A grader is a long bladed machine used to flatten surfaces, grade land, scarify layers, and reduce roads to an easy gradient, amongst other activities. These days, graders are often used for road building, road maintenance, spreading, fine grading, earthmoving, clearing brush and debris, and even snow removal. Graders are able to produce both horizontal and inclined surfaces, and depending on the depth, can also be used for the digging of drainage ditches.g
Our directory offers a huge volume of qualified grader hire suppliers throughout Australia, with both wet and dry hire options available. These suppliers offer a diverse catalogue of grader blades and builds to suit a variety of projects and operations across the nation. We categorise our graders for hire by their blade width, from below 10ft, through to 12ft, 14ft, 16ft and larger. The largest grader we have available to hire on our site is a Caterpillar 24M. Our grader hire suppliers offer a wide range of attachments, meaning the machine can be set to different jobs, and with a long blade and three axles on the front, they’re perfect for the creation of an even and flat preparation surface or final trim.
Both large and small construction and earthmoving projects will often require a grader. For civil engineering projects, graders are used to precisely refine the level of a surface that a bulldozer or scraper has rough-graded. Motor graders were traditionally used to maintain roads and flatten surfaces before asphalt was applied. Graders are used for spreading, fine grading and earthmoving, clearing brush and debris, and even snow removal. Our grader hire suppliers can complete a wide range of detailed earthworks including pad work and camber.
Graders, which evolved from tractors, work by using a centrally mounted blade (which can vary depending on the build). This blade is typically mounted low and in a manner that allows the vehicle to essentially scrape, grade, or plow the ground beneath it while driving. Depending on the blade installation, the operator is able to adjust the height and impact of the blade to suit the task at hand.
Grader hire suppliers categorise their graders by blade width, from less than 10ft, to 12ft, 14ft, 16ft, and right up to 24ft. Some of the most well-known and respected grader manufacturers include Terex, Komatsu, John Deere and Caterpillar, however there are so many grader hire suppliers that you’ll be sure to find the perfect fit for your specific needs.
Graders have a movable blade, and different sized blades are required for different jobs. The blades are mounted onto the grader, attached under the frame with a ring that swivels vertically, adjusting the angle of the blade. This means that the grader can work sideways on jobs like sloping banks and pulling ditches.
A Scarifier blade penetrates gravel, frozen and hard-packed surface with less horsepower and down pressure than standard blades, and will also usually do it with fewer passes. The blades feature individual self-sharpening and rotating tools so blades last longer and allow an even cutting height.
A dual-carbide planer blade has two inserts in the edge, made of carbide. These blades are ideal for low-impact, highly-abrasive jobs.
Grader hire suppliers are likely to let you know that the thickness of the edge of the blade is an important consideration, and a thicker edge will be less susceptible to breakage and will also wear for longer, however the penetration is less compared to a thinner edge. A thicker edge also requires more down pressure to cut and penetrate material which can burn more fuel.
Using an edge that’s too thin or small can also make it more susceptible to early wear and damage, and there are many different materials used that can influence how long a blade will last for.
