Box Scraper Land Leveler Build

[cjcome1]

I am building a land leveler, and have made really good progress so far. Wants to ask a few questions.

1. What angle (both pitch and angle to runners) seems to work best for others on their blades?

2. Do you recommend scarifier teeth or not?

3. Can you share ideas on a rear gate/door?

I have an idea what I want to do with mine. Just looking for others recommendations.

Specs: 6-1/2 ft wide with 15 in channel by 60 in long runners. 4x4x1/4 tubing for frame. Blades are motor grader blades that will mount to a 4x4x1/2 angle.

 

[Sodo]

pics or it didn't happen!

 

[cjcome1]

Try this again. And excuse the shop mess (not my shop lol)

 

[dlctcg]

It looks like it is shaping up really well.... I don't have answers to questions #1 or #3... but I would highly recommend scarifier teeth.... ours does not have them & I wish it did.... (probably will be a future modification).

 

[Tomtint]

make sure you provide for sacrificial skids on the bottom of that..and double thick at the front bottom corners.

 

[CADplans]

I installed my 7 foot motor grader blades at a 15 degree angle,,

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...7-landplane-my-diy-4.html?highlight=landplane

 

[cjcome1]

It looks like it is shaping up really well.... I don't have answers to questions #1 or #3... but I would highly recommend scarifier teeth.... ours does not have them & I wish it did.... (probably will be a future modification).

I will look at what it takes to add them. They aren’t cheap, but I’ve been told they are a nice to have.

 

[cjcome1]

I installed my 7 foot motor grader blades at a 15 degree angle,,

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...7-landplane-my-diy-4.html?highlight=landplane

What pitch did you use on the blades? Almost looks like 45 degrees, but hard to tell from the pictures you have on that thread. I’ve read most use 50 to 70 degrees. My dads grade master have a 60 degree “pitch” and the blades are just over 7 degrees to the runners/sides

 

[CADplans]

What pitch did you use on the blades? Almost looks like 45 degrees, but hard to tell from the pictures you have on that thread. I致e read most use 50 to 70 degrees. My dads grade master have a 60 degree 菟itch and the blades are just over 7 degrees to the runners/sides

I really do not know what you mean by pitch, unless you mean like the pitch of a roof on a house,,

The blades are angled 15 degrees off of 90, or 75 degrees to the side,,
as far as the angle as compared to the road surface,, that varies as compared to the height up the blade,, as the blade has a LOT of curve,,
The blades are out of a 14 foot CAT road grader,, the blades were swapped out on a new unit, and had never been used,,

So, since there is so much curve,, near the road surface,, the pitch must WAY LESS than 45 degrees,,
maybe even less than 30 degrees for the first inch of height,,

Having the cutting edge so steeply angled, may be the reason I never had a need for scarifiers,,

My best guess, I have pulled my landplane under something like 10 or 15 miles,, total,, in 4 years.
these blades have shown zero wear in that distance,, (heck, the wear has barely removed the paint from the edge,,, :laughing ,,
I am thinking about turning the unit over, and using an angle grinder to sharpen the blades even more than they are sharpened now,,,
If the blade were sharper, the unit would cut even better,,

I really thought by now, the blade would have worn away to a sharper angle,,
I am getting old, how much longer can I wait!!

 

[CADplans]

The reason I installed the blade at such a low angle, I have seen motor graders operate with the blade angled that steep,,

The motor grader probably can angle the blade like that to enhance its ability to cut into the road surface,,

If you think about it, if the blade were installed at 90 degrees, it would have WAY LESS ability to cut,,
so, I think, the blade cuts more like a knife, as compared to scraping,,

Also, with the blade angled so parallel to the road, the blade is MUCH stronger,,
if the blade were angled standing up straighter, there would be a much greater chance that the blade could bend, if the landplane encountered a stump or big rock while being pulled by a 50+HP tractor,,

 

[metalbender]

Nice build. The shop makes me feel at home. Wish I had the overhead beam for heavy stuff. Yes , I have a hydraulic rear gate on mine, I will find a couple of pics.

