By definition, the surface of your gravel driveway is made of loose stone. Over time, some of that loose stone will get pushed off leading to erosion, potholes, ruts, and bare spots. Let it go too long and you’ll have a repair a gravel drive project on your hands.
The good news is, with the right tools, it’s pretty easy to do, doesn’t take that long, and doesn’t cost very much.
We’ll get after this project to repair a gravel drive using a John Deere 5075E Utility Tractor (US CA), a Frontier BB2072 Box Blade (US CA) with scarifiers, a 520M Loader (US CA) and a John Deere 79-inch materials bucket (US CA).
Okay. Time to get started. First, Digger Dan, The Tractor Drivin’ Man, will hook up the box blade using the iMatch Quick Hitch (US CA) we added to our equipment package, which makes hooking and unhooking all kinds of compatible 3-point implements as easy as can be. All he has to do is focus on the top hook, and everything else falls into place.
Then he’ll close the locking levers, lower the scarifiers, and replace their locking pins. Now he’s ready to get to work.
As always, we made sure our equipment package is properly ballasted.
Starting at the west end of the gravel drive, Dan starts moving along the north edge using the scarifiers in the box blade to soften the surface. The scarifiers are set at a depth to churn up the driveway down to the bottom of the deepest pothole, but no deeper. The idea is to disrupt the surface without tearing into the driveway’s foundation.
He’ll run all the way to the east end of the drive, then come back along the south edge. The two passes in opposite directions will overlap at the center.
Okay. Here’s Tip #1 on how to repair a gravel drive.
You’ll notice the box blade is elevated just a bit off the surface. We have the scarifiers adjusted down to their deepest working position. We want to disrupt the surface without moving any material just yet. So using the 3-point hitch, Dan raises the box blade just enough for the rippers to penetrate to the bottom of the potholes, but keep from moving any material around. That process comes later.
And here’s Project Tip #2.
Notice how Dan weaves back and forth just a bit as he’s churning up the drive’s surface? That’s to make sure the scarifiers don’t fall into a track made in a previous pass and just stay there. Weaving helps make sure you break up the entire surface, leaving – pardon the expression – no stone unturned.
After making three or four passes and remembering not to tear into the driveway’s foundation, the surface is well-churned and we’re ready for the next step.
Time to start moving gravel from the 18-ton pile of AB3 rock the property owner had delivered a couple days earlier, which brings up Project Tip #3. Don’t wait to the last minute to order your gravel and schedule delivery. Be prepared to be flexible, and know where you want the gravel dumped so it’s out of the way until you need it.
By getting a full bucketload every time, Dan will start spreading gravel right on top of the scarified surface of the drive, which will make the process of smoothing and leveling all that material with the box blade more efficient. Notice how Dan stops short of the entry to the drive, then begins spreading the gravel onto the driveway surface while moving forward.
That brings us to Project Tip #4.
A lot of people will instinctively move right up to the end of the drive and begin spreading gravel while moving backwards, just like spreading butter on toast. Now you can do that, but by spreading it the way Digger Dan does – by moving forward – you never have to look backwards to see where you’re going while the business end of the project is right in front of you. You’ll drive a straighter line and spread the gravel more evenly moving forward than you ever will moving backwards.
After checking for any spots that might need a little more gravel added, it’s time to smooth and level the driveway surface.
First, following all Operator’s Manual procedures, Dan lowers the box blade to the ground so he can raise the scarifiers to their highest position and replace the locking pins.
Then, starting at what’s left of the rock pile, he’ll use the box blade to start smoothing and leveling the driveway surface. Moving in long, steady passes all the way to the driveway entrance, he’ll make 3 or 4 passes from one end to the other. Notice he doesn’t raise the box blade, which allows gravel to accumulate in the box and fill any gaps that might remain.
Finally, here’s Project Tip #5 .
On his last pass, Dan weaves back and forth again. If you keep driving back and forth in the same track, your box blade will tend to follow the same dips and bumps. The result is you won’t make the driveway really flat. By weaving from one side to the other, you’ll make the finished drive smoother and more level from end to end, helping prevent erosion – pardon the expression – down the road.
Compared to this rutted, potholed gravel drive in need of repair, the property owner now has a virtually new gravel driveway, ready to take on whatever comes its way. And that’s how you repair a gravel drive.
Well done!
Frontier has more than 400 implements and attachments that are available only from your John Deere dealer, the place to go for advice and equipment.
Always read the Operator’s Manual before operating any piece of equipment and follow all operating and safety instructions.
And remember, for implements that help turn your tractor into the workhorse it was built to be, think Frontier and your John Deere dealer.
Helpful Links:
Frontier Landscape Equipment (US CA)
Maintain a gravel drive using a box blade with hydraulic scarifiers
How to mow along a roadside fence
Maintain a gravel drive using a 4-In-1 bucket
Gravel a farm road using a drawn box scraper
How to maintain a gravel drive
How to remove snow from a gravel drive