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Smallest grader that still does decent work

rondig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
517
Location
fort macleod alberta
Occupation
excavation
Wow just tried a noram 65e....awesome machine with power shift....not cheap though but VERY nice....dealer is pricing out new one with frt 9 shank, 6x6, cab ac heat, slope kit, 10ft blade...just over 17000 lbs....very nice...thanks guys...btw WAY higher quality than leeboy.
 

BladeManBob

Active Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2012
Messages
33
Location
Louisiana
Since CAT no longer makes a small grader, the NORAM is in the CAT rental fleet.
Champion graders appear to have been gobbled up by Volvo and later discontinued.
Anyone know any different about Champion, please hold forth.
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,943
Location
Lawrence, KS
Champion graders appear to have been gobbled up by Volvo and later discontinued.
Anyone know any different about Champion, please hold forth.
Somebody bought the compact grader line and the Champion name from Volvo in the early 2000's. Champion was still building compact graders 4-5 years ago, but looks like they stopped sometime recently.

According to my local Cat dealer, the Noram is based on the Fiat Allis 65B and built by Weiler.
 

R.D.G013

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
255
Location
sunshine coast qld australia
Occupation
Heavy equipment operator/foreman for about 48yrs o
Wow just tried a noram 65e....awesome machine with power shift....not cheap though but VERY nice....dealer is pricing out new one with frt 9 shank, 6x6, cab ac heat, slope kit, 10ft blade...just over 17000 lbs....very nice...thanks guys...btw WAY higher quality than leeboy.
Just did 2 days on a Noram 65E, nice little grader, standard Cat control lay out, torque converter drive 120 hp, only thing a bit strange was it pivots in front of the cab and not behind like Cat, nice wee grader for a small grader.
 

rsherril

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2009
Messages
264
Location
Far West Colorado
Occupation
Geologist, Retired from teaching sciences
Took me awhile to wrap my head around the physics of a machine that is designed to push a draw frame that pulls a load in front of you. Moving the pivot point forward would for sure make you follow the action differently. This would also distribute more weight to the push end and less wieght on the pull end. Was this Noram a front wheel drive and/or lean wheel? Weighted on front? I might like the concept if the pull end can still do its job.
 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
The Noram was being handled by the Cat dealer in my area when I left there. It is very high end in build quality and price compared to Leeboy and others of its size range.

I've looked at the Noram, Allis, Leeboy, John Deere, Dresser, Komatsu and Champion as well as more Cats than I can remember. After running a Cat I couldn't find the cutting edges on a Leeboy or the Champion. On the Cat and others the front axle stays with the cab and you can feel every rock or dip the front end takes. On the Leerboy and the early Deere the controls weren't intuitive and from the cab I always seemed to be in slow motion to the machine. I suppose I could have gotten used to it but never had the time required to tune my brain to grab the right handle without looking at it at or before the front end took a dive or jump from going over a bump in the grade path. I've seen a couple of operators do magic with a Leeboy and thought that they probably weren't making the money they were worth.
 

R.D.G013

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2013
Messages
255
Location
sunshine coast qld australia
Occupation
Heavy equipment operator/foreman for about 48yrs o
Took me awhile to wrap my head around the physics of a machine that is designed to push a draw frame that pulls a load in front of you. Moving the pivot point forward would for sure make you follow the action differently. This would also distribute more weight to the push end and less wieght on the pull end. Was this Noram a front wheel drive and/or lean wheel? Weighted on front? I might like the concept if the pull end can still do its job.
It had wheel lean but was not six wheel drive.
 
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