Skid steer land plane

[Tom O.]

Hey Guys,
Does anyone have any experience with a landplane on a skid steer? Thinking about trying one on a dense grade driveway and wondering how well it works?
Thank you,
Tom

 

[Simon C]

I have a Virnig Land Leveler 84 inch model . Works very well at 84 Inches wide. Have watched numerous videos of other set-ups but in the end bought and have used this a lot. Even in the winter to remove ridges of frozen snow turned ice mad flat again for plowing. Have used it quite a few times to move the crown of a road in a curve that builds up on 1 side. Does take a little to get use to, but works well now. Would buy same model again.
Simon C

 

[Evening Digger]

I made a simple one using a steel shipping pallet. Mine works fine. What I learned is if your driveway is indeed dense you might want something to loosen it up some such as scarifier teeth. Mine has no teeth and won't do much on tight gravel.

 

[Simon C]

My Virnig land Leveler has the Hydraulic Scarifiers and they do work good , but that being said a 10000LBS skidsteer is not a Cat 14H grader. If the soil is lightly sprinkled it seems to work better for ripping. Generally when moving forward or reverse I am carrying between the two cutting edges about2-4 wheel barrow loads of dirt that refills low spots.
If I am approaching ashphalt I have learned how to feather the load right up to the asphalt. Some have seen jobs I have done where there was 6-8 inch ruts and now totaly smooth, and thought that for the price and easiness to load and move with my machine it was wonderful. Built quite rugged. Put over 100HRS on mine in first season and still have about 50 HRS of life left in cutting edges.
Simon C

 

[Simon C]

 

[Tom O.]

All great information! Beautiful photos Simon! I will let you know how I make out with mine.
Thank you Guys!
Tom

 

[Simon C]

One job I did that the land leveller was fabulous at was flattening about 40 Dump Truck loads of dirt that was pile touching pile. I was able to push into the pile a hair, Raise the leveler up lets say about 18 inches and pull a little back. At one point I was able to push continuously over 10 to 15 feet, then pull back with the leveller. It was as good pulling back some into low spots as it was at pushing forward into the valleys between the piles. It turned into a very nice parking spot in the end without the use of any dozer.
Simon C

 

[Tom O.]

I used mine this weekend and it worked great! leveled a 200' gravel driveway then ran the compactor over and it looks great.
Thanks Simon,
Tom

 

[Simon C]

What did you end up buying , if I may ask. We all live in different places that a different tool can work better in one place , than another.
Hope you enjoy it.
Simon C

 

[Tom O.]

It is similar to a Blue Diamond, well built and not overly expensive, no scarafiers or hydraulics. A local equipment dealer had it on the lot so it was convenient.
I was hoping to just rent one but nobody local had one, but I will use it a couple times a year just to regrade the road, definitely no regrets.
Thanks Simon,
Tom

 

[southernman13]

We have a domor 72” with hydraulic angle cutting edges. It’s amazing really. I ram it down a mile long engineered fill road and it graded it like a motor grader.

 

[Tones]

I can't believe you blokes go to all the expense of buying attachments when this simple bit of gear can do the same job and is so easy to make yourselves.

 

[Simon C]

Watched the video. That thing is okay but would fold in 2 on some of the jobs i have done but looked great on the video for light stuff. My land leveller has rippers for braking up the soil and brings my entire 10000lb skid steer to a stop some times. You do get what you pay for and have gotten a lot of jobs with mine in the winter flattening ice ruts on roads.
Different tools for different jobs.
Thanks for sharing the video.
Simon C

 

[Tones]

Watched the video. That thing is okay but would fold in 2 on some of the jobs i have done but looked great on the video for light stuff. My land leveller has rippers for braking up the soil and brings my entire 10000lb skid steer to a stop some times. You do get what you pay for and have gotten a lot of jobs with mine in the winter flattening ice ruts on roads.
Different tools for different jobs.
Thanks for sharing the video.
Simon C

It's a finishing tool @ 2.4 metres wide. Rough the job out with the bucket then use the leveling bar to finish. Very fast and simple. My understanding is that 4in1 buckets are a rarity in where most of you fellas are but here you'd be laughed off the job site without one.

 

[southernman13]

Always wanted a 4n1 one of these days I’m gonna get one lol

 

[Tones]

Always wanted a 4n1 one of these days I’m gonna get one lol

Once you get one and figure it out you'll wonder why you didn't do years ago. Even with teeth fitted you still have 2 flat cutting edges to work with.

 

[673moto]

I can't believe you blokes go to all the expense of buying attachments when this simple bit of gear can do the same job and is so easy to make yourselves.

That’s so simple... where are the cutting edges on that? Both front and back of the cross tubes?

 

[Delmer]

Looks like a rectangular tube with a flat of abrasion resistant steel on the bottom for the cutting edge. Won't cut as good as a sharper edge, but it doesn't have to most of the time.

I'd agree that 4 in 1 buckets are relatively rare here. They were common only on track loaders going back to Drott, somewhat seen on backhoes, some places. Skid steers usually have a standard bucket, and then a grapple bucket of some sort, and then all the other attachments. 4 in 1 buckets were mostly leap frogged on skid steers, the grapple buckets come in so many varieties that they're way more common.

 

[Tones]

That’s so simple... where are the cutting edges on that? Both front and back of the cross tubes?

There aren't any cutting edges. They are made of Rolled Hollow Steel (RHS) with Hardox sacrificial strip's on the bottom. If the going gets hard, dump the bar, deal with it using the bucket. It's takes seconds to change over.