road grader

[jimfx]

I am looking at a device to grade my gravel driveway and I see that there are box scrapers, which I have tried and I ended up with a wavy drive, and land graders which are still a 3 point hitch device. It seems at no matter what if you are connected to the three point hitch that is always a possibility, or am I missing something?
Thanks for your input .....

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Land Plane Grader Blades are hands down THE BEST IMPLEMENT to maintain a natural surface road-drive IMO. Yes it is still connected to the 3pt hitch. The runners along with the twin blades make this type of implement so good. The longer the runners the better. Now length can become a problem in certain situations and probably is one of the reasons that most manufacturers don't have them with runners over 6' in length, most are shorter that that. Weight is a big plus and 150lbs or more per foot of width seems to be the ideal combination.

People would argue, but in my opinion these LPGBs are better for maintaining a drive than even a motor grader. I have seen motor graders leave, even create wash boarding. I have never, not one time created wash boarding with my LPGBs. If the ground is really hard it may take a couple of passes to get a clean surface, but never have I made things worse.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Land Plane Grader Blades are hands down THE BEST IMPLEMENT to maintain a natural surface road-drive IMO. Yes it is still connected to the 3pt hitch. The runners along with the twin blades make this type of implement so good. The longer the runners the better. Now length can become a problem in certain situations and probably is one of the reasons that most manufacturers don't have them with runners over 6' in length, most are shorter that that. Weight is a big plus and 150lbs or more per foot of width seems to be the ideal combination.


People would argue, but in my opinion these LPGBs are better for maintaining a drive than even a motor grader. I have seen motor graders leave, even create wash boarding. I have never, not one time created wash boarding with my LPGBs. If the ground is really hard it may take a couple of passes to get a clean surface, but never have I made things worse.

SECOND THAT +++

 

[kneedeep]

Other options you might want to look into-

DR Power Grader (Driveway Grader) | DR Power Equipment

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Other options you might want to look into-

DR Power Grader (Driveway Grader) | DR Power Equipment

Isn't most of the DR stuff for ATVs, smaller tractors or even garden tractors? He has a CASE tractor, so I'm guessing that it's bigger than a garden tractor. :confused3:

 

[PapaPerk]

Isn't most of the DR stuff for ATVs, smaller tractors or even garden tractors? He has a CASE tractor, so I'm guessing that it's bigger than a garden tractor. :confused3:

Yeah they are for atv and utvs. Garden tractors too.

 

[southerniltractor]

Land Plane Grader Blades are hands down THE BEST IMPLEMENT to maintain a natural surface road-drive IMO. Yes it is still connected to the 3pt hitch. The runners along with the twin blades make this type of implement so good. The longer the runners the better. Now length can become a problem in certain situations and probably is one of the reasons that most manufacturers don't have them with runners over 6' in length, most are shorter that that. Weight is a big plus and 150lbs or more per foot of width seems to be the ideal combination.

People would argue, but in my opinion these LPGBs are better for maintaining a drive than even a motor grader. I have seen motor graders leave, even create wash boarding. I have never, not one time created wash boarding with my LPGBs. If the ground is really hard it may take a couple of passes to get a clean surface, but never have I made things worse.

Third that!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Back on the farm many years ago, we borrowed and used a land plane that was similar to the one MtViewRanch posted, but it was huge and was a pull-type that just attached to the tractor's drawbar. The height was controlled by a hydraulic cylinder like any other pull-type implement. Worked great.

It couldn't be that hard to build one in a smaller size if a guy had some steel, a spare hydraulic cylinder, a heavy duty axle and wheels.

 

[jimfx]

Well, thanks for all the replies. I was looking at the DR unit but it seemed a but light to last very long ....
I do like the design however.
The more robust units caught my eye but I didn't want the box scraper experience.
jimfx

 

[PhysAssist]

There is a DR PTO trimmer thread I saw on TBN recently, and several of the posters were very unsatisfied with their DR Power Graders, going so far as to say that despite adding significant weight, it wouldn't dig in at all and was best purposed as a lawn ornament.

YMMV

 

[MtnViewRanch]

jimfx, what tractor do you have, or are going to be using? There are a lot of CASE tractors.

 

[bcp]

View attachment 324497

I am looking at a device to grade my gravel driveway and I see that there are box scrapers, which I have tried and I ended up with a wavy drive, and land graders which are still a 3 point hitch device. It seems at no matter what if you are connected to the three point hitch that is always a possibility, or am I missing something?
Thanks for your input .....

