Guage wheels or guage wheel?

[Tig]

I should have time to experiment with different wheelbases. I'd like to help fix my good neighbours private road in April. He has been kind enough to let me use it during the summer months.

 

[patrick_g]

Egon, Glad we can agree on something.

Pat

 

[jrepp]

HomeBrew2, I have had the same experience as you. My guage wheels can be adjusted from approx 1' to 3' behind my rear grader blade. I seem to get the best results with the guage wheels closer to the rear blade. I might just have too much flex in the supports?

 

[HomeBrew2]

I think it's probably just a difference in the type of work being done, which is what I wanted to bring it to light. I'm not "land leveling" and have no interest in doing so. My land was rough as a cob but undulates naturally so, I didn't need/want to level it, just smooth it nicely. From what I've read here over the years, and observed, most folks just want "smooth", not a dead straight slope.
For land leveling, building pads or long high speed roads, agreed, longer wheelbase is better.
The converse to this point is smoothing gravel on a road/trail with ~mild hills and dips ... my first few times dressing gravel (while day dreaming about girls), I drug all the rock of the top and dumped it in the bottom (just as designed) ... and that was with the wheels as close as I could get them to the blade.

 

[Egon]

Gosh Pat, about all I can say is that there are times you are right!!

 

[patrick_g]

Egon, What nostalgia you have triggered! I recall it clearly as if it were yesterday. Winter of 1948 I think.

Pat

 

[bx23barry]

HomeBrew2, I have had the same experience as you. My guage wheels can be adjusted from approx 1' to 3' behind my rear grader blade. I seem to get the best results with the guage wheels closer to the rear blade. I might just have too much flex in the supports?

I'm thinking the couple distance in front of the blade is more important than the gage wheel distance behind the blade that is running on smoother/leveler ground. While I have run them big landplanes in my younger days and understand longer is better, the distance from the blade to wheels running in the rough will make the biggest difference (I think).

 

[Tig]

That explanation does make sense Barry. At least for very rough conditions. In that case you would want the guage wheel as close as possible to the cutting edge to minimize the variation as the tractor goes in and out of the potholes.

 

[mfrost]

here is another idea. works great in sandy soil and it also keeps the back blade functional for pushing dirt. It also helps in compaction and no moving parts or flat tires.

 

[HomeBrew2]

THAT is very clever!!! I really like the rake ... I find a curved-tine rake to be too aggressive many times. Also, looks as though the float might function as a "hula" hoe for those sparse but prolific dry summer weeds!