Spreding Sand - newbie needs help!

[powerscol]

After reading this I was thinking the landscape rake would be more useful in maintenance.

If you use the bucket to back drag, you can set up some string lines at the 3 1/2 " level as a guide. Us the nylon type and pull as tight as you can. When you back drag, it will pop up through the sand when you get near the 3" your looking for. Just dont snag it too often like i did the first time I did this. I then learned to use my bucket turned up more so the cutting edge bolts did not snag it. Also dragging with the string helped.

 

[powerscol]

I vote for the Landscape Rake with Guide Wheels!
The guide wheels are key to getting a nice uniform spread. I used the bucket to initially move and spread it out. Back dragging in float mode works good but the final grading is done with the rake. I initially made one to spread out 120 yards of loam and it did a great job. You'll get a lot of use out of it!!! Great implement to have around.

View attachment 485173

View attachment 485174

You say you made this. What a fantastic job. It also looks like you can rotate it on an angle - correct? If I may ask, where did you find all the parts?
Thanks

 

[dickfoster]

Yeah I am starting to think that is the way to go. That and either a chain harrow or rotary harrow both of which would be useful for on going maintenance.

Yeah after you get it spread out, a simple homemade log drag would likely keep it evened out for you at the cost of a little chain and a log or two. Maybe I'm just cheap.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Here is what you need for maintenance. A rake or a drag isn't enough to break up the compacted material once you get some apples mixed into the sand.

Priefert Drag

Just eyeball it roughly with the depth, I really don't think 3" is going to be enough in a new arena. We only had 40 horses are one point....:confused2:

 

[dickfoster]

Here is what you need for maintenance. A rake or a drag isn't enough to break up the compacted material once you get some apples mixed into the sand.

Priefert Drag

Just eyeball it roughly with the depth, I really don't think 3" is going to be enough in a new arena. We only had 40 horses are one point....:confused2:

I think before spending that kind of money I'd drive a few spikes though one of my logs. Then again, I said I was cheap.

 

[BigBoyToys]

Priefert Drag

I have to agree with RedNeck.
After watching the video...talk about "The Right Tool for the Job"!!!
That's one implement that would certainly pay for itself in short order!

 

[TheMan419]

Here is what you need for maintenance. A rake or a drag isn't enough to break up the compacted material once you get some apples mixed into the sand.

Priefert Drag

Just eyeball it roughly with the depth, I really don't think 3" is going to be enough in a new arena. We only had 40 horses are one point....:confused2:

So how deep would you go? I think I will start with the back drag method and the string. Good idea for sure!

As for the implement, yeah it would be nice. Budget dictates otherwise though.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Well the right tool makes all the difference. There is a difference between being cheap and being smart money wise. Horse ppl are very funny about their footing. I should know, I married one. I would say it depends on how it works into your existing ground. Everyone likes to say only go as deep as the sand, but how do you know what depth that is and get any work done? I think we have added triaxle loads of sand to try and get things right, and lets face it, once you get so many broken up apples in it, the sand turns more to a loam and your compaction problems begin. Best thing I could say is start with your plan of 3" and see how it rides in and wears in. Your riders will be able to tell you in short order when something needs to be addressed. One thing about the tillage cheap route, those implements aren't really designed for footing manicures. You will lift alot of stones with them and get to pick BUCKETs of them out of the riding area. Ask me how I know...

 

[bcp]

I think these are still being made. I see an ad once in a while in Portland, OR area.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/185508-jake-rake.html


Found it.
Jake's Implements - Home

Bruce

 

[jenkinsph]

I think these are still being made. I see an ad once in a while in Portland, OR area.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/185508-jake-rake.html


Found it.
Jake's Implements - Home

Bruce

I thought about mentioning these but was not sure how well they work. Haven't heard from Jake on the forum in a few years either. IIRC he was about 14 or 15 years old at the time.

 

[Argonne]

I just did my building foundation base, and here was my routine with the end loader. Dump a load of base, back drag it. Get the next load, and use it's weight in the bucket to back drag the previous section to a finished state. Do a moving (backing) dump in the next section, and go for the next load, which I again use to back drag the one I just dumped. I repeated that routine for a couple of hours and was done with a couple thousand square feet in a remarkably short time.

The biggest help, however, was having a laser receiver clamped on to the loader arm to achieve the desired level. Used in conjunction with a rotary laser, and at a "known" amount of bucket curl during backdragging, I was able to achieve a finished floor height in one round. I did splurge and spend a couple of hundred on a magnetic mount receiver to stick on my boom, but I could have used the "stick" receiver that came with my laser level without much hardship.

 

[jenkinsph]

I just did my building foundation base, and here was my routine with the end loader. Dump a load of base, back drag it. Get the next load, and use it's weight in the bucket to back drag the previous section to a finished state. Do a moving (backing) dump in the next section, and go for the next load, which I again use to back drag the one I just dumped. I repeated that routine for a couple of hours and was done with a couple thousand square feet in a remarkably short time.

The biggest help, however, was having a laser receiver clamped on to the loader arm to achieve the desired level. Used in conjunction with a rotary laser, and at a "known" amount of bucket curl during backdragging, I was able to achieve a finished floor height in one round. I did splurge and spend a couple of hundred on a magnetic mount receiver to stick on my boom, but I could have used the "stick" receiver that came with my laser level without much hardship.

That is similar to what I do except I use a laser receiver on the box blade to smooth and level most jobs.

 

[rd_macgregor]

We cheated when we put in our 135' X 250' outdoor ring a few years ago...we had a contractor do it all. The base was leveled and prepared with loaders, dump trucks and a big, vibrating dozer. The footing is something like quarter-minus or coarse sand (with the fines washed out). After it was all spread, leveled and fenced in, I bought one of these to do periodic grooming: Track & Ring Conditioner - System Fencing
Mine is th 8' wide 3-PH one (without guide wheels) and it does a really good job as long as I don't snag a fence post or rip up a jump standard.
The surface has held up to use and winter really well. Sadly, winters here can be hard on the fence and repair has become a routine spring chore for me:

 

[TheMan419]

We cheated when we put in our 135' X 250' outdoor ring a few years ago...we had a contractor do it all. The base was leveled and prepared with loaders, dump trucks and a big, vibrating dozer. The footing is something like quarter-minus or coarse sand (with the fines washed out). After it was all spread, leveled and fenced in, I bought one of these to do periodic grooming: Track & Ring Conditioner - System Fencing
Mine is th 8' wide 3-PH one (without guide wheels) and it does a really good job as long as I don't snag a fence post or rip up a jump standard.
The surface has held up to use and winter really well. Sadly, winters here can be hard on the fence and repair has become a routine spring chore for me:
View attachment 485540

I'd love to have a contractor do it all, but I do not have the $$ for that. This will be an indoor and it is 60x140. I think the back drag with the bucket is the way to go. A string will be a nice guide to make sure I am about level. The base was done by an excavating contractor. It will need a bit of smoothing once the building is built, but remains still very level.

They had the laser level going with a light on the dozer doing the finishing work. Another dozer and a skid steer with a bucket keeping the finishing dozer supplied with dirt and moving any rocks uncovered out of his way.

It was pretty neat to watch actually.