If you don't like the 3 point hitch, you can do it this way. Even grade with a truck or car.

Bruce

Domor Equipment | TP Series Grader

 

[PhysAssist]

View attachment 324497 = A DEAD LINK

If you don't like the 3 point hitch, you can do it this way. Even grade with a truck or car.

Bruce

Domor Equipment | TP Series Grader

View attachment 324498

These look great, but no one should be required to give all their contact information just to get a price quote.

Do you have one?

If you do, and don't mind me asking, what did it run you?

PM me if you do not want to share it in public.

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[jenkinsph]

I am looking at a device to grade my gravel driveway and I see that there are box scrapers, which I have tried and I ended up with a wavy drive, and land graders which are still a 3 point hitch device. It seems at no matter what if you are connected to the three point hitch that is always a possibility, or am I missing something?
Thanks for your input .....

I think most of us can relate to the boxblade experience with wavy results. I have spent alot of seat time with a boxblade before gaining a level of proficientcy that is satisfactory. The LPGB with runners or skids are a different animal. When I lower a landplane grader blade I push the rockshaft lever down all the way which allows the implement to float up and down at will. The skids make all the difference, it is more similar to pulling a sled, but at the same time being a 3ph implement it is easy to pickup and turn around or back into a space. Having a hydraulic top link makes the lpgb easier to adjust trim but isn't a necessity.

The land plane grader blade is easy and simple to use and functions quite differently than a boxblade which is operated often suspended over the work. I think this is the part you are missing. I agree with MtnViewRanch too.

Here's two that I built one 48" and one 96", if you can weld you can save some money and have a better tool to boot.

 

[bcp]

These look great, but no one should be required to give all their contact information just to get a price quote.

Do you have one?

Don't have one, but found that one while researching graders.

Long ago I saw many similar homemade ones, usually longer and with a single blade but no wheels. Small ones for roads and huge ones for fields. They were pulled with a chain by a truck or tractor. They did good work.

Bruce

 

[PILOON]

For years we maintained 3 miles of gravel/dirt road with a home made rig that simply had 3 cross blades attached to 2 pullers mounted on top. We used 2 tires as a shock absorbers and chained that to the bumper of an old Willis jeep. After dragging that rig one would believe that fresh gravel had been graded by the city grader.
The trick was that the rig was 8' wide and 8' long so that only bumps and lumps were shaved and the blades spread that excess all around and filled the dips.
I basically copied from the old municipal horse drawn drags that the roads dept used back in the '40/'50's in rural Quebec.

 

[jenkinsph]

For years we maintained 3 miles of gravel/dirt road with a home made rig that simply had 3 cross blades attached to 2 pullers mounted on top. We used 2 tires as a shock absorbers and chained that to the bumper of an old Willis jeep. After dragging that rig one would believe that fresh gravel had been graded by the city grader.
The trick was that the rig was 8' wide and 8' long so that only bumps and lumps were shaved and the blades spread that excess all around and filled the dips.
I basically copied from the old municipal horse drawn drags that the roads dept used back in the '40/'50's in rural Quebec.

While these drags may have worked to some degree they never were near as good as a newer land plane grader blade. Can't backup with a drag or transport easily whereas a landplane grader blade can smooth in forward and reverse, you can transport and position them easily too.

 

[PILOON]

While these drags may have worked to some degree they never were near as good as a newer land plane grader blade. Can't backup with a drag or transport easily whereas a landplane grader blade can smooth in forward and reverse, you can transport and position them easily too.

That's true re positioning however for long runs that does not matter. Also if cost is of concern a well made drag can be the solution.

 

[Cat_Driver]

These look great, but no one should be required to give all their contact information just to get a price quote.

Do you have one?

If you do, and don't mind me asking, what did it run you?

PM me if you do not want to share it in public.

Thanks,
Thomas

I've done this hundreds of times all the info I give is FAKE ( like all the news crom CNN)except for my throw away gmail account. Whne that account gets too full of doo doo, I dump it and get a new one. Not a problem, Phone id 520-555-1212, I'm Mr, Jones, Smith etc.

 

[IRISHBOOMER]

Great thread I’m looking at one of these currently to maintain about 3/4 of a mile driveway. I was looking at the Woods GSM84 or the EA 84”