Designed 2 Build Project

DIY Gravel Grader Project

When our house was built we had a gravel driveway, well crusher dust really, but it made a reasonable driveway. The problem is that when it rains a lot of the rain flows straight down the driveway. Over the years this has carried a lot of the surrounding dirt with it and dropped enough dirt particles on the driveway gravel to completely bury it.

My wife I considered several solutions and we finally settled on the idea that I would design and build a gravel grader to resurrect the existing driveway from beneath the sands of time. Once that is done we could get some more gravel to extend the driveway and the gravel grader would always be around to maintain it. Having the gravel grader would allow us to periodically rejuvenate the gravel surfaces by bringing rock to the top and redistributing it evenly.

When I designed this I wanted to create a grader that could be used with any four-wheeler (ride-on, ATV, tractor, etc.). One of the main considerations in designing the gravel grader was that I would not have to get off the tractor to reconfigure it. I wanted to be able to raise it so the teeth were clear of the ground to move around the yard and lower it in the areas I needed to scrape without jumping on and off the tractor all the time. I also made it possible to produce camber on the driveway simply be differentially adjusting the actuators.

Below you will find links to the videos documenting the build. Below that you will find links to the few bits you need to buy to complete the grader should you choose to build one. Finally, at the bottom of the page is a link to download the plans for the grader.

Parts that I used can be found at the following links (all same seller):

8" Linear Actuator on EBay AU

8" Linear Actuator on EBay US

8" Linear Actuator on EBay CA

8" Linear Actuator on EBay UK

13x5.00-6" Pneumatic Tire and Wheel on EBay AU

7 pin trailer plug and socket on EBay AU

If you would like to try to source some cheaper parts, try these searches:
(Just be sure that the specifications are suitable)

8" Linear Actuator on EBay AU

8" Linear Actuator on EBay CA

8" Linear Actuator on EBay US

8" Linear Actuator on EBay UK