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drcjv.
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2008-02-25          151654


Anybody have any info or use or own a DR Power grader I am thinking about buying one and thought I would ask here first.
Thanks doc




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kthompson
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2008-02-25          151656


I think this is the implement you are asking about: in upper right of web site there is a "Topic Search" field. Type in "DR Road Grader". It was discussed recently. kt ....


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earthwrks
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2008-02-26          151698


DR: Isn't that just a box scraper with a power adjustable blade inside?

Have you considered a power boxblade/scraper, power rake aka Harley rake? I have a 6' wide one and couldn't do without it. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-26          151700


KT thanks for the referance EW the harley rake is a great piece of equipment but a bit over kill for what I want to do and at over 7K it would be a waste of money for me to use it several times per year. ....


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hardwood
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2008-02-26          151702


Doc; The DR Power Grader I've saw in use on the TV commercials looks to being pulled over alreasy loosened gravel. I have never saw one up close and personal, but they just don't appear heavy enpough to penetrate a crusted over driveway. I have no idea what one would cost, but my experience with a box scraper with scarifier teeth followed by a landscape rake does a good job without breaking the bank. Frank. ....


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earthwrks
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2008-02-26          151704


Doc, I bought mine from a rental yard with about 20 hours on it at the most for $4200. I also have a full-size Galion road grader which is what I used before I had either the power rake OR the pull-type pulverizer. The grader has sat for 5 years now since all I use now is the power rake and a box blade to smooth it.

Another alternative is a pull-type pulverizer--which is what I used before I had the power rake. It has finger-sized spikes spaced about 6" apart in several rows that brak up clods of whathaveyou, then are run over and further broken up by two spiked rollers of differing size. You can use this for anything from regrading (loosening) a stone driveway to removing thick weeds or grass for a garden or lawn, to preparing a seed bed. They're about $600 used - $1000 new. ....


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Art White
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2008-02-26          151709




I am curious as to the need? There are a lot of tools that might not cost as much and still might get the job done. For trails some times just a three point cultivator will level enough. For use in horse areas there are many types of finger type machines that work well. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-27          151728


I have a 300ft stone driveway it is level and I do not get washout or large potholes. The stone and gravel move to the sides after time and I would like to move it back, smooth it out, and make it look all pretty as the wife says. I also have a large stone area about 200 x 80 that is all stone again no washout or potholes just unleveling from vehicle tires turning in the stone. I don't think I need anything to heavey duty. I already have a rake but it does not make a nice pretty finish this is probably due to my skill level not the rake itself. I also made a drag out of some old chain link fence that does a good job leveling but not moving the stone back to the center. I would also use the grader to condition the paddock. I like the DR because I can pull it with the ATV. It also comes with a drag and cost about $1300 delivered. They say I have up to 6 months to try it if I don't like they take it back for full refund including shipping. ....


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kthompson
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2008-02-27          151733


It is hard to believe your ATV will be able to pull something that will handle rock, that a good quality rake will not move. Will your rake rotate or can you only pull it straight. If it will rotate have you tried setting it where it will roll the rocks to the road bed center?

I would be very sure I understood DR's return policy. You can be sure they don't expect to get many back. kt ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-27          151735


My rake does angle and does move the stone ok I just don't like the final look. I even thought of using the rake first then the grader to dress it up. I will question the return policy before I order. ....


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earthwrks
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2008-02-27          151737


I do a lot of loose-stone driveway installs. I'm with Kenny (for once!) that the loose stones will be like marbles--i.e., no traction. The only thing I use to do the driveways is a 6' boxblade with hydraulic top link, and a stiff, hand-type, push-broom to groom it after--or as your wife says "make it look pretty".

What I do is rough grade it while pulling the spread out rocks into the middle. The I adjust the top link all the way in to raise the rear of the boxblade, drop it all the way down and grade in reverse---it looks totally different after going in reverse.

Typically, I'll get windrows, which need to be knocked down. Not a problem.

Once I like the way it looks, I can either push-broom it to final or I can lift the boxblade, adjust the rear to go all the way down. Then I lower the boxblade until it just touches the surface. In high gear, when the cutting egde hits the windrow it disperses or fans the stone negating the windrows.

On one large job that I power rake every year for the guy, he doesn't want to pay extra (which is fine with me) to bring the windrows back along the sides, or have me groom it with a broom. So what he does is get's on his commercial zero-turn mower and lower the deck all the way, then he uses the mower deck's radiused edge to push back and smooth the windrow. He's happy and so am I. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-28          151754


I share in all the concerns that have been raised in this thread but no one has used one of these things personally to say what it will do or not. I have been assured over and over that if I am not totally happy I can return for full refund including shipping. I am not familiar with the power grader but I am familiar with other DR products and the Company. The products seem very good in quality and I have never heard any bad about the Co. I think I will order Then I can report back first hand how this thing really works. Wish me luck. ....


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hardwood
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2008-02-28          151755


Doc: Good luck with the DR,Keep us up to speed on how it works, we may all want one after you try yours out. My BIL has one of their walk behind rotary mowers and likes it OK. Frank. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-28          151756


I just placed order It should be here in about 7-10 days and try it and report back.
Thanks for all the input
doc ....


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kwschumm
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2008-02-28          151757


I'm real curious to know how this works out so please do report your experiences with it. ....


