Motor grader: where to buy or hire one with an operator at a good price
What a motor grader is for
A motor grader is a machine for levelling, not for digging. It profiles dirt roads, levels sites, scrapes off a thin layer of soil, shapes the road shoulders and, in the hills, clears snow. If you need to dig a trench, look at excavators, not a grader.
A one-off job on a kilometre of road does not justify buying. Municipalities, road contractors and large farms buy their own machines.
What to check on a used motor grader
The price of a used machine depends a lot on engine hours and the state of the blade. Here is what to look at:
- Engine hours, and whether they match the wear: a worn seat and weak hydraulics at low hours are a warning sign.
- The blade's turntable ring, its gearbox and play: expensive parts.
- Hydraulic cylinders and hoses for leaks.
- The frame and the articulation joint, especially on machines that have worked on crushed stone.
- The state of the tyres: six large wheels are a major cost.
There are well-known models of different classes, from compact machines to a CAT 140 class. Spares, the number of service points and the experience of local mechanics also affect the choice.
What to put in your request
- Buy or hire — with or without an operator, and for how many shifts.
- Scope of work — length of road or area, type of surface.
- Location — city, area, whether a trailer can get to the site.
- Model and power — for example 150–200 hp.
- Year and engine hours — “after 2008, up to 10,000 engine hours”.
- Condition — running, after an overhaul, needs repair.
- Budget — a purchase price or a rate per shift.
Example: “I need a motor grader with an operator for 3 shifts, profiling 2 km of dirt road near Toronto. Power 150–200 hp. Please state the rate per shift in your reply.”
How it works through BlaBlaPrice
On BlaBlaPrice owners and sellers of machinery answer your request in the chat, and the system shows the best offer first, judged on what is offered. Sellers see where their price ranks among the others and can improve their terms, so the rate often comes down. You open the phone number only for the one you choose. The principle is described on the “How it works” page.
What to compare and what to watch out for
For hire, compare not only the rate but also whether fuel, travel to the site and the minimum hours are included. For a purchase, compare the papers, photos of the cab and the engine, a video of it working, and whether you can come, inspect it and start it.
People hire a grader for “a couple of hours” without allowing for the time to bring it on a trailer. They buy a machine without testing the hydraulics under load. They do not check whether the seller has the registration papers for a self-propelled machine. And they confuse a motor grader with a bulldozer, though the jobs are different.
A grader is needed most after the rainy season, when dirt roads are washed out, and again before the season. Then fewer machines are free, so it is better to write your request in advance. Also allow for delivery: over long distances a grader goes on a trailer, so delivery may cost extra. If the site is outside the city, ask whether the owner charges extra for the trip and what the minimum number of shifts is. For long roads it is sometimes better to agree a price per kilometre rather than per hour, and you can discuss this in the chat too.
