How to two pass blade a gravel road

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[@murrayblack4371]

Graderman I am a 67 year old life time truck driver equipment operator I have not run grader but know how important the grader is. The company I work for has never had someone ever build a proper crowned road for the dump and gravel mine sites that we operate. Recently I have complained enough to make them bring to me an old Komatsu GD655 that has not been used since we got our new JD grader. With your help I have been able to preform some simple road building and maintance . I can not tell you how much I thank you for your help and hope I can lean on you for more advise as I get better at it.

[@carlarichards375]

Really learning a lot from you videos. I've only been blading for 6 months. County training, lol. I got lucky and with a new boss, I teamed up with another operator, building dirt roads and reshaping many gravel roads. I have 81 miles of gravel and 78 miles of dirt, so everything is a rush. Dirt gets cut tight for harvest causing berms. my trainer said we get the berms off in the spring when we have moisture, well we are in a drought. Gravel, once reshaped and cleaned of material not having to much trouble with maintaining and this video will help out. I've been doing 3 rounds, cut both sides to the middle, then spread evenly across road. Works great until I get weeds. have a slope meter that doesn't give % just hash marks, then numbers. I've been using the 4 or 5 hashmark. Guessing it's 4%, lol. Feels comfortable when I drive the semi and not getting pot holes. Ty

[@DustinDrietz]

I do enjoy your videos. I have been grading for several years and i would agree that in fairly flat roads you don't adjust your blade much. My townships are very hilly and i am on the levers alot so as not to leave curb and gutter. Also i feather out the windrow or it most of my roads will wash. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. Always good to get ideas and learn from other operators.

[@graderman140m]

i am happy to hear you enjoy the videos and yes you are correct in hilly country you will have to adjust your blade more with that type of terrain i enjoy sharing my knowledge with others hopefully help others become better operators

[@tomsawyer247]

I have been running grader for 40 years and watching and listening to you.I would say you blade the way it should be done.good job. My RM blades both sides to center then fluffs it both ways, and the road gets continually worse.

[@graderman140m]

I’m happy to hear that I don’t claim to know everything but I think the way I maintain my roads is a good way to do them congratulations on running a blade for 40 years this will be my 17th year running a blade and absolutely love it thanks for watching!

[@pauldwyer53]

I'm a new grader operator and I have learned a lot from your videos! Thank you for sharing

[@graderman140m]

I’m very happy to hear that thanks for watching the videos and definitely feel free to ask any questions you might have.

[@carlarichards375]

I am too. Watched your video today for blading intersections then did the intersection. Dirt roads, no gravel. Ty

[@bladehand2411]

Your an absolute Legen Sir. One of the best No doubt! John Deere or CAT Joysticks or Wheel you run them all like a Professional Blade Hand 💪🏻💪🏻

[@graderman140m]

I appreciate the kind words I take pride in the work I do also enjoy operating the different types of machines. Thanks for watching the channel

[@clodhopper946]

Learning on an old cat 12 puts you in the know of what the old timers had to contend with,, keep up the good work,,,so many employees now days dont care and leave the roads worse than when they started...have a good day young man,,,,

[@bjornjohnson6629]

Just had my 1st experience on one today on a wide gravel road the operator said I did a good job but willing to learn more!!!

[@graderman140m]

Good deal watch all my videos hopefully they will help you out and become a better operator

[@adriannettlefold9084]

Good to see you back pullin levers, Mark. Always good to get your tips and tricks. Hope you're doing well matey.

[@angkriekouki]

Very helpful video thank you for sharing your knowledge. That machine is my favorite but unfortunately i was never given the chance to get trained and work with it. I am quiet new to the blades still working on my dozer skills. I want more info about the blade use on siple tasks like gravel or sand spread if you can.Thank you again you are a great operator

[@jeffmartin9964]

Thanks for the great help!

[@Jamesbrown-xi5ih]

Going to be dealing with 8 miles of mountain road here shortly, low time in that environment, we have single lane, slope changes, super hilly, extremely rocky, part of the road is okay, but most is washed out to bedrock, part of the road is crowned, part is super elevated, boulders all along the length. I'll be taking a 140M3 or 160M3, or the newer 150 possibly, (Depends on what they send) there are parts where one side is sheer cliff, and the other is up to a 200 ft drop down to a river. All we're trying to do is put a lift on it to make it safe for travel for 2 1/2 Ton Trucks. Expected equipment is a CAT D6, dump truck for the fill, and me in the Grader. I'm confident I can perform, but I'm perfectly willing to ask/beg for advice.

