DR Power Grader

[MossRoad]

I've owned the grader for about 4 years. I bought it after my driveway rock had been down for about 3 years and was looking pretty ragged with several minor to intermediate washouts. The grader was being offered at the time with a 6 month trial, so I decided it would be worth a try.

The driveway is 400+ feet long and the grader, towed by a UTV worked like a dream. I loaded the weight basin with bricks and after about 10 passes, the drive looked like it did when the rock was first put down. No kidding, I was amazed.

Since then I've used it once a year for about 5-7 passes and until this year never had occasion to add additional rock. The scarifiers look new and there have been no frame, mechanism or tire issues. I did have to buy a new battery this spring, but only because I neglected to put it on the charger last fall. There is no cure for dumb.......

I am currently selling the grader, but only because I had asphalt laid this spring. I wish my mowers, which are not from DR, were as reliable.......

Welcome to TBN! :thumbsup:

 

[reded658]

I've got the 48" model. I use a modified Craftsman 21 HP hydrostatic yard tractor (YTS3000) to pull it. Does fine so long as you use common sense in setting the depth control. My road is 7/10 mile long and has an average 12% grade on the 400' climb up the mountain to my house. I can put the teeth full down in hard or loose material going down. I do have to limit the depth when coming up the mountain on loose material. I modified the tractor to handle a snowplow and snowblower on this grade. The same modifications are what enable me to handle the grader reasonably well. I have all four tires loaded with liquid. I have rear wheel weights. And I carry 75# of weight above the rear hitch. That's about 50# less than what I use to push my snowblower up and down the mountain on snow and ice. I use chains in snow. I haven't seen the need for them with the grader. This combination replaced the 85 HP 4WD tractor with 8' box blade that I used on this road for 19 years until I got tired of keeping that monster up just for road maintenance. The Craftsman and grader and snow equipment do the same job for a LOT less operating and maintenance expense. It doesn't take all that much longer to do the same jobs. And I can do SO MUCH MORE on the rest of my property with my yard tractor. So, yeah. You can pull it with a lawn tractor. And pull it well. But you'll probably have to do something about traction by adding a lot of weight first. I don't think you could do much with most lawn or garden tractors without doing that.

 

[Cacinok]

I've got the 48" model. I use a modified Craftsman 21 HP hydrostatic yard tractor (YTS3000) to pull it. Does fine so long as you use common sense in setting the depth control. My road is 7/10 mile long and has an average 12% grade on the 400' climb up the mountain to my house. I can put the teeth full down in hard or loose material going down. I do have to limit the depth when coming up the mountain on loose material. I modified the tractor to handle a snowplow and snowblower on this grade. The same modifications are what enable me to handle the grader reasonably well. I have all four tires loaded with liquid. I have rear wheel weights. And I carry 75# of weight above the rear hitch. That's about 50# less than what I use to push my snowblower up and down the mountain on snow and ice. I use chains in snow. I haven't seen the need for them with the grader. This combination replaced the 85 HP 4WD tractor with 8' box blade that I used on this road for 19 years until I got tired of keeping that monster up just for road maintenance. The Craftsman and grader and snow equipment do the same job for a LOT less operating and maintenance expense. It doesn't take all that much longer to do the same jobs. And I can do SO MUCH MORE on the rest of my property with my yard tractor. So, yeah. You can pull it with a lawn tractor. And pull it well. But you'll probably have to do something about traction by adding a lot of weight first. I don't think you could do much with most lawn or garden tractors without doing that.

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you're getting your moneys worth out of that Craftsman.

 

[rmryanjr]

[I am currently selling the grader, but only because I had asphalt laid this spring. I wish my mowers, which are not from DR, were as reliable.......[/QUOTE]

Is it still for sale?

 

[joetech]

Hey Everyone,



I work for DR in Tech Support. Thanks for all the good replies! Glad to hear you people are enjoying the Power Grader. Just wanted to thank you and offer some tips.

The Battery should be disconnected when not in use. The Wireless Receiver will drain the Battery because it is always looking for the Transmitter signal. The Battery should be charged every 1-2 months when not in use to maintain the charge and you should top it off after using it. Like ttkeeler mentions using a good quality Battery Maintainer is a good idea for any Battery.

ttkeeler and sarti also mention it won't make a crown. They are correct, but the Power Grader will maintain one. Who knows, maybe we can make it "Crown Capable" in the future?

Towing the Power Grader should be done at no faster than 5 mph. A good, heavy Tow Vehicle that can maintain a constant speed and give good visibility is optimum.

It's great when owners talk amongst themselves and figure out how to best use their equipment. I will be randomly monitoring this site as well as others to see how our machines are getting used and we are always open to suggestions on how to improve them!

Thanks again for the good words.

Trent

 

[Dogscape]

Hi Trent, from DR.
I sent a private message to you.

Steve, with a DR, from MA.

 

[MasseyWV]

I've looked at the DR Power Grader and my impression was that it's far too light to do any serious grading and the price was too steep. That said, I've looked into the possibility of constructing a similar grader, with power up/down, and found it to be a much more viable option for my needs. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the DR Power Grader, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Also, I watched several videos of the DR Power Grader in use, and it appeared that the material it was being used in was rather loose. How well would it work when used on a packed gravel road?

 

[joetech]

Here is what another member, mbrun, on the site has to say in another thread,

"It is easy to be skeptical about the DR Power Grader, I certainly was. The unit does however work as advertised. My first use of the grader was on a hard packed gravel drive, 600' + long. Pot hole ridden but otherwise hard packed like concrete, and only a token loose stone. 40 minutes of work and the potholes were all filled and the driveway looked like new. Now with just 4 maintenance passes every month or two and it continues to look brand new.

Yes, if the gravel is already loose it saves a few passes. But when the gravel is hard packed that is where the carbide tipped teeth earn their keep. With each pass the teeth break up more and more of the surface and soon the whole top is loose. If the gravel was loose you would not need the carbide tip teeth."

Thanks mbrun! :thumbsup:

In our videos, all the roads started as hard pack. Some were very hard packed! You just need to make a few more passes.

I hope this answers the question for you.

Trent

 

[phiferpharm]

Sorry, I've had mine for several years and while it is built well, it will NOT properly grade my dirt road. I have ended up getting a Ratchet Rake and BB on the tractor to do what I need. I pull it with a 4WD Rhino, which has plenty of power to move it, but even with as much weight as the plastic bucket will hold, it won't knock down the high spots on my packed-down road. I'm going to post up pictures later to show what it does after 8-10 passes on the same area.

 

[Pete Judd]

I also thought that the DR was to spendy for me. I like their products, as I have an older walk behind brush mower. Here is what I built out of a chunk of Kenworth frame. I cost me less than a hundred bucks, including the welding rod and wire. I have it set up to pack up to 8 concrete blocks for weight, but the 6 is way more than it needs. The blades have a slight angle, and it will take the crown off in a New York minute.