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kthompson
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2008-02-28          151760


Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 151733
I would be very sure I understood DR's return policy. You can be sure they don't expect to get many back. kt


Maybe I should have said more here. They either don't expect them back because they have a very good product/price or the return policy really prevents returns or both. A company can not remain in business with many such returns. No way did I say their product was not good. Have never seen any DR product in use other than on tv. Only aware of one person who has one of their products (I think the brush mower) and he liked it.

I will tell you to be sure you understand any kind of terms they or any other company offers as many have a "gotcha" on time limits. Dell credit being one. kt ....


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drcjv.
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2008-02-28          151762


I questioned the return policy many times and was assured it is a no hassle policy if I am not happy for whatever reason i can return it. They give you six months to try and return and encourage you to use it to see if it will work. I really think it will be ok for my application.My one consern is pulling with my atv. I hope it works due to manueverability. They say 14hp required I have 15hp. This is not a huge deal I can always use the tractor. I plan on trying it as soon as I get it and will report back. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-03-05          151946


I picked up my new DR Power grader today. Rushed home at lunch to give it a try. Seems to be all they said it was. Assembly was very quick and easy. Quality of materials and workmanship seem to be very good. The remote power up and down work excellent. I bought the 48" modal because I wanted to pull it with my atv which is only a 250cc they say you need 14Hp, I believe this is about 15hp. I took some before and after photos of the drive, but really don't have a clue how to put them in my album I put the other pics in years ago. Last night we had 1.5" of rain so I am not sure if that effected the perfomance. I think the thing worked very well my drive is very flat I don,t get large potholes or washout the worst for me is the stone gets pushed to the sides and the middle and you get two tracks where the tires always go. It definitly fixed that I made about 10 passes and it looked very nice some very shallow holes were filled in and the stone was well redistributed. I tried with some wieght in the box which did not seem to make a big differance. I did have some issues with traction on the atv but that is not the fault of the grader. I did get the optional drag screen but did not try it yet. I think my atv is too light a 400cc would have no problem pulling this thing. I want to try it behind my tractor but would like to offset it so I can get close to curb, fence ect.. Unfortunatly I had a Goat die last week so I had to mount my hoe to dig a grave So when I get it off I will report how it works with the tractor. Any limitations I see at this point are not the grader but what it is towed with. I am also anxious to try it in the paddock in the dirt but that is nothing but mud right now. Anybody know of why I could not use an angled tounge to offset it slighty wider than my rear tire? ....


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kthompson
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2008-03-05          151948


DR, glad it is working great for you.

I think it has a tongue that hitches to the tow vechile, correct? If so and it is a pin hitch and not a ball, how about your 3pth hitch draw bar and just pin it to the side you want it on? If a ball hitch they do make attachments to prevent draw bar roll. kt ....


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earthwrks
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2008-03-05          151949


You CAN offset the pull--BUT only if you have enough traction to resist being pulled sideways, or more accurately through to the line-of-pull. The line-of-pull has to be 100% down the center of the machine, through the drawbar and through the center of the implement that engages the ground or otherwise causes resistance or drag. Anything different from that will lead to sidedraft if traction is lost for any reason.

An extreme example of this is watching a car or truck being pulled from a ditch from one corner of the body or frame---the vehicle automatically centers itself along the center of pull regardless of how the wheels are turned---until they get traction and take over momentarily. ....


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drcjv.
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2008-03-05          151950


Kt are you saying to pull from one of the bottom links of the three point hitch or from the draw bar Im not sure how I would angle the draw bar. I do have a draw bar on my quick hitch that has many hloes in it I could use an end one instead of the center. EW I see what you are saying I think I will just have to try it I can't imagine my tractor does not have enough power to pull this even off set. I have a TC 33D ....


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earthwrks
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2008-03-05          151952


Well, if you're using the TC that's a whole different story--somehow I thought you said you had a smaller garden tractor. I have a 33D too and can pull a fully-loaded 6' boxblade on loose gravel---usually. (The most I've pulled was about 15,000 lb. rolling load)

You likely have the swinging/3-position draw bar like I have on the TC. It won't give you more than about 5-6" of offset from center.

The drawbar Kenny's talking about is the same thing you're talking about.

The TC won't even know that 4' thing is back there, let alone slide sideways providing you're not offset too much---like a few feet. What will happen then is the front wheels will slide the opposite direction of the grader (there's only about 875 lb. on the front) ....


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kthompson
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2008-03-06          151953


DR, believe ole EW covered the draw bar. Some tractors do have an adjust that does allow you to angle the draw bar that normally is fixed by relocating a side pin. I was talking about the draw bar used with the 3 point hitch.

If you are doing this with your fel install you should have plenty of weight to keep front wheel straight and with the hitch you have in your pricture you should have no problem with draw bar rolling with a ball bolted through one of the holes.

For me when using an offset or extended implement,it takes a little bit more to keep the tractor the proper distance from such as trees. kt
....


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drcjv.
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2008-03-06          151987


Well it was warm and sunny today so I decided to go home early to play with my new toy. I was happy with the way the grader performed but not crazy with how it worked with the small atv. So off with the loader and backhoe and on with the grader. What a differance this thing was even better than I thought. I offset the grader to be slightly wider than the back tire. It worked great right up to the fence and curb with know problem. The tractor pulled it with no trouble no traction issues no problems period. This only reaffirmed my choice of the 33 over the larger 35 or 40. it's powerful enough to do all I ask but small enough to be very nimble in tight spots. I forgot just how nimble it was since I keep the loader on 99% of the time. Thanks for all the info. ....


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