Ground Smoother: Just add chains!

[SkunkWerX]

I've been spreading wood chips in some of my wooded areas, 40 yards so far.
Yesterday I got a load on my trailer (most loads have been with a small dump truck).

In order to unload them easier from the flatbed trailer, I removed the expanded metal/angle iron tail gate ramp that is typical for most trailers. I leaned it against a tree and THE LIGHTBULB came on: lay it flat, hook chains to it and drag it around!
That's it, the GROUND SMOOTHER has been attached to the back of my trailer the entire time!!!

No pics yet, I'm going to make Pins out of bolts to go into the existing hinge sleeves, and weld some chain to a bracket.

The size of the tail gate is approx. 6'6" by 6'

This will be for final smoothing, not grading or digging.

Any Thoughts???

 

[MarcusCarr]

Sounds like it will work. You may want to pick up a couple cans of spray paint when you get the pins. =]

 

[wushaw]

My ground smoother is real simular to your expanded metal ramp. It is 1" square tube 5' X 5' with 2"X4" horse panel welded to it. I welded a chain to it and it works just fine for smoothing ground and also pulling hydrilla out of one of my ponds.

 

[SkunkWerX]

I figure the expanded metal and pieces of angle iron will drag dirt into low spots. The expanded metal will also act as an abrasive and help to show-up any high spots, that can be further taken down with a blade, if need be.

 

[tater digger]

Sounds like it will work. You may want to pick up a couple cans of spray paint when you get the pins. =]

First do your smoothing then paint the polished metal, nothing makes metal prettier than dragging it through dirt.

 

[TedLaRue]

SkunkWerX,

Thanks for the great idea. I think I'll weld something to the side of mine to allow for easy attachment of chains. It would need to be more than just a grab hook so the chains couldn't come unhooked, but ideally would be something easy to connect to. I'll have to think about that. Maybe someone else has a suggestion?

 

[john_bud]

Sure it will work, but it may not fit the trailer so good when done. Reminds me of the old guy fishing tight lines for catfish. His lines were bent over real good and out pretty far. I asked what he was using. Said "sparkplugs". I said, ???? Seems he forgot his tackle box, used some meat/cheese from his sandwich and sparkplugs. I said it was lucky he had extras. He said, "what extras, they're from the car". He wasn't kidding. He gapped them with his pocket knife and screwed them back in a drove home. (He limited out). I still wonder what would have happened if he got a whopper and broke a line.... He had 3 poles out.

I'd just get a roll of 8' chain link fence. Run a chain thru the center of the roll, attach the ends to the 3pt arms and drag that around. If it needs weight, put a fairly straight log thru the center before you wind it up.

jb

 

[SkunkWerX]

I'm not worried about paint and looks, the paint is wearing off anyway from use, and it has "battle scars" .

Ted LaRue, I was thinking about making sure to drag it so the hinge holes aren't being warped or bent. It would wrk best if the angle iron were at a 90* angle to the direction of pull, so, that would mean pulling it from one of the sides.
Welding a loop of chain, or piece of round or square tube to the side, to connect the chain, should be fairly easy. Or drill holes for some eye bolts.

Now, of course, if someone wants to buy the angle steel and expanded metal they can weld on of these up pretty easily. OR, just keep your eyes open for a used or disgarded expanded metal tailgate.

If someone is looking to keep their trailer in mint condition, then this is definatley not for them.

This is just another thought on home-made smoothing and dirt grooming.

 

[MrJimi]

Another great tool is a land plane
Dirt Works land plane leveling, skid steer attachment, grader, landscaping equipment, earthmoving
Land plane for skid steer loaders.

 

[travis potter]

Easy way to attach a chain to metal is to cut a key hole for the chain it can't come out when pulling but is easy to get out.

 

[sandman2234]

I think what they were trying to say, is if you hit a buried obstacle, such as a rock or root, your tractor may pull the mesh out of place, or worse, such as bending the whole tailgate out of square. I agree that the sand we have here would do most of my tailgates some good if I would follow up with a quick primer and paint, but my tractors would probably bend them all up with the horsepower they have. A smaller tractor might not be hard on it.
I think a good rule of thumb might be that if you can drive your tactor up on it, it probably won't hurt to pull it thru the dirt with it.
David from jax

 

[SkunkWerX]

I was talking about final smoothing on known loose dirt, not levelling or grading.

The final drag.

 

[sandman2234]

Shucks, I was hoping a bunch of people were going to start clearing some property with their tailgates, cause I was fixing to run down and invest in "tailgate stock", so I could be on the ground floor when this word about this post got around.
David from jax

 

[RegL]

I've smoothed my driveway out several times when I forgot to put the tailgate up. Gets pretty noisy once you hit the paved road.