Any GradeMaster owners here?

[beppington]

I made this drawing to simulate what I think should happen after 4 passes using a grader with its blade(s) fixed at 4 degrees, assuming zero slop, play or material flowing over the blade & back to about where it originally was. Meaning, I think it would take more passes to end up with this result, but without adjusting your 3 point hitch, I don't see how it wouldn't eventually end up like this. I also think that even an adjustable blade set level would end up this same way if you set your 3 point hitch to crown & graded without ever re-adjusting the 3 point hitch to lessen the crown angle. Correct me as needed - I like to learn.

 

[MotorSeven]

Bep, I understand what you are saying and have my doubts too that it won't increase crown over time, but I am willing to give it a try. I will drag it without putting any pressure on it with the T&T & I promise to post the results back here on this thread. Grademaster ships on Monday, so I should see it by the end of the week.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Bep's idea has me very curious. If we weren't all covered with ice and snow I would go out and try an experiment.

Motor, Contrats on your purchase. I doubt you will be sorry. I am glad you will post your results, Thankyou.

I am not at all sure but I predict that as you grade material will migrate from the ditch side with the deep cut and lots of loose material towards the crown with the shallow cut and less loose material. As this migration continues you will finally get an even layer of loose gravel across the entire cut and the migration will stop because the blade will have to pass the same amount of loose material all along its entire length. Just a guess.

 

[Jaylegger]

It's been my experience that the material migrates down the blade much better if the grader blades are set up so the gravel passes under the blade on the high side instead of over. As has been mentioned there is little migration of gravel down the blade after they load up with gravel. This setup can be achieved via side-link adjustment or blade adjustment, side-link the quicker way to go if a multitude of adjustments are required to complete the job. Adjusting the blades requires heading back to the shop to completely clean off the grader prior to making any changes.

 

[xtn]

Bep... If the material just rides up and over the blades, I don't see how cutting deeper on one side will make the material move over towards the other side. I think you've got to angle the blades laterally to do that. No personal experience with one of these units though, so I could be talking out my....

 

[beppington]

Bep... If the material just rides up and over the blades, I don't see how cutting deeper on one side will make the material move over towards the other side. I think you've got to angle the blades laterally to do that. No personal experience with one of these units though, so I could be talking out my....

My blades are angled :thumbsup:

 

[MotorSeven]

FedX delivered today:

 

[MotorSeven]

I hooked it up and found that my hyd top link was a bit too short to let the grader down flat:

So I had to do a little fab-ing:

And then some grading:

 

[MotorSeven]

Action shot:

There is a bit of a learning curve. It has to be adjusted just right before it performs right, no too much tilt sideways or forward. Once dialed in it does a great job and after two passes it looks like I had new gravel delivered. So far so good......

 

[MotorSeven]

Here you can see the difference in blade height from left:

to right: