Skid Steer Grading Explained in 4 Minutes

Today we are going through the basics of how to grade with a skid steer loader. I have the Kubota SVL65-2 skid steer out on a job for a local trucking company. We are placing some gravel for a new driveway, so this is a perfect opportunity to go through some basic fundamentals of grading with a skid loader
**EQUIPMENT USED**
Kubota SVL65-2
**PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT**
GoPro Hero 11 Black w/ media mod
DJI Wireless Mic
Cardioid Boom Microphone Headset
Adobe Premiere Pro
MacBook Pro M3Pro Laptop

[@elizabethdennis4582]

EXCELLENT! Great content that is well presented. looking forward to your new videos. Just got my new skid and these lessons are invaluable.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thank you so much. Your comments humble me. Congrats on the new addition, what did you get?

[@GabrielVIP]

This video is pure GOLD. I love this style. The voiceover is perfect and the story is well structured. Congratulations!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thank you so much! Appreciate the feedback my friend :)

[@DigginLife21]

🔥🔥🔥 WELL DONE. This video is going to help a lot of people

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks! Appreciate it very much :)

[@aaronburford5701]

Absolutely love skid steer! This is a great video and love the content!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@bobmartin6055]

Very nice explanation! Keeping a half or third of your bucket on the desired grade is key.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting! I appreciate it :)

[@stevenivy8123]

You are great at explaining ,what is going on . Keep them coming !!!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks! Appreciate it very much :)

[@nathank8314]

You pretty much nailed it mate, every bit of advice is spot on. Ive been a final trim skidsteer operator for 10 years now, some people find it hard to believe that we can get sand pads to within 5mm of level. My main tips when teaching are, it works like a bulldozer, you feel the bumps or height difference in your thighs or seat, try to always sit on top of your work, keep product in your bucket, dont rely on back blade or float, thats for novices.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Appreciate it. Thanks for watching!

[@timbcf]

I will often doze with my bucket up and on 30-45° till bucket is empty, once i have enough material were needed i then start ruffing with a combo of full open and closed bucket, also starting from original ground or made level start point. I then grab the spreader bar for my second last trim, by now hollows or soft spots are gone. My final very very light skim is with closed bucket mostly back blading and over lapping to compress the imprint from my tracks. Ive been lucky to get some compliments like, great attention to detail and your eye must have a laser built in lol.

[@stevoryan5730]

​@timbcf I'm a dozer operator for the last 6 years and I struggle with skid steer but with your advice I think I've been over thinking it cheers

[@ProudPapaw88]

Nice video. I have never operated one but I would have to say they probably are a little aggravating lol. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks! It took me a while (and some commitment, lol) to figure it out, but I am glad I did

[@steveivy8675]

Great job !!!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks!! and thanks for watching and commenting!

[@nicholasp9041]

Great video! 🙂👍

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks! and Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@vb5457]

Great job

[@DirtAndRocks]

Appreciate it :). Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@RockyRiverFarms]

First things first. You gotta be able to see and feel grade. Without that you’re basically just pushing material around. Grading is an art that very few people will ever be able to master

[@DirtAndRocks]

great tips, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@gazjaz2010]

teaching ain't RockyRiver strong suit 😂 thanks for the vid

[@marland1984]

You sound like every other idiot contractor talking down to people. “You’ll never be able to do what I do” 🤣

[@markwaltman1524]

100 %! Anyone can make a machine move and do things! Not everyone is an operator

[@DirtAndRocks]

hey all...let's keep it friendly. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and equally everyone is entitled to disagree with it. That said, we can disagree without being disagreeable Everyone has one thing in common, we all had a first day, and we all had a time in our lives where we were not great or even good at something. Give people grace, and allow them the chance to learn, there is no harm in that. Best Dirt and Rocks

[@sonomalandworks]

Nice video! Kubota makes a great skid steer for grading.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Most definitely. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@alsteeves2044]

Yesterday I finish graded and prepped my driveway for a concrete pour. It looks as flat as a table top. You are a helpful resource for the uninitiated. The job you are doing here could have been done twice as quick, had the driver just spread that gravel even a little bit. Anyway you got it looking pretty good. But that's just an opinion of a 68 year old that first sat on one of these when he was 17. The Bobcat never had a real cab on it at that time. After a few thousand hours it runs on auto pilot.

[@DirtAndRocks]

It had rained a bunch at the quarry the night before. The crusher run had the consistency of wet cement. It clogged the bed up, and so it just had to be dumped out. No fault of the driver, just bad luck at the quarry. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@jameshampton5228]

Well done 👍🏻

[@DirtAndRocks]

Much appreciated. Thanks so much for watching :)

[@joshuasmith3469]

Clear, concise and helpful. Great vid.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thank you my friend! Hope you and the family are well :). Thanks for watching!

