The Trifecta of Attachments

[lbaxterh]

I am about to move to a location where I will have a 2000' driveway that is 10'-16' wide and goes up almost 200' with a few moderate turns. The driveway was built to avoid erosion so it is made with 6" crusher stone throughout it. I think (hope?) I need to add some implements to my shed. For you experts I'm wondering:
1. For grading a driveway with 6" stone throughout (and pretty steep bankings off the side) can I use my York rake or need something else? What do you suggest???
2. I am going to need to sand this driveway. I'd love to do it with leaving my snowblower on the 3pt hitch an put a sander on the front end loader. I have a 66hp JD and am wondering if anyone has a sander they suggest that I could put on the front and power with the third set of hydraulics up there?
3. Because the bankings are steep on the sides of the driveway I am thinking I'll need a side mower. Any suggestions on what to consider or not?
Thanks for sharing any of the wisdom you folks have on here!

 

[ovrszd]

That's going to be a challenge to maintain!!!!

Not sure I understand your description of the rock used. Are you saying it's "paved" with 6" diameter stone? I must be missing something there.

Can you take some pics of your driveway and post them here?? That would help tremendously!!!

 

[CADplans]

An offset flail mower,,,

AND,,, the widest landplane you can afford,,, I built mine, it is 7' wide.

No matter what you use to "shape" the driveway with,,, you need to roll in after,
or, the first time you drive on the loose stone, you will get ruts.
My DIY roller, a piece of ductile iron pipe full of concrete.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a customer with a driveway like that. Last year, the NEW snow contractor (a Farmer) slid off the road and mangled the cab of his tractor. I'm surprised he didn't take one look at it and say, forget it!

 

[powerscol]

For the steep banks, consider a hydraulic offset flail mower such as I have. Its a Maschio Giraffetta 160 SE. Search under ditch bank flail or verge mowers as they are called elsewhere.There is a long thread on flail mowers you should read. There are numerous brands that will work for you.

 

[lbaxterh]

That's going to be a challenge to maintain!!!!

Not sure I understand your description of the rock used. Are you saying it's "paved" with 6" diameter stone? I must be missing something there.

Can you take some pics of your driveway and post them here?? That would help tremendously!!!

Good questions! I should have explained better but didn't want to be too wordy in my already long set of questions. The driveway is not paved. It was built up with many loads of, I believe, what is called 6" crusher stone. It is a mix of crushed stone from 6" down to sand size. It has been well packed so there are no rocks sticking up and it is all flat, but right at the surface is a mix of sand, 1" stones, and up to 6" stones. I'll try to get pictures this weekend as I don't live there quite yet and have to go up this weekend to snowblow it.

 

[ovrszd]

Good questions! I should have explained better but didn't want to be too wordy in my already long set of questions. The driveway is not paved. It was built up with many loads of, I believe, what is called 6" crusher stone. It is a mix of crushed stone from 6" down to sand size. It has been well packed so there are no rocks sticking up and it is all flat, but right at the surface is a mix of sand, 1" stones, and up to 6" stones. I'll try to get pictures this weekend as I don't live there quite yet and have to go up this weekend to snowblow it.

Yep, that's how I understood your original post.

That's going to be difficult to maintain. You can't get very aggressive or you'll pull the large stones up out of the roadbed which will defeat your purpose.

Even a light duty application such as a 3pt rear blade will still hook those stones and try to pull them out.

Also understand that every time you disturb the top layer the small material is going to fall between the cracks and push the large stones to the surface.

Anxious to see pics. This will be a challenge for the "driveway maintenance crew" here on TBN.

 

[NC419N]

The maintenance of the side banks will be minor compared to plowing the road. I would be couscous as to the incline and switchbacks. Hopefully it is South facing.
A hydraulic arm mower will be a good investment and if you get the frail mower attachment and the bush hog to interchange you will be surprised with what you can get done with it. Ours is a Versa and it stays on the tractor 90% of the year.

 

[fishhead]

I think that the drive could end up being quite a challenge. is the grade consistent? Even if it is, 10% is a pretty steep average slope once its icy. How well is it side-sloped or crowned , any grade reversals? In general i think that roads should drain well by themselves, not make up for poor drainage by their surface construction. In order to maintain the surface you are probably going to have to get a good layer of some finer material you can work on the top. I looked at your climate , seems like ice could be a big issue there. I would definitely have chains on all 4 wheels of the tractor. With the surface you describe i think you are going to have to leave some packed snow/ice in order not to get into the larger base material

We have longer drive with similar rise done in 3 steep areas max inclines in the 10-13 percent bracket. Before we paved we would end up periodically with conditions so slippery that studded snows would just slide. Now that its paved is much better- pretty expensive but awfully nice.

 

[JRobyn]

I think if my road base contained that large of pieces, I'd consider adding another inch or so of crusher-run only. Then maintain with a grading scraper, with the intent to only work the top inch and never disturb the base. That is similar to my road and what I do. My base is "river rock" that has up to 2" or 3" chunks, smaller stuff all the way down to sand. I've got a light skim of crusher-run over that. A LandPride GS1572 does a beautiful and easy job.

