We just bought a 94' 770B grader. It seems to be in really good shape. Has 6000 original hours. This is the first grader we have ever bought. Just wanted to get some feedback or reviews on this grader if anyone has experience with them.
There are still a lot of B Series around. A couple of things to keep in mind. This machine uses a direct drive , powershift transmission. Do not use the "clutch" (inching pedal) to upshift or downshift, Use the inching pedal like you would a clutch in a manual shift pick-up truck. If you are transporting and come to a stop sign, downshift to about 4th gear, use the inching pedal to neutralize the transmission, stop at the stop sign, then release the pedal to continue on. Check your wear inserts under the circle. Do not remove the circle support shoes to replace inserts. Simply remove the bolts that hold the retainers in place, then replace the inserts. With proper maintenance, this machine should last thousands of hours. Good luck.
Thanks for the feedback I had another question on the tires. When we took delivery of this grader, all the tires were 63-70 psi. The book says 35 psi and you can increase 50% for sloping. Is there any reason for the pressure to be this high? Tire size is 17.5-25. The grader does have a ripper and 6-way front blade, which is currently off.
70 psi is way too much pressure. This will cause your grader to bounce when grading or transporting. I would start with 38 psi in the tandems and 33 in the front tires. Front tire pressures are lower because there is less weight on the front axle than there is on the tandems. If you are "heavy ditching" I would increase at least 5 psi all the way around. These are recommended starting points. You can run radials at a lower psi than bias ply by at least 5 psi. Good luck.
Forgot to mention that when you use the 6-way front plow to increase front tire psi by 10 psi.
I run 50 psi in 17.5x25 Micheln radials on a 770G. There's no perfect answer to this. I'm trying to figure out why they were running them that high??? I ran a new 770B 1994-98. Had no particular issues with the machine. Very dependable. I don't recall any quirks.