Driveway Groomer

[GaryM]

I ordered one of these today: Driveway Groomer (http://www.drivewaygroomer.com) . I plan to use it on my driveway as well as the gravel road in our small subdivision. The road section through the woods is always getting potholes and I'm hoping that use of this tool every month will help eliminate the problem. Or at least improve it somewhat.

It seems as though it will do the job with regular use, rather than letting it get too bad and trying to catch up. Plus as it can be pulled with a garden tractor or ATV I might be able to rent it to my neighbors for them to use it on their drives. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

We currently have a fellow with a big tractor and a Duragrader work the road once or twice a year, but it costs $800 or so each time and it's sometimes difficult to get him to come over when we need him. He farms and I can understand his priorities.

I'll post a followup with photos when it arrives and is put into use.

[LazyJ_Arabians]

I look at that website at least once a month and wonder. Looking forward to the testimonial. Did you get the full-size or the junior? A local guy makes a 6 footer very similar that tows like the jr but it is $700.

[GaryM]

I ordered the full sized unit. I have a JD4100 CUT and don't think I'll have any issues pulling it. Now I need to find some patio pavers. Might be tricky in December in Missouri, /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[egon]

Come on up to Nova Scotia Gary. Ill supply the pavers. They are still in stock at the stores. You can practice on My access road to the farm. Heck we can even find some big pavers out there.

Are you going to set up a grooming business? Make sure you specify roads as otherwise you make become inundated with Poodles! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Back from real farm days I can remember a similar machine designed for horses and used to level newly broke land. It consisted of two 8X8 fir balks spaced about four feet apart. I think there was a piece of angle iron on each leading edge. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[GaryM]

Egon,

Send the pavers down here. I can't afford the gas to come and get them. /forums/images/icons/mad.gif

In addition to the groomer, I ordered the Easy Mover advertised on Tractor by Net. I have the drawbar, just never made an adaprtor to hold a hitch unit.

Our road is nice and wet now as the snow and ice we received a week or so ago has just disappeared. Too wet actually. Maybe conditions will be right by the time the groomer and easy mover arrive.

Egon, make sure you send the pavers to my home rather than to my PO Box, as I don't think they'll fit inside the box. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[egon]

Gary; it's best you come up as my pavers are a little too heavy for the postman. Besides you need an improper surface to start on and learn before you try your regular road.

PS: Get a smart car as they get really good mileage and you can pretend race with the Paddle Shift and it's a diesel too! /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[GaryM]

I have a smart car! It's a Prius with 103000 miles on it. Can't carry too many pavers though.

How you doing with the camera?

[egon]

Still contemlating on the camera!

Smart Car!

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[GaryM]

I'm not certain there's even room for one paver in there! Well, maybe if there was no passenger.

[egon]

Gary; I'll supply the pavers. Remember they are still up here. By the time we properly check out the new groomer it will be paver season back home again. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

My goodness, did you say > 100K miles in several years? Do you realize how rapidly you are converting energy to lower state! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif /forums/images/icons/frown.gif It's taken me 10 years to drive that far.

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[GaryM]

Entropy, it's not only a good idea, It's the law!

[GaryM]

Well, the Driveway Groomer arrived the other day and I assembled it this morning. Instructions were pretty good and I appear to be missing four 5/16 x 1 1/4" bolts. I'll pick them up when I get the pavers. This afternoon I hope.

Parts fit well. All laser cut and powder finished. Bright orange. Wonder if I could get green to match my tractor? /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

I ordered the Riser Plate kit that allows the unit to drag more material. I'll try it without that first and see how it goes. The toothed blades can be attached toothed or smooth side down. This allows the cutting action to be adjusted somewhat. I'm going to start with the teeth on the front and smooth on the rear.

Here's a photo of the completed unit, minus pavers, in my driveway.

[GaryM]

The pavers sit inside the channels. There's room for at least three on each side with no stacking.

Here's a close up of the front corner and teeth.

[GaryM]

And the rear corner with the teeth pointing up.

[rpeter]

Update the post when you have had a chance to use it. Does sound very interseting.

About the paint job. Maybe you should just buy an orange tractor. That color would go great with my B7800. /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

[GaryM]

It's having a hard time biting into the hard packed surface of the subdivision road. This stuff is like concrete! /forums/images/icons/mad.gif

I'd assembled it with the rear set of teeth pointing up, for smoothing, rather than down for cutting. I need to reverse that and see how it works. I might also need to lengthen the chains. The front end of the groomer seems to lift some as it's dragged forward. Making the chains longer should reduce the lifing effect.

It worked great on my drive which is not hard packed like the road is.

More later.

[egon]

More weight, Gary, more weight Gary. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

On the groommer ehh. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Bring it up, we have lots of groomer weights!

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[GaryM]

Hey man! Those pavers were $1.22 each. And that's in US Dollars, not Canadian. Not sure I could afford anymore of them.

As I mentioned, making the chains longer will lower the angle resulting in less upward force on the front end of the groomer. It's raining now, so if it's not doing so tomorrow and not too cold, I might give it another try. It did work fine on my drive which has no fines in the mix so doesn't pack to a hard surface. I didn't want to be tracking all the stone dust into the house.

[egon]

Gary, you take your boots off on the back stoop before entering the house.

/forums/images/icons/grin.gif I will supply the pavers up here. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

[stoweski]

Hi Folks,

New here. Found the site through Tractorbynet.com. Just browsing and noticed this post. I have a driveway groomer. Bought it about 1-1/2 years ago and have used it several times. Had it hooked to my truck before I bought a tractor. After playing around with it for a while I finally figured out how to properly groom my driveway. It does a very nice job and definitely saves $$ on gravel. I also have used it for clearing brush in my yard (used to be woods, cleared a few trees).
Anyway, I've recommended these to several people so far so all I can say is if you have been thinking about getting one then stop thinking and order it! It's definitely handy.

Think snow!
Keith

[GaryM]

Welcome to Country by Net! It's a great place, just like Tractor by Net.

Thanks for your input. I'm happy with the way it worked on my drive, but as I mentioned I'm having trouble getting it to cut into the hard packed road. I'm going to work with it some more though. I won't send it back in any case. I might try it to level a few spots in part of my yard later this Spring.

[Pat]

Gary, When you get pretty much through the learning curve and are getting good results then bring it on down and demo it to me for a couple days. We don't need to do the whole drive just a few hundred feet here and there where it isn't so well shaped. Don't bother bringing a tractor if you don't mind using my 40HP 4x4 Kubota.

You won't need your sleeping bag and ensolite pad as we have operable guest rooms. Incidently I make some real fine Belgian waffles and you won't have to wait for seconds as I have THREE BIG Belgian waffle makers.

Pat /forums/images/icons/smile.gif /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[GaryM]

It won't fit in my Prius, and I can't afford to drive my Expedition and trailer that far! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

[Pat]

Gary, Emory Aitr Freight!

Pat /forums/images/icons/smile.gif /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[rfawkes]

Gary, I think you should borrow a box blade and put the scarifiers down to dig up the hard pack on the road. Then use your leveler and you will have a good smooth road. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif