Grading Homemade grader for GC series tractors

[4570Man]

I really like the idea. I have been searching all over the net to see how he did it.

He’s got 2 arms that extend to the back of the tractor that supports the blade. Removing the 3 point arms and using their mounts is a likely solution. Then he’s fabricated a second cylinder mount an the back side of the loader mount that lowers the blade. I don’t think it angles or tilts. This guy doesn’t get the professional grade sticker in my book and just an above average home shop fab job.

 

[4570Man]

He’s got 2 arms that extend to the back of the tractor that supports the blade. Removing the 3 point arms and using their mounts is a likely solution. Then he’s fabricated a second cylinder mount an the back side of the loader mount that lowers the blade. I don’t think it angles or tilts. This guy doesn’t get the professional grade sticker in my book and just an above average home shop fab job.

Edit after re watching the video the 3 point arms are still there, so I was at least partly wrong on the mounts. The blade does angle so the mount is a little more complicated than 2 simple arms. It never showed using the loader and the blade at the same time so unplugging the coupling on the curl would be a cheap source for the hydraulics.

 

[BrokenTrack]

That is certainly true if the rear implement is unable to move for one reason or another in one way or another (for example, it's elevated or reaches end of travel of the 3-pt) but if it's floating you shouldn't have that problem. For smoothing, I almost always operate my box blade in float so it's down on the ground no matter what the tractor is doing. I would have to encounter bumps/dips of +/- 12-16" (give or take) before the float travel of the 3-pt runs out and the box is affected by the tractor axles.

Occasionally I will do certain types of grading with the box raised a bit, and then you're 100% right, bumps and dips that make the axles rise or fall will cause a corresponding effect with the box and result in more bumps and dips. Keep doing that and you'll make a nice washboard!

My 3 point hitch does not have any way to lock down, but while I could get the grader blade in its former 3 point hitch configuration to smooth, I could not get a grade with it. Some of it had to do with weight of the grader blade, and some had to do with the density of the material, but it still would follow the contour of the ground it was riding over. It did knock down the high spots, but rather then fill the low spots, it followed right into it and then robbed the gravel that should have been left there.

A grader blade on a trailer does not do that. It cuts the high spots, in fact much better because there is more weight on the grader blade. In order for the grader blade to come out of the cut it has to pick the entire rear wheels off the ground. That takes a lot, in fact I typically break traction with my tractor before it fails to cut. That can mean I am cutting 8 inches of gravel off the high spots.

But because the grader blade does not fall down into the dips, that same soil can be deposited into the dips and left there. That means on a single pass I am making a significant improvement in grade. That first pass is 90% of the work. On the second pass the same thing happens, but because I am only a few inches from final grade, there are not nearly as many bumps and dips to fill so the grade is established and I am done.

The difference is amazing. Granted a trailer mounted grader blade is more for roadways and leveling fields then working around houses and tight spaces, but if a person has a long driveway or road to maintain, it is well worth the effort to mount the grader blade on a trailer frame for sure.

 

[s219]

It definitely comes down to the length of the dips and bumps and whether or not the grader implement can span them. And then the angle of attack of the cutting edge(s) and the amount of material collected and able to be redistributed.

My box blade is only about 2' long so when it's floating it has limited ability to fill in long low spots, but if I have the rear cutting edge feathered going into the low spot, the box will start distributing material and then the rear edge will start riding on the new material while more is distributed out the front. It's a delicate balance and having a hydraulic top link is the key, as I can make realtime adjustments from the seat to keep the box doing what I want. It all reinforces my notion that the box blade is a very versatile but very imperfect tool. To do a good job grading with it, you have to really stay on top of the adjustments. A long dedicated grader implement eliminates all the fussiness of the box, but of course it's not as versatile for other stuff.

If I had more space to store implements, I'd for sure buy or build a grader or land plane (longer lower box with multiple edges). My road is at the point where a grader would be more appropriate now. As time goes on, I have fewer and fewer dedicated uses for my box blade, but of course word has got out and I do a lot of work for neighbors with it, mostly final grading around new homes/barns. It's such a good tool for that. This is one of the rare cases where I think a smaller tractor would be even better.