[@billyeuerle3307]

Thank you for the videos! I just started running a blade last year, I really enjoy but I'm still very green I would say lol I run a Deere 772ch but would love to try a cat like that! Where abouts are you from? I'm in Minnesota. If you ever could can you do a video showing and explaining different blade pitch angles and when and what situations you use them in? Just a thought! Keep up the great videos!

[@graderman140m]

Happy to hear you enjoy the videos I’m in the Hartford South Dakota area and thanks for the video suggestions will definitely make a video on that thanks for watching.

[@chadwrightson3453]

Bring that blade over to Fort Pierre in stanley county. Bad river road hasnt seen a blade in a month and it's so washed boarded out I think our vehicles are going to fall apart. Just discovered your videos and appreciate what you do. Keep up the great work and thanks for posting these videos.

[@thetownofsilvercreek-wrigh9187]

Enjoy your Vid's! Good tips and operating technique. You have a vary good attitude to run the different machines and the machine controls. How do you get time to commit to all those different township grading jobs ? Do they have other operators also? Who gets grading done first when it rains or snows and it's go time ? Thanks Again for sharing your experience!

[@graderman140m]

Thanks for watching and thanks for the compliment and I blade 5 townships and am the only operator during the blading season I pretty much have a rotation set up and I go to a different one each time there’s moisture or if ik a road needs it and when it snows I go down to 3 townships with 2 other guys that will help me if I need it hopefully that answers your questions and your welcome I enjoy hearing from others and love helping people thanks again for watching.

[@lilbluepuphiphip4905]

I used to run a grader for Shelby county, Alabama many years ago.

[@cullenequipment8951]

Do you ever get into difficult grading? Pit run with lots of rock, not screened road material?

[@graderman140m]

It’s been years since I’ve seen pit run material or screened gravel pretty much everything in my area is crushed material. It’s pretty challenging to work with pit run do to large rocks making your blade jump.

[@briangraham540]

I love using flags especially using a 16 foot blade and I just prefer Cats over all machines, Deere is a close second but still second !

[@asthehatturns]

I made it to the last minute of the video before I realized your on the left side of the road. Is there a technical reason for being on the left? Is it because the windrow started on the left? It seems safer to be on the right as far as traffic. I'm taking delivery of a JD 772CH in a few days, bought it for the farm. I've got a lot of time on equipment but never sat in a grader. Liking your videos learning a ton, much appreciated.

[@graderman140m]

There’s not really a technical reason for being on the left side of the road here in South Dakota I can legally go against traffic I know some other states they can’t go against traffic so that’s why you see me on the left side of the road glad your enjoying the videos and learning from them thanks for watching!

[@jcfsaiyan]

This is so unrealistic. Ive. worked county 20+ years and I have never seen a road that straight or flat or without ditches that have rocks and boulders and pipeline and driveways , to horns, trash, all other things. Show me grading one of those roads and you've shown me something. Also what the hell is township roads?

[@lanbrorat107]

Do you angle your blade all the way? Or how do you set your blade?

[@graderman140m]

In the video if you watch the angle of the blade that’s how I set mine you have to adjust your angle on how wide your road is to get it across your center line if ya have any other questions ask away thanks for watching!

[@lelandhanson605]

Does leaving a maintenance window keep water on the road on that side? How does it not dam the water on that side of the road?

[@graderman140m]

It will hold back a little water but generally the material is always lose and not very high so water will just break through it never really causes a problem I can see not having a maintenance windrow in very hilly country.

[@nicholasortega3153]

Do you ever use a water truck when it's dry to compact better ?

[@graderman140m]

I’ve never had a option of having a water truck until this year I have the option to have one if I need it look forward to having it will make a big difference thanks for watching.

[@clodhopper946]

I would like to see you cut blue top with a cat #12 knuckle knocker, ...That separates the men from the boys,,, Just saying,

[@graderman140m]

Well in all honesty blue topping in my opinion isn’t really all that hard you got steaks and hubs to go off of where on my gravel roads I don’t have steaks or hubs I’m using my crown gauge and feel to properly shape my road and everyone talks about the old cat 12 knuckle busters I learned on one and could definitely still operate one today but we have the new equipment and technology and believe me if you don’t adapt to the new stuff you will be left behind

[@RissellSpence-uw1kg]

With a road with little material, how would you prevent pulling up base or exposing base rocks

[@graderman140m]

That’s a tough road to maintain if you don’t have much cover over the base rock I’d recommend you just lightly blade the top not cutting much otherwise you will get in the base rock hopefully they will bring ya some more material to cover that up. Hope this helps thanks for the question and thanks for watching.

