Land plane/road grader

[coobie]

I ended up buying the befco 6ft land plane/grader today.I like the idea of the replaceable skid shoes and rippers.It,s weight is almost double verses the same 6ft. king cutter.I will pick it up in a few weeks since it is very busy at work.Thanks to all who replied.I guess I will be selling my slighty used 6ft box blade.coobie

 

[crazyal]

crazyal,
that is a good point about the adjustable blades taking more operator input, I know I personally have to adjust the pitch of the landplane all the time to get the right results. I might have to make some changes to mine to include hydraulic depth of cut since the third remote circuit is available for this purpose. It would certainly make finish work alot easier.

I have thought about making the adjustments done by simply cranking a handle (currently there's three bolts on each side you loosen to adjust the height on the Befco). I would think that a remote to adjust the height of the blades would be fantastic. You would almost never need to leave the seat.

 

[crazyal]

I ended up buying the befco 6ft land plane/grader today.I like the idea of the replaceable skid shoes and rippers.It,s weight is almost double verses the same 6ft. king cutter.I will pick it up in a few weeks since it is very busy at work.Thanks to all who replied.I guess I will be selling my slighty used 6ft box blade.coobie

My Befco came set up for a quick hitch so where the three links connect it's wider than if set up just for standard links. With the rippers down the force tries to lift the rear of the scraper. This tends to force the top link to the side when enough force is applied. So I used some 1/2" steel pipe to make spacers to fit on each side, maybe 1/2" think each. You could easily use washers to do the same thing.

I think you're going to like the Befco very much. It was heavier than the woods and Landpride. It's solidly built. While ripping a section of road I found (the hard way) a 6' piece of stainless ductwork that someone buried to use as a culvert. It was enough to stop me dead. While looking for damage (there was none) I noticed that Befco puts a flat piece of steel inside the square tube that has the slots cut in it for the rippers. When the rippers bite in and are push back they hit the flat steel. About the only thing I did was replaced the hair pins clips with lynch pins. I also added a second set of holes for the blade adjustment.

 

[lhansman]

There is a company called DoMor Equipment that makes a land plane that attaches via SSQA to the loader. They make a 3 point hitch version too but I have a Kubota L45 with the backhoe attached and have never used 3 point implements and it seems quicker to me to remove the front bucket and attach the land plane there. What do you guys think of this approach? I am concerned about stress on the loader arms vs. the quick convenience of SSQA vs removing my backhoe and connecting the 3 point hitch bars and the land plane.

 

[jenkinsph]

There is a company called DoMor Equipment that makes a land plane that attaches via SSQA to the loader. They make a 3 point hitch version too but I have a Kubota L45 with the backhoe attached and have never used 3 point implements and it seems quicker to me to remove the front bucket and attach the land plane there. What do you guys think of this approach? I am concerned about stress on the loader arms vs. the quick convenience of SSQA vs removing my backhoe and connecting the 3 point hitch bars and the land plane.

When I bought the 110tlb I left the backhoe on it for the first three years with the 3ph and boxblade sitting idle. Very busy at the time and not really doing much tractor work. After that I started trying out the stuff and removing the hoe and adding the topntilt hitch I had, I found that it would save me alot of time to have an additional tractor with more hp for the 3ph implements so I bought the 4520. Does a good job with the 8' landplane.

I don't think I would recommend using a front mounted landplane on a tlb if you can use one on the 3PH instead. Too much unnecessary strain on the fel to save the removal and install time of the hoe, not a good trade of effort imo.

 

[lhansman]

Thanks Steve.

That is what I thought. I think DoMor is trying to add grader capability to a skid steer for those that do not have a tractor with a 3 point hitch.

I have to maintain about 600 feet of gravel driveway and about 3 acres of gravel parking lots. Based on a number of posts I have read here, it seems the land plane / grader is the preferred tool over a box blade. With your experience, would you agree?

I am having the rear remotes added to the L45 in a few weeks when I finally get the Laurin cab installed. Would you recommend a hydraulic top link for the land plane or is that overkill?

Regards,

Lauren

 

[RDrancher]

I picked up a landplane grader last week and have done five gravel driveways with it so far (re-grade and add material). In fact, I did a driveway this morning and actually left the box blade at home. That's a first for me EVER. There's a learning curve to getting the blade-depth set right, and I've got a lot to learn, but so far I'm very impressed. Less than one turn on the top link makes a difference in how the grader behaves, so hydraulic top n tilt would really help.

 

[jenkinsph]

Lauren,

I strongly recommend the topntilt hitch for grading work whether you are using a rake, landplane/grader, or boxblade. Having just the top link is a good start but get the tilt if you can. I feather the top link when working the landplane all the time when finish grading.

 

[Deerherd]

Lauren,

I strongly recommend the topntilt hitch for grading work whether you are using a rake, landplane/grader, or boxblade. Having just the top link is a good start but get the tilt if you can. I feather the top link when working the landplane all the time when finish grading.

+1 on what Steve said

 

[lhansman]

Thanks guys. Being a newbie to this area can you give me any recommendations on a top and tilt kit supplier? I would rather not pay Kubota prices if I don't have to.

Regards,

Lauren