Building a Skid Steer Land Plane / Land Leveler with CAT Parts

Building a $1800 land plane for around $300. Using the attachment starts around 15:00.
New tools include a Milwaukee 8" Metal Cutting Circular Saw & Makita 14" Metal Cutting Chop Saw. I highly recommend these tools!!
Milwaukee Metal Cutting Saw: amzn.to/3Bgx7c4
Makita Metal Cutting Chop Saw: amzn.to/3RXQqNp
The BEST Work Gloves: amzn.to/3QIKmYv
Better video of the land plane in action: • Skid Steer Land Plane ...
CAT Cutting Edge part No 7D-4508 (paid $150.47 for two blades shipped to my house from myparts.cat.com). You'll also need to order 5/8" plow bolts.
The angle iron is 4x4x1/4"

[@aaronburford5701]

Liked, Viewed, Shared, Subscribed! Great content and video!

[@justin2953]

Good video good build. Carpenter trick for you on squaring. Look up 3, 4, 5 squaring. You'll use it forever once you learn it. Super easy.

[@anesthesiadreamin]

Best video I've watched all week. Great idea opposing the blades, making one a drag blade 👍 My Land Pride brand land plane/ grader scraper is by far my very favorite implement, but it doesn't do that, both cutting blades face the same direction. Good job!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! The attachment works great. Would you be able to drill some holes and mount a blade on the backside?

[@anesthesiadreamin]

@@NealORussa actually now that u mention it, I remember now, the blades are reversible! So yes! YES! Thanks for answering me! Cool! This model is a 3 point, soit is time to reverse the back blade 👍 My buddy has a skid steer and wants to build one of these, I will forward this video to him

[@DallasAya]

I Like it. Ran a grader box on 40 hp tractor on and off for 5 years till my knee started acting up from the clutch action and had to give it up.. This thing could be a grader box with skids added. Would be easy and great for snow.

[@NealORussa]

Yes, definitely could double as a snow pusher. I understand the pain on a tractor, my kubota gives me trouble in my knee due to pushing down with heel while reversing.

[@barrybrady6814]

Great video just bought new skidsteer you explained everything perfectly from cork city

[@NealORussa]

Thanks Barry! What kind of skid did you buy? If you do a lot of driveways this is definitely a tool to build or buy!

[@barrybrady6814]

I bought a newholland l220 that's as big as you can buy if you're towing it with a 4x4 in Ireland as the total weight of the trailer and load cannot exceed 3.5 tonne

[@Mitalayeka]

Good build Neal, it looks like Land pride may be coming to u for consultations, thanks for the video Neal.

[@kido1954]

ニールさんこんにちは、お見事な工作大変勉強になります。上手な人がやるととても簡単に見えるから不思議です。すばらしい

[@NealORussa]

I found a translator. "Hello Neil, I learned a lot from your wonderful work. It's strange because it looks so easy when done by someone who is good at it. wonderful" Thank you so much for the comment! Appreciate hearing from you across the globe.

[@kelleyslandscapingproperty5483]

I would definitely be interested in having one made!

[@NealORussa]

You can do it! What size machine do you have? It's definitely a good tool for driveways that's where I use it the most.

[@RandomsFandom]

Most people just use the skid bucket. We have a grapple, and drag an I-beam if we need a big rake

[@NealORussa]

Yes i often use my bucket to grade, and i have a grapple as well. But man you should try a land leveler, it is night and day. Its like cutting and backdragging at the same time, leaves a really nice smooth finish. Great for refurbishing gravel driveways too.

[@andyjones6361]

The forward facing top braces made it 4 times stronger!! Great build

[@NealORussa]

Yes they did! And they make for a great spot to set your bucket and move two attachments at the same time. Thanks for the comment!

[@andyjones6361]

@@NealORussa Again great video. Nice little shop too!! That plane works great!!

[@Elprofesssr]

Great idea 👍 and very nice execution. Well done.

[@davidhoover8877]

Great Idea and nice job!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! To be honest it's kinda a knockoff of the skidmax land plane design.

[@jacklabloom635]

Well done.

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment and watching! Subscribe for more!

[@Chas1741]

A useful tool. Perhaps the rubble needed to be scattered around the site with a bucket, and then smoothed out with a planner. I am writing with a translator, if it did not work out very well, please do not judge strictly))

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! Yes sometimes its easier to scatter with bucket and then final touch with land plane. I find the land plane is best used on driveways where you're scraping and regrading existing stone.

[@clintonshort5781]

Very clever mate! There’s a market for it. Try retrofitting a 3 point linkage to skid steer.

[@NealORussa]

I do have a skid steer to 3pt quick attach adapter. I use a gill rake or pulverizer rake, as well as a tined landscape rake.