[@JHarris]

Great tips! Now i just need the tips on how to afford a skid steer. 😂 Rented one a couple times for my driveway, and i definitely used a rake afterwards. Good to know how to do it all with the machinery.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks so much for watching, glad it was helpful!

[@jasonthewelder]

Great video! Biggest tip I ever got was to push material around with a full bucket. Like a dozer. Just like you did.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Awesome, thanks for watching and subscribing

[@rpztestersteve]

Having the arms in the full down position is very important . Great advice !!!

[@DirtAndRocks]

Yeah it took me waaaaayyyy too long to figure that one out :). Thanks for watching!

[@Jraksdhs]

@@DirtAndRocksyou have to be careful though. Not all machine and bucket combinations are the same. My machine for example, a 2023 cat 259 with cat bucket likes to grade with the arms slightly up. If my arms are down and I curl the bucket forward to cut the back of the bucket actually hits first and lifts up on the machine.

[@DirtAndRocks]

@@Jraksdhs I had a bucket like that at one point, and ended up getting rid of it for that reason. It did not fit the machine well. I ended up taking a measurement on my best fitting bucket, and double check it when I am shopping for new ones. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@BENNHENDRICKS33]

Man missed your videos and this popped up in my feed hope all is going well.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Hey thanks for checking in on me. Been dealing with a shoulder issue for the last month or so. Hope to start releasing vids again soon. Thanks!

[@BENNHENDRICKS33]

@@DirtAndRocks one of my favorite channels rest up and we’ll see you back out here soon.

[@theimprovementsguy8871]

Float mode helps so much. Its what i use alot on my cat. I also lift the bucket point it downwards and use the tip of the blade to start the initial spread

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks for the comment and thank you very much for watching :)

[@michaelcoursey2220]

Great advice. Bucket down and 1/2 to 3/4 overlapping passes is huge. Also going too fast causes ripples/bumps. Seems new operators always want to go really fast

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting :)

[@knuttsackjones3094]

Run the throttle wide open so you always have full power to your pumps. Your fine tuning is in your hands not your throttle. When you’re talking about pushing through the pile and the side windrows helping you carry more material, that’s called slot dozing. Same thing as when you plow snow

[@DirtAndRocks]

thanks much for watching and commenting :)

[@shootingatshadow]

I worked professionally for a few years running excavator, dozer, backhoe, etc. The owner said if the throttle isn't at full blast, you're doing wrong.

[@johneggleston2628]

Do you have video of your skid steer roller? What brand? Looking at getting one I have the same skid steer as you

[@DirtAndRocks]

Hi there, thanks for watching! Here is a link to my roller, purchased from Spartan Equipment: www.spartanequipment.com/products/72-wide-vibratory-roller-attachment-with-smooth-drum.html I use the roller a good bit in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6tpHSOm5udapo I am very happy with it thus far.

[@henryhenry5897]

You find tracks help over wheels ? I have an old case 1845c I have more luck with my Tractor box scraper for leveling than the wheels skid steer

[@DirtAndRocks]

i ran an 1845C with tracks over the wheels many many years ago. I don't know whether it give any advantage grading, but it definitely was better over bad terrain. These were like solid rubber tracks as best as I can recall. Thanks for watching!

[@cowdiologist2759]

Good job, I recommend back blading with the "Float" option on the bucket. I have Takeuchi 230 Series 2 and absolutely love the machine. You can always make any grade by first making a cut to establish the slope.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Appreciate it. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@junkyarddd1]

That flat level spot you mentioned is important on a track loader and dozer .

[@DirtAndRocks]

Yeah, I need to get out on the dozer and practice some more. I still don't really have a good feel for it. Thanks for watching!

[@youngmike8645]

@@DirtAndRockstakes about 1,000 hours to get good on a blade.

[@zpoedog]

Can you make a crown so water drains off the driveway?

[@DirtAndRocks]

Working on a future video for that. Thanks for watching!

[@danielheisig4258]

I would encourage you to get a box blade/land plane attachment. It is the ideal attachment for what you are trying to accomplish. It will save you time and have much better results. Companies manufacture them just for the purpose of grading, and you will have less stress on your machine.

[@DirtAndRocks]

I have one, I use it for maintenance and like it very much. Thanks for watching!

[@dans4900]

The back of the bucket is designed as a box blade. It's already there just need to use it

[@MrSalmonDaze]

Skid steer may be overkill for what I want to do on my little 1.2 acres. Been thinking a bobcat would have more utility for the small projects I envision, in addition to bringing a piece to grade in preparation for concrete. How dumb to think you could "just make do" with a bobcat one time?

