That machine has some nice features. I watched the clip of your dad, and definitely saw the washboard affect you were talking about. It's almost as if the hydraulics on the machine either can't keep up with the computer or don't have the ability to do micro adjustments. Thanks for showing us!
We have a similar system from a different manufacturer. Gotta keep that blade loaded as much as you can and it grades smoother....for us, on a different machine, different tool, different automation manufacturer. Gotta keep travel speeds slow too.
The "Creep" mode switch design and location is something I struggled with. And the switching in and out of creep mode. We don't have GPS for our skid steer and we use Trimble for our dozers and excavators
As a demo loaner you would think they would get the computer set up to work more accurately. Surly it can all be tweeked. The sensitivity should have range adjustment, you'd think. With the pc controls it's almost a robot! Looks like fun, I'm going to check it out for other "smart" attachments.
Looks like the joystick button to change out of dozer mode in a momentary button. You have to hold it to keep the loader functions. Likely it is meant for quick use where the other cab button is used to stay switched.
I might of missed it in the video but the joystick button under the parking brake sets the reaction speed of the controls. It was on medium when you were showing dozer mode.
That doesn’t control the speed for auto mode for the gps. There is a setting in the gps screen called “gain” that controls the speed when in auto mode.
Thanks for the review. Looks like it might have had potential starting out, but if it can't double production at double the price, it's not a good investment.
We sold a grader blade attachment to a contractor the has the two caster wheels on the front frame. He swore that was the only way to get a smooth + - 1 tenth cut. He said he tried 3 other blade setups and none were as accurate as the one with casters out in front. The model we sold him had the pole in the center and the side of the blade pole could be moved from one side or the other.
I just bought the 333g and there's no way I'd spend another 80k on a blade with the smart grade. A small used dozer for 80k would be a better option in my opinion.
Dennis, Hard to get a a track loader to push grade, I back grade our Bobcat to smooth out the cut, I tried to grade some gravel with our bobcat snow blade.It was above my skill level😂 Take Care🚜🪵👍🏼🇺🇸
Nice video. Does the skidsteer have soft ride etc fitted? If it does that needs to be locked off thus helping the grader keep a better grading.. might help . Stay safe 🏴
The caterpillar 6way on their skids isn't compatible with GPS yet for the exact issues you were commenting on. Looks like Deere was too focused on being the first ones with it to me.
For that kind of money, I'd stick with Cat grade dozer. Maybe higher price but lasts 4x longer imho. I can't believe that JD 333G can get 173k for a tracked skidsteer. Be handy for a landscaper though.
One of the largest advantages a skidsteer has over a dozer is that it moves fast. When it has to be limited to dozer speeds to be reasonably accurate most of that advantage seems to be gone and you only have a dozer that also can get around the jobsite faster. Possibly really useful, but you buy it to do work, not to move around the job all day.
You can also use any other skid steer attachment on this. Can't do that with a dozer.. Dozer is REALLY good at dozer things. This is pretty good at dozer things and really good at skid steer things.
I don't think it will ever get much smoother. A bulldozer with a grading system has alot more track on the ground, and the blade doesn't hang out as far in front of the tracks compared to the skid. With the shorter tracks and blade farther away from the tracks the skid will always be more front to back pitchy. From the video it still looked like it worked pretty well for what it is.
If you're using it purely as a compact dozer, could you put steel tracks on it and give it a little extra weight? I'm not as experienced with compact track loaders so forgive me if that comes off as a stupid question.
Cat has their big model available with steel tracks and I believe ASV offers one model or did, of their own with steel tracks as well as kits for other models of skid steers. Definitely a “instillation” use type of option that I believe is mainly geared towards the logging industry where there are simply NO standard paved roads or maintained lawns because they will destroy both as fast as any other steel tracked machine does. That and the process of loading/unloading on metal tracks is….more likely to be exciting? Especially in wet/cold conditions. Because they don’t travel well and lack the manners to behave in public places they are rarely seen venturing outside of the remote forest areas.
