tarcoleo 119 #1 Posted October 8, 2011 Controlling weeds in a gravel driveway is a chore. You can spend a lot of money and time spraying herbicide, or you can grade it occasionally. Thanks to member mrc in a trade I was able to get a mid-mount 50" grader. That solved 90% of the problem. My 100" driveway had long been neglected and needed severe attention. But once again, weeds and grass, with all the rain here, are reestablishing themselves. Today, I went to our town's transfer station ("the dump") and retrieved an old 20" truck tire and armed it with nine 1-1/2" teeth. These teeth were bolts that protrude from the bottom through the sidewall of the tire as it is trailed behind my tractor. The 1/2" bolts, secured with nuts and washers, were arranged 4-1/2" apart around the trailing half of the tire. I'm guessing it all weighs about 50 lbs. More weight (or a larger tire) might be better and there's nothing magic about nine teeth. Anyway, the device did a number on new weeds and grass and served to regrade the gravel nicely. If my word picture above needs a photo, advise, but anyone can figure this out for themselves. Tom in RI :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimD 3,345 #2 Posted October 8, 2011 I'd like to see a pic of it. :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgoyette 12 #3 Posted October 8, 2011 sounds like a great idea! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #4 Posted October 9, 2011 JimD- Decided to install additional "teeth" to the tire carcass making a total of about 21 1/2" x 2-1/2" bolts spread around the sidewall at about 4-1/2" centers. The bolts with their washers and nuts protrude out from the surface of the sidewall about 1-3/8". I'll try to get some pictures later this week. Tom in RI Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #5 Posted October 10, 2011 Well I installed 21 total "teeth" around the circumference of the 20x8.5 truck tire carcass. The teeth are 2-1/2" bolts and nuts and washers fastened through the mid- side wall of the tire. This reconfigured assembly did all that I expected, dragged behind a tractor, serving to de-weed and level my ground stone driveway. The description above I hope will permit anyone to duplicate this simple low-cost attachment. Try it, you'll like it. Tom in RI :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,957 #6 Posted October 10, 2011 You could also add some weight to the tire to make it perform a bit more aggressively, if necessary. Sound like a good, cheap idea. :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #7 Posted October 11, 2011 More weight certainly would increase "the bite" as suggested. The crushed stone is granite and very abrasive, so much so that bolts show noticeable wear. I won't be using the tool very often, maybe only 5-6 times a year, so I'll leave it as it is for now. Bolts are cheap. I'll be putting the device into commercial production (ha-ha) with tungsten carbide teeth. Tom in RI :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #8 Posted October 11, 2011 Pictures here, sorry not direct. Moderators: there's got to be an easier way to do pictures. [url=http://s1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa472/arcoleot/?action=view Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JUSS10 250 #10 Posted October 11, 2011 i built this last summer to do the same on my driveway. making a rake allowed me to lift it up when i didn't want to drag it, such as driving over grass or pavement. they work great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #11 Posted October 11, 2011 Tom after looking at your photos and seeing that you used spring nuts leads me to the conclusion that you were at one time an electrician or played with unistrut! Oh how I hate unistrut... I am only 19 and I worked for my uncle's electrical company and then I was in the local IBEW as a helper/apprentice, and a big part of my job was being up on lifts and ladders to bolt unitstut together, to walls, columns, beams you name it! Btw it does look rather handy and I may have to try it myself! I have about 40 or so semi tires floating around here somewhere. How did you drag it? I-bolt through one side with a chain? -Charles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #12 Posted October 11, 2011 Charles- In the murky entrails of industrial America, I was an engineer and occasionally came across various abandoned material treasures such as Unistrut steel. Projects at home and in my own business later made use of these various finds as you see, even in my retirement. I see "Central NJ" in your by-line. In 1995, I relocated to RI from Princeton where I had a business. Where abouts are you in the great Garden State? Sounds like you are an experienced "Fastenating" guy http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=Tom_Pipecarver_%26_Son Tom in RI :thumbs2: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #13 Posted June 13, 2012 Just realized I missed this! I live in Manalapan, which is next to Freehold! Princeton is about 40 minutes away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarcoleo 119 #14 Posted June 14, 2012 I wrote an up date to this thread today and its disappeared. Why? Anyway, just wanted to say that the teeth were extended to 2-1/2" and 80 lbs. were added to the assembly with very good result. -Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CasualObserver 3,406 #15 Posted June 14, 2012 Tom... it didn't disappear. It's four topics down. Charles just responded to your old thread, bringing it back to the top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
