4' Box blade question

[Bcamos]

So I think the compact-tractor-Gods were looking out for me last night and it rained a little. I put the teeth in their lowest positions and tilted the box completely forward and made about 10 passes on the driveway.

Once the tractor stopped bucking, and everything was a soft pulverized mix of dirt and gravel I was able to actually fill up the box and get some spread. I'm going to need to make a few more ripping passes in a few spots but otherwise, all seems to be well. I'll try to think of some ways to add on some weight in the mean time.

My driveway is pretty long, so each pass takes about 5 minutes in medium gear. I found that going slower (low gear) wasn't actually helping much, just making things take even longer.

The driveway and house were built in 2006 and it looks like the driveway hasn't been maintained in that time. The previous owner had a tractor and had larger equipment in to hay his fields every so often. So the driveway was pretty tightly packed. Even in some spots where it's completely grass, I'm finding gravel under the roots when I rip it up. So it's pretty safe to say that this has needed to be done for a while now. I'm also trying to widen the driveway a bit and I'm hoping I don't need more gravel dropped for that. We'll see.

Thanks guys!

 

[botaskinner]

It sounds like you're on the right path.

My 4 foot Land Pride on my 2320 (predecessor to your model) took a few passes to break up the soil in my yard as well.

I have high clay content, and with the rippers all the way down, I criscrossed the yard 4-5 times before the box began filling. I had the box tilted forward at first, and as the soil got more broken down, I could level the box a little. Before long I was pulling full boxloads of dirt out of the area that needed grooming. Last year I moved about 25 tons of soil to improve drainage away from the house, all with a 4 foot BB and LA304 loader.

Stay at it. just because it's 4' wide, doesn't make it junk. I need the narrow access for tight spaces in multiple places around the property and wouldn't trade it.

Another thing, if you need to break up long stretches of road, is a middle buster. I got mine at TSC for 179 last year, and it's great for light ditch work and general soil disruption.

 

[Bcamos]

This is what the driveway started out as

Picture of my box

Before I started leveling it today. Still needs a bit more work but it's getting there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Grouse Feathers]

It looks like your driveway is slightly sunken. If you have trouble with water standing in the driveway you may want to crown it by tipping the box blade with the 3 point hitch. Then to get the water off the driveway you can dig some drain pits along the side.

 

[Bcamos]

It looks like your driveway is slightly sunken. If you have trouble with water standing in the driveway you may want to crown it by tipping the box blade with the 3 point hitch. Then to get the water off the driveway you can dig some drain pits along the side.

I considered that, but I figured I wouldn't be doing myself any favors by adding to the complexity. I may still do it, just to do it right the first time. It's not really sunken any, but it's just very flat.

 

[eipo]

Dont be afraid to get out into the turf on either side of the drive. Gravel drives/roads are prone to kick the material off to the sides and build a bank. You can explore just how wide your drive is with a shovel prior to using the box blade. When we moved into our current house, the 600' drive had been severely neglected. It was essentially a 2 track. I found enough material in the grass on either side to put a crown back in the drive.

And don't worry about the grass, its rooted in the gravel and will dry up and blow away.

ETA: Heres the pile of mostly grass and a little topsoil I pulled off the edges of the drive that were covering stone...

Best pic I have of after....

 

[Bcamos]

Dont be afraid to get out into the turf on either side of the drive. Gravel drives/roads are prone to kick the material off to the sides and build a bank. You can explore just how wide your drive is with a shovel prior to using the box blade. When we moved into our current house, the 600' drive had been severely neglected. It was essentially a 2 track. I found enough material in the grass on either side to put a crown back in the drive.

And don't worry about the grass, its rooted in the gravel and will dry up and blow away.

ETA: Heres the pile of mostly grass and a little topsoil I pulled off the edges of the drive that were covering stone...

Best pic I have of after....

WOW!

I'm going to most likely end up trying to lay a crown on it. It already kind of has one anyway, so it would make the rest of the job a little easier not fighting to get that middle section completely level with the sides.

 

[eipo]

Oh.... Another thing...

It doesn't look like you need to move alot of material, just need to level everything out. Pitch the box blade back onto its rear cutting edge by making the top link longer so when you float the box blade its resting mostly on the rear cutting edge. You can gauge if its not enough as you only want to carry enough material inside the box blade that its not spilling out the sides on the front of the box blade.

 

[eipo]

It doesn't take much to get a crown going. Dropping the right link just a little will usually do it. Just make sure you have it as level as you are happy with prior to trying to put a crown in it otherwise you'll make the hills and valleys more pronounced.

I did most of my work with a rear blade as its easier to place material, for me, with the blade.

 

[Southern Yankee]

I am new at this and I have trouble leveling things. I found it easiest to let the FEL “float” and back down the area I am leveling. I do not know if it is right or wrong but it works on soft surfaces.