We pretty much guarantee that you’ve seen a road grader and a bulldozer in action, but do you know what the differences are between these two types of earthmoving machines?

Motor graders and dozers are both essential for grading and levelling roads and construction sites, but there are some key distinctions between the two. Goscor Earthmoving Equipment is here to help you understand the differences between a grader and dozer. We’ll outline the main differences as well as the key applications of each piece of equipment so that you can make an informed decision about which one is best for your needs.

A motor grader pulls a long, steel blade (that is either at the front or in the middle of the machine) to move and level large areas of soil and earth. It is considered a heavy-duty, earthmoving machine that has many uses.

Like a motor grader, a bulldozer or dozer makes use of a large, metal blade in the front which it uses to push materials like sand, soil, earth and rubble away from a particular area in order to clear it.

Even though both machines are considered heavy-duty earthmoving equipment, there are some key differences between the two machines, including application purposes too. Read on to find out more:

Structure and Mobility

It is easy to visually see the difference between a motor grader and a bulldozer, with the most obvious being in their wheel base. Motor graders have a long, four-wheel drive base which allows them to offer precise clearing. Bulldozers have tracks on which they move, which allows them to offer excellent ground holding capabilities.

Terrain Options

Thanks to the tracks that bulldozers move along on, they are able to work on particularly rough or uneven sites because these tracks allow the weight of the machine to be more evenly distributed. They can move through mud, sand, over uneven rocks, or in forests easier than motor graders can. Motor graders work better in open areas that require detailed finishing and levelling.

Load Options

Motor graders are excellent at large projects which need fine grading or small amounts of materials like soil or earth. If large amounts of heavy loads like rocks, sand or trees need to be moved on rough terrains, then a bulldozer is your best bet. Because of the placement of the blade on a motor grader, it cannot move heavy materials like a dozer can. However, it can grade and flatten an area of soil with more precision than a bulldozer.

Understanding more about the differences between the two earthmoving machines can also be seen when understanding more about the variety of applications or specific functions that each machine is recommended for, namely:

Motor Grader Applications:

• Grading smooth base layers for roads to be paved
• Grading smooth foundations for large buildings to be built
• Creating slopes and inclines
• Digging drainage ditches
• Removing snow and ice for road maintenance in cold weather

Bulldozer Applications:

• Blade used to push large loads of heavy materials up and out of an area
• The ripper on the back of a bulldozer is used to break down and rip into compacted material in order for the blade to push it out of the way.

For any kind of earthmoving equipment that is built to get any construction, road maintenance, engineering or agricultural job done with ease, chat to the experts at Goscor Earthmoving Equipment now. We will be able to give you advice as to the best machines for your project needs and we also have both new and used options available.

Contact us today or request a quote now.