At first glance a person would think that with a 3 point hitch grader attached to a tractor would get a lot done. That is not the case however because they do not really grade; when the tractor goes into a hole, the grader blade digs too deep, and when it goes over a bump it lifts the grader off the ground; all this leaves a very wavy surface. NO GOOD! If a person is constantly adjusting the 3 point hitch lever it can somewhat be blended out, but not by a lot. This summer I got a grant from the USDA-NRCS to extend a logging road up a 9% grade and really needed the road to be smooth and properly crowned. To get that, I took my grader off its 3 point hitch, mounted it to an I-Beam with a gooseneck, then inserted it between the bolt on hitch of my Wallenstein Log Trailer. The Wallenstein Log Trailer works well because it is already pretty long, but mostly because its two walking beam axles allowing the blade to remain flat to the ground even if the wheels hit a rock or something. It works exceedingly well, taking only a pass or two to really get the roadway flat. It kind of is a pain to bolt it all up, but overall is worth it for the work that it does.
Wow! You sure are talented. I have a box scraper for my tractor and find it's easier to move our clay soil when it's wet. The box scraper doesn't seem to bounce like you describe, I've experienced that with a your rake and it was annoying.
LT - First of all: Nice job! The floating 3 point hitch is not great for that kind of work but your solution is right on the money! Second: Can you tell me what the grant description is? I am meeting with my NRCS agent next month to talk about my next round of projects and I'd like to see what is available for my roads. Knowing what the grant specified will help me with my discussion with them. Thanks in advance!
Looks like the chainsaw to the face further unlocked the creative problem solving innovative design side of your brain. That thing is awesome. Hope you are fully recovered from that incident with the spring pole...
Sweet setup! Put a seat on the rig and have someone you trust run the blade while you drive at a snails pace.
My USDA-NRCS grant was actually 3, but I did them all at the same time. I was experiencing massive erosion and needed something done. It is a VERY long story that spans 3 years and Federal Court, but I'll be darned if I did not win. yep, it even shocked me. In the end the 3 projects included: (1) Reseeding an corn field back into grass ($3708) (2) Major swale work ($498) (3) Building an access road ($9708) It really is not a grant but a cost share program. In this case they paid 90% and I paid 10%. What happens is, they come in and figure out what it would cost the Federal Government to do the job and pay you a percentage of that. In my case, beginner farmer...90%. A farmer has to do everything to their specifications, yet if you can do the job UNDER what the 90% is, you keep the money. If you cannot, and you go over, you have to pay the extra money. You MUST meet the specifications however regardless. On this job it was easy. I have the equipment and gravel pit to do the job, and the Soil Engineer approved my gravel as it meets federal specifications. I did however have to spend money on fertilizer, seed and lime to get the field to optimum NPK and PH levels...again part of the rules. The biggest issue for us was, we had to move some 350 cubic yards of gravel. I have the pit and the dozer, but no dump truck, I did however have a Wallenstein Trailer that has a 1 cubic yard dump body. We ended up making 300 plus trips being towed by my wife in the Grocery-Getter (Ford Explorer) loaded in the pit with my Kubota 25 HP 1/4 cubic yard farm tractor! It sounds daunting, but 10 trips per day means in only 35 days 350 cubic yards of gravel can be hauled. We did 60 one day, 30 another, etc to get it done, but done it is. In the end we spent $1800 for $13,000. Not bad, and a good project completed.
And finally this is of the swale work that was done. It included a rock ford so that I could get into this field. (The rock ford they did not pay for though).
Great work! I have done an NCRS project (4 of them) and I understand the cost sharing aspect of it. Some of the projects I had the means and competency to complete. The other project (spraying and forestry mowing) I did not have the equipment or license to complete. It worked out well however that the other projects I did on my own paid for the projects or parts of the other projects that I couldn't do. I am trying to get some help for my roads/trails. Based on your input, I think the erosion angle is what I should focus on. Thanks!