[@DirtAndRocks]

Funny thing about equipment is that once you have it, you find a lot of uses for it. Thanks for watching!

[@BigTader]

Mike Morgan from outdoor with the Morgans is good on the skid steer loader.

[@DirtAndRocks]

he has a great channel. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Justalittleoutoftown]

👍

[@DirtAndRocks]

thanks for watching & commenting!

[@DixieNormous1]

Dont forget to mention float mode that helps as much as anything when you’re new at grading. Just push it right joystick all the way forward where you want it when you back up it maintains float as long as you’re not going to fast.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Yeah I run hot and cold on float mode. Sometimes it is ok. Other times I feel like it making things worse. Just depends on the day I suppose

[@DixieNormous1]

@@DirtAndRocks works backwards ok but forwards it just digs in

[@Huntinghogs]

I use float mode as the very last step in finishing the grade. It’s more of a fine tune mode for me. Maybe it’s just my OCD. LOL

[@Mat253]

Floating can exaggerate waves/dips. It basically tracks the existing grade that's already there. You need to have the hydraulics engaged in the full down position and feather the tilt by feel. Slow is key! Once the overall grade is established, you can float drag to clean up any track lines or bucket lines and other small imperfections. Depending on the material you are using, it can be helpful to spray water as needed.

[@natesauvola6482]

Instead of going through the middle of the pile start from the outside edge and push through then you don't have to hump over pile every time and much more efficiently.leave bucket and in or 2 above level and watch how effective that is pushing material.flat on the reverse grade depending on the size stone.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Appreciate the comment, thanks for watching!

[@Themeshoots]

What about using a box grader?

[@DirtAndRocks]

Haven't tried one on a skid steer. I do use a box blade on my tractor pretty frequently. As they say, the best tool is the one you have that you are comfortable using :). Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@amped1one]

the nasa shirt says it all!!!😆

[@DirtAndRocks]

ha. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@albertslanddesignsepticins4127]

still have too many dips, push, when bucket full,. stop lift dump, back up rinse & repeat, lol, you will get it, many hrs. in seat, dont waste gas/time, thats key..... good video

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks very much for watching and commenting!

[@Huntinghogs]

Speed is key.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Totally agree!

[@Erik_MN]

I also like to backdrag using the bottom of the bucket and the cutting edge. Lift the arms up enough to clear the bucket and curl down to nearly 90. This is convenient because you can watch the material accumulate in front of the cutting edge. You were doing this when you moved the material from the sides of the road back into the middle.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Appreciate the feedback :)

[@dans4900]

That's a good way the snap a cylinder

[@gregfleissner960]

Always grade going forward. Never back dragging That just segregates the stone

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks much for watching and commenting :)

[@neighborhoodprepped7862]

And you forgot to mention the most important part, a helper to stand and hold your shovel and watch

[@DirtAndRocks]

yeah....well he did pay me when I finished the job so..... thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@rolleyrolley7192]

First thing is we're you start and it's not on seat of a magic machine that will do everything.

[@DirtAndRocks]

appreicate you watching and commenting :)

[@danmcleod1360]

You need to put a crown in the road to shed the water.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Appreciate it :)

[@robertnewton3582]

Hello, your first BIG mistake was the fact the dump truck didnt chain his gate when he dumped the load. The dump truck should have dumped the load while driving forward, NOT leaving it in a big pile. Huge mistake they made.

[@DirtAndRocks]

Hi, thanks for watching. There was about 2 inches of rain the night before at the local quarry. The material (crusher run) had the consistency of wet concrete unfortunately. When he tried to tailgate it, it plugged up the tailgate and we actually had to use the loader to push the gate back enough to get the chains off. It was not an ideal situation, but I don’t think I would classify it as a mistake either. Bad luck and bad circumstances to be sure. Appreciate the comment.

[@gq-cw6xi]

Did you learn backdragging isnt grading

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thank you for watching and commenting :)

[@russellthole9663]

You are a rookie that's for sure! 1st make sure your subgrade is prepped to the proper elevation before putting down rock, then start from the road with your rock and go inward, that way when the next trucks come in they will pack the material as they drive over it! put some stakes in to get your depth for the rock, once you have established a grade on one side grade the the driveway using half of your bucket, one side on the graded side (empty) and the other on the cut side.(go slow) back dragging is for rookies.

[@DirtAndRocks]

thanks for your comments, and I appreciate you watching.

[@southeastdave8048]

Wrong tool for the job 😂

[@DirtAndRocks]

Thanks for watching and commenting