[@luckyduck6921]

If there's material blown off on the sides you can always pull it back up. The grass/weeds will die off soon enough in most cases

[@chuckboone7845]

Oh ya steering wheel and antler rack controls at my township we got a 140h I run mostly and we got a 120m I run sometimes but I would much rather have a steering wheel😁! Is the new steering set up full hydraulic like the H models or are they electric over hydraulic? I'm hoping to get them to upgrade my grader in next few years would like to have same set up!

[@graderman140m]

It’s a good setup and it’s all hydraulic just like the H series machines I like running it but still like operating the M with the joysticks thanks for watching the videos.

[@Jamesbrown-xi5ih]

I personally prefer the angled cab and joysticks of the M Series vs the Wheel and Rack, but I also think it's important to know both.

[@chuckboone7845]

@@Jamesbrown-xi5ih Yes you are right the angled cab has alot better view at our township we are scattered out and have to do alot of roading to get to alot of our roads and even after running a M model for couple years the steering is still touchy to me I like the steering wheel for roading. But you are also right I think it's important if your gonna be a operator you should be able to run both efficiently. The M's are easier for new guys to pick up on but should learn both.

[@evansaw293]

I was always told that being rolled forward was harder on the blade...

[@graderman140m]

If your running traditional steel edges and you always leave it forward it will wear more but I run carbide edges on all my machines and you want to run on the carbide so that’s why I use them moldboard pitches thanks for watching.

[@ironman3406]

Man you get to play in them all 140 LVR Cat, 140M3 Joystick and the Deere GP. (Swear word to me haha). Do you have the new stable blade feature on the 140 LVR or 140M3? If so what are your thoughts on it?

[@graderman140m]

Yes I definitely get to play with all different machines keeps my operating different machines sharp and I do have the stable blade on all 4 of my cat machines and I honestly don’t like it I’ve tried using it several times and what I’ve found is it slows you down when machine starts to bounce which is good but it speeds you up to quick causing the machine to start bouncing again I generally never use throttle lock anyway I always run with the foot feed just easier to control in my opinion thanks for asking on the stable blade.

[@ironman3406]

@@graderman140m yeah it’s a very hit or miss feature. When I’m delivering a new grader I always try to give a really good explanation of how to use it and adjust the sensitivity based on the material types being bladed. I’m a foot feet operator when I do the cut pass and then I use throttle lock when I do the spread pass, if the stable blade is not adjusted for the material type though it can definitely be a pain as you mention. If I ever remember my GoPro one day I’ll make a video on it haha.

[@timsmothers7426]

What do you do with your maintenance windrow at the end of driveways?

[@graderman140m]

I don’t do anything with it just leave it across the driveway never have gotten any complaints now if it’s a big one with vegetation in it I will leave it across then back up and remove it but for the normal maintenance windrow I just leave it there.

[@timsmothers7426]

@@graderman140m thanks for the reply and posting your videos!

[@briangraham540]

So what is your preference in Graders and WHY ?

[@graderman140m]

Well my number one preference for blading gravel roads is the cat 140 with the rack controls it’s hard to beat that setup now for doing finish grading and all other blade work I will take the 140M3 joystick controls and the Deere 772GP finger tip controls that’s my preference in graders.

[@matttaylor9965]

How come u to go back to conventional cab and antler rack controls?????

[@graderman140m]

I operate 3 140M3 machines this 140 with the rack controls and the 2020 772GP so I switch back and forth from the different machines.

[@benlaubscher6371]

I did this today on 3 miles of road..what about driveways and the windrow?

[@graderman140m]

Hopefully it turned out good for you and as far as windrow across driveways I leave it across them long as it’s not a big windrow a general maintenance windrow won’t bother them coming in and out of there driveway hope that helps

[@benlaubscher6371]

@@graderman140m it worked out great !! And no it was relatively small..but I'm expecting some calls in to main garage! Lol

[@benlaubscher6371]

What is your opinion on chatter bumps that go for long stretch's? More passes and deeper cuts?about 3 mph is tops or I start rolling in the swell too

[@graderman140m]

@@benlaubscher6371 if you got washboards only way to get rid of them is to cut all the way out till you can’t see them anymore I pretty much cut whole road out and the relay it rebuilding the crown also on windrow across driveways if you try to feather it out you just changed the whole road shape that’s why I leave it alone hope this info helps you thanks for watching.

[@benlaubscher6371]

@@graderman140m I totally agree!! Thanks for information!! Keep it up!

[@Dunlap-uj5zl]

👍

[@jcfsaiyan]

Rinroe? I thought it was windrow

[@ap206]

You move the camera way to much.

[@graderman140m]

The reason the camera is moving is because it’s on my head that’s how much you move your heard around while I’m operating.