BX and driveway problems

[mosely23]

Looking for advice on best implement to use on my BX24 to work on my driveway. It is ledge-pack. Barely over a year old. Contractor never came back to finish grade, etc. Tools and techniques appreciated. I've read a lot of the threads on rake v. box blade... Curious whether either will realistically work on the ledge-pack or whether I need to call in bigger equipment.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TripleR]

I have a BX2660 with a box scraper as well as a rake and regular blade. As much driveway as you have I wouldn't want to try it with something as small as a BX. For that kind of work I go with a ten foot hydraulic box blade on a fifty or seventy-five horse tractor.

If I was going to have to do it with a BX, I would go with a box blade, but the BX doesn't have really fine 3 point control and you don't have much weight and it is going to be a bear or at least that would be my opinion.

Bottom line if possible borrow or rent something up to the task and it will save you a lot of time and headaches.

 

[BigD23]

Not sure how long your driveway is...Mine's a little over 8' wide and about 1,000' long, gravel...With my BX23 I use my 60" box blade till I have it where it's nice/level and any pot holes are gone, then I go over it a few passes with my 60" rock rake...Not a pro but it seems to always turn out very nice...Good luck and hope that helps.

Don

 

[rdsaustintx]

If that is good ledgepack, IMO the BX won't be very useful on the driveway itself.

You have a wash area that is already showing wear. If water has to cross there a culvert would be the optimum solution.

I would dig a bar ditch all along it. I like the way the pavement is at grade (no shoulder drop), but a low road without a ditch IS a ditch. Then set a culvert in the invert of that wash area. Use the ditch backfill to raise the drive over the culvert inlet/outlet, then patch the driveway.

I know how much tractor time I just got you, no idea what the driveway patch would cost.

But it would be a substantial (and essentially permanent) improvement.

I would spray roundup on the margins to keep the grass at bay. Can use a tractor-mount sprayer if it is ridiculously long, or you are just hankering for more toys.

Welcome to TBN. If you fill in your general profile a little (like your location), you might get more relevant information for a question like this.

Russell

 

[pintodeluxe]

I disagree with tripleR. I have done driveways like this with Bx and 48" box blade. It makes quick and easy work of it. Adjust the top link to make the blade just aggressive enough to grade the small gravel, and not get into base rock. If you find that you need to top it later with 5/8" minus crushed gravel, then at least the prep work is done, and will minimize your material costs.
Best of Luck!!!

 

[J_J]

mosley23,

Look at this.

TR3? Rake.com >>> One Tool Does It All - Horse Arena Footing, Property Owner , Parks & Rec, Sports Turf, Contractor

 

[TripleR]

I disagree with tripleR. I have done driveways like this with Bx and 48" box blade. It makes quick and easy work of it. Adjust the top link to make the blade just aggressive enough to grade the small gravel, and not get into base rock. If you find that you need to top it later with 5/8" minus crushed gravel, then at least the prep work is done, and will minimize your material costs.
Best of Luck!!!

We must be thinking of different things as my light BX2660 and box blade will barely scratch that stuff once established. I can manage oil mat, but nothing harder; course you may very well be a better operator than I.

 

[Tom_H]

See this thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/138952-land-pride-grading-scraper.html

 

[Berniep]

I don't know what ledge pack is.
I am thinking it must be a lot harder than a good hard packed gravel drive or you wouldn't be asking the question.

 

[Tom_H]

I don't know what ledge pack is.

I didn't know either. Here's what I found Googling.

Hardpack, ledgepack and steep driveways - Winnipesaukee Forum

Ledgepack/Hardpack for Driveway [Archive] - Winnipesaukee Forum

 

[alchemysa]

I dont know what you actually want to achieve, but a drag/scraper made from angle iron does a surprisingly good job of knocking the top off hard parked earth and smoothing everything out. Mine is about 7 foot wide and 2 feet deep (from front to back) and attaches low down to the tractor with chains. Add a few lumps of concrete if you need to make it heavier. Along one edge put the angle iron 'facing forward' so it cuts into the dirt or gravel. Its a cheap low tech solution and requires almost no expertise to use well. I dont have a photo (its 300ks away) but I can draw a pic if you want.

 

[Berniep]

From what I read (thanks Tom_H) you would destroy the properties of the ledge-pack if you grade it like you would a gravel drive without packing it down somehow. It appears that if it's done right it is better than asphalt.
I am up to tackle most anything but I think that if I spent the money to get ledge pack put in I might not want to mess with it until I knew the intricacies of the project. So that might mean calling a pro. Or calling the folks who left it unfinished in the first place.

 

[radioman]

I think using boxblade with rippers down a couple inches at a time would work. The ledgepack is probably crusher run type of stone at his local quarry. Ripping the top inch or so layer to smooth out the driveway and move dirt into the pothole is better then taking some stones to fill in the potholes and it will fall out with normal driving. Ripping up the top layer will smooth it out even more when done right, ripping out the potholes so the fines and stones will mix better to pack in the the pothole better. I beleive normal driving will help to pack it down esp. if it done before the rains come. The rain will lock in the fines and make it hard as a rock.