#155

[@babybluesfarm8595]

It’s nice watching the old videos, love the music.❤

[@Z-Bart]

You're a good brother Mike. Your sister is lucky to have you.

[@rickyconley3898]

Wow mike you make it look so easy! I like the shots of seeing the box blade in action. Keep the videos coming I have been learning a lot from you thank you

[@streetrodder2846]

It's obvious that, like me, you take pride in your work. The proof is in the pudding. I've been watching you for a long time now. I miss the days when I was able to do stuff. (I could sit and watch you all day! :) I'll be 70 on May 24th. and riddled with arthritis with a dash of cancer. Been on my own since I was 14. Always positive about the things I do. Enjoy the heck out of your videos! Thanks so much, Mike... Jim ~Olympia, WA

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Great attitude Jim! Thanks for that

[@rayeddy528]

Great content Mike ! Thank you for taking the time to share ! I installed a hydraulic middle link ( top link) on mine. It sure does make a difference being able to change the length from the seat to go from ripper to blade ! Thanks again! Be safe and God bless you and your family !!!!! Eddy

[@pipe887]

Yes, thank you, Mike!!! This is exactly the kind of video I need. Very helpful and educational. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I especially needed to know that the smaller tractor would be inadequate for the road maintenance I need to do. My road is longer and in worse condition. Why does country life cost so much money?!?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Jason Shaw, it's worth it!

[@snazzyusername]

For years I never used rippers...what a mistake! Rippers make all the difference on a distressed driveway. Great video Mike! Thanks!

[@russellbowman8051]

Definitely shaping the driveway up looks good!!👊

[@chancebernhardt4815]

Mike Asphalt is great when we did our driveway in Jackson we had a base of 8 inches of rock down first then 10 inches of Asphalt put down so anything can go up and down the driveway, our driveway is right at 3.5 miles long and up at the cabin we have a circular so no backing on to the grass. Plus the driveway is wide enough for two pickups can pass each other without going into the fields on each side ,plus the Asphalt is four inches higher so water doesn't damage my roadway, stan layed heat mates down before the Asphalt was done so no snow anywhere near the cabin what so ever we make our own power with the windmill we built which goes into a 135K generator so we have more power than we will ever use we even routed. Power to the neighbors and still sell left over power to the public power company we get a 3800 check each month from them weve been doing this since 1981 I think its payed us back many times over we even have another back up generator which is 135K also, I got both from Billings airport for 25 bucks each they was going to haul them off so I bought them both they weigh 8000 pounds each, thats alot of copper and castiron.

[@funpupps]

Thanks again for your thorough explanation. I can’t wait to see how you crown that driveway. Great videos, Mike.

[@cptophers4626]

I like the tab on the nut for the center-link. Quite handy.

[@timm2960]

Great job Mike. You are a working machine yourself. Great videos, please keep them coming.

[@daveschmidt5713]

Here's one from the good old days.

[@iowaoutdoorpursuits4690]

Nice video Mike. This driveway is more similar to mine. Although mine isn’t quite this long. Looking forward to the crown video as I have the same problem with water pooling and running on mine. Don’t make us wait too long!

[@jerrymorgan9602]

Good job on that road Mike. I've worked my 1700 ft. driveway for many years. I try to stay ahead of the pot holes. My neighbor says I should run for the county road supervisor. HA! Not for me. Again, good job.

[@donmotz5528]

Mike it seems to work quite well....good job...Its a blessing for machinery.

[@hwooden6831]

I have a hydraulic top link it works great with the box scrape. Get RK to get you one!

[@josephgilli1611]

Maybe try some used silt fence from jobsites nearby. Can probably get for free because they just throw it away. You can take the stakes out and use it after grading and rolling and before putting down new gravel. Just do a small section every year. You will want about 4 inches of gravel at least above the fabric. Put your crown in the driveways center and slope the shoulders into a ditch. A back blade will be useful for the shoulders. I like my driveway wide enough so that I'm not always focusing on driving in the same tracks.

