Laser grading a football field

[Complete Turf Care]

A big part of my business is renovating athletic fields. This is a short video of laser grading a field with my Kubota L5740. It's pretty dusty out there, and I'm very glad to have a cab.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Sorry for the poor quality video. It looks a lot better than that on my phone.

 

[RDrancher]

Well, I appreciate the effort! At least you shot one. The folks over on my photo thread have been asking for a video for a long time, but I haven't gotten around to it.

I remember you were having issues with your valve setup some time ago. Have you gotten everything straightened out? And what brand grading box and laser setup are you using?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I did get the valve issue figured out. I had to fabricate a fitting and run the return hose so that it dumps directly into the fill cap. The only problem is that it's not vented, so I have to pull the dipstick and let it just set up on top of the hole it goes in.

I'm using a Spectra GL 422 dual slope laser and LR50 receiver. The box scraper is a Landscraper as you can see in the pics.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Very interesting and impressive. Am I to assume that the field has to be within that receiver length, looks like a foot or so, to start with?

What happened to the grass or was that artificial turf? And what happens after grading? By the way, what is dual slope?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Very interesting and impressive. Am I to assume that the field has to be within that receiver length, looks like a foot or so, to start with?

What happened to the grass or was that artificial turf? And what happens after grading? By the way, what is dual slope?

The receiver is adjustable and can be moved up and down the pole it's mounted on so that it can receive the laser that is being transmitted by the transmitter. And the receiver can be adjusted itself. I can set it so that it will move the blade up or down if the beam is within a range of up to 3" or so, and I can reduce that range down to about 1/8"

The grass was sprayed with Roundup and Fusilade and tilled into the soil and allowed to decay.

After grading we will plant bermuda grass by 'sprigging' it.

And 'dual slope' means that I can adjust the slope in 2 directions. I usually set up the transmitter in the very center of the field, and I can slope it both towards the sideline and towards the goal post. This allows me to slope the fields towards the 4 corners.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just so I understand. There is no position sensor on the cutting edge, right? The position sensor is the laser and receiver. Now what happens if you simply don't have enought material to fill in a low spot or vice versa?

Thanks.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Just so I understand. There is no position sensor on the cutting edge, right? The position sensor is the laser and receiver. Now what happens if you simply don't have enought material to fill in a low spot or vice versa?

Thanks.

You are correct. The position sensor is the receiver. The receiver tells the tractor hydraulic system to move the cutting edge up or down.

If there is not enough material to fill a low spot, I simply lower the cutting edge, by raising the receiver (sensor). This causes the blade to take from the high spots and drop into the lower spots.

 

[RDrancher]

Very nice setup! What is that next to the laser in the middle photo? Looks like a handle for something. Anyway...Looking forward to more pics.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Very nice setup! What is that next to the laser in the middle photo? Looks like a handle for something. Anyway...Looking forward to more pics.

It is a handle...........of a shovel.....LOL....