On work sites, Mother Nature doesn’t always deliver the perfect base for a project. Grading can help you create a specific slope, drainage area or level base for construction or landscaping.

Since the process can involve anything from leveling or removing dirt to adding fill, the best equipment for grading can vary depending on your project. Here, Cat Used has created a guide to ensure you get the right equipment for your site.

To understand the types of grading equipment available and get what you need for a specific job, you need to understand the different types of land grading:

• Regrading: Raising or lowering the level of the land
• Landscape grading: Preparing for water fixtures or planting by improving drainage and creating slopes
• Architectural grading: Readies land to accept a building foundation
• Rough grading: Making basic changes to the elevation or shape of the ground
• Finish grading: Leveling for landscaping, roads or other final details
• Final grading: Smoothing topsoil in preparation for landscaping

Some of the best equipment types for land grading include:

1. Motor graders: Motor graders can be easily moved between sites and have good traction for different soil conditions, allowing for both general and high-precision grading. They can be used for building foundations, surface leveling, material spreading, creating slopes and more.
2. Bulldozers: These earthmoving machines can be used for leveling, removing debris, bringing in fill or other material and more. Bulldozers have various blade options for versatility, though they work best for larger jobs that require moving large amounts of material.
3. Wheel tractor scrapers: This type of land grading equipment includes a hopper in the back and a tractor in front, allowing the blade to cut into the soil while the hopper collects it. Wheel tractor scrapers are good for leveling and collecting earth to move it elsewhere.
4. Skid steer loaders: These machines can fit in tight spaces for projects such as backfilling and landscaping. Skid steer loaders feature front buckets allowing operators to remove or shovel earth or other materials, which can help with leveling and rough grading.

Cat Used works with Cat® dealers nationwide to bring you quality used equipment and work tools for many different applications and budgets, including attachments for your grading equipment. Everything is tested and ready for your work site so you can get started right away.

Cat Used is a smart choice because it offers you productive equipment that is cost-effective over the machine’s life cycle. You'll benefit from equipment known for its value and reliability, and when you buy from a Cat dealer, you also get the same support as new equipment buyers for your peace of mind.

Shop our used equipment online or find a Cat dealer near you for all your construction site equipment needs.