Drag Harrow (homemade)

[keegs]

I just ran a box scraper over my driveway and still have some divots and high spots that I want to smooth out. TS and some of the other retailers sell a drag harrow and they run between 100 - 300 dollars. That seems like a lot of moola for something form something so simple that I might use once a year. Has anyone made something like this that works as well or better? I was thinking of a chain link fence gate weighted down with some cement block or vehicle wheels. You comment and ideas please.



Thanks ..

 

[sweettractors]

I just ran a box scraper over my driveway and still have some divots and high spots that I want to smooth out. TS and some of the other retailers sell a drag harrow and they run between 100 - 300 dollars. That seems like a lot of moola for something form something so simple that I might use once a year. Has anyone made something like this that works as well or better? I was thinking of a chain link fence gate weighted down with some cement block or vehicle wheels. You comment and ideas please.

View attachment 561071

Thanks ..

The chain link fence would essentially do decent job of leveling loose dirt, however, spikes/teeth of some sort on the bottom would be best of there were still some high spots where you are using. Ken Sweet

 

[Redlands Okie]

The wider the area your weights cover the better it will work out for leveling. Vehicle wheels for instance are at best a couple feet across. A heavy beam or beams can be full width. Weight could be applied on top of the beams.

 

[kthompson]

Roofing shingles works better than blocks as they will flex and not leave hard pressure points.
Agree with Ken on his points. But since we have same name (Kenneth) hard to disagree..lol

 

[keegs]

The chain link fence would essentially do decent job of leveling loose dirt, however, spikes/teeth of some sort on the bottom would be best of there were still some high spots where you are using. Ken Sweet

Makes sense Ken... the teeth break up some of the material so it can fill in the low spots. I'll improvise something. Thanks.

 

[keegs]

The wider the area your weights cover the better it will work out for leveling. Vehicle wheels for instance are at best a couple feet across. A heavy beam or beams can be full width. Weight could be applied on top of the beams.

I saw one that used series of square tubing connected with heavy chain ... like a chain ladder if you will. Thanks...

 

[keegs]

Roofing shingles works better than blocks as they will flex and not leave hard pressure points.
Agree with Ken on his points. But since we have same name (Kenneth) hard to disagree..lol

Makes sense ... I remember a summer job way back when I was carrying 80lb bundles up a ladder...

 

[blackd]

If you look here for a dethatcher you will plans that allow you to make a multi-use tool, de-thatching and driveway leveling. I use mine a couple of times per year on both the yard and drive.

 

[oosik]

I made a "drag" out of wood 4" x 4" square posts. Made a reinforced four foot square - reinforcement is cross attached chunks of plywood across the top. On the leading 4" x 4" post I drilled small diameter holes clear thru the post and drove large spikes thru the holes. The spikes stick down about four inches below the leading post. Hooked a big rope to the front and drag this thing with my ATV. Breaks up the clods - smooths out the small riffles, etc. Does a good job - but it is a darn dusty operation.

It is a small time operation that can be accomplished with my ATV. If I have to do big and serious smoothing and leveling I will attach my LPGS to the tractor and go at it.

 

[keegs]

I made a "drag" out of wood 4" x 4" square posts. Made a reinforced four foot square - reinforcement is cross attached chunks of plywood across the top. On the leading 4" x 4" post I drilled small diameter holes clear thru the post and drove large spikes thru the holes. The spikes stick down about four inches below the leading post. Hooked a big rope to the front and drag this thing with my ATV. Breaks up the clods - smooths out the small riffles, etc. Does a good job - but it is a darn dusty operation.

It is a small time operation that can be accomplished with my ATV. If I have to do big and serious smoothing and leveling I will attach my LPGS to the tractor and go at it.

When I ran the box blade over the driveway some of the material gathered on both sides. I raked this material back into the main field of the drive filling in the divots and low spots. It took two days (temps were in the 90's)....the drive is about 1/4 mile.

I'm looking ahead now to maintenance and was thinking about using PT 4x4 and fastening a piece of 2" angle iron (leg down) to both member lengths. I think there's enough weight using the PT 4x4 material. I was thinking of running a chain between the 4x4 members using a shorter chain length to one side. I have a hitch on the tractor or I could drag it behing the pickup.. I think this design has less storage requirements which is something I'm always considering. Thanks for confirming use of the 4x4... it made sense but wasn't sure.

Chris K.

 

[kc5dlo]

I recently took 2- 4 foot long pieces of a mobile home frame and attached a chain bridle to each end of on of the I beams. The second I beam is attached about 6 to 8 inches behind the first I beam. Took some angle iron and made skids on each end of the two pieces. Experimented with weight and about 100 pounds laid on the first beam seams to work the best when pulling with my Toro workman. Neighbor had to take the weight off to pull with his zero turn. It cuts the high spots amazingly well. Does not carry a large amount of material but does a real good job of dressing a rough area. Everything was scrap that I had around so i really just have some time invested in it.

