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 | AV8R
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 882 North Central Wisconsin 
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2004-04-04 82129
So-- I'm tring to smooth the finish grade on the gravel portion of my driveway. (See my photos #6-#11) I seem to be making things worse rather than better. I traded my neighbor my car-hauler for his back blade for a couple days to do this project and I finally gave up after the better part of 2 hours just trying to flatten the trailer-parking portion of the drive. I have the top link as short as it will go and the blade still diggs in too much, and every time the tractor hits a bump, well you know what happens!! The best results I've gotten so far was back dragging with the FEL, not good for the tipper cyllinder I know.
Any thoughts or help for a dirt movin' newbee would be appreciated!
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 | TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2004-04-04 82136
I've always thought a box is better for smoothing than a blade. I know when I finish a grade I extend the top-link so the box rides on the back of its rear cutter and the front cutter doesn't bite at all. I'm not sure a blade would swing forward enough and would probably run into the rear tires if it did.
I haven't resorted to making a drag but you might try it. Old bed springs with weight on top work I hear. Chain link fencing wrapped around a length of heavy timber also works. ....
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| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin 
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2004-04-04 82147
AV8R
You know Joe Dishaw?
I almost had to look twice (NO I did look twice) some of those pics you have of the gravel in the woods looks identical to my place. I mean so close that it is scary! Joe hunted with me this last year, I thought I heard him mention something about a great pic (Your number 1 picture).
Tom ....
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| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2004-04-04 82149
Tom G.
I finished off a 2 acre food plot last summer with a atv and a bed spring, didnt put any weight on it that time for I was just covering up the seeds. I did use the same bed spring with rocks on it to finish grade (smooth out) my new back yard. It works well if your in a fix and dont have the spendy right tools. I burned off the material on a box spring that I picked up infront of a house for free
and stopped the fire before it burned off the wood frame. ....
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2004-04-05 82165
av8r I use my back blade more than a box scraper. Mainly because the back blade is wider.
First I'll rough out the high spots and fill the low spots. I like to keep a sharp angle on the blade to help smooth the up and down.
I'll then adjust the cutting edge to be less agressive set the blade to the depth I want Straddle the wind row and pull material straight to bring down the crown.
I then use the back blade backwards to cuff off the crown finish the low spots and final grade.
....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2004-04-05 82172
AV8R: What I should have said right off last night is that most everybody makes things worse the first few times. You're not alone. My wife dreaded to see me headed for the drive the first summer I had the tractor. It does get better and almost everybody eventually gets good results with whatever they have. There seems to be a steep learning curve for this grading buz. Just keep at it and one day you'll notice the work is going well and you'll wonder what you're doing differently.
Box scrapers are what I know and with those, the blade angle is everything in controlling the action, which is why hydraulic top-links are so useful. With a scraper the cut becomes more aggressive as the top-link is shortened. I don't know if blades work the same but I'd experiment with blade angles.
There sure should be some angle where the blade won't bite. I don't know if the top-link is the only angle adjustment on the blade you're using and I don't know if the blade can be turned around and used backwards. I know that blades used for smoothing washboard are sometimes angled so the blade doesn't fall into each dip. It tends to cut off the ridges and fill the dips. ....
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 | blizzard
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 282 Central Maine 
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2004-04-05 82183
AV8R,
I used the FEL and a Land Pride rake to smooth my 1600' driveway and spread 50 yds. of fill over a 50X80 parking area. Tom's right about the learning curve.
If possible, begin with the tractor/blade at the angle/grade you want to maintain.
Go slow.
On a area with a constant grade, like your parking area, work from different directions, if possible, to smooth it faster.
Do try the FEL to get things close first, Tip bucket down some to cut the high spots, control the depth with the bucket angle only, not the lift arms. Don't lower the bucket all the way and try to use it as a 'dozer, that puts too much strain on the FEL as the bucket is against stops and unable to absorb shocks.
My manual recommends back-dragging with the loader bucket to keep things smooth and safe! Check your manual for advise on this. Use the loader in float position, bucket curled up for most agressive smoothing. Fill the bucket if you need more cutting/compaction.
Go slow, seems to me the fill needs a little time to flow, and this also lets you control the depth accurately.
The rake I use has 'depth wheels', which helps some to keep the tines from cutting too deep. Looks from your pics you are getting pretty close, try smoothing off the high spots only, at low speed with an angle in the rear blade, or by back-dragging with the bucket. On my drive, I use the rake only for cutting/filling, as large rocks make precise use of the FEL difficult. But I back-drag extensively to compact and smooth things out, usually with a large concrete weight in the bucket.
Go slow.
Hope this helps, but a little long-winded (:>
bliz ....
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2004-04-05 82193
Av8er, I couldn't even get some of my implements to attach to my BX until I shortened the top link.
I took two inches off mine and it worked much, much better.
