I learned to run blade in a 12 with a pony motor. We didn’t have luxury of changing the tip angle on a whim. You got out a couple 2 3/8” box wrenches and it was a bit of a mother bear getting it where you wanted and locked back down. Trying to cut and shape a gravel road I can see the desire to change it on the fly. For winter Ops plowing snow couldn’t you just lock the tip angle and run it out? Save wear and tear on the cylinders and bushings and use that cylinder circuit for the snow gate or something useful? What would be the optimum set angle at the edge face? 10*?
Whatever a guy chooses for angle, chances are the first day you'd want to change it. Either steeper because you need to try and cut some snow pack, or flatter because you need to move a bunch across the road.
I'm sure one could plow snow with out power tip but its to valuable to me to disable on purpose everyone has different needs though
I play with it as conditions change to keep the snow rolling best.
I brought it up with a couple of my operators because I need the circuit (makes it easy) to put a snow gate on a couple older machines and As you can imagine they threw a fit. Cry like a cat stuck in a barn door about it. I just think they are soft. (Thinking of what my old man would have said about it) But maybe I need to go spend a few shifts in the seat of the machine before I make my mind up. Thanks for your inputs.
I kinda thought this was the case, but 9 times out of 10 I see the blade in the field, or when they come back to the yard set just like the pic in the first post. Laid back 100%. Which seems to me *** backwards of the way I was taught and the way we ran in winter was about 80% of the tip angle upright that left the cutting edge about where you see a typical pickup plow blade for pitch angle of attack. But those old knuckle buster graders were different than todays machines. Much Lighter, direct drive, and you had to be on top of the moldboard at all times. There was no “Float mode” and you could be in the ditch in blink of an eye. so I’m here looking for more perspective.
I always roll the blade back all the way when traveling and parking. I figure it's always better to suck the rod in on any cylinder whenever possible to protect it, plus it gets a little more ground clearance under the cutting edge. Probably not really necessary, but it makes me feel better. This is on a 143H that has the cylinder behind the blade so it's working opposite of your picture.
Not a blade man....but that is set to carry, not cast. Needs to have the top of the moldboard in front of the cutting edge. Ed
When we need an extra circuit like for the reversible front plow I use a electric splitter valve this one is set up on the front plow lever just push or pull the snap switch while operating lever and flow is diverted
What is the air valve in the window corner for?
Good eye that runs the pins on the front quick tach parking brake cans springs keep the pins driven air to remove attachment
I'm OCD about things like that. I always park with the blade lowered in float position to unload the system. When roading I always have the traffic end of the blade back, shoulder end of the blade forward. Rolled back.
The old 14E I ran had the MB set with the cutting edge standing straight up and down, so the MB would be tipped ahead. Never asked the reason, was too concerned with the machine never having brakes. I find moving snow the same as earth moving. Pick a pitch that makes the material roll in the blade. I also found that as the edge wears, changing pitch keeps the sharper edge cutting. I also never float the blade. I always maintain control over it. I find if you hit something, it will bump the whole machine over it. On float, the machine wants to go, but the blade wants to stay hooked, and something breaks or you get a bad snap.
I've been sent out to plow a couple inches off logging roads so the trucks don't have to chain up. I've found the best way is to roll the blade all the way forward with just a little angle to move the snow off but so it'll still build up in front. The blade pushes the build up of snow against the ground and wipes it off without digging up rock. So instead of the blade doing the plowing, the pile does it. This is with fresh wet snow, just below freezing. No idea how it would work with dry powder.
I plowed snow for a ski place in central Oregon for a few years. 140h. Plowing fresh snow…mb all the way back. As the intensity of the pack increased I would roll the mb forward accordingly. If you don’t want them to cut pack…lock it out.
Starting in the middle of the night and pushing thru the next day I'll change the pitch of the blade as conditions change.
Any plowing I have done with the grader have been on asphalt. Some of the guys that haul wood in the winter say that a good grader man can keep the road gravel all winter. Probably a lot to do with blade angle. They are really hauling a lot of wood now as the spring road restrictions are going to hit earlier than ever before. https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/dti/trucking/content/spring_weight_restrictions.html
The 13k-12F I ran and was majority of my time in a blade was the same as your 14E. So I just felt like the hydraulic tip was more for the cutting roads type of ops. Theres no other snow blade you see on much of anything that is adjustable tip. But I see the usefulness of it. Now that ive seen a few newer ideas about plumbing hydraulics I can leave it alone.
We run ice blades most of the season so we dont get too much build up to cut. When spring thaw comes it will be gone in a few days.
Do you have another circut on your wing? Mine has raise for front and rear. In and out, and a fourth that does nothing. No one uses a snow gate here. I see Quebec uses them. Seen it on the news before. Around here, they just fill you in, and good luck.
I started running a grader in 1987. I'm always on gravel. Only time I've ever "floated" the blade is when running paved state roads to get to my next gravel. On gravel I'm always carrying the blade. Trying to minimize gravel loss. When Spring comes you can easily see the places you got it a little too low...... I've got a neighboring operator that pushes all his loose gravel into the ditches. I'm embarrassed if I see any gravel in the ditch or on the bank.
We don't get a lot of snow around here and when we do, it doesn't hang around long. I know of timber company operators that will plow even just a little bit of snow by cutting hard and plowing a berm of rock onto the shoulder or ditch as the temperature is already warming up. Then they go pull it back later, or not if it's in the ditch. That way later on they can haul more rock and clean ditches for job security, I guess.