tractor big enough?

[Jpcjguy]

Hi everyone,

I live on 2 acres outside of Richmond, VA. Mostly grass and I want to do some grading/leveling.
Here is a picture of the first area:

Grass quality is bad and there are ruts so I want to kill everything and grade it smooth.

The second area:

This area is rutted and roots are showing - just to the trees and maybe 5 feet beyond - not the whole side yard. I have a drainage issue - all the water from the driveway runs into this area and washes the dirt. I have trimmed the trees up a bunch to allow more light for the grass. What I want to do is add about 2-3 inches of fresh topsoil and replant grass.

Now the question - My neighbor has a Case DX25e with LX110 loader and turf tires. He is interested in getting a box blade for it and I would contribute to the cost if I could use it. I assume this would work ok for these areas since I am not really digging much up.
How big of a box blade should we get? I am thinking 4' or maybe 5' - probably go to northern or tractor supply.

Thoughts?

 

[jim44]

I would think your first area is too small and confined for a box blade and tractor to be of much benefit. Looks more like maybe a tiller, shovel, and wheel barrow project. Amongst the trees, tearing up the exposed roots would be a concern if using a box blade. You would have to get the extra dirt in and then box blade it smooth, maybe. Even so, the trees are going to make it sort of an obstacle course. That's about all I have to offer except for sympathy. In any case, I'm glad it's you and NOT me.

 

[Jpcjguy]

Jim44,

Hahahaha! I am lucky like that with projects that end up having to use my back!
Thanks for the reply. The first area is small - I was thinking about two or three passes in the center area and then hand around the edges.
The second area I would not dig down at all - just add a 3 inch layer and use the box blade/loader to smooth and compress somewhat.

 

[k0ua]

If you are good with a loader you can do most of it with just back dragging with the loader. It does take skill. But then again so does running a box blade or grader blade. Neither are for first time users, but you have to learn some how. Good luck with it. Me I would just use the loader but I have the benefit of about 25 years of doing that.

 

[Jpcjguy]

k0ua - Agree 100% - it does take skill and you do have to start somewhere. Worst case I get it close with the loader/box blade and finish by hand.

 

[k0ua]

k0ua - Agree 100% - it does take skill and you do have to start somewhere. Worst case I get it close with the loader/box blade and finish by hand.

I think that is a good plan.

 

[mike69440]

Hi everyone,

I live on 2 acres outside of Richmond, VA. Mostly grass and I want to do some grading/leveling.
Here is a picture of the first area:

Grass quality is bad and there are ruts so I want to kill everything and grade it smooth.

The second area:

This area is rutted and roots are showing - just to the trees and maybe 5 feet beyond - not the whole side yard. I have a drainage issue - all the water from the driveway runs into this area and washes the dirt. I have trimmed the trees up a bunch to allow more light for the grass. What I want to do is add about 2-3 inches of fresh topsoil and replant grass.

Now the question - My neighbor has a Case DX25e with LX110 loader and turf tires. He is interested in getting a box blade for it and I would contribute to the cost if I could use it. I assume this would work ok for these areas since I am not really digging much up.
How big of a box blade should we get? I am thinking 4' or maybe 5' - probably go to northern or tractor supply.

Thoughts?

Most of the time I try to talk people out of a subcompact, but in your case a subcompact witha york rakr/ small BB & tiny loader will lessen the hand rake and shovel effort.

How friendly are you with your neighbor?

 

[Jpcjguy]

Neighbor is a good friend and has offered the use of the tractor numerous times. I just need to come and get it. The rear tires of the tractor is 47" so I would think a 4ft would be best size to go through the grass. (worry is the turf tires not getting traction) My thought is if I have to rent a box blade 2-3 times at $70 a pop, I would rather give him the money toward buying one so that I have access to it and he gets another attachment at a lower cost.

 

[Teachu2]

Neighbor is a good friend and has offered the use of the tractor numerous times. I just need to come and get it. The rear tires of the tractor is 47" so I would think a 4ft would be best size to go through the grass. (worry is the turf tires not getting traction) My thought is if I have to rent a box blade 2-3 times at $70 a pop, I would rather give him the money toward buying one so that I have access to it and he gets another attachment at a lower cost.

Sounds like a good plan - might check Craigslist, too. I've seen 4' ones go for $2-300 here.

