Land grader design question

[jenkinsph]

I think that the guys complaining about the runners holding material are professionals and don't like material falling into the grass that they might be working next to for their customers. While my runners collect material, it is nothing that I worry about, in fact if I let it just build up, it packs in at a 45 degree slope and doesn't hold any more, so then nothing falls out anyway. Conditions can make a big difference with what one needs.

Use your box blade for now, but a LPGS is faster and easier in the long run.

The thing is if you are aware of the problem of the flanges holding the rocks why not design it so the problem goes away? Using rectangular box tubing solves that problem. And you can fill them with sand, weight material (Bayrite) or concrete to add more weight.

I should also mention that pieces of rectangular box tubing is available used in lengths appropriate for the skids if you look through scrap yards. Most were used for large signs and these things get replaced enough to make this a good find.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

The thing is if you are aware of the problem of the flanges holding the rocks why not design it so the problem goes away? Using rectangular box tubing solves that problem. And you can fill them with sand, weight material (Bayrite) or concrete to add more weight.

I should also mention that pieces of rectangular box tubing is available used in lengths appropriate for the skids if you look through scrap yards. Most were used for large signs and these things get replaced enough to make this a good find.

It's a bit harder to do if you use taller runners. Even with your 8' LPGS, aren't the sides 12" tall. My sides are 22" tall. Tubing, if you could even find it would be very expensive, or you are piecing your runners to get what you want. Probably better to just weld in a filler piece if holding the material on the runners is a concern. Sort of what is done on some dump truck beds.

Many people mention purchasing scrap material from a local supplier, everyone does not have that option at a reasonable cost. Not that the scrap isn't there, you just pay new prices for it.

 

[jenkinsph]

I suspect you and I have slightly different approaches to using a land plane. I don't try to make deep cuts all the time and have my blades set flush with the skids, if it is flat I don't need to cut it deeper. Your technique and use from what I gather is to cut deeper and carry more material along as you go, your blades are always cutting below the surface. I use my box blade to cut and move large amounts of material and use the land plane to finish the ground smooth. Where you need to mix the material and bring the gravel to the surface I think your method works pretty well. My main use for a land plane is to smooth lawns and fields where the ground is softer and having the blades set flush works better. I did try it with the blades set below the skids and it was continually cutting, even in the low spots.

I mention the above because I don't have to use high sides on the skids and don't have any issues with material going over the sides. I do think it is better to have more clearance between the blades and the cross members than I have. Next time I build a new land plane I will change the design to affect this.

While you may not be able to find scrap at a lower price it is worth mentioning, some on here can use this information and others may not. Living in a ski resort town as I do without any industry makes if difficult to find but on trips to the large cities I have found some good deals.

 

[Piston]

I'm not sure if you've seen this thread or not, but I asked a lot of questions and learned a lot on a thread I posted a while back. You may find this helpful.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ing.html?highlight=land+plane+grading+scraper

 

[ovrszd]

Hey, I'm from Missouri so I gotta be "shown" everything.

I think if building one, I'd angle one blade to the left, one blade to the right. Being a grader guy I want to move the material laterally as much as I can to create a level bed. Then I could adjust the 3pt or hit the hydraulic lever on the tilt to crown or shape whatever I was working on.

I think these variations in opinions and desires are based on the many uses of a tool such as this.

 

[PILOON]

Hey, I'm from Missouri so I gotta be "shown" everything.

I think if building one, I'd angle one blade to the left, one blade to the right. Being a grader guy I want to move the material laterally as much as I can to create a level bed. Then I could adjust the 3pt or hit the hydraulic lever on the tilt to crown or shape whatever I was working on.

I think these variations in opinions and desires are based on the many uses of a tool such as this.

That works great, angled slices tops and slides the material sideways to fill the dips. Having right and left angle balances the drag as well for a more even pull.
Just one thing to add: a third blade!
With only 2 blades the drag will ride up and down over bumps and valleys while a 3-bladed drag will have one blade slicing while the other 2 act as supports as well as spreading the material.

3 blade drags were very common in our neck of the woods in the 40's and early 50's and were even pulled by horses for a while.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hey, I'm from Missouri so I gotta be "shown" everything.

I think if building one, I'd angle one blade to the left, one blade to the right. Being a grader guy I want to move the material laterally as much as I can to create a level bed. Then I could adjust the 3pt or hit the hydraulic lever on the tilt to crown or shape whatever I was working on.

I think these variations in opinions and desires are based on the many uses of a tool such as this.

Richard you could do that and increase the angle enough to actually move the material sideways. If you are willing to make the skids longer so all of this will fit. Your 9540 could handle it much better than my smaller compacts. There would be a lot more weight farther away from the rear wheels.

 

[RDrancher]

Hey, I'm from Missouri so I gotta be "shown" everything.

I think if building one, I'd angle one blade to the left, one blade to the right. Being a grader guy I want to move the material laterally as much as I can to create a level bed. Then I could adjust the 3pt or hit the hydraulic lever on the tilt to crown or shape whatever I was working on.

I think these variations in opinions and desires are based on the many uses of a tool such as this.

I still think (for a grader guy) that an "asphalt float" would be a wonderful tool. It uses the blade to cut and a "smoocher" to smooth material out the back. I'm not too sure how the smoocher part would work for a typical tractor since these are designed for skiploaders weighing 14k with down pressure. For sure it would have to be constructed heavier.

The first three pics are from one of our fellow TBN members. I don't know if it's a one-off custom or what, but I like it a lot. The last one I found on the web. It's a much simpler design built by Flynn and Thomas Mfg. There's no ability to angle the blade. I don't like it much.