Skip to content
À LA PELLE, the specialist in hydraulic excavator attachments
01 84 16 55 49 · enquiries and quotes, 7 days a week, 7h–22h01 84 16 55 50 · local authorities and public bodies
Who is Arnaud Dufour
EN

The site is written in French.
The languages marked here are translated by us:
the French version prevails.

Français Русский English Italiano Deutsch Español
Digging and ditching

Grading blades and rakes

On the left, the straight blade spreads the soil in an even layer before compaction. On the right, the rake lets the fine soil through and holds back roots and stones. Computer-generated image.
Left: the straight blade spreads the soil in an even layer before compaction. Right: the rake lets the fine soil through and holds back roots and stones. Computer-generated image.

Spreading, levelling, gathering, building a heap back up.
Passive tools, with no hydraulics at all, that save hours on finishing a platform.

Other names for this family: grading blade, levelling blade, stockpile blade, spreading blade, levelling rake, landscaping rake, forestry rake, windrowing rake, snow blade.
One forestry rake range recorded covers machines from 0.8 to 9 tonnes.

The essentials
Family
Digging and ditching
Classes (t)
0.6 to 30 t
Coupler
All, by plate
Power source
None — passive tool

See also the ditching bucket →

01 Use

What they are for

On the left, the straight blade spreads the soil in an even layer before compaction. On the right, the rake lets the fine soil through and holds back roots and stones. Computer-generated image.
the straight blade spreads the soil in an even layer before compaction the rake lets the fine soil through and holds back roots and stones
Left: the straight blade spreads the soil in an even layer before compaction.
Right: the rake lets the fine soil through and holds back roots and stones.
What sets them apart:
a straight blade spreads what it pushes; a rake lets the soil run through and holds back the rest.
Computer-generated image.

A straight blade pushes and spreads:
it takes up a heap of soil and lays it out in an even layer.
It is the finishing work that comes before a compaction or the laying of a surfacing.

A rake does the opposite:
its spaced tines let the fine soil through and hold back roots, stones and plant debris.
On a land clearing or a ground reclamation, it cleans in one pass what a bucket would mix.

The stockpile blade, for its part, is used to take up a stock:
it brings the material back to the foot of the heap instead of spreading it.
It is a stock-management tool more than an earthmoving one.

These are the most underrated tools in the catalogue. No hydraulics, no circuit maintenance, no complex wear part — and they often remove a manual operation that used to take half a day.

02 Key technical data

On which machine?

On a mini-excavator from 2 to 5 t: grading blades from 190 to 320 kg.
On an excavator from 5 to 10 t: 320 kg.
For a micro-excavator or an excavator over 10 t, the weight: we calculate it with you for your machine.
They are supplied with their coupler: Morin, type S30 or S40, Martin, CW, Lehnhoff, or weld-on lugs.

What the tool does

They are used for levelling and raking.
They weigh from 72 to 390 kg and work over 950, 1 200 or 1 450 mm depending on the excavator class.
The 950 mm version has 11 teeth 16 mm thick, spaced 75 mm apart.

What is needed on the hydraulic side

They need no hydraulic connection: they are passive tools.

Figures taken from 36 models on the market.
Your study sets the exact value for your machine.

How to read these values →

03 Your study

Have your machine checked.

Give us your excavator model, the surface to be spread and the nature of the ground.
If roots or stones have to be removed, say so:
it is not the same tool.

What we need to answer you
  • Your machine Its make and its tonnage.
  • The auxiliary circuit Its flow in l/min, its pressure in bar, single- or double-acting.
  • The coupler in place Its system and its class.
  • The work The use, and the material.

Without these details, the study still begins: we will ask you for them.

Send my photos

or describe your need

Book an appointment with the specialist

Or call 01 84 16 55 49 · our lines are open 7 days a week, from 7h to 22h.

Written study within 3 working days, once the file is complete.

Mounts on

Mounts on, in the manufacturer example: S30 or S40 · Martin · Morin

Mini-excavator fitted with a grading blade, spreading sand on a platform
The blade does not dig:
it lays out and smooths. The surface behind it is the only check that counts. Synthetic image.
04 Choice

What determines the choice

  • 01 — Blade or rake The blade spreads, the rake sorts.
    If the ground contains roots or stones to be removed, it is the rake; if it is only a matter of spreading, it is the blade.
  • 02 — The width It determines the output, but also the effort asked of the machine.
    A wide blade on a small excavator pushes badly.
  • 03 — The spacing of the tines, for a rake It is chosen on the particle size to be let through, as for a skeleton bucket.
  • 04 — The angling Some blades tilt to work on a cross-fall or to push to the side.
    That version then calls for an auxiliary line.
05 Check

What is checked before ordering

  • The permissible pushing force A blade works by pushing, which loads the dipper arm differently from a bucket that pulls.
    It is the machine's figure that limits the usable width.
  • The weight in relation to the reach A wide blade is bulky and often works far from the machine.
  • The auxiliary line, only in the angling version In the fixed version, no hydraulics are necessary.
  • The interface Coupler type and size, or pin dimensions.
    The tool is supplied with the matching plate.
In the same family
After the levelling
On the interface
To go further
A question about an attachment? 01 84 16 55 49 Send my photos