Another land plane build

[yelbike]

I built land plane from scrape steel. I wasn't so impressed with performance of it on my gravel driveway but this evening I used for leveling top soil I added to smooth out my lawn. I like it a little better now.

Build was pretty basic. The hitch is actually a carry all from tsc. I made it reversible. In the picture the diagonal blades and down and the parallel blade are on top. I need to unbolt the hitch, flip the plane over than rebooted the hitch. So far I've only used the diagonal side.

The blades are flush with the skids and not adjustable.

My main complaint is it dives forward and seems to clump up the material in the front.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

{ have a factory made one and it works great you have to play with top link adjustment until you get it right the one you built looks like a nice job.

 

[orangeandgreen]

I have to put a good bit of pressure on the back of my LPGS by extending the top link to get both blade to cut equally. You probably need to add diagonal braces from top link attaching point to back to prevent the frame bending near lower hitch pins

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

The braces from tip to top of the carry-all frame will do wonders for rigidity. The flip-over idea is interesting. Haven't seen one like that before.

I suspect part of why you didn't find it working very well on the gravel is with the cutting edges flush with the skids, it can only ever take off high spots. It can never do anything with the neutral or low spots. But perfect for leveling the lawn as you state.

Weight and rain will be the other factors with gravel. Gravel you want wet, dirt you want dry. The more weight the better for working the gravel.

The one that I just finished building is 600 lbs for a 3' wide and I want to add more weight.... Like several hundred more lbs.

 

[yelbike]

The braces from tip to top of the carry-all frame will do wonders for rigidity. The flip-over idea is interesting. Haven't seen one like that before.

I suspect part of why you didn't find it working very well on the gravel is with the cutting edges flush with the skids, it can only ever take off high spots. It can never do anything with the neutral or low spots. But perfect for leveling the lawn as you state.

Weight and rain will be the other factors with gravel. Gravel you want wet, dirt you want dry. The more weight the better for working the gravel.

The one that I just finished building is 600 lbs for a 3' wide and I want to add more weight.... Like several hundred more lbs.

I wonder how much the hitch actually flexes. I just may add the tip to top pieces.

Good point about the wet gravel and dry dirt.