I don’t think so. Part of the reason for having it down is to protect the boom from torsion. When the boom is down it sets firm against the frame of the machine.
Boom full down lets it transfer it’s power more directly and low through its chassis. More like a conventional bulldozer, without all the force having to go up and down through the boom arms. When it’s all the way down the boom arms bottom out and back against the front plate of the machine. Boom up any amount though and then you are pushing everything with the boom arms which transfers the load to the rear/top most location of the machine, while that is a good location for lifting efficiently, it is not a good location to push from. Like pushing something at head level compared to pushing something at waist height. That’s why you see regular dozer blades with their main push arms mounted as low as possible often in the center of the track carriage. 👊
@@jaxturner7288 A bulldozer has it's blade connected well back on the chassis so the force is applied to the rear. pinning the boom down means more lift is applied to the front of the skidsteer. It is also low on the rear of a dozer where skidsteers are attached high on the chassis so a component of the pushing force is trying to tip the skidsteer backwards. That and their lighter weight probably don't make them good at grading. They do better with a grader attachment with wheels out front to stabilize them or a bucket that rides on the flattened dirt behind the cutting edge.
The cat D3 skidsteers have built in work modes for the new smart attachments. I know they have a dozer blade and I think two styles of grader blades. Not sure what else they have for smart attachments besides a backhoe. They are gps capable but I don't think it's built in to the host machine
@@DLHFarms were you or your dad using the base and rover in your video? I am purchasing this machine but a little concerned. any further insight is appreciated
Hi there, I got the 333g as well but just regular dozer blade I was looking for the smart grade but was told they didn't take a lot of issues out so it will be a while before it gets better. Let me know if you guys had any luck to get all kinks out and what was the cost of this upgrade? Thank you.
Yeah nice machine, maybe it needs to weigh more so the washboarding effect will hopefully go away, the dozer is really heavy, so no washboarding. Looks like a nice machine to play with though. I’m not impressed with it, because a machine that cost that much should work perfectly. Just saying.👍.
As in my personal vehicle ( Ford Escape ) I really dislike that 'electric switch' to operate the parking brake, what's wrong with the good old mechanical foot pedal or lever? Electrics /electronics for the sake of electrics and electronics I think. Now, I am NOT an Engineer nor a professional operator, but it seems to me that this Skid Steer loader with a Dozer attached can't help but cause 'washboard' effect. Short track base with the blade system mounted well forward seems to be a bit of a rocking horse issue; a normal Tractor / dozer is a more solid based unit and with longer tract footprint, it's mass / weight, will 'doze' a lot smoother and at higher travel speed. Then would the JD 333G benefit at all from a longer tract footprint system, i.e. closer to the dozer? Am I wrong in my thinking?
To be fair it’s more of a skid loader all around machine. So it can’t be the best at all of them. Just like a dozer can’t much of what a skid loader can do.😊
I bought a Cat 299D3 with a smart blade. Very disappointed so far for all the hype that's been behind these blades . The auto's are to jumpy and it won't cut a smooth grade . Does ok in manual mode but at that point a operator is more productive with a small dozer or just using a good grading bucket on the ctl.
First thing I think it's pretty cool for special small jobs or what y'all would consider small jobs compared to you know a big gigantic you know Walmart or something like that kind of build I think the only thing they've done was they just tried to over you know technology yet and which is making it a little hard to run until you just get used to all the kinks and like anything the more you run it the more you get used to those kinks but like all these companies that build these machines you know they're all trying to warm up the other one and having more options and more technology sometimes makes it just more difficult than it has to be and sometimes just the overthinking it instead of making it more simplistic but unfortunately live in a world that likes all the bells and whistles because we're such spoiled brats and so we want everything and of course the customer is the one that dictates how companies are going to you know serve the customer goes they got to make their sales but I think it's a great machine I think it was just over thought with the technology I think it could have been a little bit more simpler and it would have done just as much and made it a lot faster and and for somebody especially got used to it but it's awesome either way 100,000 machine though that right there a scare the heck out of you of course for people like y'all did have machines all over the place and millions and millions and all the machines I guess $100,000 ain't much for buying a machine but somebody like me you know just like buying a house small house of course
I tell you what oh Daddy can run a machine man he makes that thing look easy when it's not but when you got decades behind machines that's just what you get but he's a good operator he'd have no problem getting a job for everything fell apart with some other company which God forbid anything like that happens in Jesus name
The blades auto up and down looks jittery like it's bouncing, I wonder if that is inherent to the valving for the auto feature in the hydraulics and is impossible for the engineers to get rid of but I agree, it's horrible and won't make a smooth or flat finish.
