# Gravel Grading. DR Grader to...



## MrChris (Oct 4, 2018)

Greetings.

About 15 years ago, I got a DR grader that ended up destroying two "Garden Tractors" - well, at least their transmissions. For a couple years I had a friend drop by his larger tractor and was able to keep up the driveway.

Last year, I bought and overhauled a 1968 Ford 5000. The fact that it wasn't working, but really didn't need a lot (basically the problems were all electrical and a grimy carb) was the reason I could afford it.

Well, the new 9000lb machine (filled tires) has no issues at all dragging that little 4' DR grader. In fact, my biggest concern is breaking it. I've already shredded and rebuilt the coupler for example. 

I know I need a tool that is appropriate for the machine. The question is what?

Now, the DR does a good job. It takes a LOT of passes and I do need to regrade after a few days to even out any holes that had been filled, but the results are fine. I'm thinking that a proper sized grader would do the job much quicker and be able to dig deep enough to clean up the potholes.

The problem I'm having is what size is right? Also, is a "Land Plane" type grader the right choice? The land Plane is similar in design to the DR, so I'm leaning that way, but open to suggestions. The tractor is rated at 50hp, but it's over 50 years old, so who knows if it's still producing that much. Seems to run fine, so it could be. Also, it's about 80 inches wide outside those massive 18.5 x 30 rear tires. So, I'm thinking I'm looking at a 7' wide land Plane or Box Blade. 

This sound right? 

I'm open to ideas and suggestions. I'm just looking at $2000 price tags and not wanting to make an error here. I've looked at renting and nobody in the area has these. Heck, even the local tractor shops have not been much use. The farms here are smaller and few people use anything larger than a BX series these days or have old equipment that has been around decades.

Thanks


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 5, 2017)

As long as you are not needing to build the crown up in a drive the land plane will work well. The land planes work really well for a lot of drive repairs. Land planes also require little skill to use and that’s a nice bonus. 

Box blades will also work. Box blades are one of those tools that do several things pretty well, but not a lot really well. They do require a bit of learning to use well. 

A grader blade preferably with rippers is a great tool for drive work. If they have the bolt on wings to put on the ends if you desire they work much like a box blade but way way better. They do however take quite a bit of practice to learn to use well. 


You mention getting a tool as wide as the tires. That is a VERY idea. 

You also mention having to refill the holes a few days after you work the driveway. Generally speaking if you just pull gravel into a hole it will work its way back out fairly quickly. I normally drop the teeth (rippers) on what ever tool I am using and break up the ground around the pot hole. Then pull material of different sizes back into the area. This help things to lock the material back in to what is there and the surrounding edges. 

A box blade usually comes with ripper teeth and so that is something to keep in mind. Land planes can also be bought with teeth and personally I would not want one without ripper teeth on it. 

Remember the more the tools weigh the better they usually do. Also usually sturdier. Of course that cost more money. If you have been doing ok with a DR tool then perhaps you do not need a really heavy and expensive tool. 

Everyone’s ground and conditions are a bit different so some of this is a guessing game.


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## i7win7 (Apr 11, 2020)

Costs would be double but, interesting what commercial quality looks like.
http://www.hoelscherinc.com/prod_crosscut.htm
http://www.hoelscherinc.com/prod_grgrader.htm
http://www.hoelscherinc.com/prod_rbscraper.htm

the 6 footer makes a good speed roller each spring


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## Superduty71 (Feb 6, 2020)

A lot of great info from Redlands Okie.... I in pretty much in complete agreement with his well laid out description...

What I can tell you from my past 14+ yrs of our personal driveway / road maintenance is this...
We have just under a 3/4 mile drive 14' wide, crowned in some places & pitched to one side or another in some areas, it is all uphill... so water erosion & run off is a big issue. W also maintain approx an additional mile + of trails on our property. There is no 1 implement that is the where all / do all.... for us. We run a 40HP New Holland & it is great; sometime I wish it was bigger (the tractor... I'm talking about the tractor)...

I started with a 72" LP Box Rack w/ scarifiers & learned you need seat time to be really good at it.... I also wish it was wider as it covers our tire width but but not by much & there are areas where I can not drive close enough to our culverts with the tractor tires to have the box blade do what I need.

Next was an 84" LP landscape rake (with gauge wheels) purchased used & for a different project... because of its width I used this to pull the stone back into the center of the drive after plowing all winter... it does a great job... but does not leave a finished drive....

Then I purchased a Land Plane / Lane Leveler... if your drive is established there is no better implement in my opinion to make you look like a PRO in less than half the time... I don't have scarifiers on mine, but wish I did (may add them myself in the future). It will make a crappy operator look good.... a good operator look like a pro.... & a pro look like... well I don't know because I'm not one; but I would imagine amazing... in half the time. It's down fall is it will not really build a crown if one does not already exist.... it will maintain one....

Recently (with in the past 2yrs) we also added Top & Tilt to our 3Pt & all I can say is I wish I did it sooner.... It has made all 3 of these implements work 90+% better in half the time... with much better results.... why... well because I can adjust things real time & fine tune things on the fly... where prior I would be like... that's good enough. because every adjustment required getting off the tractor & lowering or raising one of the links.... Now I can do it from the drivers seat on the fly...

sorry for the long post... just wanted to give my experience.... Following pics are of our drive with the Land plane being the only implement used.... (last shot shows just prior to rolling it; as we have a roller)...


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