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Update: Mid-Mount Grader Blade Hitch In Use


Roy

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I'm working on making a hitch and mid-mount grader blade. Pictures show the hitch in progress. Note I'm using an existing front dozer hitch as a pattern for the mid-mount hitch. Also using the dozer hitch as a welding fixture to assemble the grader hitch. Putting angle brace in:

More angle brace:

Mounting ears installed & putting flat brace on. Note use of dozer hitch for a welding fixture:

Flat brace again:

Hitch is almost done. Have to make the hitch part for the grader blade next. Plan to use my Brinly box scraper blade as the mid-mount blade. Got some weld splatter on the threads of one of my clamps. Now understand why they sell clamps with copper coated threads. Had to file the threads to fix the clamp. More later,
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Good thinking Roy. When I made my second graderblade hitch I used the original gader blade hitch the same way. Looking good for progress. You gonna be able to angle the box scraper mid mounted?
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;)Roy, Try giving the clamp threads a liberal dose of anti splatter before welding. It's the stuff made to help prevent mig welding splatter from sticking. Joe
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Marty, Yes, I'm going to steal the box scraper blade (38") and modify it to be used as a mid-mount or put back as a box scraper. The three holes needed to angle the blade will be on the blade half of the hitch. Joe, Good idea. I'll have to pick up a can/bottle/tube (whatever it comes in) of anti-splatter. Thanks,
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Was watching a guy use a box scrapper on a big tractor doing the parking lot at work last week, are these little ones as slick for leveling dirt as what he was doing? I was impressed.
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Marty, I have a grader blade and it does work great. I use it to smooth my riding ring, driveway, and 1/2 mile private road. My only complaint is the amount of time it takes to smooth the road. The road is 12 feet wide and 1/2 mile long, but the grader blade is only 42 inches wide. Now that I have the blade, I would not get rid of it. It keeps my driveway smooth, no potholes. And even puts the crown back in. It is onw of those tools that one thinks "I don't need that" but once you have one, you think how did I ever get along with out one. I am always finding task that I can use the grader blade. It makes the tasks go faster. Rick.......
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Marty, yes, the grader and box blades do work that well. The best way I can describe the differance is a grader will work best for moveing materials from one line to another. A box blade will trap the materials and move more bulk into a certain area but the compromise is you lose some of the fine control for materials placement. A mid mount balde on the FDT's will allow a great abiliaty to cut into one side of a cut to dig a ditch or to place a crown in the road. Very important when truly maintaining a drive in dirt or gravel. For simple yard leveling a box blade would do more. I made a box blade for my 620 60" wide and it works great. I have the materials to make a mid grader blade fr it also but just haven't had the time yet. Also when the blade is mounted mid-line on the tractor the placement inside the 4 tires gives the finer placement of the materials better since any bumps encountered self correct. When mounted on the rear with just a blade and you hit a bump, you just make another bump. A slight angle on a rear blade will help correct this effect.
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I"m well practiced with the grader blade on my 725 where I use the one I got with the landlord because I like the manual lift better for it. Also made one for raking rocks with teeth like a yard/dirt rake which I made an extra hitch for just so I could change from one to the other without a wrench. It's the box scraper I have never used. The one I was watching had wide enough skids on it and looked heavy enough it really did a nice job. Appeared he was running in float position because he could go over a good size pile of gravel and it would stay level behind him. The light wt ones like I looked at at home depot looked like something I'd trash in a use or two, kinda like my brinly disc, Knowing I expect too much outta them.
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Update: Nearly complete except for a couple of small gussets and a reinforcing piece for behind the blade. Pictures show work to date. End of tractor hitch and blade half of hitch:

Blade half only:

Bottom of blade half:

L-H view of assembly w/o blade. Triangular pieces on right side will be gussets for the blade hitch:

R-H view of assembly w/o blade:

My welding isn't pretty yet but it is getting better. :) All now,
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A fine job Roy! Pretty cool what you can come up with to make yourself, isn't it. You need to cash in on the dual wheel adapters!! The price of them still amazes me, at least for what they entail.
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I can see that my next purchase needs to be a pedestal drill press!!:( Roy, Keep an old coffee can handy to put those rod stubs in!! You can always reach in and grab a shorty to re use. BUT those suckers got a way of finding their way into tires:(. PLUS, they become weight in your scrap when headed for the junkies!!;)
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Rod, Don't hold your breath; you might turn blue. :D This is most likely a "one off" but do have a drawing or two I made that I would share. Joe, Get a large drill press when you get one. My little 5" HF bench top has more than it wants drilling large holes. Have to go easy and use lots of cutting oil. I'm searching for a bench top mill/drill to replace the 5" HF unit. Fear not on the electrode stubs. I try to use them as short as possible. What I haven't figured out is a good way to trim the wire back/off without fracturing the flux coating. I'm open to suggestions. All, Worked on the front yard today with the grader blade on the 7013S. Need to add the stirrups as shown in the parts book so I can stand on the blade. Otherwise it worked fine. Still have to grind the lumps off and paint everything. What is the preferred and/or OEM color for the hitch and blade? All now,
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roy, i'm dying to have a grader blade in the worst way. and as we all know they are so hard to find. if you would be so kind to share your prints, that would be much appreciated. (if your willing)
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shanhamm, Don't know how useful they will be but I'm willing to send them to you. The drawing I made is for the half of the hitch that bolts to the blade. I just copied an existing hitch for the part that attaches to the tractor. Can you read ACAD "dwg" files or do I need to convert to the "jpg" format for you? PM me your e-mail address and I'll send what I have. One caution, the hitch part that attaches to the blade is for a Brinly box scraper blade, not an OEM Simplicity blade. Gregc, "Black for hitches and attachments looks good with both orange and yellow tractors." True, but I sort of favor Simplicity orange for the hitch and black for the blade (which is already black). None the less, I may paint the hitch black in case I ever use it on my B-1. Thanks,
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Roy, too bad I was under the clock comeing through tuesday or I would have loved to have seen it in use. Rod, I bet I could have made room on the truck and brought it to you saveing Roy the trouble of shipping it to you.LOL
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Dave, Since Roy doesn't seem to be making one for me, I guess that I'll have to settle for letting him buy my dinner when he comes to VA next time. LOL
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Dave, The clock can be a real killer of fun time. My sympathy. Rod, I'll still waiting for the rock shaft adapter from you. Might have to trade you a hitch for dinner. :D
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Roy, I still need to pull out one of the single attach point shafts from one of my work tractors so that I have something to fit it to. The only ones I have that are not in tractors are the doubles that the adapter simulates. It won't take long to make one of the adapters for you once I get the shaft to fit it to and use as a fitting and welding jig.
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Attached pictures are of my front yard and the mid-mount grader blade in action. Hugging top of the wall:

Rolling dirt:

Tools to avoid at any cost: :D

Front yard in process:

Grader blade works great. ^ Used dozer blade to move some dirt against the wall and transfer from high spots to low spots then used grader to level it all out. Will have to till again since I hit some solid red clay in the leveling process. All now,
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quote:
Originally posted by HubbardRA
Glad to see that you are using that grader blade on an RBT. Some people think they only work on FDTs.;):D
We didn't say they only worked on FDT's Rod, we only said they worked better[:0]:o):D
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