Homemade Grader

[BrokenTrack]

This past summer I needed to extend my logging road up over a fairly steep grade, and include rock check dams, crown, water bars, etc. A great importance however was getting a road that was flat along its length. I had a grader blade that could mount to the 3 point hitch, BUT the problem with those is, as the tractor rides into a hole, the grader blade dips down, and coming out of it; it goes up. For a smooth, flat road that is no good.

To cure this, I welded my grader blade to a goose-neck shaped I beam that bolts between the front hitch of my log trailer, and the back portion of it. This lengthened my trailer to 18 feet giving me a much more smoother road. The walking beam suspension of the trailer also allows the blade to stay flat even when it hits a rock or bump helping to make a smoother road as well, And of course the goose-neck design allows the grader blade to be angled in each direction.

It does lack a tilt function, but honestly I can reestablish any crown with my bulldozer much easier, and then just smooth up my roads with my grader. The worst issue is that it can be a pain to bolt and unbolt from the trailer. But as for a finish, it leaves my roads satin-smooth.

 

[Thomas]

Another interesting idea :thumbsup::thumbsup: keeping compact...2 for the price of 1.

 

[Rustyiron]

Welcome to TBN Broken Track !
I recognize your equipment from another forum :thumbsup:

 

[Egon]

A very nice unit.

From the looks you would have no problem adding tilt.

 

[fried1765]

This past summer I needed to extend my logging road up over a fairly steep grade, and include rock check dams, crown, water bars, etc. A great importance however was getting a road that was flat along its length. I had a grader blade that could mount to the 3 point hitch, BUT the problem with those is, as the tractor rides into a hole, the grader blade dips down, and coming out of it; it goes up. For a smooth, flat road that is no good.

To cure this, I welded my grader blade to a goose-neck shaped I beam that bolts between the front hitch of my log trailer, and the back portion of it. This lengthened my trailer to 18 feet giving me a much more smoother road. The walking beam suspension of the trailer also allows the blade to stay flat even when it hits a rock or bump helping to make a smoother road as well, And of course the goose-neck design allows the grader blade to be angled in each direction.

It does lack a tilt function, but honestly I can reestablish any crown with my bulldozer much easier, and then just smooth up my roads with my grader. The worst issue is that it can be a pain to bolt and unbolt from the trailer. But as for a finish, it leaves my roads satin-smooth.

Attaching your blade even further back (closer to the trailer wheels) should give still better results.
Have you ever considered a Huber Maintainer?
Looks like a stretched tractor with belly blade, and is a near perfect grading machine (other than a full size motor grader).
Hubers were first manufactured in the 40's, but some maybe as late as the early 80's?
There is currently a nicely restored one on E-Bay right now.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Attaching your blade even further back (closer to the trailer wheels) should give still better results.
Have you ever considered a Huber Maintainer?
Looks like a stretched tractor with belly blade, and is a near perfect grading machine (other than a full size motor grader).
Hubers were first manufactured in the 40's, but some maybe as late as the early 80's?
There is currently a nicely restored one on E-Bay right now.

I never considered moving it back. I mounted it at the mid-way point as measured from the center point of the tractors rear wheels, and the center point of the first trailer wheel, but I was not sure if that was right. In a way those are the two pivot points, but a argument could be made that it pivots where the trailers hitch mounts to the tool bar (drawbar) of the tractor too.

Never heard of the Huber, but was aware of a Fordson grader of sorts...vaguely though.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Nice looking idea and work.

 

[newbury]

Add some hydraulics and slap a patent on it!

 

[Sonny580]

Several tractor brands were fitted with various grader fronts over the history of grading! --AC had a couple factory wc and wd, speed patrols, some companies used ih m and h on their units, I even saw 1 mm with a front on it!--fords were used too.
Allis had a nice small model D motor grader, (used a wc, wd motor in it),--I had a ac 45 (hoggin machine) and that was a road builder! had the 516 hd 11 bulldozer engine in it with a jimmy 6-71 supercharger on it!

Your grader should do the job for you!---one less engine to keep up, and always have it with you!
Oh, and the chainsaw in your other thread,---NICE saw!! (nice lady too!) !!! thanks; sonny580

 

[crazyal]

I think I would experiment with adding weight to your goose neck if the blade doesn't cut into that dirt well enough (looks like it's some pretty tough dirt). Just start off light so you don't do damage to the blade. You could even add some rippers to help break things up.

 

[BrokenTrack]

Oh, and the chainsaw in your other thread,---NICE saw!! (nice lady too!) !!! thanks; sonny580

I am not really a big fan of that Chainsaw to be honest with you. I am a Stihl guy anyway, so a Husky does not help, but it is just a wee bit too small, and I call it my rattle box because I have rattled so many bolts and nuts off it. It cuts okay if it is super sharp, but the second it even gets remotely dull, it is screaming for another 12 cc's.

So far I have cut about 300 cord of wood with it, so not a whole lot, but enough to see what it can do. But it is only a $750 saw too, whereas the Stihl MS 461 is a better saw, but also a $1100 chainsaw. My Husky dealer called it a "Disposable Saw", that is you spend $750 on it now, bring it back in a year and get $350 as a trade in for a new one next year; rinse and repeat!

As for my wife, as a LumberJill she holds more interest than a picture of me with a chainsaw.

 

[BrokenTrack]

I think I would experiment with adding weight to your goose neck if the blade doesn't cut into that dirt well enough (looks like it's some pretty tough dirt). Just start off light so you don't do damage to the blade. You could even add some rippers to help break things up.

I used what steel I had kicking around, but if I did it again (or others wished too and wanted to learn from me), I would use square tubing. The grader is a little light weight, but the biggest issue is that on turns with heavy cuts, the steel I beam flexes some.

 

[TractorGuy]

Came across something similar on You Tube the other day.

 

[mcfarmall]

Looks nice! Not much soil in those rocks!

 

[BrokenTrack]

Looks nice! Not much soil in those rocks!

Potato Rock!

That road is built where an old rock wall used to be, and that section is where there was an old rock dump. This was all potato ground at one time so the rock pickers used to dump their loads of rock here (as well as a few other locations). The rocks are mostly about softball sized. It makes for good road base though and drainage like for French Drain systems.

Not this pile, but another is about the size of a small house. One thing about Maine is, we have plenty of rock.