My only question is, why don't you have somebody else holding a Lazer level to tell you when you're good. Grade assistant has no place in reality. Somebody outside the machine telling you up or down is 100% better. Imo
What's the point of being a operator if the machine does it for you? All the operators I know and work with hate the new machines and all there technology
The point is that operator can make you 10 times the money when he can do a job faster and more accurate without grade stakes and with out ever leaving the cab to check grades wasting time and money. I don’t really care what anyone else and their egos think, we’re finishing jobs months ahead of schedule and moving to the next faster than ever that’s how this stuff pays for itself and then it just pays.
You been doing it long enough I'm sure the smart grade wouldn't be any good to you anyway. I'm sure some jobs it would be useful but never know they may make it alot better and make you a good deal on one. 🤷♂️
Loader won’t work like a dozer. It’s the hinge point of the up and down arms. A dozer hinge point is level with the roller frames. A loader has a high hinge point. This causes a washboard affect. It’s why the back end of a bucket on a CTL is the heal and the bucket cutting edge is the toe. The heel steadies the toe like your wrist and edge of palm steadies your hand for writing. You have to have something to “bear against” to write accurately. Better off using a blade only for shoving loose dirt in production out in layers or over an edge. Or hell…use the bucket and leave bucket full and just keep pushing. It’s such a fad to attempt these dozer blade ideas. Oh, I guess it can also be cool to use on a rough grade backfill of a ditch running angle at parallel. Or a slow rollout of a ditchline. It’s just a fad. Blah
That machine has some nice features. I watched the clip of your dad, and definitely saw the washboard affect you were talking about. It's almost as if the hydraulics on the machine either can't keep up with the computer or don't have the ability to do micro adjustments. Thanks for showing us!
It’s a combination of things. Machine is too short blade is super heavy hydraulics not quite tuned right. I’m sure they will figure it out.
It looks great. Love the way you explain things, Dennis. 👍😊
Thanks
Great video I have been checking different skid steer loaders. Good information
Great video Dennis. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on your new purchase bud.
We didn’t buy one of these
We have a similar system from a different manufacturer. Gotta keep that blade loaded as much as you can and it grades smoother....for us, on a different machine, different tool, different automation manufacturer. Gotta keep travel speeds slow too.
Thank you for your honest review.
The "Creep" mode switch design and location is something I struggled with. And the switching in and out of creep mode. We don't have GPS for our skid steer and we use Trimble for our dozers and excavators
As a demo loaner you would think they would get the computer set up to work more accurately. Surly it can all be tweeked. The sensitivity should have range adjustment, you'd think. With the pc controls it's almost a robot! Looks like fun, I'm going to check it out for other "smart" attachments.
Yes it can be tweaked but we tweaked it faster and slower with no better results.
Looks like the joystick button to change out of dozer mode in a momentary button. You have to hold it to keep the loader functions. Likely it is meant for quick use where the other cab button is used to stay switched.
You could be right didn’t try that
Well I'm subscribing Thank you for that review. You obviously know what you're doing.
Thanks for the sub
I might of missed it in the video but the joystick button under the parking brake sets the reaction speed of the controls. It was on medium when you were showing dozer mode.
That doesn’t control the speed for auto mode for the gps. There is a setting in the gps screen called “gain” that controls the speed when in auto mode.
Thanks for video DLh .
Thanks for the review. Looks like it might have had potential starting out, but if it can't double production at double the price, it's not a good investment.
