Land Plane/Land Leveler Decisions, Decisions

[FTG-05]

I'm in the process of selling a rifle. To reward myself - and make it easier to maintain my one mile gravel road - I've decided to buy a Land Plane/Land Leveler (hereafter called "LP" just to save some typing (read typos)).

I'll be running this on my Kubota L4330, about a 40 HP tractor. I already run a 8' grader blade that weighs in the neighborhood of 600 lbs and my Bushhog 286 weighs around 1000 lbs.

So two decision points:

7' or 8'? Six foot won't work since my rear tires are about 6' wide. My 6' wide BB is a PITA to run along the edges of the road.

Scarifiers/No Scarifiers?

I want to Buy Once/Cry Once and never regret the decision.

Who here has a LP and could give me some good suggestions, comments or advice?

Thanks,

 

[bcp]

I wouldn't want one more than half the road width, if the road has a crown.

Bruce

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I'm in the process of selling a rifle. To reward myself - and make it easier to maintain my one mile gravel road - I've decided to buy a Land Plane/Land Leveler (hereafter called "LP" just to save some typing (read typos)).

I'll be running this on my Kubota L4330, about a 40 HP tractor. I already run a 8' grader blade that weighs in the neighborhood of 600 lbs and my Bushhog 286 weighs around 1000 lbs.

So two decision points:

7' or 8'? Six foot won't work since my rear tires are about 6' wide. My 6' wide BB is a PITA to run along the edges of the road.

Scarifiers/No Scarifiers?

I want to Buy Once/Cry Once and never regret the decision.

Who here has a LP and could give me some good suggestions, comments or advice?

Thanks,

Lots of variables. What type of surface? What type of LPGS? Over 1000lbs? Do you want to just drop it and go, or are you willing to actually control it as in actually use position control?

If you want to just drop and go, then get a lighter weight unit (under 1000lbs) with rippers. You could probably get away with an 8 footer. I would get a 7 footer for your tractor myself.

If you go with a unit over 1000lbs, then a 7 footer for sure, I sort of doubt that you would even need the rippers, would not hurt to have them, you don't have to use them and they make for additional weight. Plan on making use of the position control with a heavier unit though.

I have a 7 footer that weighs in at 1400lbs, and even behind my 75hp 12,000+lb tractor if I don't use position control and just let the unit's full weight ride, it can stop the tractor when the moisture content is right. I have similar circumstances with my 800lb 5 foot unit when I use my 5000lb 32hp tractor.

All decisions that only you can make.

 

[Hozzie]

I agree with BCP about only half the width of the road or maybe 1' wider if you want to maintain a crown. If you don't care about a crown, either 7 or 8 would work, but I think 8 would be pushing it with your HP. I use a Woods 6' that works well with my MX5800. No scarifers needed for me, but a lot depends on the type of road material as mentioned. My drive is crusher run. I personally haven't had any issue using my 6' along the edge of my drive. EA makes a nice one as well.

Where are you at in TN?

 

[i7win7]

In the winter my gravel gets pushed towards the ditches. I bought the agritek brand to recollect the gravel and move towards the center. I plan to get a hydraulic top link to properly use this implement. Otherwise I would use what everyone else uses (conventional style of land plane.

 

[FTG-05]

Lots of variables. What type of surface? What type of LPGS? Over 1000lbs? Do you want to just drop it and go, or are you willing to actually control it as in actually use position control?

If you want to just drop and go, then get a lighter weight unit (under 1000lbs) with rippers. You could probably get away with an 8 footer. I would get a 7 footer for your tractor myself.

If you go with a unit over 1000lbs, then a 7 footer for sure, I sort of doubt that you would even need the rippers, would not hurt to have them, you don't have to use them and they make for additional weight. Plan on making use of the position control with a heavier unit though.

I have a 7 footer that weighs in at 1400lbs, and even behind my 75hp 12,000+lb tractor if I don't use position control and just let the unit's full weight ride, it can stop the tractor when the moisture content is right. I have similar circumstances with my 800lb 5 foot unit when I use my 5000lb 32hp tractor.

All decisions that only you can make.

I don't know what you mean by "position control". I have TNT, use it all the time when working the road.

Units I'm looking at range in weight: 635, 700, 790 and 825 lbs. The first two are 7' and 8' non-scarifiers, the latter two are 7' and 8' with scarifiers.

The parts of the road I normally work on are what I call the "mudholes". There are five on them on my road; there used to be a sixth, but heavy reconturing and a load each of #4 and #67 gravel fixed that. This is where the road that is flat, doesn't have enough rock - or the right kind of rock. When it gets wet, people drive on it and make a track. The next person drives right in the same track. Before you know it, it's a bathtub, then a pothole.

I've been slowly improving the road, specifically the drainage. My EA grader blade with it's ability to really reach out on the side of the road where I can't drive, has been a huge help.

Thanks,

 

[FTG-05]

I agree with BCP about only half the width of the road or maybe 1' wider if you want to maintain a crown. If you don't care about a crown, either 7 or 8 would work, but I think 8 would be pushing it with your HP. I use a Woods 6' that works well with my MX5800. No scarifers needed for me, but a lot depends on the type of road material as mentioned. My drive is crusher run. I personally haven't had any issue using my 6' along the edge of my drive. EA makes a nice one as well.

Where are you at in TN?

My concern as well. I had the same concern when I bought my EA 8' grader blade. My tractor has handled it like a piece of cake. Which requires more HP per foot: grader blade or LP?


I'm located in Lincoln county, 10 miles north of the border.

Thanks,

 

[FTG-05]

In the winter my gravel gets pushed towards the ditches. I bought the agritek brand to recollect the gravel and move towards the center. I plan to get a hydraulic top link to properly use this implement. Otherwise I would use what everyone else uses (conventional style of land plane.

What is that? I looked up "AgriTek" and found nothing on any tractor implements.

Thanks,

 

[FTG-05]

I'm currently looking at three different makes of LP:

- A fly-by-night-type company in North Dakota - or someplace like that.

- Another company that advertises here on TBN; he goes by Tom or Terry or something like that.

- A third that offers free shitting under 1000 miles.

 

[fidowanttobe]

I'm currently looking at three different makes of LP:

- A fly-by-night-type company in North Dakota - or someplace like that.

- Another company that advertises here on TBN; he goes by Tom or Terry or something like that.

- A third that offers free shitting under 1000 miles.

I KNOW I wouldn't be interested in the third one !!!