Rear Blade How to grade a driveway? Need help please

RDrancher · Jan 4, 2012

whiskywizard said:
One aspect I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of compaction, and maintaining it.

In general, the less material you loosen and move around, the better off you are. That is, add new material when repairing, rather than loosening already-compacted material.

This doesn't quite fit the OP's situation - he does need to knock down the whoop-de-doos first, but after that, he should avoid raking and scraping when he can.

For potholes, NEVER scrape up the hard surroundings; always add new fill.

This will also help with drainage, as was suggested above.

Maybe if you need more seat time! Exactly the opposite works best. Always loosen up the hardpack around potholes and then regrade and recompact the entire area. For a gravel drive or road full of potholes, ripping to a depth just below the potholes, regrading (which mixes the rock / fines back together) and then compacting the entire road works best. Just filling holes with gravel / rock is a bandaid fix at best, doesn't work and looks terrible. The reason that potholes happen in the first place is the soil underneath the gravel has sunk down, or the gravel / fines have separated (or both), leaving the fines in the hole with no gravel. Then they migrate out of the hole which leaves a pothole. Too much rock without a good road base will do the same thing. Ever seen asphalt or gravel laid over ungraded soil? Low areas always rear there ugly head in short time. How about a gravel truck spreading over an existing, potholed driveway? Looks great for awhile, then the potholes return in the same exact place. It's the same reason that soil is compacted in graded / even lifts and not just spread willy-nilly. Spreading soil or gravel / rock over holes or uneven ground results in uneven compaction and uneven material thickness which eventually leads to...you guessed it, potholes. Whoops happen because the fines have settled leaving rock on top. Rip, grade and compact, period.

jenkinsph · Jan 4, 2012

A nice used vibratory roller would be a great add on tool imo. Definately a real help for lots of projects, particularly roadways. Good compaction makes a huge difference in how long a gravel drive repair will last. I mention this since using a roller before adding gravel helps reduce the potholes by a wide margin.

Back to topic, I feel both a rearblade and a landplane are must haves. I would not trade off a rearblade rather I would add a landplane when feasible.

teg · Jan 5, 2012

jenkinsph said:
...I would not trade off a rearblade rather I would add a landplane when feasible...

Rear blade is great for moving snow... if you get any in Michigan

I see lots of used equipment but never a Landplane come up for sale.

Trav City · Jan 5, 2012

Thanks to all the great information given I have decided to keep my Frontier Back Blade. I paid less than half of a new one on it from an older guy who had never even put it together so I really dint have much money in it. :thumbsup:

I will keep looking for a used Land Plane until Spring and if I can find one I will probably break down and buy new. It sound like one of the most important implements for my needs.

I can weld as a beginner, but I really do not have the time with all the other projects I have going. This project is in northern Michigan about 3 1/2 hours from me. Thanks again

Rich
Trav City

beppington · Jan 5, 2012

Trav City said:
Thanks to all the great information given I have decided to keep my Frontier Back Blade. I paid less than half of a new one on it from an older guy who had never even put it together so I really dint have much money in it. :thumbsup:

View attachment 244895

I will keep looking for a used Land Plane until Spring and if I can find one I will probably break down and buy new. It sound like one of the most important implements for my needs.

I can weld as a beginner, but I really do not have the time with all the other projects I have going. This project is in northern Michigan about 3 1/2 hours from me. Thanks again

Rich
Trav City

I think you could also rig your blade with side skids (or sides with wheels) to act as a land plane, following what I posted earlier. If "rigging" bothers you, once you get it working, spray it all green :thumbsup:

tillerterry · Jan 5, 2012

hey if you have a front bucket on your tractor just start grading with it. if you take your time and spend enough time in the SEAT you will get the hang of it. the main thing to remember is TAKE your time and TIME in the seat. it will work. After you get it like you want it raise your bucket and run your tractor over it by moving over one wheel with at a time until you have gone over the complete drive way do this a couple of times. it helps pack the gravel and dirt to keep it from washing away. good luck

JoeL4330 · Jan 5, 2012

my 2 cents: gauge wheels as far back as you can put them (whatever the implement)...like the road graders, you want the longest "wheel base" you can get...that's what takes the dips out rather than reinforcing them. My rear blade has a hydraulic tail wheel, and my road-runner has a hydraulically adjustable roller as the "gauge wheel" and in both cases, that solve the problem for me.

Trav City · Jan 7, 2012

A lot of great advise ! Thanks to all. :thumbsup:

GPintheMitten · Jan 7, 2012

To bad a guy can't rent a land plane. I think once you plane smooth, the back blade at an angle could keep it in pretty good shape.

Also it would help to get some extra weight on your blade to make it cut the highs off better. I've done what you need done with a back blade at a steep angle but it takes a long time. Doing it when the drive has some moisture in it helps.

But I've also done it with a borrowed box blade. That handled it pretty efficiently.