Right
That would be a good machine for doing driveways or other small access locations.
Yes definitely
But not at $170K.
We sold a grader blade attachment to a contractor the has the two caster wheels on the front frame. He swore that was the only way to get a smooth + - 1 tenth cut. He said he tried 3 other blade setups and none were as accurate as the one with casters out in front. The model we sold him had the pole in the center and the side of the blade pole could be moved from one side or the other.
Maybe JD Engineers can resolve some of those issues, sure would be a time saver machine. Thanks for the video Dennis 👍
Maybe
Take a look at the DL550 from Case. It has none of the issues you highlight.
great video mate!
Thanks
I just bought the 333g and there's no way I'd spend another 80k on a blade with the smart grade. A small used dozer for 80k would be a better option in my opinion.
I fought between a 331 and 333 went with the 331 because of videos like these about using skids as dozers
What did you spend on the 333g. Everything I'm seeing with the blade is around 125.
@@trentturner7795 86k
Dennis, Hard to get a a track loader to push grade, I back grade our Bobcat to smooth out the cut, I tried to grade some gravel with our bobcat snow blade.It was above my skill level😂 Take Care🚜🪵👍🏼🇺🇸
Haha
Nice video. Does the skidsteer have soft ride etc fitted? If it does that needs to be locked off thus helping the grader keep a better grading.. might help . Stay safe 🏴
It has it, it was off
The caterpillar 6way on their skids isn't compatible with GPS yet for the exact issues you were commenting on. Looks like Deere was too focused on being the first ones with it to me.
👍
For $170,000 I'd want it to work as good as a dozer, Thanks for showing it to us.
Exactly
For that kind of money, I'd stick with Cat grade dozer. Maybe higher price but lasts 4x longer imho. I can't believe that JD 333G can get 173k for a tracked skidsteer. Be handy for a landscaper though.
@@tyclark8162it’s still a skid steer now with gps for grading. Your not buying just a mini dozer your buying a skid steer that can precision grade
One of the largest advantages a skidsteer has over a dozer is that it moves fast. When it has to be limited to dozer speeds to be reasonably accurate most of that advantage seems to be gone and you only have a dozer that also can get around the jobsite faster. Possibly really useful, but you buy it to do work, not to move around the job all day.
It’s actually slower than the dozer when grading.
You can also use any other skid steer attachment on this. Can't do that with a dozer.. Dozer is REALLY good at dozer things. This is pretty good at dozer things and really good at skid steer things.
I can see that being used by companies that prep a lot of building pads for metal buildings or small paving companies.
👍
I don't think it will ever get much smoother. A bulldozer with a grading system has alot more track on the ground, and the blade doesn't hang out as far in front of the tracks compared to the skid. With the shorter tracks and blade farther away from the tracks the skid will always be more front to back pitchy. From the video it still looked like it worked pretty well for what it is.
It worked ok but it cost way to much for how it works.
This is like $200k where a 333h is like $110. For the extra cost a small dozer is still worth having imo
Great video 😀😀👍
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. Do you know if the Smart grade is available without the GPS or do they have to come together?
I think it’s a package deal
If you're using it purely as a compact dozer, could you put steel tracks on it and give it a little extra weight? I'm not as experienced with compact track loaders so forgive me if that comes off as a stupid question.
Not sure anyone makes them for it but it would make it not as versatile.
Cat has their big model available with steel tracks and I believe ASV offers one model or did, of their own with steel tracks as well as kits for other models of skid steers.
Definitely a “instillation” use type of option that I believe is mainly geared towards the logging industry where there are simply NO standard paved roads or maintained lawns because they will destroy both as fast as any other steel tracked machine does.
That and the process of loading/unloading on metal tracks is….more likely to be exciting?
Especially in wet/cold conditions.
Because they don’t travel well and lack the manners to behave in public places they are rarely seen venturing outside of the remote forest areas.
Enjoyed seeing new machine , but like you said, very expensive, did you want to buy one if price was right? Thanks 🙏
If it was a 10 to 20 k option maybe we would but not 80k
I’m old bobcat guy hand and foot controls. just bought some laser grading equipment adding that to my company profile.
