LPGS build

[Xfaxman]

Good picture, but I hope you didn't weld them on that end!

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Uh, no. Needed the flat surface to jig them. Upright for the top link is in the way on the front. They will be welded on the front edge of the 4x4 not the top anyway

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Life has been so busy lately that I haven't been able to update this until now. Stood the thing up on its end to make welding the hitch brackets easier as I'm not the greatest at vertical welding with the stick. The 4" of travel in my flex link translates into about 15" total articulation of the LP.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

8x8 block used to test the flex







Sorry for the sideways pics, I can't seem to get them to rotate upright on my phone

 

[Xfaxman]

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

The first day I got to try it, the ground was too dry to be effective but I gave it a whirl anyway .



I've made about a dozen passes total so far over 3 different days. It certainly does the intended job nicely of allowing me to work the tracks without disturbing the center grass strip. There are a few things that aren't working as well as I'd have hoped....

There is a bit of spillage off both sides leaving a small ridge of gravel that I hadn't expected.

While the finished product looks nice, the potholes seem to return quickly.

At right around 600 lbs, the tractor definitely knows it's there when lifted but it feels too light while its working. More weight is easy to add to see how it goes and might improve the pothole removal. The interesting thing is that when I look up specs of commercially available ones, I'm at nearly double the weigh per foot of cutting edge by comparison. I can't imagine having one with half the weight and still getting decent results

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=395627"/> <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=395628"/>

Thanks.
And I presume that was easy for you right? Shesh. If I was at the computer I could have done it but I find it easier to post direct from the phone...if I could just figure out why some pics face the right way and some don't

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I also tried to take a video of it working but haven't got the foggiest idea how to share it. I'll have to get my wife or son to help with that

 

[rswyan]

Thanks.
And I presume that was easy for you right? Shesh. If I was at the computer I could have done it but I find it easier to post direct from the phone...if I could just figure out why some pics face the right way and some don't

Probably is dependent on the orientation of your camera/phone ...

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You are comparing light to medium units. A heavy duty unit will run at 200lb per foot width. Another thing is if the ground is hard enough, even the 200lbs per foot is not enough. Some of it has to do with pitch that the blades are at, how far below the runners, not just the weight. Weight is great, but everything has to work together to be able to get the best possible results.

Try using it a day or so after some rain, then see how it works for you. Lots of things factor in as to how well an implement of any kind will work.

Good luck with yours.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Probably is dependent on the orientation of your camera/phone ...

Yes but I also went into the gallery and rotated them with no luck

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I checked half a dozen different ones purposely avoiding any light duty ones and kept getting numbers in the low to mid 50s per foot. The first time I tried it I knew it was too dry but had to give it a go anyway. The other 2 attempts were after rain. Been maintaining 1/4 mile of gravel lane for 30 yrs with a back blade, just new to using the LP

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Brian, I've been searching to find units in the 200 lbs per ft you mention and keep coming up empty, nothing even close.

And I just realized part of what was going on....I missed the part of per foot of width, I was counting per foot of cutting edge. That doubles my numbers to properly compare with yours. I'm right at 600 lbs on a 3' wide machine, so that gives me the 200 lbs per ft you mention. And as I stated, is none too heavy and feels like it could use another 100 lbs per ft or more.

Everything I find comes up at 100 or less per ft. Land Pride's 25 series (their heaviest) came in at 108 per ft

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Brian, I've been searching to find units in the 200 lbs per ft you mention and keep coming up empty, nothing even close.

And I just realized part of what was going on....I missed the part of per foot of width, I was counting per foot of cutting edge. That doubles my numbers to properly compare with yours. I'm right at 600 lbs on a 3' wide machine, so that gives me the 200 lbs per ft you mention. And as I stated, is none too heavy and feels like it could use another 100 lbs per ft or more.

Everything I find comes up at 100 or less per ft. Land Pride's 25 series (their heaviest) came in at 108 per ft

Road Boss may be the only one left,:confused3: I know I did a hydraulic set for a 6000 series JD that maintains the Goodyear proving grounds roads in Texas, and a Road Boss LPGS is what they use. You are talking 8 hours a day, everyday. That says something to me.

Sometimes the ground is simply to hard, but I guess you could add some weight and see what happens.

As far as the LP 25 series, you're right, it is light as are most of the units now days. They still work and that is why they are able to sell them, they just don't work as well. As we all know, weight is king when it comes to grading. :thumbsup:

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Now with frost well set in for the winter, this will be parked till spring until I can play with it further. I did have one chance to try it with some extra weight. I added about 200lbs of concrete slabs. It made a difference but I still want to try it heavier. In the spring, I'm going to load it down as much as the 3pt hitch will lift and see how it works. I expect to have to load weight on the front to keep it down while pulling it

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Finally got around to grading my lane for the first time this spring about 4 weeks later than I wanted. Instead of the extra concrete weight I had on last fall, I added the 250 lbs slab of steel that I use for extra weight in the back of the truck for the winter. That puts it right at 850 lbs for a 3' wide cut. I also lowered the front blade to its lower setting, now at 2.5" below the runners. I'll likely still add some more weight to see what I think. Weight is definitely your friend with one of these, the more the better.

About 8 passes over the lane and I was able to get most of the potholes worked out for now. I expect them to come back but with it now out of winter storage, it will be easier to grade again. I know my lane wasn't built properly to begin with so its an ongoing battle.