John, I'm coming in late on this thread and really don't have too much to say except that Murph is right about the dump method. Every stone drive I put in I have the driver set his dump gate and drive out. If you have a 500 foot stone drive, and a good tractor, purchasing a rake really isn't out of the question. I've found the best way to maintain a stone drive is with the rake. Using the bucket heel is marginally better for back grading with a small machine because it places less stress on the bucket curl cylinders, using the front edge or lip puts on the most strain. When I started landscaping I used the bucket exclusively for back grading on dirt and on stone, and wore one out at 1200 hours. A $300 used york is a lot cheaper.

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