 

[metalbender]

Rear gate

 

[JohnnyMX]

When I bought my house the prior owner had made one. He put an extension that "Y" from each front corner that was angled up slightly. It acts as a gravel re-claimer and pulls all the loose stuff back into the middle of the road. it works pretty good too as long as you don't have a severe slope or it would dig. Yours is looking good..

 

[cjcome1]

Rear gate View attachment 656308View attachment 656306View attachment 656307

Man that is fine. Did you use pipe? I assume there is a bar across the back that the cylinder mounts to as well?

One other question, how do you like the serrated blade on the front?

 

[metalbender]

Yup, bit of pipe welded together, think 3/8 wall. Bar across the back, tabs on the pipe rest on the bar keeping the edge just above the road surface. Mixed feelings with the serrated blade. Darn thing will grab a rock and gouge the crap out of the drive. Does cut well though. Have to keep an eye on it, hammer in the cab. Have redone a couple hundred yards the odd time.

 

[cjcome1]

The reason I installed the blade at such a low angle, I have seen motor graders operate with the blade angled that steep,,

The motor grader probably can angle the blade like that to enhance its ability to cut into the road surface,,

If you think about it, if the blade were installed at 90 degrees, it would have WAY LESS ability to cut,,
so, I think, the blade cuts more like a knife, as compared to scraping,,

Also, with the blade angled so parallel to the road, the blade is MUCH stronger,,
if the blade were angled standing up straighter, there would be a much greater chance that the blade could bend, if the landplane encountered a stump or big rock while being pulled by a 50+HP tractor,,

I understand what you are saying here, but the land leveler I am basing my design on, has the angle (4x6x1/2in) the blades bolt to at a 60degree angle off the “road” surface. But the curve of the blade puts the first inch of the blade much closer to parallel than 60degrees.

I have 7’ motor grader blades I purchased from a local dealer (I didn’t think $60 each new was too bad), and looks like the same angle should work well on my 4x4x1/2 angle to mount the blades. Just have to make to right miter cut to get my 10 or 15 degree angle to the runners. Trying to decide which would work best.

 

[cjcome1]

I’ll have to get more pictures once I add the gate and paint it. Figured I’d test it before trying to add a gate or teeth. Works really well but still considering both a gate and teeth

 

[sandman2234]

Mine doesn't have a rear gate, although I have considered it at times, but mine will pick up enough dirt to overload a 70 hp tractor, so in reality I don't need any more! I guess it all depends on what you are grading, as I have no use for teeth like a box blade uses. I use mine to smooth out roadways, not dig them up, but the roads are different here. We don't have all that freeze heaving stuff that is characteristic of cold country.
It has been a while, but I seem to remember 35 degrees is what my blades were tilted at. My grader is quite heavy, using 5/8" sides that were over 20 inches tall. 4x7x1/2 angle for the crossmembers that the blades hang onto. It is 7 foot wide.
David from jax

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a simple rear gate on mine. It's not nearly as nice as MetalBenders. It's just a plate hanging on a hinge. There are two pins that act as gate stops. If I flip the gate so it hangs behind the pins it just acts as a rear drag but is heavy enough to collect sod, which floats to the top. The gravel passes thru under the sod. Then I can use the gate as a crude blade to push the sod off the road. A couple pics desodding a parking pad and pushing road edge sod off of the road. If I flip the gate to hang in side the pins it will collect material like a box blade. When I spread new gravel on a road this makes it easy to spread evenly.







gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

I have a simple rear gate on mine. It's not nearly as nice as MetalBenders. It's just a plate hanging on a hinge. There are two pins that act as gate stops. If I flip the gate so it hangs behind the pins it just acts as a rear drag but is heavy enough to collect sod, which floats to the top. The gravel passes thru under the sod. Then I can use the gate as a crude blade to push the sod off the road. A couple pics desodding a parking pad and pushing road edge sod off of the road. If I flip the gate to hang in side the pins it will collect material like a box blade. When I spread new gravel on a road this makes it easy to spread evenly.

View attachment 661208

View attachment 661211

View attachment 661210

gg