, I'll clarify. Where I live the soil is mostly a slight, sandy loam with a bit of clay mixed in; great soil in reality... under perfect conditions. Too dry, and it's hard as a brick, you can't work it. Too wet, and it gums up any attachment. Also, here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, I don't have the same soil on the top of the ridges as the lower land. So, I wait for ideal conditions, and then pick the right attachment to maintain the trails. When conditions are perfect the box blade is my go to; it smooths, collects, and fills in the low spots. A little dry or wet, and I use the landscape rake to clean off debris and pull out weeds. I have tried my land plane, but wasn't happy with it on the trails. It just doesn't perform as well as the box blade. I will say on gravel driveway maintenance nothing can beat it, it'll smooth out a gravel drive to perfection.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

These are great machines, for roads... not trails through the woods.

 

[jeff9366]

I had to forgo a 66" tractor for a 60" tractor in order to fit between the trees where my trails lie.

I can't imagine using these long pieces of equipment for trail maintenance.

 

[airbiscuit]

Then, a heavy rear blade with gauge wheels...

 

[kossetx]

Well, I pull a 7' shredder behind my tractor on my trails so I'm guessing length isn't a problem. Is a box blade maybe the best tool for this?

 

[airbiscuit]

What end state do you want for your trails - dirt, or grass covered. Are they rough and uneven now? Would a tandem disc followed by a drag or back blade, or box blade do the trick?

 

[kossetx]

Not grass. No light gets to these trails. A disc won't cut it and a drag has to be heavy duty. I've never had a box blade but I do have a rear blade. It doesn't level well because the terrain is too uneven. That's why I've never bought a box blade. I have some old railroad rail I thought of turning into a drag.

 

[Ivan49]

Here is what I did. I got to cutting edges from the county that is used on there grader blades. I heated them and bent then in the middle so I had about a 30 degree angle. I set the front one so the v part goes toward the tractor and the rear one the v goes away form the tractor. To this one I welded short wings to catch the dirt from the front blade The I welded heavy angle on the top of these in a box to hold them upright then added the hook up for the 3 point. When you use it you set the front so it is deeper than the back. I have cut gravel that was packed rock hard to fill the holes in it. I got this idea from the ones they use to level horse stables. My soil here is a mix of clay loam and sand with rocks mixed in. This only sticks out about 4 foot behind the tractor

 

[airbiscuit]

I'd try to build a drag with that railroad rail. maybe one angled left, one angled right and one straight across. \ / |/ If it is 7-8' long, that should even things out. It would be worth a try. Also, with 4-5 miles to maintain, it is easier to just drag something than working the 3 point all the time.

This is interesting ...