Grading Gravel Road Maintenance

[Scrambler82]

I just used my Grader/Scrapaer for the first time yesterday.

All I can say is I have a new Best Tool !

So far it has been easy, leveled the tool to a flat area, started pulling it, that easy. I found I had to adjust the front a little higher, just the way I think it should be, I have had no instruction YET ! Dryer the material being dragged the easier it was for my little Tractor to pull it. Damp material cause the little lady to sit up and take notice, 4x and low range for Her to pull thought almost everything.

I don't have anything to put on top of the road yet, I have rain coming and I am afraid I may have a mud mod after the rain leave but I started dragging to see how ell it will work on the upper section of the driveway and lost control, just kept going and going, and going; sort of that little Rabbit and the Battery thing.

I still have a LOT to learn, will be watching a few Videos this AM and will go out after noon to see if I can clean up the drive better than it is.

I would say Get a Grader/Scraper, (Land Plane), and get to it. I luv this thing !

 

[Smokeydog]

Lots of good advice and experience given.
Land plane has certainly improved driveway, decreased maintenance and saved time and gravel on my 1/2 mile driveway. Very easy tool to use. 2nd to shedding water off the road of importance, is the management of fines. Fine management is efficiently done with a land plane.

 

[Jaylegger]

I just shake my head when I see someone just drive through the biggest pothole!

I just had that conversation with one of my neighbors. I spend time and dollars to grade our private lane without compensation that has homes on it and during every rain fall I can follow all the vehicle tracks driving through every god darn pothole, it makes my head explode/

We all have way too many visitors to educate. To be honest it's usually the women.

 

[ovrszd]

I just had that conversation with one of my neighbors. I spend time and dollars to grade our private lane without compensation that has homes on it and during every rain fall I can follow all the vehicle tracks driving through every god darn pothole, it makes my head explode/

We all have way too many visitors to educate. To be honest it's usually the women.

Try 50 miles.

 

[Industrial Toys]

But it's your bread and butter no?

It's alwo amazing how the suspension of vehicles creates a nasty washboard after the pothole as it settles down.

 

[Scrambler82]

- Just came back in, decided to go over the road I scraped earlier with the Grader/Scraper to clean up some of the left overs. Noticed the dirt road that goes by my house and decided to clean it up a little.
It is level and the pot holes are filled but I need more experience with materials, hoping I didn't just build what will turn into a BIG Mud Puddle.

BUT... the road does look good... for now !

 

[Jaylegger]

Try 50 miles.

I'd have to replace the skid shoes on the land plane half a dozen times or more per grade if that were the case. Doing that with my subcompact would be like painting a battleship with a toothbrush.

 

[ovrszd]

But it's your bread and butter no?

It's alwo amazing how the suspension of vehicles creates a nasty washboard after the pothole as it settles down.

No, it's my hobby.

We only have washboards on steep hills or at intersections.

 

[ovrszd]

I'd have to replace the skid shoes on the land plane half a dozen times or more per grade if that were the case. Doing that with my subcompact would be like painting a battleship with a toothbrush.

Proper equipment is paramount in any undertaking.

 

[Jaylegger]

But it's your bread and butter no?

On the private road I live on, no bread or butter, I do free of charge, and that's why watching others homeowners drive through the standing water makes my head explode. I also maintain another private road a couple KM's that provides a little pocket change.

 

[Jaylegger]

Proper equipment is paramount in any undertaking.



View attachment 631127

I'd love to have some sort of mini mid mount grader.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I find my new top dresser an incredibly valuable tool for dressing the driveway. But you have to fix the dips first.

 

[fried1765]

Proper equipment is paramount in any undertaking.



View attachment 631127

So ...the county bought a new Deere.
Did the price determine Deere over Cat?

 

[Scrambler82]

I didn't search this out but what is meant by "Wash Boarding" ?

What I think it is, is a rippled effect on the road bed, but I do not know for sure why it got there ?

I have seen so many dirt roads in my area with a rippling effect on them but I always thought it was caused by poor Box Blade use.

 

[Industrial Toys]

An old friend who was in the gravel business in a big way, always complained that the Grader Operators were driving too fast, bouncing and the mouldboard was making the ripples. Maybe a grader operator (does anyone know any) could chime in. I do believe that at least some are made by vehicles and their suspensions bouncing. At one point, I thought some might be exposed cordoroy (sp?) roads.

 

[Scrambler82]

Thx, let me blow this out a little further.

The road that stands outs is a well graded road, wide, flat no pot holes... hard to believe it is vehicles but I take you guys knowledge base as good.

 

[bcp]

I long ago read a report from the Army at Yuma Proving Ground, trying to eliminate washboard in gravel roads. They found that below a certain speed, they would not form, and above that speed, they could not be prevented. IIRC, the speed was 18 MPH. With lighter, softer sprung cars, the speed may be different.

Bruce

 

[Red Horse]

Is there merit in digging up the aggregate? And forming a new surface? I always wondered about that. It seems to me if you leave a road basically as hard as it was and just pull stuff into the potholes, they will form again in the same place, in short order.

No doubt about potholes forming again after filling. If you have a box blade with ripper shanks, lower shanks and rip up a few feet around the hold, fill and compact with repeated wheel travel.

 

[Red Horse]

Lot of good points raised by all. I take care of a couple of gravel common drives in my 'hood and on my 4720 I use a Land Pride power rake- like a Harley except it doesn't have "nubs/spikes", instead it has 3/4 x 3/4" ribs on the drum- plus a very heavy 72" box blade with ripper shanks. If I'm just fixing pot holes I use BB. If I'm bringing in new material (graded base 3/4" bluestone mixed with stone dust-heavy stuff-no voids) I'll put the Land Pride on-which by the way Land pride no longer makes my model for 3 pt hitch mounts

Agree, key point is get water off road ASAP- Crown is important, and once you have established, biggest problem I have is if we have an early snow fall-like 15" we got two days ago, and road hasn't frozen yet, plow contractors come in and first pass they go right down the middle-not the best for keeping your crown! I've told owners.."tell your plow guy to come in angle to right and turn around and same going out- but its like talking to the wall In addition to crown, I make it a point to create cuts at edge to get flow off road on long runs instead of volume building.

Agree for sure speed is also a killer. Some of these people think its the Baja!

Also when I do major pot hole repair, I will rent a plate compactor-around here its like 50/60 bucks for 4 hours. If I'm doing "major" and bringing new material in and doing long run, I'll "rent" a vibe (steel drum, rubber drive wheels) or a double drum steel vibe- depending which friend has availability-cash payments work!

 

[ovrszd]

So ...the county bought a new Deere.
Did the price determine Deere over Cat?

Somewhat. Cat only offered high tech joystick equipment that is expensive and unnecessary. Cat has figured that out after 12 years and in 2020 will offer their graders with standard rack controls. Sales loss has driven that.