 

[fried1765]

It definitely comes down to the length of the dips and bumps and whether or not the grader implement can span them. And then the angle of attack of the cutting edge(s) and the amount of material collected and able to be redistributed.

My box blade is only about 2' long so when it's floating it has limited ability to fill in long low spots, but if I have the rear cutting edge feathered going into the low spot, the box will start distributing material and then the rear edge will start riding on the new material while more is distributed out the front. It's a delicate balance and having a hydraulic top link is the key, as I can make realtime adjustments from the seat to keep the box doing what I want. It all reinforces my notion that the box blade is a very versatile but very imperfect tool. To do a good job grading with it, you have to really stay on top of the adjustments. A long dedicated grader implement eliminates all the fussiness of the box, but of course it's not as versatile for other stuff.

If I had more space to store implements, I'd for sure buy or build a grader or land plane (longer lower box with multiple edges). My road is at the point where a grader would be more appropriate now. As time goes on, I have fewer and fewer dedicated uses for my box blade, but of course word has got out and I do a lot of work for neighbors with it, mostly final grading around new homes/barns. It's such a good tool for that. This is one of the rare cases where I think a smaller tractor would be even better.

Can you angle your box blade?
I have never seen one that can be angled.
It is nearly impossible to establish/feather a crown, or pull material to the center from the far edges, with a box blade.

 

[CADplans]

Gravely offered one of these for their GT's,,
I purchased a GT and it came with one,, I converted it into a CAT 0 three point hitch blade.

Well, that blade was so desired by Gravely GT owners,, soon, someone offered me an obscene amount of money for it.
Down the road,, it went!! :cool2:

:thumbsup:

 

[BrokenTrack]

I should have built my grader so that it could be tilted, but having a bulldozer, I can get my crown easier by using my dozer that way, then smoothing up the road lengthways with my grader-trailer.

When I crop rotate my fields from say corn into grass, I first plow the field with a turning plow to get the soil really loosened up. Then I drag the heaviest, longest log I can pull. That helps cuts the high spots and fills in the holes over a much wider width. In this photo the log is 2 feet in diameter on the butt end and 24 feet long. It also pushed the rocks down into the loose soil, and after several passes packs the soil down too so that it is prepared for seed.

BUT this is just because my farm consists of rolling hills so making flat fields is just not going to happen. Rolling topography works for me, but towing a 24 foot long makes short work of smoothing it out.

 

[PILOON]

Actually if U have the space to maneuver a well made drag is one economical way to grade.
A design that works well is 3 blades as this way one does the cutting while supported by the other 2.
In sum after even one pass the highs are cut down and most lows got filled.
To be efficient 2 blades are angled one way while the 3rd (center) one is angled the opposite way.
The angling causes the blade to cut or slice the bump all while directing the excess material to flow sideways and fill holes
The next blade (opposite angle) then traverses the material back to fill the missed holes.
3rd blade finishes the job.

If all blades were angled the same direction the drag would track sideways but with different angles it tends to drag in a somewhat straight line.
What helps directional control is for the center blade's angle to be greater than the other 2.

Have made a few over the years and we found that 8ft X 8ft was a nice workable size.
We used 3 x 3 angle stock (3/8") as our 'blades' and drag with 2 chains from 2 front corners and attached to opposite ends of a drawbar.

WE maintained about 3 miles of gravel/dirt road using an old Willis jeep at the time but today use a 20 HP Kubota.
2 passes makes for a superb finish.

 

[s219]

Can you angle your box blade?
I have never seen one that can be angled.
It is nearly impossible to establish/feather a crown, or pull material to the center from the far edges, with a box blade.

Angle which way? If side to side, then yes, with the side link adjustment. I have a hydraulic side link but that's not necessary of course -- regular mechanical turnbuckle side link does just as well.

I prefer a rear blade for crowning a road, but for cutting ditches or swales, an angled box blade works better.