To 4WD or Not To 4WD

[HVACRoger]

I planned to have my driveway concrete redone and poured to work with my new garage (I will attach a picture for reference) until I received the estimate this morning. It was $17,000.00, so I think I will be environmentally conscious and just grey rock the entire thing. The bags of small rock I will be unloading and moving around weight 1100LBS. I plan to put down a fine rock for a base then a larger grey rock on top which will be delivered by dump truck and spread with my bucket. Is it better on my L2501 to run in or out of 4WD while performing these tasks?

 

[eipo]

I would switch the size of the material around.. Larger as the base and finish with the finer aggregate.

I tend to only use 4wd when needed. Ill go in when scooping to get a bucket full and then shift out of 4wd for travel. You should be OK leaving it in, just use common sense. Dont turn sharp.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

heck, at least you GOT a price ?? I'm still waiting ( not holding my breath...) for a quote to add 2nd floor to my garage from the clowns that built house NEXT DOOR....
17K may not be a 'bad' price, if it includes removal of existing material, widening to line with right garage doorway, proper, well compacted base and smooooooth finish and cut, 1-2 days later.
Concrete per yard ain't cheap these days....
Never heard of putting 'fines' down first. Do know you MUST power tamp every 4-6",you cannot dump 12",tamp,tamp,done. I would expect at least 1 hr with a 6t tamper per llift.

 

[Borane4]

Im not sure how this will compare to the work you have ahead, but laid a driveway of 120 yds of 3/4 minus crushed limestone on about 600 feet with my MX5400. A huge belly-dump semi delivered the stone in a windrow about 4' wide and 3' tall that I had to spread to the 12' driveway width. It required 4WD for the entire job, right down to box-blading the final grade. Stone is heavy in the amounts that fill a bucket or box.

 

[HVACRoger]

I would switch the size of the material around.. Larger as the base and finish with the finer aggregate.

I tend to only use 4wd when needed. Ill go in when scooping to get a bucket full and then shift out of 4wd for travel. You should be OK leaving it in, just use common sense. Dont turn sharp.

I must say my wife suggested laying the stone the way you suggest. I suggested doing it the way explained because of the small stones sticking in the tire treads and tracking into my garage (soon to be coated / sealed floors, another $5K) and out the driveway. Good points, didn't think about the sharpe turning.

 

[JeremyBX2200]

I saw when in doubt use 4wd. Not sure why not to.

 

[HVACRoger]

heck, at least you GOT a price ?? I'm still waiting ( not holding my breath...) for a quote to add 2nd floor to my garage from the clowns that built house NEXT DOOR....
17K may not be a 'bad' price, if it includes removal of existing material, widening to line with right garage doorway, proper, well compacted base and smooooooth finish and cut, 1-2 days later.
Concrete per yard ain't cheap these days....
Never heard of putting 'fines' down first. Do know you MUST power tamp every 4-6",you cannot dump 12",tamp,tamp,done. I would expect at least 1 hr with a 6t tamper per llift.

We signed the contract in November 2019, we had a hurricane in Sept. 2018, and just got the building finished (no interior work or staining exterior) couple months ago. We had houses being built across the street from us, nobody wanted to do the garage. We found a great contractor who was smart enough to lock his material prices in before the major increases. Yea, everything is crazy price wise.
I am afraid that the small stone if placed on top, which would look better, will stick in tire threads and track in garage scratching my soon to be finished concrete and out of the drive down the street.

 

[HVACRoger]

I saw when in doubt use 4wd. Not sure why not to.

Since I'm not running in a swamp land like area didn't know if the task would require the 4WD. I think eipo & Borane4 on to something. You summed it up well!!

 

[NWAZL3560]

I only use 4WD when the back tires spin due to a heavy loader load and the condition or slope of the ground underneath them. As soon as I'm out of that situation I put it back in 2WD to reduce stress on the front axle when turning. I don't have to do any snow!

 

[TheOldHokie]

I planned to have my driveway concrete redone and poured to work with my new garage (I will attach a picture for reference) until I received the estimate this morning. It was $17,000.00, so I think I will be environmentally conscious and just grey rock the entire thing. The bags of small rock I will be unloading and moving around weight 1100LBS. I plan to put down a fine rock for a base then a larger grey rock on top which will be delivered by dump truck and spread with my bucket. Is it better on my L2501 to run in or out of 4WD while performing these tasks?

My tractors are never out of 4WD unless they don't have 4WD.

Dan

 

[JeremyBX2200]

Since I'm not running in a swamp land like area didn't know if the task would require the 4WD. I think eipo & Borane4 on to something. You summed it up well!!

I have a BX, so if I am doing any Heavier loader work I use 4wd. If I don’t the rear tires can get lighter and lose traction.

 

[HVACRoger]

I only use 4WD when the back tires spin due to a heavy loader load and the condition or slope of the ground underneath them. As soon as I'm out of that situation I put it back in 2WD to reduce stress on the front axle when turning. I don't have to do any snow!

