Better for gravel driveway maintenance, a Box Blade or Landscape Rake?

[WoodShop Warrior]

Let me start out that I am new to the Orange World. We have a B2650 on order and we have a long gravel driveway to maintain. The driveway right now has a slight hump in the middle with weeds and I would like to hear from your experience which implement would give a newbie the best through experience. The Implements we are thinking about would be the BB1260 vs the LR1660. I also see that the Box Blade has the BB1560 that has a rolled form to give less drag will that make much difference? Thanks for any input.
Don (Woodshop Warrior)

 

[greeno]

Grading Scraper all the way. I have Land Pride GS1560 behind my B2710 and it does quick work.

 

[UpNorthMI]

Don
I’d use a box blade but there are many that like a grading scraper. The shanks on the box blade do a nice job of breaking things up so you can actually move material around. Out of the models you are looking at it is my experience that the 1560 will perform better as it is heavier, the trade off is the higher buying cost. Weight can be important to keep the shanks in the ground. I’d suggest you watch a few videos on you tube of people grading their drive ways.

just realized you were looking at a rake as the other option, this will not do what you want and need on your driveway.

Good luck making your selection.

 

[Bmyers]

I opted for a box blade. I thought about land leveler/plane, but I had additional work for the box blade to do and couldn't justify the cost of both right now. Some day, I hope to have a land leveler/plane because they look like they do an excellent job with driveway maintenance.

I didn't consider a rake because it wouldn't of met my needs and I don't think it would work well on maintaining the driveways.

 

[SDT]

Let me start out that I am new to the Orange World. We have a B2650 on order and we have a long gravel driveway to maintain. The driveway right now has a slight hump in the middle with weeds and I would like to hear from your experience which implement would give a newbie the best through experience. The Implements we are thinking about would be the BB1260 vs the LR1660. I also see that the Box Blade has the BB1560 that has a rolled form to give less drag will that make much difference? Thanks for any input.
Don (Woodshop Warrior)

A box blade will work but a land plane will do a better job in less time.

That said, I do not know if anyone makes a land plane small enough for use with a 2650.

SDT

 

[bearskinner]

A land plane is much better for maintaining your driveway. I pull this behind my BX, and it keeps a 1400 foot driveway in perfect condition. It takes a cut off the top, rolls it over the blades, fills any low spots, and leaves the road level and smooth.

 

[Magicman]

Here is what I have/use: LINK

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

Land plane is perfect for gravel roads

 

[bird dogger]

Congrats on your new purchase!! You'll definitely enjoy and get a lot of use out of it. Regarding the dilemma: I have a 5 foot box blade that I used behind my older JD750 compact tractor. When looking for a land Plane and the high prices they get for them I decided to borrow a few parts off the box blade I already had. the three point hitch was bolted on, as were the two blades on the box blade. So all I had to do was build an appropriate frame from some steel that I had and swap the pieces over to it. Here's some pics:

I still need to sand blast and paint to match the B2650. It sure doesn't take much power to pull them. But they don't move a lot of gravel......more for leveling and maintaining. If needed I can remount the hitch and blades on the box blade to move and shape things.

So if you get a box blade to do your initial build on the driveway, it doesn't take much to borrow some parts of it for a landplane.

 

[notforhire]

I used a York brand rake with guide wheels for about thirty years to grade driveways. About three years ago I bought a box blade from Everything Attachments and find that it does a better job, especially on roads with washouts. By using a hydraulic top link I can drag material to where it's needed and smooth it over usually in one pass. A heavy built blade is your friend. It will cut off the high spots instead of riding over them. The ripper teeth work well on heavily compacted soil.
I have no experience with land planes, but I expect they produce similar results.

 

[bearskinner]

Here’s a picture of the waterfall effect you get while maintaining a gravel road. I have my blades at 5/8 inch so it cuts down, and displaces high spots and fills low spots and pot holes as you go. If you need more fill, just make another pass. It is especially nice right before a rain as the rain settles any dust down and helps repack the road.

 

[leveraddict]

I use a boxblade. Learning to use one prperly by setting the top link for the job at hand is key. Then it will do what the land plane will do and much more. It will cut, smooth or redistribute, dig and plow snow or dirt if set correctly. Ive even used it to pop bolders out of my yard with just one ripper down a little forward force and lift the 3 point. Like popping a zit! If your gravel drive gets washed out really bad from storms I would definately get the boxblade. If your just maintaining a driveway get the landplane!

