Go BottomGravel Road Maintenance with Grademaster
 | richardgd
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 5 Maryland 
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2003-06-27 58440
I've seen posts about an implement called the Grademaster which is used to maintain gravel roads but never seen a post from someone who owned one. Well I went ahead and bought one a couple weeks ago anyway and wanted to let anyone interested know that it is now my favorite implement. I have a 3/4 mile driveway which was covered with pot holes due to all the rain this spring. After a couple passes it looked like a brand new road. You can see a picture at http://www.dansequipment.us/accessories.htm. I purchased mine at Agri Supply in verginia for $769.
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2003-06-28 58468
Richard: I recall a discussion about this type of unit awhile back. I don't recall if you were part of the discussion but finding a new favourite implement from any source always is a good thing. I believe the theory of these things is that the churn the material so the larger aggregate ends up on the bottom, which makes for more durable pothole fills. I don't recall if the mount is a drawbar or 3ph type.
If you have any good hills on the drive you might say how the unit behaves when fiorst starting up or going down a hill. I do your work on my shorter drives with a box scraper. It tends to take bigger bites when first starting up a hill and I often lengthen the top-link a bit until the entire box gets on the new grade (or else the hill keeps getting a bit longer and then I start building a second hill). Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit but the Grademaster may work with less fiddling than my box scraper.
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| richardgd
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 5 Maryland
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2003-06-28 58500
The 2 blades only extend about 2 inches below the side runners so I just set the 3pt to float and drive up and down the driveway. It scrapes the top couple inches which go up over the first and then second blade and then get spread loosely and evenly behind the implement. The larger objects such as wash gravel seem to find their way to the top. I do have some hills but it doesn't dig deep enough to slow me down. I have found that it doesn't work well in damp conditions, the gravel clumps up and leaves bumps. ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-06-29 58506
Sounds like I may have gotten the idea backwards and larger aggregates go to the top. That does sound like it would make for more durable pothole filling. I know the surface of my pit run drives aren't all that durable with fresh compacted gravel until the surface sand washes out and the stone packs down so larger on top sounds like the right idea.
It sounds like operation works much like my scraper. Just give the unit plenty of 3ph float and let it work. Before I redid my drive grades there was an abrupt transition from the grade coming off the highway to where it started up one drive. The box would take a bigger bite at that point and I was wondering if the Grademaster does the same thing but it doesn't sound like it's much of a problem. I was wondering how it works since I can adjust the bite of the scraper with the top-link but I don't know how top-link adjustment affects action of the Grademaster.
All in all it sounds like I would buy such a unit if I maintained longer drives than I do. Getting a smooth compacted surface is a bit of an art with a scraper and it still takes a bit of fussing. I don't think I would give up my conventional scraper though since I use it for a bunch of other type work.
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 | marklugo
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 281 Tifton, GA
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2003-06-29 58526
Not only have I owned one, but my father and I made one. Works greeat!!!! No more pot holes. Easy to crown a road as well if one is wanted. ....
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