Cleaning driveway ditches

[bob11x]

We have a property that has quite a steep gravel driveway. I'd like to redo the driveway but that is a future project. Right now I'd like to keep it from washing away. I have an L3901 with loader and backhoe. The ditches on the side are filling in with debris and sediment.
What is the best way to clean them out? The driveway is 1/3 mile and drops 300'. I tried the backhoe but it seems to be VERY slow as I have to be perpendicular to the ditch. I was thinking the loader might work but still quite a lot of motion. I had thoughts of making an attachment like a 1 bottom plow to "wing" out the debris but not sure how good that will work.
Anyone have good ideas or suggestions?
Thank you!

 

[dodge man]

They make rear blades that have an extra pivot so you can angle the blade so just a corner is digging in.

 

[bob11x]

I had seen that - but it looks like it leaves a long lead in. The driveway drops straight into the ditch- no room for any taper. That's what I was thinking maybe some plow shaped piece (not very good at the technical names) like a sweep? for a hiller?

 

[bcp]

Some photos would help us think.



Bruce

 

[rob in ore]

I only have a few hundred feet so I used to FEL when the ditch needed to be reshaped. A third of a mile would take awhile but seems better than inventing an implement that would only be used once. For seasonal cleaning, I wait until an early winter rain and use a garden hoe or shovel. Doing it while it's raining shows where the trouble spots are.

 

[bob11x]

I will get some pics tomorrow when I am there. Thanks.

 

[old and tired]

I use a blower that clears out my ditches.

When I rotate the drum to the other side (as shown in the photos), the opening points straight down into the ditch. In that position it blows gravel away. The position it's in the photos are set to blows leaves and sticks nicely.

 

[Eagle1]

Or get a ditcher, offset is nice but straight may work

 

[greenie]

Municipalities always seem to operate 90 degrees to the ditch and take the material out bucket by (wide) bucket. The fines, leaf material and vegetation that winds up in ditches is usually hauled away for appearance and practicality. The silt, when dried will either create a lot of dust from traffic or it will find its way back into the ditch.

 

[Carl_NH]

Pics would help, but if you get a friend or significant other to drive tractor on low range, you on the BH it would go pretty quickly. Also, you can try setting the bh bucket in the swale and let the tractor pull it - this is hard on the BH and frame though and could work for loose material..

 

[bob11x]

Pics would help, but if you get a friend or significant other to drive tractor on low range, you on the BH it would go pretty quickly. Also, you can try setting the bh bucket in the swale and let the tractor pull it - this is hard on the BH and frame though and could work for loose material..

I did try that a little bit and it did seem to move material, but I was worried about the loading on the backhoe cylinders and boom.
Pics later today.

 

[Happy in NC]

Municipalities always seem to operate 90 degrees to the ditch and take the material out bucket by (wide) bucket. The fines, leaf material and vegetation that winds up in ditches is usually hauled away for appearance and practicality. The silt, when dried will either create a lot of dust from traffic or it will find its way back into the ditch.

This is what I would like to do except when I am at 90 degrees to the ditch I am about 30 degrees on a hill and really can't back up at that point. So FEL isn't very level and I don't have the ba**s to try and dig at that angle. I will be watching for solutions too.

 

[bob11x]

This is what I would like to do except when I am at 90 degrees to the ditch I am about 30 degrees on a hill and really can't back up at that point. So FEL isn't very level and I don't have the ba**s to try and dig at that angle. I will be watching for solutions too.

The first 100 yards of my driveway is like that. The rest is not so bad.
How do you keep the gravel in place? We had 3/4 crusher run and people tend to spin it up. I was told fines would be better…?!

 

[LouNY]

With my back blade offset and angled and rotated forward it will cut a V shaped ditch behind the tire that works very well. Occasionally it will give me a bit of trouble if/when I hook a very large rock. I try to do most of it while traveling up the driveway as then I can usually back down out of trouble. I have done it going downhill a couple of times and it has bitten me when the blade hangs up and pulls the front end into the bank and hangs me up, requiring a bit of a pull from behind to get back into position.

I have tried crusher run on my driveway and found it to be about useless, very difficult to get packed tight enough even with extra stone dust applied. The stone dust just runs away with any rain and you are left with marbles that people with spin up and loosen up so it will not stay in shape. I have had better luck with screened gravel 2/3 inch and under with lots of fines to bind together.

 

[alexinPA]

I removed triangular blade from my potato digger ( not sure what it's called) and mounted it at the end of rear blade. This is the only way I can do it because of the trees along the sides of driveway

 

[dicktill]

I removed triangular blade from my potato digger ( not sure what it's called) and mounted it at the end of rear blade. This is the only way I can do it because of the trees along the sides of driveway

Photos?

 

[alexinPA]

Photos?

Sorry, not set up for doing it now...

 

[bcp]

The forum is giving hints for cleaning the ditches.



Bruce

 

[Happy in NC]

I have found that crush n run over quarter is fairly affective over an even bigger rock base,. I have recently discovered ballast. Looks like it will help in the muddy spots. Spinning is always a problem on our inclines

 

[bob11x]

Pic below is up hill - slight grade. Water comes from left and from around the curve on the left side. no ditch around curve, just edge of driveway where it meets the bank. From where the deer are going back behind camera is a slight ditch that has grown in. (Next 2 pics )

Below is going down hill. Elevation to the right. Ditch on right leads to culvert under drive to a ravine. It needs cleaned out. Gravel guys all say to crown the drive and let water wash to sides. I think pitching it to the left ( sharp downhill past the grass) to let all water flow off and down the hill might be better?

This is at the upper end past the curve (looking back to where the deer were). Not much of a ditch on left but crown lets water flow around the curve to the ditch. Again this is where I think it would be better to pitch the driveway to the left to just pull water over the road to minimize washout??
The drive is very threadbare - large stuff is just under the crusher run, so not sure how to pitch it ? Would I disturb the base or just add more bigger stuff to the left side and then cover with crusher run?

This is looking up hill at the top. same issues.