Box Scraper Land Planes / Grading Scrapers

[milkman636]

I started a project of raising a low area on an acre that has two distinct high areas and a low area. There’s about 6’ of elevation difference between the highest spots and the low one. It’s open land with few trees, but it’s one of only spots on our place that gets ponding in the spring. My goal is to raise the low area above the adjoining treed areas so it will be drier, flatter, and more useable.

I’ve spent a dozen hours or so over the last couple weeks running buckets of dirt down the hill and feathering them out. Ive also dragged hundreds of box blades full of dirt down the hills to deposit in the bottom. Both of these methods are decently effective for grabbing and moving dirt down the hill, but the smoothing and leveling at the bottom is slower than I’d like.

It’s a piecemeal job that will keep me plugging away off and on over the next few weeks, and I like to leave it smooth every time I drive the tractor away in case I don’t get right back to it.

So that has me thinking that a land plane type implement might be the ticket for this job. My thinking is that the land plane would make quicker work out of smoothing out and leveling part of the job and I could get a little more done each night if I had one.

So how about it? Will these things work as slick as advertised? Anyone out there have any advice for me on brands that worked or didn’t work for you? What do I need to look out for?

 

[KennyG]

A land plane should be ideal for finishing. I built my own from scrap angle iron and it leveled very well. I can't link right now but search for "land plane and drag mat" in my posts to see how mine works.

 

[Williy]

I purchased a LS land plane and it works great for me.

willy

 

[jyoutz]

A cheap way to smooth soft loose material is to make a drag. A section of chain link fence with a heavy pipe on both ends works pretty well.

 

[oosik]

I have both a Land Pride LPGS and a home made drag. The LPGS is used with my tractor. The home made drag is used with my ATV. The LPGS is used for big projects. The home made drag for smaller projects.

Both do an excellent job of final smoothing.

The LPGS cost - $2250. The home made drag - next to nothing. It's made from salvaged lumber.

 

[milkman636]

A land plane should be ideal for finishing. I built my own from scrap angle iron and it leveled very well. I can't link right now but search for "land plane and drag mat" in my posts to see how mine works.

That's a unique design that you came up with. One thing I am not blessed with is an abundance of free time to tackle a build though. I will need an "off the shelf' type of solution, and like yours, it will need it to raise and lower so it's not dragging around while I'm grabbing more dirt with the bucket.

 

[milkman636]

I have both a Land Pride LPGS and a home made drag. The LPGS is used with my tractor. The home made drag is used with my ATV. The LPGS is used for big projects. The home made drag for smaller projects.

Both do an excellent job of final smoothing.

The LPGS cost - $2250. The home made drag - next to nothing. It's made from salvaged lumber.

The cost on these grading scrapers does seem high for what they are. And there seems to be a bit of variety in construction like the spacing between the blades, the angles used, scarifiers or no scarifiers. So I a looking for specific feedback from owners. What brand/model do you have? What do you like or dislike about it?

 

[milkman636]

I purchased a LS land plane and it works great for me.

willy

Is there any detail about it that you think could be improved? I'm not trying to bash at all, I just want learn from owners so I can pick a good one.

 

[milkman636]

A cheap way to smooth soft loose material is to make a drag. A section of chain link fence with a heavy pipe on both ends works pretty well.

I really think I need something that lifts and lowers as needed, so it's not dragging around the whole time I'm working.

 

[deezler]

If you can't smooth out loose dirt with either a FEL bucket (back drag) or box blade, then you just aren't experienced enough. Those are both excellent tools for smoothing out and leveling loose dirt.

Yes, a land plane does the job without almost any thinking (just drop it and pull forward), but they are expensive and of limited use otherwise. Plus then you wont have the box blade for pulling dirt with you.

Do you load up the FEL and then also pull the box blade down the hill? I would, double your efforts with each trip.