Best Attachment for Grading Gravel Driveway

[oldschool1000]

I was wondering what everyone thought would be the best attachment for grading a gravel driveway. Our driveway is about 1200 feet long and requires regrading up here in New England each spring and fall. I used to have a smaller 18 hp tractor that I would pull a 5 foot Woods rear blade with and it worked ok especially for creating a crown for water run-off. However, I recently purchased a Bobcat CT230 and was consdiering either a 72 inch rear blade or a box blade with scarifiers. I thought the box blade would dig down better and give a smoother surface.

Please let me know your thoughts or experiences with grading gravel driveways.

Thanks for your input!

 

[rjkobbeman]

I was wondering what everyone thought would be the best attachment for grading a gravel driveway. Our driveway is about 1200 feet long and requires regrading up here in New England each spring and fall. I used to have a smaller 18 hp tractor that I would pull a 5 foot Woods rear blade with and it worked ok especially for creating a crown for water run-off. However, I recently purchased a Bobcat CT230 and was consdiering either a 72 inch rear blade or a box blade with scarifiers. I thought the box blade would dig down better and give a smoother surface.

Please let me know your thoughts or experiences with grading gravel driveways.

Thanks for your input!

I use a Land Pride Grading Scraper. Any brand should work. Grading Scrapers are similar to Box Scraper, except they have a couple of differences:

1. Grading Scrapers have no "back" on them. This allows the gravel to build up and climb over the blade relatively soon. This minimizes how much material you drag away and makes for a nice surface in short order.

2. Grading Scrapers' blades (mine have two) are permanently angled (not sure if all brands do this) so excess material is somewhat drawn to the center of the road. This makes a small crown in the road.

I have an 8' Grading Scraper and use it on my 800 foot gravel driveway. I can honestly say that it takes me longer to hitch and unhitch than it does to drive up and down the driveway with it. One pass up and one pass down and my driveway looks brand new. These things really are amazing.

Mine also has scarifiers which I use in the dirt. (I do NOT use them on the gravel driveway.) Lately I have been using my grading scraper as a box scraper. When doing box scraping type jobs, a box scraper would work better... but it has been serving me well.

If you have a gravel driveway, there is no better tool than a Grading Scraper. Everytime I talk to someone that has used one for the first time, they are simply amazed -- as I was when I first used mine.

 

[Thomas]

Welcome to TBN.
I always like rake w/fold down grader blade,cost little more but well worth it..2 for the price of 1..Check out York rakes.

 

[zebzbranek]

I have used a blade, box blade and a double blade grader. While the first two were adequate, the double blade grader was exceptionally better. They aren't that expenses and you can maintain a crown on your road. I had trouble with washboard patterns on my road--not anymore! With a 1200 foot road you do not want to have to go back and forth alot of times. With a double blade grader you will have a smooth road in just a few passes. I hope this helps.

 

[Johndeere3720]

I have a boxblade, rear blade with gauge wheels, and a york rake. out of all three, i favor using the rear blade the most. I have added custom gauge wheels and 6 of the 40 pound suit case weights for help with digging. The gauge wheels can be both stationary moving only in a straight line of they can swivel for use without the weights and to reduce wear on the tires. Having two wheels rather than one helps with leveling more precisely and since the top braket og the gauge wheels is level to the top of the blade i can reverse the blade just as easily as without them. With the ability to tilt the 3 point, i can dig ditches which is great to have weights when doing this and crown driveways with ease.

links to my videos:
Using my blade on the driveway - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

trying out my new gauge wheels - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

 

[gauthier]

A dump truck with more gravel in it is the way I grade mine

 

[Gordon Gould]

I think a rear blade is the number one universal road tool. Especially if you have to maintain crowns or flat pitches for water runoff control. I used only a rear blade for 10 years on a mile long road.
However last winter I built a box scraper ( Two bladed grader ) and it has made my road maintenence much easier and I can do a better job.
Last spring after mud season I started with the rear blade to get the shape I wanted then finished off with the grader. All summer and fall I only needed to use the grader. A great tool as the others have said.

 

[Pushing_Tin]

As was already posted, a Land Pride grading scraper can't be beat. I have the smallest 48" model and use it on my 1/4 mile long driveway, it is simply amazing. I paid $1k which is more than a box blade, but it works so much better. I've also done some of the neighbor's driveways and they always say "it looks like the gravel truck was here!"

Here's a current thread.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/138952-land-pride-grading-scraper.html

 

[Willl]

I use a 6' landscape rake.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Road grading blade is the way to go, plain and simple. For your size tractor you would need between a 5' and 6' wide unit. Depending on the weight of the unit you buy and the total weight of your tractor, if you have liquid filled tires or not. You will find that the heavier the unit is the better it will work.

Here are a few links and a some pictures of mine. My Mahindra 3215HST is very close in size to your CT230 and my grader is a heavy duty 60" wide unit, Works very well and I'm very happy with it. :thumbsup:

Land Pride Grading Scrapers
GradeMaster Grader Blades
Road Boss Grader - Road and Landscape Grading, Surfacing and Leveling, and Material Spreading and Reclamation