Best Land Plane?

[Kep1a]

Well I messed up and waited too long. I originally wanted the Everything attachments Land plane but wasn't sure what size to get. I knew my 2840 Montana could not handle much of a land plane and I knew I was upgrading to a bigger cab tractor soon. How much bigger I had no Idea. With 0% for 84 months being offered I finally decided on a CT2535 and tried to use it but it failed miserably in my application. I had no idea how much the elevation (4960') and a hydrostat would rob power from a normally aspirated 3 cylinder engine. I took delivery and promptly decided it wasn't going to work. With the backhoe installed and loaded tires I could not get the tractor to move even one inch using the linked pedal system. I then had to use the hand throttle at max throttle before even trying to move it to just get the tractor to move up to the house where I could call the dealer and tell them I needed to upgrade the size and HP.

For those that are thinking I'm full of it, watch the link below. It has been a long and challenging project for sure. Yes I cut the driveway myself with help from a friend who was a pioneer road builder for a local mine.

So what I ended up deciding on since I was now trapped into the Bobcat brand was the CT5555. The CT5558 was $2800 more for just 3HP. Just not worth the money IMHO. I get it delivered on Tuesday April 2nd. I sure hope it works! Yes with loaded tires and a backhoe too.

My question is that with Everything Attachments out of the picture what is the best land plane available? I liked the EA because of the designed in extra strength and the larger blade angle that allowed it to slice rather than just drag the materials to the side and dump them over the blade. I also liked the twin hole blade mount design that made it so you could flip the blades as they wore out. I know it is designed for gravel driveways but mine is a natural gravel and clay mix. So I thought for leveling out the ripples that driving up the steep side causes a land plane would be the fastest and easiest solution. Any thoughts are welcome. I have been using a 6' scraper blade that has a 6 way adjustment feature and was built in the late 1930s from what I can decipher on the data plate (1930 or 1939). This tool does a great job but with my old 2840 Montana it could only grade going down hill. It made for a two or three 10 hour a day job. Manually angling the blade and arm was a chore but manageable for now or until I get older that is.

 

[oosik]

I would suggest any purchase be from a local dealer. I have ground engagement implements from - Land Pride, Bush Hog, Pittsburg & Rhino. All have functioned well with my next to sever use and have withstood the test of time.

My LPGS - Land Pride GS2584. 84" wide & 800 pounds. It has scarifiers and height adjustable blades. The cutting blades are reversible also.

I have a mile long gravel driveway. The surface "crust" is a mix of gravel, sand, silt & volcanic ash. In the summer it is hard as concrete. That's why I got one with scarifiers.

If your blades are adjustable - try lowering them, below the side frame, just an inch or so. Going lower does not seem to improve performance and CERTAINLY requires increased Hp.

My blades are 1 1/4 inches below the side frame. My scarifiers will be lowered 2 1/2 inches below the side frames. I run the LPGS in this manner until the "crust" is completely broken. Then raise the scarifers and use just the blades. My Kubota M6040 has 64 Hp and it DOES notice the drag created by the LPGS in the "scarifier down" mode.

I never have to "do" the entire driveway. Just a couple or three areas that get soft and rutted with the spring weather. I go very slow when using the LPGS. Never more than 2 or 3 mph. DEFINITELY in 4WD when using the scarifiers.

Check your LPGS - I would recommend lowering the blades no more than 1 1/2 inches. Perhaps - just an inch. It could be that you are trying to cut too deep.

Hope this gives you some new ideas. Report back when you get the new tractor.

This is my LPGS. It's just had all the dirt washed off.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Be careful about what you ask for. You will get many & various answers.
Some may not apply to your set of circumstances.

Ideally for your application, you want longer side rails. 6' I would say. But good luck finding that. I would be looking for side rail height of 18"or at least close to that. Overall weight as heavy as you can find and afford. Hopefully around 1000lbs for a 6 foot wide unit, doubtful to find that though. The side-side angle of the blades is going to vary between 10* & 15*. I used to think that the greater angle was best, and still do, but in real-world use, the lesser angle still works well.

