Grading beam?

[Shovelhands]

Hi all

I’m considering a grading beam, I notice there are some with rollers and some without......?

Just wondering what people are finding works the best? I would be using if for the usual things, crush, type 1, Road plannings ect.

Any advice welcome, thanks

 

[Komatsu]

Roller works a treat with T1 and road plannings James, will get some pics for you, but thing everyone including myself were very pleasantly surprised with the finish it left

 

[Shovelhands]

Roller works a treat with T1 and road plannings James, will get some pics for you, but thing everyone including myself were very pleasantly surprised with the finish it left

Thanks Ollie be interesting to see some pics, I’ve seen some beams with a long leading edge, which I imagine you can use to pic up some material? Is this a concern/good thing?
I take it you rough the job in with a bucket and finish with the beam anyway, so the need to pic up material is probably not that important?

 

[Komatsu]

The first couple are of when I first got it, and the last one is from trimming the centre for the wall where we are at the moment.
I Just knock the top off something like and then over with the beam, can use bucket if you want, (the stone in the pictures took no more than 20 minutes to do, then they went over with the roller to get compaction) if you had one with a leading edge you could use that to pull it out as well, but it wouldn’t leave a finish like this on T1 or plannings, so it’s really what ever you think will work best for you. I will say that I wasn’t to keen on the wings at the front of mine, so I’ve taken them off, but it is nice that engcon have made them so you can just bolt them on/off as you need them. I also like the one with the leading edge, and for something like farm tracks it would be really good.
Also make sure you get one with a raised head stock, the ones which are flat to the beam just let stone etc, go onto the hitch.

 

[Grahams]

I think for what you are doing a roller will leave a nice finish. I started with a roller, but where I was trying to grade loose sand without compacting it too much the roller kept sliding rather than rollering so looked a mess so I removed the roller and extended the edge. It is handy for picking up excess, but the better compaction would probably outweigh that for you.
Graham

 

[Shovelhands]

I can’t think of a situation where I won’t be compacting the finished grade with a vibrating roller, so compaction of anything I grade with the beam will be insignificant really for me, the initial grade may look better, but tbh it will get the roller over it anyway.
So I am wondering if a double edged beam would be more suitable for me? Although the roller does seem like a good idea....

Interestingly I spoke to a manufacturer today, who rarely sell one with a roller.....

 

[Grahams]

If you are going to always be rollering it anyway, the flat edge for picking up fill may be better as either will give a good flat finish, but the roller will give a more compact surface.
Graham

 

[Mogman]

Did you see the grading beam I made with a roller on @Shovelhands i used a couple of oxygen cylinders welded together for the roller part

 

[Shovelhands]

Did you see the grading beam I made with a roller on @Shovelhands i used a couple of oxygen cylinders welded together for the roller part

Yes I saw that very neat, I’d love to have the time to make one, but tbh I just can’t justify the time to do it, I will have to buy one unfortunately. But I am wondering if I get one without the roller, then I could add one if I felt it was necessary?

 

[Komatsu]

Yes I saw that very neat, I’d love to have the time to make one, but tbh I just can’t justify the time to do it, I will have to buy one unfortunately. But I am wondering if I get one without the roller, then I could add one if I felt it was necessary?

Well just speak to Robert at @Engcon UK and ask for one without a roller, it’s only a bolt on part so to speak, so couldn’t see the problem.

 

[Grifferr]

Interestingly I spoke to a manufacturer today, who rarely sell one with a roller.....

I have not used one with a roller but i would be worried about damp material sticking to the roller. Maybe they have scrapers on them.

 

[CPS]

I can’t think of a situation where I won’t be compacting the finished grade with a vibrating roller, so compaction of anything I grade with the beam will be insignificant really for me, the initial grade may look better, but tbh it will get the roller over it anyway.
So I am wondering if a double edged beam would be more suitable for me? Although the roller does seem like a good idea....

Interestingly I spoke to a manufacturer today, who rarely sell one with a roller.....

We've done a lot of beams lately.... only 2 with rollers

I can’t think of a situation where I won’t be compacting the finished grade with a vibrating roller, so compaction of anything I grade with the beam will be insignificant really for me, the initial grade may look better, but tbh it will get the roller over it anyway.
So I am wondering if a double edged beam would be more suitable for me? Although the roller does seem like a good idea....

Interestingly I spoke to a manufacturer today, who rarely sell one with a roller.....

We've done a lot of beams lately..... only 2 with rollers

 

[V8Druid]

@CPS ........ HTF did you get 18 pix in one post

 

[CPS]

@CPS ........ HTF did you get 18 pix in one post

No Idea.... I only posted 4

 

[V8Druid]

No Idea.... I only posted 4

that has got to be some sort of record ..... @Regy53 ???

 

[TiltyShaun]

Home mad version on my little Kx71-3

 

[doobin]

Shaun i thought that was mine for a sec- then I realised- I ripped your design off

 

[V8Druid]

toys lads .... proper beam in action

10ft 6in and half a ton ...... covers some ground .... and wheel marks

 

[Grahams]

My two. The first one is an original Steelwrist from back in the day when they were the only people selling them in the UK. Originally came with a roller, but no good for what I wanted so got Paul Mogman to put in a blade so I could smooth better and pick up stuff. He managed to fit it so I could reattach the roller if I ever needed it.
The black one is a custom made one for my smaller diggers. went with the flat cutting edge first time with this and also used C section to try and retain less material on the beam. Should have had the pins raised slightly higher to keep muck out of the hitch.
Graham

 

[V8Druid]

Interestingly .... whilst searching for something else, I found this https://www.rf-system.se/index.php/en/other-products ..... it would seem that Kins differentiate between beams with rollers as "leveling beams" and those without as "grading beams" .... not seen that anywhere else ... curious