Grading stone driveway maintenance - is a box blade the way to go?

[GPintheMitten]

Here's a thread that shows what I used.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/311270-anyone-mid-michigan-want-rent-3.html

I was looking for a land plane when a friend allowed me to try his driveway smoother.

It is basically a rectangular platform of steel with about 3 or 4 rows of angle iron running across it with edge down. It has a platform on top to limit how much gravel is dug up. You can build one with scrap bed frame angle cheap. It takes several passes but works.

You could pull it with a chain or make a 3pt for it.

 

[s219]

Box blade works well for me. You will want to adjust the top link angle to feather the cutting edges to get the result you're looking for.

When I have gravel delivered, the dump truck spreads it by driving down the driveway with their rear gate cracked open a little (chains hold it in place). That does about 85% of the work if the driver is good. From there, I use the box blade with cutting edge feathered to smooth and compact the gravel. Comes out perfect every time. My last maintenance was over a year ago, and it still looks perfect, despite lots of snow (and plowing) over the winter and lots of rain throughout the spring and summer.

A 4' box would be ideal for a BX.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

Landscape rake are very good at refurbishing rock driveways, then backdrag to compact it

 

[DKCDKC]

I've got a mile of hilly, curvy gravel drive. I have a rock rake, a box blade, a regular blade, and a ratchet rake for my FEL. They were all - except for the RR - bought used but work well. For light maintenance, the rake is fine. For filling ruts and holes, the BB is ideal. For pulling stone back into the drive and crowning, the blade is fine. And the RR is great for the convenient touch-up following a storm or such. I understand the other implements cited here are also good. I'd just watch the local CraigsList or ads for some used stuff and take what you find. It will work, and not cost you an arm and a leg.

 

[Ken45101]

A landscape rake with gauge wheels is the perfect tool for you.

I agree, a landscape rake with gage wheels is absolutely great for spreading loose gravel, like when you have a new load spread. It's not very good for loosening up already compacted gravel, however.

In most cases, however, if you have hard compacted gravel, I would prefer to leave it alone and not disturb it. Regrade with a load of new gravel on top. But if you really want to tear up existing compacted gravel, then a box blade with the scarifiers is one of the better approaches.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

I have used boxbladeandrakes they both work but when I bought a land leveler or as they are refered to some times as a double blade grader I do my dirt road which is a half mile long and the church parking lot which is stone it does a great job the more times you go over it the better it gits once you have it adjusted properly you just drive no need to keep adjusting up or down

 

[NHbotanut]

My vote is for the Land Plane. I just got in from fixing the driveway from all of the T-Storms we had this week. 25 minutes and I have a brand new driveway. Took out the washboard, and filled in all the washouts. My driveway is a 10% grade for 1/4 mile.

When I was looking for this tool, I knew I didn't want the box blade as you always have to adjust it. I tried the york rake with gauge wheels. It just bounced around. Rear blade also required a lot of adjustments and finding the right angle which I could never do. The LP is so eassy to use. I didn't make any adjustments from the last time I used it, just dropped it and went up the driveway. Made a 3 passes on each side, and put the tractor away. It may not be one of my most used tools, but it certainly is the most valued for getting the job done right.

 

[shadowshack]

My driveway is about the size of yours (except for the parking area).The boxblade on my BX25 does the work of spreading around large amounts of 3/4" stone, as needed. Backdragging a partial bucket of stone (I use some of the several cinderblocks I have lying around) with the loader in float position will smooth out your stone nicely. It's a much less expensive alternative than purchasing something for hundreds or thousands of dollars that you'll use once every six years or so.