Regarding scarifiers, depends on what your circumstances-conditions are I suppose. I do not care for them with a land plane. Better to get a heavier unit than to rely on the scarifiers IMO.

Any of them will work, just some better than others. Remember, weight is typically your friend when grading,

Good luck with your search.

 

[oosik]

Brian is correct. Heavier is better for land engagement implements. I could have, probably, got by with a 1200 - 1400 pound LPGS W/OUT scarifiers - if such an animal is even available.

However - my ruts get pretty deep and I DO want to reach clear to the bottom when I do my spring driveway maintenance.

I have a 400# cast cement weight that could be set on the LPGS. If conditions ever get that bad - I'll have my neighbor bring over his ancient road grader. He uses it, every so often, on his LONG driveway. He pulls it with his dozer.

Here is a way to add 400# to any land engagement implement. Just be darn sure the frame of your implement is built to handle this added load.

 

[Kep1a]

Brian is correct. Heavier is better for land engagement implements. I could have, probably, got by with a 1200 - 1400 pound LPGS W/OUT scarifiers - if such an animal is even available.

However - my ruts get pretty deep and I DO want to reach clear to the bottom when I do my spring driveway maintenance.

I have a 400# cast cement weight that could be set on the LPGS. If conditions ever get that bad - I'll have my neighbor bring over his ancient road grader. He uses it, every so often, on his LONG driveway. He pulls it with his dozer.

Here is a way to add 400# to any land engagement implement. Just be darn sure the frame of your implement is built to handle this added load.
View attachment 859855

I already have 420# in 70#suitcase weights on hangers I put on the sides of my quick hitch. While possibly not the best placement for a land plane it sure does make a huge improvement for my scraper blade. It virtually eliminates the popping up and over larger rocks That used to infuriate me when my entire load of materials got dumped in the middle of my road. I may look into a custom suitcase weight bracket mounted on the land plane. I have 8 42# and 6 70# weights and if I can figure out a system for mounting them then that may be a good way for me to go.

 

[Kep1a]

I do have a box blade but find it is very difficult to use on a long driveway. I use it to fix wash outs, ruts and high spots mainly. I find the box blade can quickly damage the road in an instant while looking forward to drive and not go off the cliff.

 

[Kep1a]

Be careful about what you ask for. You will get many & various answers.
Some may not apply to your set of circumstances.

Ideally for your application, you want longer side rails. 6' I would say. But good luck finding that. I would be looking for side rail height of 18"or at least close to that. Overall weight as heavy as you can find and afford. Hopefully around 1000lbs for a 6 foot wide unit, doubtful to find that though. The side-side angle of the blades is going to vary between 10* & 15*. I used to think that the greater angle was best, and still do, but in real-world use, the lesser angle still works well.

Regarding scarifiers, depends on what your circumstances-conditions are I suppose. I do not care for them with a land plane. Better to get a heavier unit than to rely on the scarifiers IMO.

Any of them will work, just some better than others. Remember, weight is typically your friend when grading,

Good luck with your search.

I was mainly talking about implement options for my specific application. Until recently I had never heard of a land plane. So who knows how many other implements I have not heard of. I also read on here that using a chain for the top link was a thing. Or an aftermarket link system to replace the fixed top link. Go figure!

 

[bcp]

Priefert is the longest I've seen.

Priefert Manufacturing

Bruce

 

[ruffdog]

Nice house. I was part of building an underground house 43 years ago too. I'm thinking that a normal land plane might not work the best at your location because of the rocks. Here, we order gravel that is all the same size and it planes out nice. Correct me if I'm wrong, you are dealing with everything from dust to rocks that might damage a vehicle. The land plane would probable be hopping over the larger stones. If you had something that would grade off the big stones and left the small stuff, I might work better????

Using York & Modern Implements Landscape Rakes as an ATV or UTV accessory

 

[ruffdog]

For a driveway that long....maybe go higher quality and adjust ability.

Skid Steer Attachment | Heavy-Duty Grading Equipment