[@marksleeper3752]

nice job, I use to grade a gravel road pvt to a house with my 1710 4X4 tractor with a 6' leinbach SO scraper blade it is a very heavy/duty blade, I angled it like a grader blade one side lower pulling the dirt from the side of the road and crowning the center of the road and it was also ditching the side of the road, the owner said I did a better job with the tractor than a guy with a 450 john deere dozer with a 6 way blade

[@GPOutdoors]

Thanks Mike! Really timely video. I will start work on mine shortly and it is just like your sister's driveway. No base - just stone on top of clay and dirt. Same issues and maintenance every year. So this was really helpful. Have a great week! Cheers!

[@hburns16]

Mike, I really love these road & driveway maintenance videos. Seems like I learn a new trick every time I watch one. Keep up the good work, sir!

[@rongray4118]

I'm looking for a vibratory roller compactor myself...thinking of modifying an old box blade and adding a roller to just get by for now....great video!

[@andyjones6361]

Great job!!

[@brianjhebert]

great video, thanks for sharing!

[@gearjammer4779]

That looks excellent! 👍

[@johnhernan1122]

Thanks Mike for sharing.

[@thurlowfamilyfarm4628]

I enjoy the videos and the birds singing in the background

[@philipcross5332]

Hi Mike Nice work 👌 it must be a great pleasure to have those tractors for different jobs ! You've definitely got plenty of work for them . It's always nice to watch the vids 👍

[@timkd5vmv583]

You make this look so easy. I really enjoy your videos. I am in the process if redoing my drive now also.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Doing good work Mike, making that equipment look good as you go along too. Sure is a good learning channel. Thanks for the ride, as always back to my dreamin.

[@hermzinn8740]

Another great video! Thanks Mike.

[@ronchaney8313]

Hey Mike, first time responder,......ever. Love your channel. Subscribed when you had 13 k. This will help your rear attachment use. Ask Rural king for a hydraulic cylinder to replace your rear top link and use your rear remotes. This will allow you to adjust on the run. I have a kubota L4400 and love it. Good luck from West Tennessee.

[@jerryhollingshead7806]

Box scrappy is a great tool back getting better hope they turn me loose in June

[@mikehornsby599]

Good stuff,that looks just like my driveway!!

[@vlookup_tim]

Live feed Q&A with Mrs SRF periodically. Tools, equipment and gear recommendations.

[@johnnyturbo8460]

Great video... looks like the road to our other property.

[@mikel8277]

Mike your not making enough videos bro....look forward to every one....thank you

[@patrickclochesy1990]

Great video! With that larger rock on top and conditions that's probably not the most fun driveway to maintain. I have a similarly-sized tractor but a much heavier box blade. With a very light box blade like that, it may be a good idea to cut backwards (it will dig better backwards) to create a pile so you can have a filled blade sooner instead of skipping over the top. Blade angle is super important too. I usually don't use the rippers for maintaining gravel, it digs pretty far into the often times well-packed base and it shouldn't really be necessary with a loaded blade.

[@eddevarona8448]

Patrick Clochesy but if you don’t use the rippers to break down the sides of those pot holes and only fill em back up with loose gravel, those pot holes will just keep coming back again and again in the same spots. Break em down with the rippers then smooth everything out and it’ll last much longer

[@casycasy5199]

nice job glad you always tell us what you think of the tractor and how its handling the job

[@botabob]

Nice to be able to help your neighbor, even if it is your sister. Well, you know what I mean.....hehe Great work Mike.....

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

It’s amazing how many of these videos the implements need leveled front to back

[@cvmikeray2]

Mike, Looking good! Been working on my driveway as well.

[@chuckb.5076]

Great video. Thanks!

[@mooman86]

Man bet that driveway is fun in the winter !

[@humbleheart7196]

Mike - appreciate the guidance on the driveway maintenance. I too have a nightmare driveway and kind of stumped on what to do. Had an excavator quote removing all the material and starting from scratch. Not sure removing 70 years of material is the answer. Kind of stumped on next steps.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Maybe grade it up and put some good geo-textile down before stone?

[@humbleheart7196]

He talked about adding rip rap in the soft area. There is a large oak tree at the turn I am trying to protect. Might change the direction to avoid the tree.

