Land plane dimensions

[Fallon]

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* A frame to enable the plane to be maneuvered with the FEL bucket. This allows you to quickly do a small job without having to change 3-point implements. It's also useful to move the plane and transport it. Often I will drive the tractor to a job with the box blade on the rear and the plane on the bucket.

SSQA to 3pt adapter. I welded a Quick Hitch to a SSQA plate. Let's you easily carry any 3pt implement around for loading or transport. Made a 2nd after the first one ran off with my old tractor (was the mount for my snow plow).

All of your implements need to be QH compatible though. But modifying them so they are is a good idea anyway. It does mean you can end up at a job with no bucket though.

 

[workinallthetime]

I am in the process of scavaging the material to build one of these myself. My last and probably the hardest thing to make a decision on is what to build the side plates out of. The unit will be used for the most part on my gravel driveway which has several hills and valleys.
Do you guys think there is a significant advantage in the length say from going to 4 foot to 5 foot of should I consider 6 foot?
For the blades, I have 2 used cutting edges off of fairly large machines. The blades will be backed up by 4" x 1/4" angle. Does a third blade at the end work well?

 

[gillesdumais]

i am planning to build one eventually as well and GS2572 is a good exemple of well designedLandshark Also. if i do i will use 1/4 or 3/8 side plane the heavier would be the better and 5 foot long at maximum to save the 3 point if it swing and turning also as most model available are 4' long approx. and i would build it with 2 blades only without scarifier

 

[workinallthetime]

I was able to score a 12 foot long 15" wide by 1/4" piece today cheap. This was the final scrap I needed to start the project.
I have found serious bargains by asking for "drops" at a steel shop. Some shops are not interested and act as if you asked for a picture of their wife, others don't mind. I have found it helps to let them know this is a "little project" I am working on at home.

 

[jenkinsph]

how did it work finally. i changed my L2501 for MX6000 so my homemade grader is 60'' wide by 60'' long and new tractor coming 73'' . So i have to build another one. i was planning to build like your with grader blade in the middle. dimension planned 74'' wide by 72'' long or 78'' long for leveling my land for seedling grasse eventually. what would you recommend me for dimension and other innovations ?View attachment 685337

For the MX 6000 I would build it 8ft wide if used primarily for field smoothing. Reasoning that wider dimensions allow for better averaging of the ground. If you run at a right angle on the second trip across the field it does a better job correcting any dips or mounds.

Here are two I built about 10 years ago and still use. First is 8' x 5' for my 60 hp tractor the second is a 4' x 5' for my x749.

 

[jenkinsph]

I built the 8' first and used wide flange beam for the skids. That was okay but I did learn by using. The box tubing does not hold the gravel so less likely to drop gravel on the lawns.

Height of cross bracing frame work should allow good clearance for junk to pass through. My next plane is a larger one with 12" ht skids using 12" x 3" box tubing heavy wall. The skids will be about 8' long and the frame will be 14' wide with grader blades in both directions.
About as big as I want to deal with and can load cross ways on a trailer for transport.

 

[workinallthetime]

Nice looking build!
thoughts on not angling the blades? Most of the production units are sitting around 10 degrees which is what I plan on doing. This will primarily be used for driveway maintenance so I went with a 72" width to help maintain and build the crown.

 

[Fallon]

Nice looking build!
thoughts on not angling the blades? Most of the production units are sitting around 10 degrees which is what I plan on doing. This will primarily be used for driveway maintenance so I went with a 72" width to help maintain and build the crown.

Angled blades won't move material sideways, even if you tilt the whole LPGS. So the main function is to avoid washboard. Any bumps only hit a part of the blade at any time giving it more effective force. With a heavy enough implement that mitigates that a bit. But angling the blade is cheaper than steel & about as effective.

 

[gillesdumais]

here is my old grader with the blade straigth not tilted

 

[workinallthetime]

Good info, today was a long day of cutting and welding.
I have never used one so all info is good info. I have to remove my BH to attach the 3 Point lift arms so I do not use the 3 point very often. I found that my box blade works well for rough maintenance but the dressing is always done with my 72" bucket in the FEL.
One thing I have noticed in every video is that the rear blade's job is more of a "wiper" than a cutter.