TNhobbyfarmer
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2004
- Messages
- 1,185
- Location
- Middle Tennessee
- Tractor
- Kubota L3430 Polaris Ranger 500
I need a load of gravel. I haven't bought any in quite awhile. What does gravel cost in your area?
In all seriousness, get a soil map of your property and see if there's any there. In your location in Tenn., I have no idea.
On our property up here in north-central Indiana, it was supposed to be all muck and sand, but low and behold, I got a soil map and in the exact spot where the State Highway Dept. told me I had to cut my access road in, there was a pocket of gravel about 100' x 50' laying just a foot or two under the sand! Free gravel!
I didn't think there was gravel there. Everybody thought it was sand. I got lucky. Maybe you will, too. Its worth looking into for anyone. :thumbsup:
Moss you and I are in the same County. WHere do I get this map?
Well it took a week but it works GREAT.
How I did it -
Since I have a dually with a full 8' bed with rough bed liner AND rails for my removables ( a 5th wheel hitch, a gooseneck hitch and cobbled together mount for my HF 1/2 Ton Capacity Pickup Truck Crane with Cable Winch) there was no way to "just drop it in" and expect it to work.
My thought process was to jury rig a dump container to make unloading and cleanup easier.
So -
I cut a 4x8x3/4 sheet of plywood in half length wise and put either piece on the inside to cover the wheel wells.
I then laid down a big HF tarp, about 15x12, length wise from a few few feet past the down tailgate, flat along the bed, then up and over the cab and width wise across the bed and up over the plywood about 3' on either side.
I next laid down three 2x4x8's, one against each wheel well and one down the center
View attachment 474491
I topped that with a 4x8x3/4 sheet of plywood
(I wanted to put something slippery like a 4'x8' sheet of thick slippery plastic on top of the plywood but didn't have one.)
That was my "base dump container".
I then followed the simple instructions and laid out the HF "Loadhandler" on top, went to the stone yard and got a small load (1,760 lbs) of #57 - busted up concrete. (I asked for a ton but that was close enough.)
View attachment 474492
After loading I just wrapped the excess tarp over the top of the load paid ($14 for 1,760 lbs) and drove off.
For unloading we folded up the excess tarp hanging off the tailgate, hooked up the loadhandler and my son cranked the load off rather easily in about 5 minutes or less.
IT WORKED GREAT!!
We pulled out the plywood and the small amount of stone that had evaded capture easily slid out with the tarp.
If I can find a suitable surface with a real slippy surface it might even handle 1.5 tons.
/edit - I also have a short vid showing how easy it is to use but posting vids here is a pain.
Gravel weighs more per ton than limestone.
You sure about that?
South Florida:
Base Rock(Crushed Limestone) - $385 for 21 tons/delivery
Hope this helps
Gold weighs more per ounce than limestone, (and less on a pound basis) but I didn't know gravel did.<snip> Gravel weighs more per ton than limestone.<snip>