[@briankshaw8755]

Shaped up real nice. The box blade is the ticket. Looking for a used one. Nice adjustment. Bet you were a good dozer hand.

[@deanbarr5740]

You have some great skills there Mike. I Always learn something from your video's. Thanks. BTW I'm going tomorrow for a new tractor with a 6' box blade. Hope to see some good results on my drive way.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Congrats!

[@deanbarr5740]

P.S. thanks for the explaining how you adjusted the box blade makes perfect sense as to how to use it. Good job

[@aped3]

Nice Song !!!

[@chucksinger1916]

Another nice job your doing mike.wish I was there to help.dont forget to get out after gobblers. .my son called two red fox and a 250 lb bear within 15 yds.yesterday! Lol

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Wow that had to be exciting!

[@nathanberglund2053]

This driveway looks just like mine with all of the issues I'm facing. Could you list the subsequent videos where you worked this drive? Thanks so much - I've learned a ton from your reviews of various blades.

[@AJmx2702001]

Rippers do help to dig out the washboard and pot holes and you really need to get a Hydraulic top link for adjust on the fly

[@davidlees4900]

Hey Mike, good video. Question???? what hole do you use for your top link when using the box blade.

[@sixosixo]

That RK55 really made that look easy. How do you like the cab? Quiet, heat or air, plus some tunes... looks like a winner to me!

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Yes Im not used to that, cab is very nice

[@donbrutcher4501]

The right size hammer for the nail.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Don Brutcher, Definitely

[@dylan8285]

you could try putting some sand down? To help compaction and the rocks sinking?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Never tried that, plus it would wash away when it rains

[@seanworkman431]

Doing a good job, definitely need horsepower for that job. I had no idea you and your family own half of west P.A. that's a lot of driveways.

[@frankmann4585]

Hey Mike, wondering why you wouldn't use the land plane on that job. That's what it's built for...

[@Military-Museum-LP]

Oh, love you videos!,!!

[@rclamb04]

Thanks for explaining adjusting the rippers and such, may I ask who makes RK Tractors? Thanks and great video!

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

TYM to RK Specs

[@rclamb04]

TYM?

[@deekim597]

The surface looked smooth before the job and after boxblade scraped out all the rocks to the surface, seems to me it'll cause more wear/tear on vehicles than before. Im just trying to learn here. What do you think about adding a wheelbarrow load of gravels or wood chips just in the potholes and major water channels? It'll save wear/tear on the tractor and and vehicle tires. But i'm only guessing. What do you think?

[@deekim597]

by wheelbarrow load, I mean using the front loader or truckbed whatever's easier to jump in and out of, not literally pushing a wheelbarrow manually.

[@astroboy9736]

Do you guys always use geotextile fabric or only when the base is clay? I am just about to get my driveway done and not sure what is best? I have predominantly sand with some silt and the occasional buried bolder with no clay but it does wash out badly. Thanks in advance.

[@coypatton3160]

I have seen lots of driveways that sit lower than the land on each side. This will result in the driveway always being the water flow path during heavy rains. If you own the tractor and have this type of drive, get a box blade with rippers, my experience you waste your time and money if you do not plow the ground but only fill the hole.

[@tcotroneo]

Thank you for the detailed instruction. How long did that take you and how long was that driveway?

[@tombryan720]

Awesome!

[@treeclimbing7798]

Certainly a larger Rock Base would help. ‘Borrow’ some gravel from that over-graveled road. 👆🏼shhhh

[@danwernke5902]

Great video Mike. I have a driveway with a hill that has ruts from the heavy spring rains that has gotten down to my base in spots. Would you recommend I level the drive out with a box blade before putting down more crusher run it would a land plane be better? Also, what is the minimum horsepower you would recommend for maintenance on a driveway like this? Open to suggestions from others on here too.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Minimum HP 35, If its real rough I would use box blade, not to bad use a land plane, (My 2 cents)

[@michaelbaumgardner9493]

Would relief cuts to ditch help? Or would it just added more sediment too existing drainage?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Yes they help and I do that on that driveway

[@waterskipilot145]

Do you think the RK37 could pull a 7 footer effectively? According to the website, it's "performance matched" to the rk37. Thoughts?