 

[hcallaway]

If you have posted on this site over 50 times, you should be asking if you should buy a tractor and which one! You do have a great neighbor. I won't lend my tractor to anyone, but I will do the work for them. He should have a grader box. That is a must have item. For the small area a front end loader is the ticket. Why tear it up? You just look like all you need is more topsoil. The other area, I am not sure what you can really accomplish except for leveling it out to get rid of drainage issues. Once again the best option is going to be the front end loader. You are not really removing anything as far as I can tell. With all your trees I would extend your mulch beds as well as add dirt. Living in Richmond like you, if you don't have irrigation you are going to have bald spots in heavy shade areas. I still think as a friend you need to let me help you spend some of that money on your own tractor. You know you need it!!!!!

 

[Jpcjguy]

Alright - so I started this project about 15 days ago. Had 18 yards of topsoil/compost mix delivered and spread it out using my neighbors tractor. Looks like this one:

First I tilled the upper area about 4" down. He has one of these:


It sure was a LOT more work than I anticipated!!! Especially not having any tractor experience. Of course we then had the rain from the hurricane. So that stopped me until today. I spread another 15 yards of the same mix. I also then did the pallet drag with rocks to help smooth it. Turned out ok -still some lumpy areas. I used my mower to pull a 48"x24" roller (about 785 lbs) to smooth and compact it in addition to running the tractor tires on every square inch! I am wondering if a box blade would have been better - but then there is the learning curve on how to use it. The slopes would have been challenging also for a newbie. Here are some pics:




So do I go with it as is? Or get someone with a box blade (that knows how to use it) to do the final pass?

Thanks!

 

[dhagood]

i built a 100' x 40' barn pad out of the side of a hill with a box blade. i also put in the base for a road into that barn pad. i'm certainly not an expert but i do have a little experience. my experience sez that i couldn't do any better with a box blade than what it looks like you have now. i would use a grading scraper (also called a land plane) for smoothing the area.

a box blade is good at cutting into the ground and transporting the spoils. it is not that great a creating a smooth, consistent surface (at least when i'm driving). a grading scraper is specifically designed to create a smooth, consistent surface.

hope this help.

 

[4570Man]

My neighbor spread over 200 tons of fill dirt with a borrowed case about this same size. It took him a couple weeks to get his project done. I let him borrow my 5 foot box blade, but it was too big for the little tractor.

 

[Jpcjguy]

Part of me thinks to leave well enough alone and just get the seed down. It feels like the more I mess with it, the worse it gets!

 

[GLyford]

Yep, and remember---your mower will "average" the grass when it mows, too. Bet you will be mostly happy with it if you just get the seed down.

Once the grass is established you can still "top dress" a little dirt into any low areas that show up later, work it in a little with a rake, and the grass will often recover and continue growing through it. Also a good way to fix any little runoff channel bits that happen between now and when the grass has a firm hold on the dirt...

 

[Jpcjguy]

Thanks for the advice. I am kind of over working on it. I am going to put the seed down this weekend and call it a day....

 

[Fiziksgeek]

To get a touch more refinement, maybe a landscape rake...you don't want it to dig in real deep, really little more than skimming the top. Just drive around in different patterns until you run out of fuel. If you can't borrow one, some rental places have them for not too much.

 

[GreenYellow]

Looks great to me.
I'd rather have an extra week of seed growth before winter than another week of smoothing.

 

[Utopia Texas]

A word of caution for the future to anyone else who might have a project like this with tree roots at or above the ground surface. Some species of trees, especially oaks, have roots at the surface of the ground for a reason to absorb oxygen as well as water. In some cases even 2 inches of soil covering these roots will eventually kill the trees if the soil becomes too compacted. Read up on the species of trees you have before doing such a project or 10 years from now you may be enjoying a open meadow.

 

[Jpcjguy]

A word of caution for the future to anyone else who might have a project like this with tree roots at or above the ground surface. Some species of trees, especially oaks, have roots at the surface of the ground for a reason to absorb oxygen as well as water. In some cases even 2 inches of soil covering these roots will eventually kill the trees if the soil becomes too compacted. Read up on the species of trees you have before doing such a project or 10 years from now you may be enjoying a open meadow.

Very good point! I was informed that a couple inches would be ok and that is what I put down, but you are correct - the risk does exist.