Thats a good start
We're the arms completely down resting on the braces on the front of the cab, if the arms were up might cause the washboard
Yes they were down it forces you to do that
Wish that easy grade was on that keyboard on the right with the dozer button.
Yes me too
That might have been fun to demo back on your Dam road job
True
Крутой трактор красавцы
Amazing
I was lost after “release the parking brake”. Lol. I guess that one has to use this a while, to take advantage of the features.
Haha
I don’t get it.
@@DLHFarms hey Dennis. I saw a new 4710, on a dealer truck the other day. Was it your demo?
Good job
I wonder if it would work better if it used the boom to raise and lower the blade instead of using tilt.
I don’t think so. Part of the reason for having it down is to protect the boom from torsion. When the boom is down it sets firm against the frame of the machine.
Boom full down lets it transfer it’s power more directly and low through its chassis.
More like a conventional bulldozer, without all the force having to go up and down through the boom arms. When it’s all the way down the boom arms bottom out and back against the front plate of the machine. Boom up any amount though and then you are pushing everything with the boom arms which transfers the load to the rear/top most location of the machine, while that is a good location for lifting efficiently, it is not a good location to push from.
Like pushing something at head level compared to pushing something at waist height.
That’s why you see regular dozer blades with their main push arms mounted as low as possible often in the center of the track carriage. 👊
@@jaxturner7288 A bulldozer has it's blade connected well back on the chassis so the force is applied to the rear. pinning the boom down means more lift is applied to the front of the skidsteer. It is also low on the rear of a dozer where skidsteers are attached high on the chassis so a component of the pushing force is trying to tip the skidsteer backwards. That and their lighter weight probably don't make them good at grading. They do better with a grader attachment with wheels out front to stabilize them or a bucket that rides on the flattened dirt behind the cutting edge.
@@tiredoldmechanic1791 Old retired wornout field mechanic here, I agree with your assessment. I'd never pay that for a 333G.
The cat D3 skidsteers have built in work modes for the new smart attachments. I know they have a dozer blade and I think two styles of grader blades. Not sure what else they have for smart attachments besides a backhoe. They are gps capable but I don't think it's built in to the host machine
The think in the back is the jdlink 4glte connection
thanks, that's helpful
Can get gps dozer blades not integrated with dozer controls for far less and move a lot faster
did they tell you that the topcon base and rover was required?
Yes we already have those.
@@DLHFarms were you or your dad using the base and rover in your video? I am purchasing this machine but a little concerned. any further insight is appreciated
I wonder if you can run that on a slope?
Up to a certain point
Don’t forget to demo a Cat and/or a bobcat to compare. Dealer permitting of course
Nobody else offering a gps blade on a skid steer yet that I know of.
Hi there, I got the 333g as well but just regular dozer blade I was looking for the smart grade but was told they didn't take a lot of issues out so it will be a while before it gets better. Let me know if you guys had any luck to get all kinks out and what was the cost of this upgrade? Thank you.
We only had it for about a week. It cost about 80k more than just the skid steer.
Fancy skid steer??? Dozers better choice?? Maintenance nightmare??
How much do u get for a cord of wood oak and maple
200 delivered. Oak and hickory
Good morning 😴
They still have computer locks on all the parts?
Not sure what you mean!
@@DLHFarms JD is notorious for making their machines so they can only be repaired by JD.
Hi DLH ,how much is the attachment?
$170,000 for the machine as it sets
Yeah nice machine, maybe it needs to weigh more so the washboarding effect will hopefully go away, the dozer is really heavy, so no washboarding. Looks like a nice machine to play with though. I’m not impressed with it, because a machine that cost that much should work perfectly. Just saying.👍.
👍👍
is that a new freight terminal
Produce distribution company
Have you tried a ASV??
Yes many years ago and we have a cat with asv undercarriage not impressed with it.
Ez grade and smart grade r two different options?