[@earlebenson7365]

How do you put the crown back in the driveway?

[@YochanonAvi]

Like to know - all day on the tractor - how is your body or/and back?

[@jakeruchti1]

Do tractors like that with cabs have roll bars built into the cab or does the cab act like a roll bar? Been looking at a tractor with a cab but i have hilly ground and would like a roll bar for added saftey.

[@coypatton3160]

Jacob Ruchti typically a can will include in its structure rollover protection. Use your seatbelt or you will still get bounced around and potential serious injuries.

[@lionelcroom7364]

In your opinion could the RK37 have handled this work?

[@rickdelve]

Wow, what a difference from the start to the end of the video. I need you to come up to Canada and do my lane-way to my cabin. I think it's worse than your sisters...

[@Squash15b]

Mike, Would having an hydraulic top link be worthwhile for an application such as maintaining a driveway?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Yes, that would be handy

[@python3574]

This driveway would be a good opportunity for a more discriminating comparison between the box blade and the land plane; the last driveway having so much gravel that any of 8 attachments probably could have done a satisfactory job. Now, the next time you have to maintain this road, try it with the land plane and compare how it worked, how long it took, results, etc... to the box blade. If the issue will continue to be needing to carry gravel back uphill, then is it prudent to land plane every so often to keep it dressed up and try to prevent it from getting so bad?

[@tifttyson]

Starting using my new BB this week. Leveling a place for tractor shed is job one. Reworking my gravel driveway and widening my culvert will be next. Thanks so much for the help.

[@bogillespie4774]

Is there anything you can't do with machine great job

[@sucapizda]

Sounds to me like the box blade is the ultimate attachment. Is the verdict in?

[@ohyeah1359]

Any service issues usIng Rural King?

[@1017Bucky]

It seemed like, at the start at least, you were going only in one direction and then backing up to the start point, and repeating the process. Was there a reason for this other than making it easier to video? Wouldn't it have been more efficient to go up the driveway a good distance (maybe all the way) and turn around and come back down using the blade all the while to save on so much backing up?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

No, driveways like this one has most of the rock at lower end, erosion problems farther up move rock down towards the end so I wanted to pull that material back up the driveway and regrade, Make sense?

[@1017Bucky]

Absolutely! Never considered that. Thanks.

[@jeffclaus4422]

Using a new camera in this video? Looks very sharp.

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

jeff claus, check out video 151 for details

[@regsparkes6507]

I almost missed this video Mike,...I must have been distracted,...but anyway, this one gives us a good idea of how to use a Box Blade, and that in itself makes this a useful as well as entertaining video. Oh one question, would it benefit you to use a roller compactor on this when you're finished with the box?

[@tedjohn441]

Looks like you have enough stone. Just put a crown on it and ditch the sides.

[@Cotton088]

it looks like the sides need to be cut down for drainage

[@cjkrispy1429]

How long did that take you?

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Chris King. Almost 2 hours

[@cjkrispy1429]

Outdoors With The Morgans not as long as I thought. It looked pretty hard.

[@Living-The-Dream]

What an improvement! How long in actual time is this project taking? Nice work👍

[@OutdoorsWithTheMorgans]

Living The Dream, it took almost two hours to get that much done

[@JeremyTVOK]

Good video, Mike. I Iike the camera looking at the box blade. I did a very similar video on my channel with the same camera shot - if you get a chance, check it out. Keep up the good work!

[@glennwilliams15]

Tell don't fly down drive 35MPH slow down.

[@lmychajluk]

Did you see the video where he was doing his own driveway? He can't get his wife to slow down, either!

[@BlackMan614]

It's always the middle-aged women in their fancy SUV's driving too fast on the gravel road and the FIRST ones to complain about the ruts. Oh... and they don't want to pay for any repairs - they just want the road fairy to magically smooth their road.

[@jerryhollingshead7806]

Scraper

[@matthewsims359]

I need to invest in rippers for my box blade, it looks lime they really loosen things up. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

It’s amazing how many of these videos the implements need leveled front to back