ETMF 58 White
Well-Known Member
I am looking at a used motor grader. I do not own one presently; when we need one we rent a neighboring contractor's older John Deere. I want a grader to save wear on my mid-size dozers spreading gravel and pioneering roads on farms and timber tracts. I am also thinking that it would be good to slick off dirt jobs and put the final grade on building pads if they are large enough pads.
One of my prospective graders for sale has the Spectra Blade Pro system installed. It only has the parts that stay with the grader, i.e. I didn't see the operator's interface or any masts or receivers or cables. Just some sensors on the circle and blade and a box that hooks into the machine's hydraulic system.
My question is, does this have any utility or value to me? I have never used automated grade control; I have a nice GL622 dual slope laser and an LR50 receiver that I put on either of my dozers or excavator and I just follow the lights.
What would be involved in making this older Blade Pro system operational? I realize that it is probably antiquated but it might give me a toe-hold into automated control so that as my business grows I could update equipment. We just finished a 35000 sq. ft. commercial project that involved multiple slopes and swales for the parking lot drainage and street entrances, but we really did most of that with grade stakes and lots of walking around with a rod in my hand. Very inefficient way to do it, but I just didn't know how to do it any better.
One of my prospective graders for sale has the Spectra Blade Pro system installed. It only has the parts that stay with the grader, i.e. I didn't see the operator's interface or any masts or receivers or cables. Just some sensors on the circle and blade and a box that hooks into the machine's hydraulic system.
My question is, does this have any utility or value to me? I have never used automated grade control; I have a nice GL622 dual slope laser and an LR50 receiver that I put on either of my dozers or excavator and I just follow the lights.
What would be involved in making this older Blade Pro system operational? I realize that it is probably antiquated but it might give me a toe-hold into automated control so that as my business grows I could update equipment. We just finished a 35000 sq. ft. commercial project that involved multiple slopes and swales for the parking lot drainage and street entrances, but we really did most of that with grade stakes and lots of walking around with a rod in my hand. Very inefficient way to do it, but I just didn't know how to do it any better.