 

[kthompson]

You know a heavy chain itself is used for leveling. I would suggest a search on youtube of homemade levelers. I also suggest you ask around and see what in used equipment you can find. You probably will find some sort of used implement with a little searching.

 

[keegs]

I recently took 2- 4 foot long pieces of a mobile home frame and attached a chain bridle to each end of on of the I beams. The second I beam is attached about 6 to 8 inches behind the first I beam. Took some angle iron and made skids on each end of the two pieces. Experimented with weight and about 100 pounds laid on the first beam seams to work the best when pulling with my Toro workman. Neighbor had to take the weight off to pull with his zero turn. It cuts the high spots amazingly well. Does not carry a large amount of material but does a real gIood job of dressing a rough area. Everything was scrap that I had around so i really just have some time invested in it.

I think a 4x4x10 weighs about 50 lbs and I'm cutting it in half to make two members. I may need more weight on it for it to dig in but not sure what I'll use. I take it the skids are to contain the scraped up material within the dimensions of the scraper (keeping it from spreading out to both sides). I was thinking of fastening the angle iron to the 4x4 diagonally so the material sheds to one side toward the center of the driveway. Not sure how easy this will be. I don't have a lot of bits lying around for making this but there is a scrap metal place in town that I might check in to. Thanks.

 

[keegs]

You know a heavy chain itself is used for leveling. I would suggest a search on youtube of homemade levelers. I also suggest you ask around and see what in used equipment you can find. You probably will find some sort of used implement with a little searching.

Youtube was the first place I looked and they have some pretty good ideas. We have a surplus store nearby that sells bulk chain but the cheapest heavy chain ran $2. a foot if memory serves. I'm guessing I'd need 20 1' lengths (10 on each member) The chain would add some weight and do a good job finishing off the surface. I do have a 10' long piece of 2" angle iron that I was going to try to utilize.

In an earlier post to this thread someone mentioned that he fastened plywood atop the two 4x4 members joining them together. I may try this out as well. I'd like this to store easily though. Thanks!

 

[chim]

Here's a homebrew one I made. At first I used it with my lift boom. It was a little cumbersome, but by changing the chain lengths on the sides it could rotate enough to cast the scrapings right or left. A couple years ago I found an unused blank flange at work and modded it to make it more user friendly.

 

[keegs]

Here's a homebrew one I made. At first I used it with my lift boom. It was a little cumbersome, but by changing the chain lengths on the sides it could rotate enough to cast the scrapings right or left. A couple years ago I found an unused blank flange at work and modded it to make it more user friendly.

Now that's what I'm talking about Chim... and it looks like very little welding involved.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Now that's what I'm talking about Chim... and it looks like very little welding involved. ��

An upgrade to that would be to add some teeth. Something like old railroad spikes , harrow points or scarifier teeth.. Like a sol pulverizer without the rollers.

land pride soil pulverizer - Google Search

 

[chim]

That attachment is for smoothing stuff out. Teeth are sometimes used, but on the other end of the Kubota.

 

[ddbackhoe]

That attachment is for smoothing stuff out. Teeth are sometimes used, but on the other end of the Kubota.

So retractable teeth would be a bad idea?

 

[chim]

So retractable teeth would be a bad idea?

Nope, it would be a great idea if I needed them.

The main purpose of the rear attachment is for leveling and smoothing a gravel driveway. Our main driveway has been paved for many years, and the remaining gravel driveway to the shed and propane tank doesn't require any maintenance. We can have any size truck use it regardless of the weather. Our excavating sub used about a foot of gravel (a mix composed of 3" down to dust size) and I topped it once with some 2A modified maybe 15 years ago. When we annexed the 1-1/2 acres on one side of our property about 5 years ago I bought, used and sold a box blade with scarifiers to tame it.

The picture of the rear attachment in my earlier post is from the last time I recall using it. It's from when we put the front sidewalk in a few years back. Even though we never used the front door since we built back in '89, Wifey said we need a front sidewalk with some curves (something about us dying and the kids ending up with a house they couldn't sell because it lacked a sidewalk).

Rather than remove the RFM from the Kubota, I hooked it to the Ford. Some of the area needed a fair amount of fill. The Kubota hauled and roughly graded the fill and then the Ford took over. Following that,, there was very little hand work.

The toothy front attachment was a fun project to come up with something to allow me to reach into the fencerow to clean up brush. It has been pressed into service a couple times to loosen up small patches for re-seeding.