Traction Box Blades

FTG-05 · May 20, 2014

jenkinsph said:
I have a lot of time operating box blades and it does help to slow down to a speed where you can control the blade as needed. In your case maintaining a one mile road a land plane grader blade would be better than adding wheels to a box blade. If you can weld you can build a land plane for about $110 /ft so a 6' would run about $700.

I am adding wheels to my box blade to use with a laser and the cost for wheels and hydraulics is more than the $700 above. For most people I would think that having a separate land plane to drag the drives and roads would be a good choice.

Great: another implement I now need to buy/build!

Just for S&Gs: Are there any good freeware plans here for a home built land plane grader?

Thanks,

ovrszd · May 20, 2014

Here's one I've gathered, probably on TBN.

FTG-05 · May 20, 2014

Thanks!

ETA: Question about the 2nd pic/drawing: Is the length of the grader 4'-6" " or 4'-6' ? In other words 4 1/2 feet or 4 to 6 feet long?

Thanks,

jenkinsph · May 21, 2014

Gordon Gould is a frequent poster here and a good person to get advice from on grading too. Those are his plans for a land plane he has built and used for a few years with great success.

I have built two land planes so far, one is 4' wide for my garden tractor and is appropriate for the small compacts and the other is an 8' suitable for larger compacts and small utility tractors. On my land planes I use 6" wide x 5/8ths" reversible grader blades which are about half the cost of the build. Look for the steel drop piles at the large fabrications shops and steel yards to get a good deal on the steel. I rarely buy any steel at full price anymore but most structural steel I see is selling for fifty to sixty cents a pound. I have a steel yard that sells drops for half price and another powdercoater/fabricator selling two acres of steel for fifteen cents a pound. I am a regular customer at the powdercoater.:thumbsup:

Here are pics of my land planes,

ovrszd · May 21, 2014

Never having built one, only dragged one an hour, take this for what it's worth. I think if I were building one it would have the cutters angled in opposite directions. Drag the material to one side, dump over the top, then drag to the other side and dump over the top. Most you buy will have the cutters angled, both the same direction.

I've got the material to build one and have access to road grader cutters, just don't have a need for the tool. Still wanna build one though..... It's an addiction I'm working on......

jenkinsph · May 21, 2014

ovrszd said:
Never having built one, only dragged one an hour, take this for what it's worth. I think if I were building one it would have the cutters angled in opposite directions. Drag the material to one side, dump over the top, then drag to the other side and dump over the top. Most you buy will have the cutters angled, both the same direction.

I've got the material to build one and have access to road grader cutters, just don't have a need for the tool. Still wanna build one though..... It's an addiction I'm working on......

Mine are set straight and flush with the skids, works great smoothing out pastures with our sandy loam soil. With a straight blade set up tilting the plane forward allows for a uniform and even depth across the full width of cut, if the blades are angled then the leading edge will bite and the trailing edge is higher making an uneven cut. Might help with a crown but not what I wan't for pasture and lawn smoothing.

Not trying to tell an experienced grader operator what to do but I am sure you know the difference between having new blades on a road grader so why put old ones on a new landplane and expect good results? To my way of thinking the grader blades are the most important part of the tool.

I have had a tool addiction too and only recently recognized it for what it is. Never had the tools as a kid when I had the energy to use them, later in life I bought what I wanted. Now wish I had more time and energy to use them all.

ovrszd · May 22, 2014

jenkinsph said:
I have had a tool addiction too and only recently recognized it for what it is. Never had the tools as a kid when I had the energy to use them, later in life I bought what I wanted. Now wish I had more time and energy to use them all.

Ain't that the truth!!!!