3 attachments that turn your compact equipment into a motor grader

Motor graders can level terrain, move aggregates and cut ditches, among many other integral tasks on jobsites.

As important and versatile as these machines are, not every contractor who has grading needs has easy access to or can justify owning a motor grader on their own (for those who can justify owning or renting a motor grader, here’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365‘s feature on five top brands’ motor grader offerings).

Check out these three alternatives to traditional motor graders that still can get the job done on your jobsite by equipping your compact track loader, skid steer or compact excavator with grading capabilities.

Bobcat’s Power Tilt Swing Accessory

1. Bobcat’s Grading Blade

In leiu of piloting a traditional motor grader, Bobcat offers a Grading Blade attachment, which the manufacturer said is “ideal to grade and level any terrain,” for its compact excavator models.

The blade can backfill trenches, shape drainage swales, build mounds, grade landscapes and level terrains.

The company also has two attachments that can work with the Grading Blade: the Hydra-Tilt and Power-Tilt attachments. The first one creates slopes, cuts or cleans drainage ditches, grades and contours, and the second attachment option can dig around and under objects.

And with the X-Change Mounting System feature, attaching and detaching the Grading Blade is fast and easy, according to Bobcat.

2. Case Construction Equipment’s Precision Grader Blade

This attachment allows a large-frame compact track loader (CTL) to perform like a motor grader.

Case Construction Equipment has introduced the Case Precision Grader Blade for large-frame compact track loaders

Introduced two months ago, this new feature delivers grading capabilities in a more compact and agile footprint, Case said, which allows contractors to increase their productivity and efficiency by utilizing CTLs for their jobsites’ grading needs.

Compatible with 2D and 3D precision grading solutions, the Grader Blade includes laser receivers (single or dual), GPS/GNSS (single or dual), sonic tracers, total stations and Case’s SiteControl.

“This is built for those applications where contractors have always wanted the power and precision of a motor grader but were unable to justify it based on size, access or cost,” said Jerry Hutkowski, product manager with Case Construction Equipment (CE). “It takes the large-frame CTL that many contractors already own and turns it into a powerful precision grading solution capable of working on sites where a larger machine isn’t practical or can’t gain access.”

Watch the Case CE Precision Grader Blade go to work.

A Caterpillar compact track loader outfitted with the Grader Blade SMART attachment

3. Caterpillar’s SMART Grader Blade Attachment

Cat debuted the GB120 and GB124 SMART Grader Blade attachments, which are available for the Cat D3-Series skid steer loaders and CTLs, in March 2020.

The D3 host machine recognizes the Grader Blade and unlocks special display screens inside the cab for control and operator feedback about the attachment’s orientation, slope and angle.

The attachment’s ASSIST feature allows selecting either the Cross Slope Right pattern or Cross Slope Left pattern, and the software maintains the cross-slope setting, independent of the machine’s operating angle.

A standard GB120 blade is 78 in, and the GB124 is 96 in.

Watch the Cat SMART Grader Blade attachment in action.