Trail smoothing

[topshop]

Anyone have experience smoothing trails through the woods and fields? I back-bladed with FEL but still get rolls and uneveness. Someone suggested the best way is to till with rotary tiller, followed by a landscape rake with guage wheels. Box blades are said to be challenging to use, and I could use a landscape rake for other projects. I do wonder about the roots I'll come across and whether I'll be sorry I till them up or into the bigger ones. Removal is a pain. Suggestions on approach?

 

[jsborn]

I called the local state forestery dept and they came in and plowed a fire break with a larger harrow. When they left i smoothed it out some with my smaller harrow and blade. their equipment can do in 1 hour what would take me a couple of weeks and they only charge for their fuel around here.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Need some more info - is the surface mostly dirt, leaves, or rocks? (or something else?) How many roots near the surface? What size/model tractor do you have? What existing implements besides FEL?

A great tool would be a super heavy disk made for doing firebreaks - but it would require a lot of hp to pull and they aren't real common items. The standard disks for any tractor that would fit in the woods aren't heavy or stout enough for this purpose, most likely. I would be thinking probably box blade to do the rough work and rake to finish it off.

 

[txdon]

I used a box blade and tilt it back so the front blade does not touch the ground and the back blade is pulled across the sand. If you have heavy dirt roots and rocks this may not work for you. As stated above disc, and a heavy drag might work good. I have used an old car hood loaded with rocks pulled with my 18hp Farmall to smooth trails before I got my box blade.

 

[EddieWalker]

I pull my disk over a trail a bunch of times to break up the ground. Then I drag a heavy oak log with cyclone fence wraped around it over the loose soil. This really does a very nice job of smoothing things out.

If I didn't have a disk, I'd use the rippers on my box blade and then drag with the log. When I first got my tractor, I tried the box blade, but failed miserabley. In most places, I just made it worse. Somebody on here suggested a log drag, and I've loved it ever since. It's my cheapest implement and one of my favorites!!!

Eddie

 

[bigballer]

Eddie - I like the log idea and happen to have some recylced cyclone fencing laying around intended for a drag of sorts. i was going to use an old railroad tie but now imagine the log would work better since it's rounded there would not be any squared off corners to dig in.

Can you post up a couple pics of your setup along with the way you connect your chain/cable to the log/tractor.


cheers,
bigballer

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know if the square edges will make a difference one way or another. The thing I like about the log is that it's heavy. Much heavier then a railroad tie and impossible for me to pick up. The weight allows it to knock down the high areas and move the dirt to the low areas.

The cyclone fence smooths it all out and makes it pretty. It also pics up branches and will pull some plants out of the ground. At first, I tried to keep it clean and get those branches out of it, but now I don't even pay attention to whats caught in there. It will work it's way out in time and other stuff will work it's way in. Nothing will stop it, so it's just part of the process.

The cyclone fence that I had was from a short 4 ft fence. I cut it in half and overlaped it. The log is 8 feet wide, and the fence is 7 feet wide with a foot overlapping. I laid out the fence and rolled the log into the middle. Then I folded the fence over the log so that half is down on the ground and the other half is on top, but both ends end at the same point. I don't know if this is needed or not, but I had lots of fence and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The chain is wraped around the ends and bolted together. I put a few lag bolts through the chain, and into the log, to hold it in place. I then figured out the middle of the chain and created a small loop by putting another bolt through two links. Then I just put the loop over a 2inch ball on my tow bar in back of my tractor. Quick and simple.

The results really are amazing!!

Eddie

 

[dtd24]

I like the log drag idea. I used a similar setup for my 4wheeler before tractor. I think I have just the log in mind.

 

[LBrown59]

I like the log drag idea.

R U logging in or logging on to use one of these?

 

[LBrown59]

I don't know if the square edges will make a difference one way or another. The thing I like about the log is that it's heavy. Much heavier then a railroad tie and impossible for me to pick up. The weight allows it to knock down the high areas and move the dirt to the low areas.

The cyclone fence smooths it all out and makes it pretty. It also pics up branches and will pull some plants out of the ground. At first, I tried to keep it clean and get those branches out of it, but now I don't even pay attention to whats caught in there. It will work it's way out in time and other stuff will work it's way in. Nothing will stop it, so it's just part of the process.

The cyclone fence that I had was from a short 4 ft fence. I cut it in half and overlaped it. The log is 8 feet wide, and the fence is 7 feet wide with a foot overlapping. I laid out the fence and rolled the log into the middle. Then I folded the fence over the log so that half is down on the ground and the other half is on top, but both ends end at the same point. I don't know if this is needed or not, but I had lots of fence and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The chain is wraped around the ends and bolted together. I put a few lag bolts through the chain, and into the log, to hold it in place. I then figured out the middle of the chain and created a small loop by putting another bolt through two links. Then I just put the loop over a 2inch ball on my tow bar in back of my tractor. Quick and simple.

The results really are amazing!!

Eddie

The biggest problem with towing some thing with a chain is getting it turned around on the other end of the field.

 

[jimgerken]

I use a landscape rake, it works well for the soil we have. Mixture of black dirt, clay, and rock. The rake sorts off the rocks, moving them to the side, and leaves the dirt behind. Add enough hydraulics to it ( T-n-T, hydraulic swivel, and maybe even offset) and it really gets productive.

 

[Scrounger]

I've help make atv trails in upstate NY with a team of BX tractors. One with a box blade and the second with a york rake. Between the two you can level out and then finish smooth a pretty nice trail. We do thru the trail with the BH and FEL on first to remove all the big rocks and stumps then come back the the BB and york rake. Works pretty well.

The log with cyclone fence never worked for us since the trail was too tight and really hard to get turned around when you needed too.

 

[LBrown59]

I've help make atv trails in upstate NY with a team of BX tractors. One with a box blade and the second with a york rake. Between the two you can level out and then finish smooth a pretty nice trail. We do thru the trail with the BH and FEL on first to remove all the big rocks and stumps then come back the the BB and york rake. Works pretty well.

The log with cyclone fence never worked for us since the trail was too tight and really hard to get turned around when you needed too.

The biggest problem with towing some thing with a chain is getting it turned around on the other end of the field.
__________________
BX23 Ag tires $8100 FEL$2300 BH$3800 60"MMM $1300. total$15500

 

[Lasgambler]

Hello, I live in an area where we have to mantain our roads. I use an I beam with chain link fencing and at the chain to tractor connection I use a small trailer tire 12 or 13 inch. Hook the chain thur the tire and then simply set the tire over the ball hitch. It cushions the shock when the drag gets hung and also self disconnects when you back up.

 

[topshop]

Eddie,

Thanks for the log drag idea--very clever!

 

[mj1angier]

This site might help.
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads - Introduction

 

[Singlecoil]

So I had an idea one night after reading this thread.
The following picture was my idea, but it didn't work very well, the fence kept getting pulled toward the rear.
The second and third photos show how you need to attach it to the scraper to keep the fence in place. It worked pretty well. I got the fence free from somebody on freecycle, then spent 10 bucks on cargo straps. So far so good.

The pictures below show a better way to attach it.

 

[jkahan]

amazing how an old (16 year old) post has answered my question for maintaining steep wooded trails... thanks to all