Tools & techniques for driveway repair (crowing especially)?

[Fallon]

I've been doing a bit of driveway work for myself & on my side gig recently. What do you guys do for driveway work?

I had a 72" King Kutter box blad that just sold. I recently acquired a 5" Land Pride LPGS which is wicked nice & am getting an old 76" Gannon back online.

The LPGS is now my go to implement. I have a 72" track & it's only 60" wide, but that really hasn't seemed to be a problem in practice. With wetter material filling it up, it will put a burn on my 40hp pushing 5,000lbs Kubota L4060. It does a great job ripping up the packed & smoothing/leveling things out without ruts or potholes.

The only thing it seems to be lacking is crowning ability. Tilting it to the side doesn't really result in any sideways material movement. The box blade is more or less in the same boat, it will move a little material sideways when the box is full & it's tilted, but not that much. I've resorted to doing a herring bone pattern down the driveway to cut down the "curb" that always develops on the side & pull it into the middle. Then do a few more passes to smooth things back out. That usually gives me a bit of a crown. But it's slow & doesn't work well in tight spaces.

The obvious answer is a back blade. But it would end up being a bit of a 1 trick pony for me as I already have a SSQA snow plow & the other blades that do their specific jobs better. Would a rock rake work nearly as well as a back blade? It would still mean an implement change & having to haul another implement around, but at least it would be usable for a few other things as well.

I've even thought about trying to tack a cheap blade on the back of the LPGS to get the job done without an implement change. But after mulling that over for a bit I haven't been able to convince myself that would be the way to go.

What do you guys do for crowning? Any recommendations for implements or processes to make driveway jobs go faster or better?

 

[nybirdman]

I never had a lot of luck with the BB on wet material.

 

[Gordon Gould]

The obvious answer is a back blade.

You said it but that is what I think too.

If I need both I lash the rear blade on top of the LPGS for transport. When you get to the job detach the LPGS from the 3ph and use your bucket and some chains to get the blade off and set up.



gg

 

[jenkinsph]

You said it but that is what I think too.

If I need both I lash the rear blade on top of the LPGS for transport. When you get to the job detach the LPGS from the 3ph and use your bucket and some chains to get the blade off and set up.

View attachment 525900

gg

Gordon has a very helpful answer^^^^

I go through this a lot, trying to decide which implements are must haves for my work. It can be more trouble to transport the equipment sometimes than I like. I have pretty much decided to buy an implement trailer to solve this problem.

For driveway work as a side gig I would suggest a good rear blade for shaping and crowning. I work in New Mexico with similar conditions and have not had much luck using a landscape rake for shaping a driveway. For most driveway jobs without major reworking you can get good results with a lpgs and a rear blade. One trip in and out.

For driveways requiring more extensive ripping, pothole repair a heavy box blade and heavy roller are brought in too. That is more work and more money and often more materials to spread too.

 

[Creamer]

I used a land plane once and never went back to it. The back blade does everything for me although once in a while I use my landscape rake just because it is hanging on the tractor. I only grade mine once or twice a year though.

You mentioned ruts - why do you have them? It sounds like more of a drainage problem. The most important thing is to get the water off and away from the road, i.e. a little crowning so there are no potholes and good drainage off to the side. Once you have that your driveway maintenance should be very minimal. Until you have that you are only treating the symptom not the root cause.

 

[Fallon]

I used a land plane once and never went back to it. The back blade does everything for me although once in a while I use my landscape rake just because it is hanging on the tractor. I only grade mine once or twice a year though.

You mentioned ruts - why do you have them? It sounds like more of a drainage problem. The most important thing is to get the water off and away from the road, i.e. a little crowning so there are no potholes and good drainage off to the side. Once you have that your driveway maintenance should be very minimal. Until you have that you are only treating the symptom not the root cause.

I completely agree. Lots of potholes or water channels on some of the driveways, pretty much always water to blame. Just looking for the easiest way to build up a crown to help keep the water off. The other culprite is just driving over the same spot for years with no maintenance. That ends up beating in 2 ruts with a lump in the middle & on each side.

 

[ovrszd]

I don't hire out to anyone. If I did, before I considered which tool I needed I would add TnT to the tractor. With TnT you can do a very nice job of crowning a roadbed using a BB or LPGS. A rear blade is the best tool but has the least variety of uses. If just buying one tool, it would be a BB first, Rear Blade second, LPGS third.