 

[aaluck]

Land plane. I posted the same thing about a year ago. Went with the land plane (which I had never heard of) after suggestions here.
Here are the before and after photos. No gravel added, although I need to add some at the curve.

 

[NHSleddog]

Land plane for maintenance.
Box Blade for building/repair.
Rake with gauge wheels for retrieving material from the edges or moving it side to side, and providing the best finish.

If you are in an area where the crown is important a tilt cylinder will make all of the above much more effective as well.

I do not do a lot of "maintenance". I am mostly fixing/repairing/re-grading. I use the Box Blade and Rake for everything. I literally have miles of experience - lol.

Here are a few shots from a recent job. This road hadn't been touched in decades and it was hard. I pulled at least 5 buckets full of rocks out of it. This is where the box blade excels.

 

[Tornado]

Land plane all the way for driveway maintenance. I use a box blade a lot....Its not good on a drive way in my opinion. It just digs in and drags the top layer of dirt or whatever else - it doesnt redposite the material back on the driveway like a land plane. If you use a box blade over and over on a driveway it just digs in over and over and over. You have to turn around and backdrag with the bucket to resmooth out everything you just drug up into a pile. You can try to life the box blade a little off the ground once you accumulate some dirt/material but that has never worked well for me, it comes out in clumps and humps and you still have to back drag

 

[NHSleddog]

Land plane all the way for driveway maintenance. I use a box blade a lot....Its not good on a drive way in my opinion. It just digs in and drags the top layer of dirt or whatever else - it doesnt redposite the material back on the driveway like a land plane. If you use a box blade over and over on a driveway it just digs in over and over and over. You have to turn around and backdrag with the bucket to resmooth out everything you just drug up into a pile. You can try to life the box blade a little off the ground once you accumulate some dirt/material but that has never worked well for me, it comes out in clumps and humps and you still have to back drag

There is a definite learning curve to the box blade. The magic is in the top link and the angle of attack. My first few times out with it were productive but not very pretty. Now it is a go to tool.

They really are 3 different tools (box/plane/rake) ideally suited in a different way.

 

[notforhire]

Land plane all the way for driveway maintenance. I use a box blade a lot....Its not good on a drive way in my opinion. It just digs in and drags the top layer of dirt or whatever else - it doesnt redposite the material back on the driveway like a land plane. If you use a box blade over and over on a driveway it just digs in over and over and over. You have to turn around and backdrag with the bucket to resmooth out everything you just drug up into a pile. You can try to life the box blade a little off the ground once you accumulate some dirt/material but that has never worked well for me, it comes out in clumps and humps and you still have to back drag

If you get a hydraulic top link you will have an easier time. By retracting the top link you can dig. Extending lifts the cutting edge off the ground allowing the rear facing blade to "back drag".
I do frequent adjustments as I go and never need to use the loader bucket.

 

[Tornado]

If you get a hydraulic top link you will have an easier time. By retracting the top link you can dig. Extending lifts the cutting edge off the ground allowing the rear facing blade to "back drag".
I do frequent adjustments as I go and never need to use the loader bucket.

Id still much rather have a land plane if I had a long driveway to maintain, and that's what I would always recommend to someone for that job. I have 3 short driveways I maintain - I use the box blade and bucket in combination and it works fine, but its a lot more time consuming this way. One of my driveways tends to wash out, as water runs down it. The box blade is good to start at the bottom of the driveway and drag up, pulling my dirt back up the driveway where I can then smooth it back over. I also love my box blade in the woods clearing land - its been invaluable here. It just is not the best on a driveway. A landplane you could just drop it and go. I don't have a landplane because I don't have enough driveway to justify it.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Late farmer across from me had a PERFECT gravel driveway for 50-60 years. His 'old skool' method.... EVERY Sunday, after church ...before lunch, he'd drag a section of C channel and chains up and down,up and down his 700' driveway...maybe 10-15 times. EVERY Sunday....THAT was the secret ! Guy who bought the property never bothered doing ANYTHING...now 10 years later it's an eyesore, bumpy,lumpy, yuck.....

 

[MPM1979]

Hey Woodshop, I'm a nubie as well only having my 2650 since April. Have new property I elected for both a BB1260 Blade, and LR1672 Rake. As other have said the box blade is very good at leveling and grading. With some practice I think you could get a decent finish to your drive. I used mine to level 80 tons of gravel into a pad next to the garage. I also have the rake which does help to smooth out things. If your only using it for the drives maybe a land plane. But I'm sure you'll find other things to do with a blade. If you get a rake get a 72". The 60" will not cover the tire tracks well if you angle the rake to push to one side. Just my two cents