Tractors, Mowers, Chippers, Trailers, Chainsaws, Generators, Driveway Erosion Control, ETC.

Any recommendations on renting a dump trailer for gravel? Need to refinish my driveway and I am thinking a dump trailer is the best way. My long driveway won’t support a dump truck otherwise I would just have them deliver it.

 

If only you were closer I would spend the money cause it's been gone thru and now doing good. And if closer could return for service win win for both.

 

Renting the dump trailer depends what you have to tow it with, the weight gets crazy fast.

Gravel weighs about 2200 pounds for a yard, 1 cubic yard = 3” depth for 100 square feet (10 x 10).
Unless you have a HD truck you are going to make a lot of trips.

The stone companies generally use big tri axle trucks, you might check with a smaller contractor with a single axle dump truck.

 

Is there a place where a big dump truck can drop the gravel close to the end of the driveway and you rent a front end loader to spread it?

 

I have a long bed 1-ton Chevy which I was thinking about getting a bucket full at a time but would rather get a dump trailer to make it easier to unload.

 

Was thinking about that but not really a good spot to drop it.

 

Sometimes where you drop it becomes a good spot! Plus you leave the bottom of the pile there and it becomes a new parking spot!

 

With a good heavy truck the dump trailer will be way easier.

BTW, never think the gravel delivery guys don't have a sense of humor:

I asked for "tailgate spread" on an straight, flat driveway.
They said "we'll do the best we can".
Arrived to find a Volkswagen size pile of gravel at the wrong end of an 85 foot driveway...

I would have been quite inspired to hit the guy with my shovel if he was there...

 

I pay for stone delivery so that my stuff doesn’t get all beat up. 7 yards in a dump truck is about the same cost as renting a trailer and getting it yourself. Just my $0.02.

 

That sucks! Cant trust anybody these days!

 

Problem is my driveway can’t support a dump truck.

 

ok will do a couple pix here to share.

back in the 90's i was restoring Gravely riders cause these guys could climb & mow about anywhere. this was a 16hp twin when picked it up for $250... about 80hrs later it had new paint, rebuilt everything & the kicker= did a 1 off conversion & stuck a 24hp Honda v-twin on it. yeah man that baby had power then! If you know these mowers or have seen them? yeah it was the real deal. only drawback was your SPINE is the suspension. so this hobby eventually gave way to another one.

then i moved into the Hustlers. This old gal was a Hustler ATZ (all terrain zero) it was designed by Hustler to hillclimb with factory cage & so on. If you are a member over at the lawsite this complete rebuild & conversion is posted over there. she had a 27hp Kohler that blew up in 93'... replaced that with a 35hp Kawasaki conversion kit & this beast had a 72" deck. my place was hillside & steep so this was safe & fairly quick. could do 3acres in an hour, which is a lot for that terrain. sold the old girl to a neighbor at 2,000 hrs...who still runs it today.

in 2003 i went & got a brand new Hustler Hyperdrive Super Z as they had discontinued the ATZ. this one had the 37.5hp Kawasaki carb motor on it. sweet Jesus! this thing runs 16mph on the flat & climbs as good as the ATZ in a much shorter platform. This was a mowing MF'r!! loved this machine. smooth, sweet, fast. BUT my back issues had increased as i got older & they still have only a "suspension seat" which still not much in a rough yard. we moved in 2016 to a small farm with an even bigger yard & took this with us. She kept right on beating me up until November of 2022. girl was still running & cutting strong, but my back was not. This machine also used about 2gals per hour & it liked premium fuel. so it was costing me about $60 every time i cut the grass ... JUST on the mower. talked to the wife & she could see me limp every time i got off of this girl. So the hunt for the next beast began.

Enter this fine young lady! This is my new ride. Its a Wright ZXT. it has a full floating seat & then a floating operator station~! 60" deck with all the newest mower tricks & advancements. it also has a 40hp EFI engine! hell yes! it has a super wide stance for hills/banks, great power & good ergo's. only cost me $6.72 to cut the same yard on Monday! My wife says this girl has big hips because of the way she sits on the ground. i think she looks more like a Ferrari or Lambo on those big wheels.

while i miss the smoothness & hydro power of the Hustler.... the engine power & ride of this ZXT is just ridiculous. It had came down to this ZXT or a Ferris because of the suspension. but the hydro power was better on the ZXT. NOTHING touches the Hydro power or speed of a Hustler. no other brand is even close when you ride them.

BUT: really if its comfortable? then you dont have to mow that fast anyway.


oh & for the guy with the Kubota & deck issue? this is a cheap way to go~ (see pic)
its a RM 59 on the back of my old 7200.

 

Just my .02 worth get it delivered to a spot at the end of your drive and work it as you can. Now that I've said that I have a 79' Kubota B7100 with a bucket, scrape blade.

 

If you rented the front end loader first and had that a little ways up the driveway you could have the load(s) delivered at the end of the driveway and spread them eventually clearing the end of the driveway so it could be used. You would be without your driveway until you were done but it would work.

 

That could work. Here is what the end of my driveway looks like. Shoot, after thinking about it might as well just have them drop it in the street. I am at the end of a very low traffic street.

 

Have driver dump opposite mail box out of way of drive looks pretty solid. Wher in SC are you? Because if your neighbor has a tractor you might work out a deal with them.

 

Indian land. Yeah a couple neighbors I haven’t met yet have some nice tractors and a bobcat.

 

That red clay is nasty, there!

 

Thats your ticket. Offer some cash, you might be suprised could only cost some beers. Too far from me I'm up near TN. in the mountains.

 

Some days you eat the bar, other days the bar eats you!

I got the wiring issue squared away on the Fuelie. Had a customer come over and check it it out and said he wanted it.

I told him I wanted to change the oil and filter (fram, for those that are curious).

Did the change and find oil leaking out the #2 valve cover. It did not leak before the oil change.

Pulled the covers. Found the oil drain hole from the valve train to the sump blocked. Fuck!

The #2 head is the filler side. I figure some foil from the new oil jug seal must have found its way into the head when I was adding oil.

So guess who's got 2 thumbs and gets to pull the head and find out what's blocking the drain?

Yeah, this guy!