 

[Fallon]

I don't hire out to anyone. If I did, before I considered which tool I needed I would add TnT to the tractor. With TnT you can do a very nice job of crowning a roadbed using a BB or LPGS. A rear blade is the best tool but has the least variety of uses. If just buying one tool, it would be a BB first, Rear Blade second, LPGS third.

I agree. Very happy with my TnT setup from FitRite.

 

[Creamer]

I don't hire out to anyone. If I did, before I considered which tool I needed I would add TnT to the tractor. With TnT you can do a very nice job of crowning a roadbed using a BB or LPGS. A rear blade is the best tool but has the least variety of uses. If just buying one tool, it would be a BB first, Rear Blade second, LPGS third.

I would reverse the first two in that order. I have had a rear blade for 25 years and just bought a box blade two years ago. (I did rent one once 20 years ago for a special job.) I still hook on to my rear blade much more than the box blade. The box blade is good for ripping up and moving dirt but I put on the rear blade or landscape rake for leveling and grading.

 

[ovrszd]

I would reverse the first two in that order. I have had a rear blade for 25 years and just bought a box blade two years ago. (I did rent one once 20 years ago for a special job.) I still hook on to my rear blade much more than the box blade. The box blade is good for ripping up and moving dirt but I put on the rear blade or landscape rake for leveling and grading.

I totally understand. That's why there is a variety of tools and tractors. I use my BB 10 hours for every 1 hour of rear blade use.

Do you have TnT on your tractor? If not, maybe that's why you favor the rear blade. No worries either way.

 

[Creamer]

I do not have a TnT. Maybe that would make a difference. I think a lot depends on the work you are doing. I have hung the BB on for ballast as it is definitely heavier than my blade.

 

[TSO]

Don't forget weight is crucial....

If I need to break up the surface to get the material workable, I will start with the LPGS with the Ripper Shanks down and my hydraulic top link pulled in all the way for an aggressive angle. I have the LP2584, its a fairly heavy unit.

To get a good crown, the best tool to use is a back blade. I have an 8-foot Servis/Rhino back Blade with hydraulic angle, and it weighs in close to 1,000 lb.

Once the crown is set where I like it, I will finish with either the box blade, or with the LPGS. The LPGS leaves a beautiful finish, especially if you can do it at high speed. I like to run mine in high range to Feather the material out nicely.

 

[Egon]

Guide shoes or wheels!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I completely agree. Lots of potholes or water channels on some of the driveways, pretty much always water to blame. Just looking for the easiest way to build up a crown to help keep the water off. The other culprite is just driving over the same spot for years with no maintenance. That ends up beating in 2 ruts with a lump in the middle & on each side.

You asked.

Roll some material to the center from each side and smooth it out. Not that we get much rain out where I am anymore or ever really, but I have a small crown on my roads and have yet to have a washout deeper than 2", really only an 1"+. In 17 years I've re-crowned the roads once.

If you are going to do this as a side gig and actually want to make some $$$, get yourself a Land Pride RBT3584 with hydraulic angle and offset and skid shoes. Add a diverter at the rear so that you have 4 rear remotes.

Rear blade for road shaping.
Box blade for material redistribution.
LPGS for over all finishing.

If you are going to do it, do it right.

Do you have draft control? It would make things much easier for you.

If all you want to do is smooth roads-drives out, get a LPGS. No water control will assure you constant business.

 

[ovrszd]

I do not have a TnT. Maybe that would make a difference. I think a lot depends on the work you are doing. I have hung the BB on for ballast as it is definitely heavier than my blade.

I never use my BB without using TnT, ever....

I agree a BB is great ballast weight, close to the tractor and can be used to push material (brush, etc) backwards without worry.

 

[ovrszd]

If all you want to do is smooth roads-drives out, get a LPGS. No water control will assure you constant business.

Good one!!!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Good one!!!

Business 101, you want repeat business, you know, built in obsolescence.

Me, I'd rather charge more and just do it once and right the first time. Come back as needed for general maintenance-smoothing.

 

[zzvyb6]

Landscape rake with gauge wheels. Add 200 lbs or so to make it dig. Angle left going up and down both sides, no angle down the center. Done. Key element is to NOT use a top link. Use a chain instead so you can pick it up off the roadway. Do you need video to show you how easy it is ?