Fixing a Gravel Driveway with Compact Tractor and Box Blade

In this video I use a Kubota L2501 and Land Pride BB1260 box blade to repair a gravel driveway after a long, harsh winter. The drive had a number of potholes and areas that needed to be fixed.
Here we successfully repaired and re-graded the gravel driveway in a short amount of time.
Thanks for watching!

[@davew1919]

A hydraulic top link works awesome with a box blade! It’s a must have accessory!!

[@Academy_Farm]

It's on the wish-list! I can see how much more efficient it would make things. I'm still enjoying learning the "olden" ways for now. Thanks for watching.

[@ThePeds955]

Very costly here in Australia 😢

[@stevestock2439]

Yeah nice work, thanks for taking your time to show us your piece of paradise.

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks, Steve. My pleasure!

[@TheRaulr151]

Great job and beautiful property.

[@Academy_Farm]

Thank you!

[@bradbruggeman6745]

Fine job. Yes,a compact tractor is a very good little tool. I don't know what I would do without mine.

[@Academy_Farm]

Agreed!

[@davefarrar7435]

Thanks for the video.I have the exact same setup and I need to fix the driveway into our horse boarding facility here in Central CA. Unfortunately, I spent most of the video in awe of your beautiful property. I should probably watch it again... Thanks!

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks! Those small adjustments to the top link seem to be the only difference between a quick project and making an even bigger mess. Good luck!

[@paulfay357]

That looks great! Fun fact. Out here in Missouri that brook would be called a creek. Or a "crick" if you want to put a little twang on it! 😊

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks! That's how we know someone's from the south; when the use the "c" word when talking about our streams 🤣

[@ThePeds955]

Thanks for the video mate, might have just inspired me to do the same to my driveway soon..👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@aaronburford5701]

Watched, Commented, Liked, Subscribed, Shared! Great video love the Box Blade demo !

[@Academy_Farm]

Thank you, Sir. A fine tool you can really finesse the landscape with once you get the hang of it!

[@aaronburford5701]

@@Academy_Farm Yes it is and you use it well... please share more!

[@user-mx3zd8on4u]

Very smart young man. Im so proud 😉

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks, Mom...

[@brianrosabeck]

Nice! Gorgeous place!!

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks! It's pretty special to us!

[@tomjohnston224]

Nice Job

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks!

[@TexasRedneck]

great job!

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks!

[@jcammons3692]

I’ve got the same box blade. You commented about the clips. I bought that particular blade due to those spring clips after having a box blade with the standard hairpin clip and pin. I keep pliers on the tractor anyway and find dropping and losing the big spring clips is less common than dropping and losing those tiny hair pin clips. I also made a drop in bolt to keep the scarifiers in place that can simply be lifted and the scarifier adjusted. It works great and is too less. Good work. I do driveways pretty much just like this fairly frequently.

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks for the insight! I don't plan on upgrading the box anytime soon but it sounds like those clips might be worth the trouble. I appreciate it!

[@HangNguyen-ty7zv]

Hello bro!!! What brand is your box blade? I am researching one.

[@Academy_Farm]

@@HangNguyen-ty7zv that's a Land Pride unit.

[@aaronburford5701]

Great video, love the commentary, driveway looks good!

[@Academy_Farm]

Thank you, Sir.

[@rcguy18]

Good amount tips using a box blade. Nice upgrade would be hydraulic top link.

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks! Not sure I can justify that cost just yet, i dont have rear hydraulics setup; someday!

[@rcguy18]

@@Academy_Farm I spent more on the cylinder then I did on two spool valve, hoses and fittings coming out of power beyond. Was definitely worth the cost.

[@LFfire1597]

Greetings from Walpole

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks for watching, neighbor!

[@MrMharley]

👍🏻🇺🇸awesome

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks, Mike!

[@sap3055]

Interesting to see how Americans scrape the Roade her in Norway we don't use this box blades and laneplane we use a blade witch we can adjust with hydraulics we always pull the materials to the middle of the Roade that way you get a curve on the Roade and all the water goes straight away from the road and you then don't get so much pot holes seems that you keep the roads absolutely flat in America and that way the water have almost no way to go so it stays in the road and keeps making more pot holes

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks for the insight! Agreed; with a decent crown, the pothole should be few and far between. Thanks for watching!

[@vc8160]

Yes but a blade is almost useless if you don't rip up the surface with the scarifiers. Otherwise you will have nothing to grade with your blade.

[@paulmang5840]

Nice video! I have a similar problem with my long driveway in one spot. Each year potholes develops. Any idea how to prevent the potholes from coming back?

[@Academy_Farm]

Thanks, Paul. Potholes wouldn't exist without water. Really solid substrate combined with an appropriate crown should theoretically prevent potholes from returning.

[@georgea6403]

They say you have to dig a hole with sharp corners. Like with a backhoe bucket. Then fill with gravel with the fines in it. With the tapered sides of the bottle stones just want to disperse out with the squared off corners it won’t disperse out as easy.

[@georgea6403]

Pothole. Not bottle

[@Academy_Farm]

@@georgea6403 makes sense!

[@chrisgramstorff996]

Where are you located I’m just over the border in Mass but looking to move to NH soon

[@Academy_Farm]

There are still great properties hitting the market. We're just south of the lakes region in Loudon. Thanks for watching!

[@TF856]

It looks like your 3-point drop rate is set too fast.

[@Academy_Farm]

I bet it is; I've never adjusted that little knob under the seat. It's probably causing unessary wear and tear on the implements. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@ap98781]

So your taking the high spots and lowering them?

[@Academy_Farm]

Better described as loosening all the spots, high and low, and then grading them as we see fit.

[@patrickhennessey5221]

It seemed on video that the tractor was running maybe a bit to fast especially when you had the rippers down causing the box blade to jump and skip ...😮

[@Academy_Farm]

Perhaps! That box is only 350lbs, and the driveway is generally very hard and riddled with softball-sized rocks. It probably wouldn't have hurt to be low gear and to creep along for the ripping phase.

[@andrewaitken8869]

@@Academy_Farm It might have saved breaking the tip off the right side ripper. I enjoyed this video and yes that is a nice piece of the world.

[@Academy_Farm]

@Andrew Aitken Yep! The rippers are better suited for slow and steady. I broke the tip in the woods on a large, jagged boulder; but nothings saying that couldn't happen in the driveway as well.

[@groundcontrol2795]

The most common cause of losing tips is backing up with the scarifier still in the ground. Definitely a no no. : )

[@ginozanga2129]

Where in NH are you at? Was Born in Peterborough

[@Academy_Farm]

Nice! We're in Loudon!