The dealer I got the BX from deals with the problem by ordering two sets of holes on all new implements that might end up on a BX. ....
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-04-05 82203
I would recommend back dragging with the front bucket tilted at just a slight angle such that you are compacting and only scrape/level a little at a time. I also go in several directions to drag the high stuff into the holes. It looks like you have a lot of material(deep). I always like to make a good base with stonecrete to get a good hard base and then I dress it with fine stone and build up a little at a time. It helps to pack it.
A rear blade is useless without shoes because it will dig to much. It does work ok backwards though but you will find the bucket on your FEL works better because of the shallow slope angle by tilting.
Nice place you have and love your picture #1. She has got to be the biggest bitch of all times. ....
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 | shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 848 Wisconsin
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2004-04-05 82204
After I rough the level in I (like harvey) turn the blade around and it then does a nice job of smoothing for a finished look. With gravel, you might need to tie a little weight to the blade frame if it skims over too much.
Dave ....
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 | jeff r
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 428 burton. michigan
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2004-04-05 82222
Yooperpete,
Hey Buddy,
What may I humbly ask is that 3 point impliment calledyou got on the back of your tractor that has the expanded metal drum that spins or rolls? I think it is the the last picture or next to last in your profile. I NEED To BEG you send me some pictures so I can weld/fabricate me up one of those contraptions. That looks to be real handy at landscaping.
Jeff ....
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| AV8R
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 882 North Central Wisconsin
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2004-04-05 82243
Thank you everyone! Just going to have to keep "playing" as the wife says. ....
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-04-06 82296
Jeff, that implement in Yooper's pics is a 'pulverizer', it is used to break up hard-pan before seeding, or to eliminate clumps, etc., before sodding.
If you want I can send you some very good information on building one, I have made MANY of them over the years.
They can also be made incorporating a blade instead of teeth, those are usually referred to as a 'Grade-Maker' after the trade name for a manufactured one.
Drop me a line if you want the info., they're dead simple to make.
Best of luck. ....
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| arnoldbanner
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4 Maine
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2004-04-16 83317
I'm getting a landpride LR72 rake for cleaning up my fields and some drive grading. The dealer told me the optional flip down grader blade makes the rake into a sort of box scraper, which could help me level things out. Is this option worth the $325 he quoted? My tractor (coming next week) has a FEL. I'm a complete novice and will appreciate any replies. ....
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| yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-04-16 83325
jeff r
Sorry, didn't see your post earlier. It is pulverizer designed and built at our shop. I fashioned the design front end after the Landpride unit and had the roller made from expanded metal. Most pulverizers use a solid drum with spikes at the rear. To really make it work correctly you need a hydraulic top link. To perfect it, I also need to play with the roller hinge mechanism. I was going to market these and shopped around attempting to get distribution and didn't find a good way to do it. Was informed that most landscaping companies are going to the PTO driven units that really crush up the chunks. Most of the pulverizers with a drum and spikes load up if the soil is a clay loom or at all damp.
This heavy duty expanded metal drum can shear and crumple soil chunks.
If you are into horse shows, this thing really sifts and levels the arena.
P.S. Sorry if I was giving you some shxx a few weeks back, you seemed to be coming on awfully strong in a negative sense in most everything I believe in.
If you want to see it, I can arrange for a "free" demonstration about 40 minutes North of you off I-75. If you want, I can mail you (N/C)prints or e-mail Auto-Cad files if you have Auto-Cad Release 12 or newer. I can save to any of these releases before ACAD-R2000. ....
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| yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-04-16 83326
A row of rectangular shanks or teeth are located at the front edge of a pulverizer. These can break up the soil and usually have (2) depth adjustments. All of the shanks have a cross hole and a rod goes thru them to hold position. They can also be removed. I then use the edge of this heavy duty I-beam to grade when necessary. It weighs allot more than a rear blade and will dig in compacted situations. Its weight is about 900lbs. With a hydraulic top link you can play with the teeth depth vs: pressure on the drum roller.
I've used the teeth to break up my stone crete drive and relevel. That's rough on the teeth and rounds the edges. They're made from 1060 steel flame hardened to 54 Rockwell "C".
....
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| Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2004-04-16 83328
Yooper, if you were to spring load that rear roller it would work beter, with or without the hydraulic toplink.
You picture is not all that clear but it looks like it would be REALLY easy to retrofit an adjustable spring preload on it. That way it would maintain a (relatively) constant pressure against the ground no matter what the attitude of the implement was relative to the tractor.
If you fire me a copy of the A-Cad drawings I would be happy to give you the details of how to easily do it.
Best of luck. ....
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| yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2004-04-16 83334
Ya, I've already got a spring but it is too weak. I need to put a heavier compression spring on it with a threaded rod going through the center with a cap to adjust. I've had the pulverizer about 3-4 years now and don't use it much. All I need is time to fix it. Am short on that!!
Thanks Murf! ....
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