Level Best

[jmac]

Looking for some feed back on any one who owns a Laser Grading Box. Looking to purchase a Level Best unit single mast with dual slope laser. Mount it on a New Holland C185 track machine.
My questions are:
How easy or hard is it to set up?
Have you used it for parking lots with multiply elevation changes?
When sloping to a center drain how do you accomplish?
Do you start at the drain and slope up and out or start at the perimeter and slope down and in?
How many sq ft of slab work do you think it would take to off set the cost?

Any other issues that I am not aware of. Thank you

 

[DoyleX]

A single mast wont work for 2 planes at the same time. They are a pain to calibrate and take brain power to setup. Your starting point depends on where your cuts and fills are... Set your receivers higher than the cab, now there is no dead zone.

I've gone round and round with this one. A setup is 25k. You better be doing acres a year. On smaller multiple pitch runs its too time consuming to set up if you have a good eye for grade and can read a tape or stake. Ive never cared for the box blade. The grader mouldboard gives you a place to windrow your spoils for the next fill. I bid out a 5 acre sports field project and it still didnt pencil out to buy. If a load of sand and delivery is $250 you would have to save over 1400cyd or 200yds mud to break even. Its a niche tool for long runs at minimal pitch.

 

[Laser/GPS Guy]

Jmac, I think you had best talk to someone who has used a Level-best before making any decision, we do a lot with them here in Australia and you will only hear good reports of speed and accuracy, the tip is quote the job on a square foot/meter rate and go home early with spare fuel in the tank and the same dough in your pocket. You both win the concreter/contractor get his job finished early before it rains and also saves concrete while you get an early mark for the same money(or do two jobs in the time you did one before )
they do not take a lot of calibrating and with a good grade laser you will be setup in a few minutes with minimal brain power.
The option of a cone laser that can be set up over your drainage sumps so it all slopes in to the drain point and the same laser can be used in a sport field to slope it all to the outside.
A single mast will work it is just the same as not having side tilt on a skid-steer bucket, sure the duel mast with cross slope is nice but you will still do it with single easy.