Thats was my thinking but never have had a FEL or 4WD before. On solid ground but with that weight, a lot of turning, concerned me about the stress on front axle in 4WD. I know to the experienced this is probably dumb reaction on my part.

 

[NCL4701]

For the base you might consider something more like ABC unwashed crush run. That would give you a mixture of 4” all the way down to fines. Some quarries call it “road base”. The larger rock keeps it from settling into muddy dirt when it gets wet and the fines lock it into a solid surface. Due to the fines, it will get slick when wet so topping off with washed, graded stone in the size of your choice keeps feet and tires clean.

The first two pics are ABC road base. The last is after topping with 3/4” washed.
s

 

[HVACRoger]

For the base you might consider something more like ABC unwashed crush run. That would give you a mixture of 4” all the way down to fines. Some quarries call it “road base”. The larger rock keeps it from settling into muddy dirt when it gets wet and the fines lock it into a solid surface. Due to the fines, it will get slick when wet so topping off with washed, graded stone in the size of your choice keeps feet and tires clean.

The first two pics are ABC road base. The last is after topping with 3/4” washed.
s View attachment 73216 View attachment 73218 View attachment 73219

That last picture is what I am imagining in my head. The crush and run base may better than the fine rock I was going to purchase from Lowes, maybe cheaper. Even though It's in the beach area, yard is not sandy nor is it clay.

 

[HVACRoger]

Guys / maybe women are giving me great information, which is why I am here asking the knowledgeable. My plan was to not disturb the existing concrete, thinking it is already a great base. I'm I wrong in that assumption?
Going off line briefly, weather is calling for snow/sleet/freezing rain Sunday here causing an ensuing panic. Dag, State is putting down salt on roads already.
Everybody wants their HVAC system checked, NOW!!! Hell, I might be able to get that concrete after all!!

 

[TheOldHokie]

I planned to have my driveway concrete redone and poured to work with my new garage (I will attach a picture for reference) until I received the estimate this morning. It was $17,000.00, so I think I will be environmentally conscious and just grey rock the entire thing. The bags of small rock I will be unloading and moving around weight 1100LBS. I plan to put down a fine rock for a base then a larger grey rock on top which will be delivered by dump truck and spread with my bucket. Is it better on my L2501 to run in or out of 4WD while performing these tasks?

Strikes me as a perfect candidate for asphalt. Heck of a lot cheaper then concrete.

Dan

 

[HVACRoger]

Strikes me as a perfect candidate for asphalt. Heck of a lot cheaper then concrete.

Dan

For the base you might consider something more like ABC unwashed crush run. That would give you a mixture of 4” all the way down to fines. Some quarries call it “road base”. The larger rock keeps it from settling into muddy dirt when it gets wet and the fines lock it into a solid surface. Due to the fines, it will get slick when wet so topping off with washed, graded stone in the size of your choice keeps feet and tires clean.

The first two pics are ABC road base. The last is after topping with 3/4” washed.
s View attachment 73216 View attachment 73218 View attachment 73219

That’s a great looking drive

 

[NCL4701]

Guys / maybe women are giving me great information, which is why I am here asking the knowledgeable. My plan was to not disturb the existing concrete, thinking it is already a great base. I'm I wrong in that assumption?
Going off line briefly, weather is calling for snow/sleet/freezing rain Sunday here causing an ensuing panic. Dag, State is putting down salt on roads already.
Everybody wants their HVAC system checked, NOW!!! Hell, I might be able to get that concrete after all!!

Sorry, didn’t realize you were going on top of the concrete. In that case I’d have to agree with TheOldHokie: check into asphalt. Much cheaper and it will tie it all together without messing with the concrete.

 

[RCW]

Strikes me as a perfect candidate for asphalt. Heck of a lot cheaper then concrete.

Dan

Especially on that surface, I would use 2WD unless you need 4WD, period.

I would be reluctant to put aggregate on top of the driveway slab. It'll never compact, IMHO.

If you did, I would be apt to put the finer stuff down first. No pea-stone; you want something crushed/angular. Preferably with some fine material to help it "stick."

With rain, even a crusher-run will lose it's "fines" and make it a bunch of marbles rolling around on top of the slab.

I'm with Dan/The Old Hokie....consider asphalt over an aggregate first. Never heard of laying blacktop over a slab, either. Guessing with a good tack -coat first it might stick...I see your in NC and I'm in frosty upstate NY. Thinking the freeze/thaw cycles aren't too much of a concern?

 

[NCL4701]

If prepped correctly asphalt can be installed over concrete. Has to be ground to an appropriate texture for it to stick as it doesn’t really “stick” but is more of a mechanical connection. HVAC Roger being from NC there’s a nominal chance he hasn’t witnessed NCDOT resurfacing concrete roads with asphalt after grinding as they seem to be quite enamored with the process. It probably isn’t a DIY job.