[@JustinVManes]

Really tight work! Few questions... Do you have any followup info? Have you considered adding rippers?

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! I don't have much followup, its been working great. I use it on driveways alot. Rippers would be pretty easy to add to that back 2x3" tube, but probably wont bother. I have a bucket with teeth, so i can rip with those, then follow up with the land plane.

[@alexthomas7543]

Really good build mate that’s how I’ve been thinking of building one good job

[@NealORussa]

Thank you! I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I've been procrastinating for a while on it and wish I wouldn't have waited!

[@kabtennameq]

great video!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks!

[@WebflingerJoe]

Wicked idea dude

[@NealORussa]

Thanks Joe! Appreciate the comment, subscribe for more build videos! I have a ripper tooth I built for my excavator for $200

[@WebflingerJoe]

@@NealORussa Donno why I wasn't subbed after makin the comment lol, have a good one man👍

[@gunnerranch]

How are you liking this? I bought one that angled at the base and feel like it creates more work

[@toddrudnitskas1342]

Nice build.

[@jamesonkruger6989]

What a great video. Some of these land levelers like the jenkins or stinger have too many bars across ends up acting more like a bucket and not letting anything through. This would be a great attachment to have

[@NealORussa]

Thanks Jameson! If you are wanting to purchase a similar type, look at the skidmax land levelers. That's what I based mine off of.

[@mattpee55]

nice work. how far do the blades stick down past the C-channel?

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! I think I set them around 5/8" or 3/4" below the channel. I might have stated it in the video. But it's been a while since I built it. The plane has been working flawless though.

[@chriscadman5715]

Nice cutting tools!

[@NealORussa]

Thanks! I was cutting some 1"'plate with a angle grinder a couple years ago and it caught and flipped out and tore my hand up and cut some ligaments in a finger. So after that hospital bill i decided it would be cheaper to buy some better tools for next time.

[@chriscadman5715]

@@NealORussa OUCH! 'Once burnt, twice shy.' (Amish saying)

[@BBearBuilds]

This is awesome.

[@dr.feelgood374]

Very nice build! It's been a year now would you change anything? Make it bigger, add more blades, etc. You never posted the part number for the Cat Blades and size angle did you attach the blades too?

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! I wouldn't change a thing, it works great and I haven't had any trouble out of it. Thanks for the reminder, i added that info to the video description, but also copied here in this comment. CAT Cutting Edge part No 7D-4508 (paid $150.47 for two blades shipped to my house from myparts.cat.com). You'll also need to order 5/8" plow bolts. The angle iron is 4x4x1/4"

[@ke6bnl]

wish I saw your video before I built mine, I use channel iron I had and a cutting blade from an old tractor. made it too long compared to yours and I use a large angle iron as a cross piece and bolted the cutting blade to that and is adjustable for height. I may go a cut mine down shorter in stick out it is way over kill. thanks for video. What angle was the mounting plate when you attached the land plane?

[@NealORussa]

Hey Ed thanks for the comment! An adjustable blade would be handy! I'm happy with where mine is set, but more features are always good. I can check the skid steer mounting plate angle and get back to you. The blade angle is 60 degrees.

[@outdooralaska6945]

Nice work

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the feedback and comment! If you enjoy these types of videos, please subscribe, i have a similar build video on a root ripper for a mini excavator.

[@clintonreichert4822]

It would be even more awsome if it had a roller on the front that you could use the aux hydraulics to raise and lower it and you could tilt it down and put pressure on it to compact ..

[@NealORussa]

Yea that would be cool! Though usually you need some vibrating action to compact. My original plan was to have a hydraulic cylinder on it to rotate ripper shanks down into the ground to help rip hard pack gravel drives. But that didn't happen...

[@MrGbarj]

Great video, thanks for putting on KZbin. How far apart are the scrapper blades & how far back is the front blade? Thanks Frank johnson

[@stuartkorte1642]

Not familiar with skid steers. Were you doing the grading with FEL in float mode?

[@NealORussa]

Usually i grade forward not in float, then tilt the front edge down and put in float while traveling backwards.

[@brandonjones4666]

What size angle did you use to bolt the cutting edge to?

[@NealORussa]

I believe it was 4x4x1/4. The cutting edge itself was 5/8" thick.

[@brandonjones4666]

Thank you

[@gyffjogofl7676]

That's sweet

[@NealORussa]

Thanks! I have also built a ripper tooth for my excavator that works awesome, the video is on my channel

[@stephaneboucher5108]

Great video ! Would love to send you an email for your diagram/plan but cant find it. Thanks again for your time and great video.

