Seeders Driveway Maintenance - Box Scraper?

[JeffroL]

I maintain about 1/4 mile of rural driveway, connected to a 2 mile private road where I also am responsible for a good amount of maintenance. I currently primarily rely on a 6' adjustable blade, which I can swing relative the ground and side to side to cut / pull gravel out of ditches. My primary challenge are some large ruts generated by heavy rains in some spots and also a high crown in the middle of the drive on some stretches. Grass grows thick in those areas and I get grass in a lot of less frequently travelled spots.

I'm leaning towards a box scraper but would like opinions. Is that the proper tool? What brand should I look at? What size? I have a Kubota M7060 (70hp) and a Duetz D4006 (35hp). Both very capable tractors. The Kubota has a FEL.

I would value any experience / advice you would be willing to share.

-Jeff

 

[bcp]

If you are going to buy a tool for road maintenance, get a Land Plane Grading Scraper.



Bruce

 

[Tinstafl]

I have both of them and say the land plane grader scraper with scarifiers. It does a better job easier. The first time you might have to do a few more passes but it is the best thing I have found. I have an 84 inch big Gannon BB with hydro scarifiers and it does a great job of moving material but my wood land plane does a better job on the road.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

With out a doubt, a Land Plane Grading Scraper (LPGS) would be your best implement for maintenance. Depending on your road, a 7' or 8' would be a good match. Get as heavy of a unit as you can afford. Weight is definitely your friend for this application, as it is for most grading applications.

 

[Tinstafl]

Oh and a hydraulic top link is your best friend too.

 

[Fallon]

LPGS is the best tool for road maintenance. A box blade is a 2nd place. A box blade will be a more flexible for more varied tasks like digging & moving dirt & gravel.

The box blade is a pocket knife, the LPGS is a chefs knife. Both will chop veggies, but only the pocket knife gets used everywhere.

I have a box blade now, but have been collecting grader blades & other parts to end up building a LPGS.

 

[oosik]

I have a mile long gravel driveway. I have - HD rear blade, HD roll over box blade and HD land plane grading scraper. I also have a hydraulic top link. I have 34+ years experience maintaining this driveway. The best, easiest implement for summer maintenance, by far, is the land plane grading scraper. Both the ROBB & the LPGS have scarifiers - used to tear out and repair pot holes. The rear blade clears the winter snows.

My driveway is a mixture of gravel, sand & volcanic ash - so after the spring rains, it set up like concrete. Trying to maintain my driveway with just the rear blade is simply an ugly joke.

 

[TripleR]

I maintain our roads with a LP HR3584 and it works fine, but I have TnT and road maintenance is not my primary tasks. Now if I only maintained roads and or had the money and storage space, I'd sure buy a LPGS, much quicker and easier to learn to use.

 

[JeffroL]

Thanks for the all the information. I'm leaning towards a box blade simply because it's more versatile and the driveway isn't all that big, single lane with only a few spots that need significant / regular work. Plus I'd like it to level out some high spots and groundhog holes in the fields, which will be a regular thing because they will just get dug back out time and time again. I've tried using my loader and it's not terrible, but tricky to get just right. Any thoughts on the Tar Rover brand? I can get an 84" unit right down the street for $995.

 

[jeff9366]

I'd like it to level out some high spots and groundhog holes in the fields, which will be a regular thing because they will just get dug back out time and time again. I've tried using my loader and it's not terrible, but tricky to get just right.

I do not understand. You created this thread seeking advice. Six T-B-N "heavy hitters" replied, with a Bazillion T-B-N posts between them, all recommending LPGS, and you are going with a Box Blade?

LPGS is the right implement.

Consider a $400 Ratchet Rake bucket attachment for the groundhogs and high spots. I use mine for filling Gopher Turtle holes and low spots several times each month. Much easier to mount than a Box Blade, much easier to use than a Box Blade. (I own a Box Blade.)

Ratchet Rakes are sold by the T-B-N store.