Budget Ice Scarifier

[Eric the Orange]

Firstly, I am new to the forum so I realize this is likely an old idea. I couldn't find anything similar but my 'search' skills might need refining.
Also, I'm not sure if this qualifies as a 'build' as there is precious little building involved.
But, it works.
It's my simple, cheap solution to the slippery wet ice we get on our gravel road from freezing rain, winter thaws, and now the spring melt.

Materials: One 4X4. Two 6" C-clamps. A handful of 1/2 X 5" lag screws.

Incredibly technical and detailed instructions: Insert lag screws through 4X4. Clamp to bucket.

Operation: for me it works best if I tip the bucket 'almost' vertical, then drag backwards in the float position.

I am a little surprised the C-clamps are adequate (note that I didn't even take the tags off so I could return them) but, so far, they hold just fine.



So, Mr. Moneybags, go buy your fancy-pants tooth bar or hoity-toity harrow attachment if you must. But for the 2 or 3 times a year I need to not slip on my *** or pull a car out of the snowbank, this little fix does the trick.

 

[450]

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, if it works for you that’s all that matters.

I added rippers to my rear blade for that purpose plus removing hard pack. They work really good.

 

[Eric the Orange]

UPDATE: It worked great on "soft" ice, when the temp was at or near melting (and really, that's what creates the problem,) but, dissatisfied with success, I had to try it on colder, harder ice out of curiosity. As expected, the clamps were not up to the task of holding the 4x4 at the edge of the FEL against the downward pressure. So I simply chopped up the remainder of the wood to create a couple of 90 degree braces against the back of the bucket. Again, nothing fancy, but there it is if you need a quick solution to create some texture on smooth ice.

 

[oosik]

Hey, Eric, if it works for you - that is all that counts. Welcome to TBN and the forum. I have a 150 foot section coming up out of a valley in the driveway that ices up every year. I've put on my roll-over-box blade, it has scarifiers, and brutalized that section. To NO avail. More water runs down and refreezes over night. My solution - I scoop up grapple loads of pine chips and liberally cover this area. If I get good, deep coverage it will last until all has melted.

Actually - it's no problem for me. I know it's there and in 4WD I power up/down thru the area with no problems. It's the folks that don't know and try to tippy-toe thru the area. I enjoy having guests - I just don't need them staying until this area totally melts - like the middle of April.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

"I didn't take the tags off them so I could return them"

I'm ALWAYS amazed that people will use tools (even a little) and then return them!! In MY eyes, they are used and yours!

There's a guy on line that has a motorhome, he would park in a Walmart parking lot, go in buy wrenches, fix his MH and then return the wrenches!

Like I said, it always amazes me!!

SR

 

[4570Man]

You better add a curl cylinder to the budget doing that. And taking the C clamps back, good grief. Are you going to take the lag bolts out and take them back too?

 

[Eric the Orange]

I see jokes fall fairly flat here. I was trying to make light of the fact I forgot to take the tags off. I was the one who actually thought the clamps would fail, as in bend or break, right out of the gate. Does that sound like I'd seriously return them? Whatever.

 

[D2Cat]

Eric, in your pictures you show the location of the lag bolts pointing up. You also mentioned you use the implement while backing up. That means you have your bucket rolled all the way over, which extends your curl cylinders fully. You can destroy those cylinders doing that when the end brakes off!

You might clamp the 4x4 on the bucket so the bolts are facing down when the bucket is flat on the ground. Then just lift the bucket, but leave it level, and you back up...Then those cylinders will not be extended and subject to the shock load.

 

[crazyal]

I would be weary of those lag bolts breaking. One of those in a tire will ruin your day. Do a search for a product called the ratchet rake. I think it'll give you some more ideas on how to improve your design.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Tooth bars aren't that expensive. Sometimes fabrication is a good thing, sometimes the material and labor outweighs the purpose. Just my opinion.

 

[CobyRupert]

I see jokes fall fairly flat here. I was trying to make light of the fact I forgot to take the tags off. I was the one who actually thought the clamps would fail, as in bend or break, right out of the gate. Does that sound like I'd seriously return them? Whatever.

TBN has made me realize that not every part of this country has the same sense of humor or appreciation for (recognition of?) sarcasm.
However I understand the comments as there's also a lot of people who would use a product and then take it back.

Eric, in your pictures you show the location of the lag bolts pointing up. You also mentioned you use the implement while backing up. That means you have your bucket rolled all the way over, which extends your curl cylinders fully. You can destroy those cylinders doing that when the end brakes off!

You might clamp the 4x4 on the bucket so the bolts are facing down when the bucket is flat on the ground. Then just lift the bucket, but leave it level, and you back up...Then those cylinders will not be extended and subject to the shock load.

:thumbsup: There's plenty of stories and pictures here of bent tilt cylinders when people are back dragging with cylinders fully extended. There's a lot of leverage in that position.

 

[deezler]

I have a 6-tooth tooth-bar on my 60" loader bucket. It does absolutely nothing on hard, cold ice on my driveway. I think the teeth are just too wide tipped to get enough pressure when travelling in reverse, they simply glide along.

Like you, oosik, my wife and I have no problem heading up the icy hill on our snow tire equipped vehicles - just go for it. But my family, friends and other guests try to crawl up at 2mph until they get stuck! Arg.

So I either need something nice and pokey like this idea, or maybe I'll keep a stash of sandy gravel under a little roof/cover somewhere that I could still scoop up in the winter time. Spreading that over the ice should help, no?

 

[crazyal]

I do the pile of sand thing. However, at least around here, by mid January the pile becomes frozen. I've tried covering it with a tarp but just the moisture alone is more than enough. Luckly I have a full size backhoe and can break through the frost. If your driveway is short I would fill some bags or 5 gallon buckets and place them in the basement or bring one inside to thaw when it's needed.. it doesn't take much sand as long as the people driving on it don't think spinning your tires at 500mph is the best way to drive across it.

 

[deezler]

Yeah no, I have a 1000' gravel driveway, with a 200' section up a shady hill that likes to ice up. I would need at least a yard of sand/gravel mix, ideally.

 

[450]

This is what I use for hard pack removal.

 

[450]

I did use the rippers on my rear blade but decided to build a stand alone attachment. Hard pack removal is one of the services I offer with my business. The rippers do a great job breaking up the hard pack.