[@NealORussa]

Hey thanks for the comment! I don't really have any plans or diagrams for the land plane. Most of the dimensions I call out in the video, but otherwise I just kind of built it and put things where I thought it looked good.

[@ericmayer761]

Awesome build. How much lower are the cutting blades than the side rails? Would you have the blades cut more or less now after using it for sometime now?

[@NealORussa]

They're 3/4" lower than the side rails. I wouldn't change a thing it works awesome!

[@Ramitnr]

Nice! Can I place an order for one soon? 😁

[@NealORussa]

Thanks for the comment! I don't plan to build and sell any but you can check out skid max graders. That's kinda what I based my design from.

[@patsybrooks1137]

The chop saw in this video ,is it a 12 in or 14 in .?

[@NealORussa]

It's a 14" makita metal cutting saw. It has teeth that cut the metal, not abrasive like a grinder wheel.

[@ekalb7789]

Jetmate!

[@NealORussa]

Good eye! There's actually two of them haha. I also have a super chicken. Check out my channel I have a power sport playlist with some jet ski videos!

[@ekalb7789]

@@NealORussa I had one back in the day. put a 750 in it because I was too fat for the 650. Haha. Random question, did you mount the cutting blades flush with the bottom of the skids? Or do they protrude down a little? I am designing one. Looked like a fun project. Mine is shaping up to be very similar to yours.

[@NealORussa]

@@ekalb7789 both my jetmates and my super chicken all have 750's swapped in. As far as the blades they are 3/4" below the c channel

[@ekalb7789]

@@NealORussa are you content with the design? Or is there anything you wish you had done differently?

[@NealORussa]

@@ekalb7789 yes I'm very happy it's pretty much perfect. Only thing I would change would be some larger gussets on the quick attach mount. Nothings broke yet but I get nervous sometimes. Also might be nice to have 2 d rings in spots where it is easy to hook a ratchet strap over the bucket when I put the bucket on top and transport it

[@marcuswyatt2849]

Hi Neal, I really enjoyed watching your build. It seems to do what you expected of it. I'm in the process of building one similar but I opted to angle my blades due to the fact that I work on a lot of driveways. I definitely got a few tips from this video though, for improvements on mine. Thanks for sharing.

[@NealORussa]

Great, glad to hear it helped you out! Good luck with the build, I went back and forth a lot about angle blades vs straight so please comment back when you have some time and let us know how it works for you!

[@NealORussa]

Also, just FYI the vertical angle of the blades I installed them at on mine is perfect I would say. Doesn't cut to hard but cuts enough to shave off the ground or sod.

[@marcuswyatt2849]

@@NealORussa it works great! It doesn't move as much material to one side as I thought it would but I'm perfectly satisfied with the overall results. I'm still in the learning process but I love this thing so far. Cost was about half as much as a new one but the learning process was the fun part.

[@NealORussa]

@@marcuswyatt2849 that's awesome man! Did you angle both your blades the same way? I just added a new video a few days ago where I have a lot of footage grading gravel with the land leveler.

[@NealORussa]

@@marcuswyatt2849 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bn7QaWare5Z-pLs heres the link to the video

[@leonelmoreno9586]

Neal great video! You have inspired me to build one. Any chance you could provide a diagram with dimensions.

[@NealORussa]

Check out my channel and go to the contact link. There is a link to my email address. You can shoot me a message and I can send you the drawing for my racking posts layout and rafter cutting, though it doesn't have all of the extra x bracing in it.

[@stephaneboucher5108]

Great video ! Would love to send you an email for your diagram/plan but cant find it. Thanks again for your time and great video.

[@fredjones3430]

Liked the video!! What size angle did you use for the cutting edge?

[@NealORussa]

Hey thanks for the comment and like! I believe it was 4x4x3/8". I know it was 4x4 but just can't recall thickness. But I'm pretty sure it was 3/8. I know it wasn't 1/2, but could have been 1/4. I'd go check but I'm laying in bed lol.

[@hillmonbrooksjr9847]

What's the price on this

[@NealORussa]

They're not for sale, I just built this one for myself. I think the blades were about $80 a piece with the hardware and I had probably $150 in steel. Plus some welding wire and consumables.

[@hillmonbrooksjr9847]

Nice 👍

[@jandblawncare8570]

Nice! Can you build me one?

[@NealORussa]

I might think about it! But probably wouldn't get to it until winter.

[@baaamakingbaaaa]

After using these kind of saws you'll feel dumb for every using an abrasive type cut off blade. I know I did.

[@NealORussa]

100% agree! I saw Andrew Camarata using one, and thought, I need that. I cut my hand open real bad about 2 years ago and spent over $1000 between hospital and doctors so I've been trying to get tools to make this work safer and easier and avoid that again!