 

[lbaxterh]

Thanks for all the good ideas on here - you folks are terrific! I can easily get an inch or two of crusher dust added to the top to help. I'm noticing no one is really suggesting a sickle mower for mowing. Are these old school? The grading will probably be my biggest challege for the best choice of implement but love some of the choices you've tossed out. I'm going to write to a couple of mfg's of skid steer mounted sanders to find out their hydraulic requirements for a sander. I have a John Deere loader but believe I can buy a plate to convert to Skid Steer implements to put the sander on the front end loader. My tractor has a little over 10gpm hydrualic flow but I'm not sure how much is actually getting to the 3rd valve set on the loader. Do I really need to fill 5 gallon buckets up to measure the flow (sounds like a pain, messy and chance to contaminate the oil) or can the dealer through a device on to measure the gpm on it?

 

[lbaxterh]

Fishead, thee grade overall is about 7% with the steepest grade being 11% but we may add some material to get it closer to 9%. The driveway faces west. Paving would be a great idea but not sure if it will be in the budget.

 

[CADplans]

Do I really need to fill 5 gallon buckets up to measure the flow (sounds like a pain, messy and chance to contaminate the oil) or can the dealer through a device on to measure the gpm on it?

If you pump the oil, it is done at your place, no tractor hauling, toss the oil, and replace,,,
COST $25

OR
Haul the tractor to a service shop, '
hope the dirty oil in their equipment does not contaminate the 10 gallons in your tractor.
Leave the machine for a few days until they get to it (setting outside)
Come back, pay the $125 shop fee, plus $25 for oil to "top off" the tractor.
Haul the tractor home,,, and hope nothing has been damaged,,, :confused2:

 

[ovrszd]

lbaxterh, I have two rotary cutters, a Flail Mower and a Sickle Mower. I use all three types.

Rotary Cutter = Dependable, Durable, scruffy cut.

Flail Mower = Expensive to maintain, lot of moving parts, great cut if you keep up.

Sickle Mower = Fragile, considerable maintenance, lot of wear parts, leaves cut debris that will smother your growth if you let it get real tall and thick before cutting.

My consensus. Rotary Cutter will give you the best service with the least investment and with any degree of care will last your lifetime with minimal service.

 

[teg]

lbaxterh, I have two rotary cutters, a Flail Mower and a Sickle Mower. I use all three types...

Which would you use to mow down the side of the road edge that you can't drive on? Also, What's the price of the sickle vs. flail mower?

lbaxterh, Your tractor has 10.2 GPM flow... all of it goes through your tractor that includes your 3ph. No need to measure anything to make sure it's 10 GPM... You would most likely run the pump dry and destroy it!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Which would you use to mow down the side of the road edge that you can't drive on? Also, What's the price of the sickle vs. flail mower?

lbaxterh, Your tractor has 10.2 GPM flow... all of it goes through your tractor that includes your 3ph. No need to measure anything to make sure it's 10 GPM... You would most likely run the pump dry and destroy it!!!

I would use the Sickle Mower to mow where I can't drive. That's exactly why I have one.

I'm not a good person to discuss cost factors. I'm cheap.

I bought my Sickle Mower for $150, spent another $75 putting a new belt and new sections on it.

My Flail Mower was given to me, I spent $350 replacing bearings and installing new knives.

I bought my 6' Rotary Cutter for $650 and haven't spent a dime on it in repairs.

I bought my 10' Rotary Cutter for $1800 and spent $300 on it in upgrades and repairs.

A boom Flail Mower would scare the pants off ya for cost.

 

[fishhead]

well 7 percent is a lot easier to work with as an average gradient, both for drainage and traction

I think adding topping would make it a lot easier to wok with, make sure the drainage is good so that the first few big rains don't ruin your investment. Maybe there is a local guy/excavator who is good with roads who could come out/ give advice and then do the work.

Fishead, thee grade overall is about 7% with the steepest grade being 11% but we may add some material to get it closer to 9%. The driveway faces west. Paving would be a great idea but not sure if it will be in the budget.

 

[powerscol]

A newer double acting sickle mower with hydraulics might work just a good as the flail, but it will leave long grass, while the flail mulches it. Most ar made in Europe now. Otherwise the IH 1300 is still a good choice as Rowse Rakes still uses the design in their units and still makes parts for them. They can be fitted with a hydraulic unit if desired. I have a 9' model and in getting old added the hydraulic rake. I got the flail mower to use in tighter spaces and with rougher material

As for the drive see if you can find concrete wash out material from your local concrete plant. It will be dusty at first, but then set up like concrete. You can also top dress with lime or fly ash and have it tighten up too if you grade it in the top inch or so. Over time it will work in. However to plow, set the plow on shoes about an inch high or if using you bucket keep the front lip high until the ground freezes. Good luck and hope this helps.

Also to prevent sliding off the drive, line the lower edge with buried RR ties with about 3 inches showing - will give you a stop edge. You need to fit the ends tight to prevent catch points, You could always build a berm too if there is room. That way if you do slide there is a catch point. I would also recommend a H pattern tire chain such as Trygg makes. They provide good side traction

 

[JRobyn]

For adding a "skim coat" to the road, in my experience, your best (cheapest, easiest) bet is to get your rock delivered by a competent driver that will spread it right out of the truck gate. They are usually surprisingly good at getting down an even coat.

 

[RNeumann]

I can speak to the grading part of the question as I have a similar driveway. I've had the best luck with a box scraper. I also have hydraulic top and tilt with hydraulic third function.

I'm assuming the hydraulics will also be useful for whatever over the side mower you get. Depending on the steepness of the sides the tilt function alone may do what you need.

With regards to spreading maybe a 12v spreader mounted to some pallet forks? In our area we would broadcast with an ATV but that's for de-icing not sand.