Backhoe-Mounted Driveway Grader
Bryan Allen, Minocqua, Wis., recently sent FARM SHOW photos of a backhoe-mounted driveway grader he built. It consists of a 5-ft. long, 9-in. square I-beam with 4 ripper shanks, spaced 16 in. apart, bolted on back. The I-beam is bolted to a homemade, heavy-duty steel bracket that bolts onto the backhoe arm.
The backhoe’s bucket cylinder is used to tilt the I-beam forward to use it as a blade which can cut up to 2 in. deep, and backward to use the rippers which can dig up to 8 in. deep. By keeping the I-beam level he can use it to smooth and grade.
In addition, by swinging the backhoe loader arm left or right, Allen can angle the I-beam and throw dirt to either side.
“During the winter I use a snow blade on another tractor to move snow, and by the following spring the roads are all chopped up with potholes. I plan to use the rippers to dig them up and then use the I-beam to level the loose soil,” says Allen.
“I had been using a 3-pt. mounted grader on the same tractor, but it took an hour to take the backhoe off and hook the grader up to it. Reconnecting the backhoe was even more of a job because I had to get all the holes lined up. Now I never have to remove the backhoe. I just remove the bucket from the loader arm and attach the grader with 2 pins.
“It took me longer to figure out how to build it than to build it. I’ve come up with a lot of inventions over the years, but my dad says this is my best one yet.”
Allen disassembled the 3-pt. grader and used some of the parts on it to make the new grader. Those parts included the I-beam, which had served as a weight; brackets for the rippers which were originally part of the 3-pt. grader’s frame; and the grader’s thick steel cutting edge which he converted into 2-part “windrow wings” that extend from both ends of the I-beam. One part extends 4 in. beyond the I-beam to contain material as the I-beam is dragging, and the other is used to knock down any windrows.
“By swinging the backhoe loader arm to the left or right I can angle the I-beam at up to a 40-degree angle to make a crown in the middle of the road. Then I can come back with the blade directly behind and level the crown,” says Allen.
He finished building the grader last fall and tested it before the ground froze. “It worked even better than I expected, and now I can’t wait to use it. I think it’ll make grading roads a fun job,” says Allen.
“I bought the 4 rippers on eBay for a total of $88 including shipping. They’re bolted into place so I just use the backhoe controls to control their depth. With the I-beam in the level position the backhoe loader arm can exert enough downpressure to actually compact the ground and make it flat and hard, which is something you can’t do with a 3-pt. hitch.
“It works fast. A job that used to take me 3 hrs. with my 3-pt. mounted grader now takes only about a half hour. Unlike a 3-pt. grader, the blade stays put if it hits a rock because of the major downpressure created by the backhoe arm,” he says.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bryan Allen, 8725 Pinkhurst Dr., Minocqua, Wis. 54548 (ph 715 892-1526; bratman04@yahoo.com).
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Backhoe-Mounted Driveway Grader MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers Bryan Allen Minocqua Wis recently sent FARM SHOW photos of a backhoe-mounted driveway grader he built It consists of a 5-ft long 9-in square I-beam with 4 ripper shanks spaced 16 in apart bolted on back The I-beam is bolted to a homemade heavy-duty steel bracket that bolts onto the backhoe arm The backhoe’s bucket cylinder is used to tilt the I-beam forward to use it as a blade which can cut up to 2 in deep and backward to use the rippers which can dig up to 8 in deep By keeping the I-beam level he can use it to smooth and grade In addition by swinging the backhoe loader arm left or right Allen can angle the I-beam and throw dirt to either side “During the winter I use a snow blade on another tractor to move snow and by the following spring the roads are all chopped up with potholes I plan to use the rippers to dig them up and then use the I-beam to level the loose soil ” says Allen “I had been using a 3-pt mounted grader on the same tractor but it took an hour to take the backhoe off and hook the grader up to it Reconnecting the backhoe was even more of a job because I had to get all the holes lined up Now I never have to remove the backhoe I just remove the bucket from the loader arm and attach the grader with 2 pins “It took me longer to figure out how to build it than to build it I’ve come up with a lot of inventions over the years but my dad says this is my best one yet ” Allen disassembled the 3-pt grader and used some of the parts on it to make the new grader Those parts included the I-beam which had served as a weight; brackets for the rippers which were originally part of the 3-pt grader’s frame; and the grader’s thick steel cutting edge which he converted into 2-part “windrow wings” that extend from both ends of the I-beam One part extends 4 in beyond the I-beam to contain material as the I-beam is dragging and the other is used to knock down any windrows “By swinging the backhoe loader arm to the left or right I can angle the I-beam at up to a 40-degree angle to make a crown in the middle of the road Then I can come back with the blade directly behind and level the crown ” says Allen He finished building the grader last fall and tested it before the ground froze “It worked even better than I expected and now I can’t wait to use it I think it’ll make grading roads a fun job ” says Allen “I bought the 4 rippers on eBay for a total of $88 including shipping They’re bolted into place so I just use the backhoe controls to control their depth With the I-beam in the level position the backhoe loader arm can exert enough downpressure to actually compact the ground and make it flat and hard which is something you can’t do with a 3-pt hitch “It works fast A job that used to take me 3 hrs with my 3-pt mounted grader now takes only about a half hour Unlike a 3-pt grader the blade stays put if it hits a rock because of the major downpressure created by the backhoe arm ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bryan Allen 8725 Pinkhurst Dr Minocqua Wis 54548 ph 715 892-1526; bratman04@yahoo com
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