Driveway Drag

[qtrflash]

My driveway drag made from old bed frame
Dan

 

[California]

Here's one half-finished. Some snowplow edges were in in a friends surplus-auction win. He gave them to me and I bolted up the iron parts to make a simple land plane/driveway drag. It works great. I'll improve the design a little then weld it solid. In particular, I need to move the bars and diagonals so material that runs off the end of one bar dumps to the next one.

I pull this from the drawbar under the differential. Plus there are additional slack chains that go over the ends of the loader forks to the mid-point of the drag, to lift it for tight turns.

 

[poncho62]

I use an old set of harrows that I found to smooth my driveway.The spikes leave little grooves in the driveway..... I am planning on welding something flat on the top side and flip it over when I want to really flatten the driveway.

 

[Bearskinner]

Here's one half-finished. Some snowplow edges were in in a friends surplus-auction win. He gave them to me and I bolted up the iron parts to make a simple land plane/driveway drag. It works great. I'll improve the design a little then weld it solid. In particular, I need to move the bars and diagonals so material that runs off the end of one bar dumps to the next one.
View attachment 522

I looked at and measured angles on quite a few land planes before I fabbed up the one I made. It seems the professionally built ones all had the blades in the 15 degree-18 range. I’m not sure if it has anything to do with tracking, but at 15 degrees, the 3/4” gravel on my road rolls over the top of the two blades, and lays out nice and flat. Just what I have noticed so far.

 

[PILOON]

Here's one half-finished. Some snowplow edges were in in a friends surplus-auction win. He gave them to me and I bolted up the iron parts to make a simple land plane/driveway drag. It works great. I'll improve the design a little then weld it solid. In particular, I need to move the bars and diagonals so material that runs off the end of one bar dumps to the next one.

I pull this from the drawbar under the differential. Plus there are additional slack chains that go over the ends of the loader forks to the mid-point of the drag, to lift it for tight turns.

View attachment 522

Here's one half-finished. Some snowplow edges were in in a friends surplus-auction win. He gave them to me and I bolted up the iron parts to make a simple land plane/driveway drag. It works great. I'll improve the design a little then weld it solid. In particular, I need to move the bars and diagonals so material that runs off the end of one bar dumps to the next one.

I pull this from the drawbar under the differential. Plus there are additional slack chains that go over the ends of the loader forks to the mid-point of the drag, to lift it for tight turns.

View attachment 522

Very similar to a drag we used for 10-12 years to maintain our well traveled cottage road.
Ours used 3 blades with each blade positioned such to dump the overflow onto the next one.
We set them so that the angles of one side would be close to the total of the other side so as to attempt keeping a straight line pull.
After making 2 passes our roadway was as smooth as any huge grader could do.
We towed with an old Willis jeep and used 2 chains.
For 'shock absorbers' the chains were looped thru small tires.

 

[qtrflash]

Thanks Pulls pretty straight. Used a picture from a supply house to design. I put 2 suitcase weights on it when using on packed gravel. I like to let mine float behind the tractor so it won't be affected by the tractor going over high or low spots. working on a boom and 3 chain system to lift with 3pt hitch for turning around at the road end of drive.
Dan

 

[Bearskinner]

Weight is the key on hard packed gravel. I like to run the road right before an incoming rain. It fills the little low spots, then the rains help settle it all down

 

[PILOON]

Here's one half-finished. Some snowplow edges were in in a friends surplus-auction win. He gave them to me and I bolted up the iron parts to make a simple land plane/driveway drag. It works great. I'll improve the design a little then weld it solid. In particular, I need to move the bars and diagonals so material that runs off the end of one bar dumps to the next one.

I pull this from the drawbar under the differential. Plus there are additional slack chains that go over the ends of the loader forks to the mid-point of the drag, to lift it for tight turns.

View attachment 522

Yep, you are on the right track.
We dragged (drug?) one similar for many years.
And yes have your spillover go to the next blade.

If you have yanking or tugging from obstacles, try looping the pull chains thru a small tire and it will act as a shock absorber of sorts.

 

[Mojave_Ron]

My property drag made from 6'carbide grader bit. works well for clearing weeds and filling rain water ruts. I pull it with my truck