I do interlocking driveways and purchased a Max 22 TLB last fall. We excavate the driveway area out about 12" deep and backfill with gravel. We normally use the FEL to spread and level off the gravel. Backblading gets you close and leaves waves. I'm generally working in tight quarters, houses garages curbs all in the way. Which attachment should I be looking at to reduce the manual labour. I also do some landscaping, spreading topsoil and grading.
When you say "gravel" are you talking about stone or stone with fines, and what size? Pure stone is the hardest to grade of the two. The thicker it is the harder it is to get right. With a light touch, a box blade will work for material with a good amount of fines in it, but it takes a lot of time to get the feel for pure stone. Pure stone is actually easier with the FEL.
The following method works with any loose material, but it REALLY works for pure stone or stone with minimal fines. Sorry if you already know how to do this, but it may help someone else in the future, so here goes.
#1. Pull up to the farthest edge of your area to be graveled and with the bucket fairly high, start sprinkling the material just a little too thick while traveling backwards. It should look like a nice waterfall of stone coming out of the bucket. You'll want to use the cutting edge of the bucket to smooth out away from your starting point about 3'-4'. Do this laterally across the entire start of your gravel area, overlapping as little as possible. I usually stop here and spread against the edge (slab, foundation, etc.) by shovel to make sure my thickness is right where I want it. It'll be easier to see your desired grade when your back on the tractor seat.
#2. Now here's a trick I'll share that makes spreading stone much easier and eliminates waves. First of all...Don't use float. If your bucket has an angle on the back edge (like a 45 degree or whatever), you can very slightly curl the bucket so the cutting edge is above the material and backdrag with the back of the bucket. Since you left it a little too thick and you can see the back of the bucket, you'll be able to see how much material you're pulling. As you get to the end of each run start uncurling the bucket back to flat, but don't let the material slope off, losing your grade.
#3. As you start your next row, you'll be sprinkling material backwards and just a little too thick again. Lay out three bucket widths this way. Now pull up onto the first bucket width of material you just spread and use the back of the bucket to level it off. Do the second bucket width the same way, overlapping a little, but leave the third row alone until you lay in two more bucket widths. It will keep the tractor more level that way.
You'll have to experiment to get bucket in the right spot for backdragging. When you do, you'll be amazed at the lack of waves and windrows. This method doesn't work as well with a square back or rounded back bucket, but it can be done.