Yes
Smart grade is controlled by the gps. Ez grade is controlled by on board sensors no gps required.
As in my personal vehicle ( Ford Escape ) I really dislike that 'electric switch' to operate the parking brake, what's wrong with the good old mechanical foot pedal or lever?
Electrics /electronics for the sake of electrics and electronics I think.
Now, I am NOT an Engineer nor a professional operator, but it seems to me that this Skid Steer loader with a Dozer attached can't help but cause 'washboard' effect.
Short track base with the blade system mounted well forward seems to be a bit of a rocking horse issue; a normal Tractor / dozer is a more solid based unit and with longer tract footprint,
it's mass / weight, will 'doze' a lot smoother and at higher travel speed. Then would the JD 333G benefit at all from a longer tract footprint system, i.e. closer to the dozer?
Am I wrong in my thinking?
That’s to main problem too short.
What is that cute little robot?
It’s a John Deere!
Good morning Dennis electronics drive me nuts just too expensive
They Don’t bother me
That would be nice if the problems could be resolved and work like it should
Yes
Rails are too short. Just like any dozer on earth, Longer the rails the better it is.
You know it.
To be fair it’s more of a skid loader all around machine. So it can’t be the best at all of them. Just like a dozer can’t much of what a skid loader can do.😊
@@corradovanaken3553 truth
The square one you don’t know about is JD link
Thanks
I bought a Cat 299D3 with a smart blade. Very disappointed so far for all the hype that's been behind these blades . The auto's are to jumpy and it won't cut a smooth grade . Does ok in manual mode but at that point a operator is more productive with a small dozer or just using a good grading bucket on the ctl.
Yes that’s why we decided not to buy one
First thing I think it's pretty cool for special small jobs or what y'all would consider small jobs compared to you know a big gigantic you know Walmart or something like that kind of build I think the only thing they've done was they just tried to over you know technology yet and which is making it a little hard to run until you just get used to all the kinks and like anything the more you run it the more you get used to those kinks but like all these companies that build these machines you know they're all trying to warm up the other one and having more options and more technology sometimes makes it just more difficult than it has to be and sometimes just the overthinking it instead of making it more simplistic but unfortunately live in a world that likes all the bells and whistles because we're such spoiled brats and so we want everything and of course the customer is the one that dictates how companies are going to you know serve the customer goes they got to make their sales but I think it's a great machine I think it was just over thought with the technology I think it could have been a little bit more simpler and it would have done just as much and made it a lot faster and and for somebody especially got used to it but it's awesome either way 100,000 machine though that right there a scare the heck out of you of course for people like y'all did have machines all over the place and millions and millions and all the machines I guess $100,000 ain't much for buying a machine but somebody like me you know just like buying a house small house of course
I tell you what oh Daddy can run a machine man he makes that thing look easy when it's not but when you got decades behind machines that's just what you get but he's a good operator he'd have no problem getting a job for everything fell apart with some other company which God forbid anything like that happens in Jesus name
Over 100 grand I bet
Closer to 200k
The blades auto up and down looks jittery like it's bouncing, I wonder if that is inherent to the valving for the auto feature in the hydraulics and is impossible for the engineers to get rid of but I agree, it's horrible and won't make a smooth or flat finish.
In wouldn’t say it’s horrible but definitely not worth the cost yet.
Wheelbase is too short to get a consistent cut. You can see it gouge the ground briefly before it makes an automatic correction.
Rent a dozer.
We have a dozer I showed it in the video
My only question is, why don't you have somebody else holding a Lazer level to tell you when you're good. Grade assistant has no place in reality. Somebody outside the machine telling you up or down is 100% better. Imo
That’s incorrect. We have been using gps technology for about 8 years now. It’s accurate within half a tenth.
What's the point of being a operator if the machine does it for you? All the operators I know and work with hate the new machines and all there technology
The point is that operator can make you 10 times the money when he can do a job faster and more accurate without grade stakes and with out ever leaving the cab to check grades wasting time and money. I don’t really care what anyone else and their egos think, we’re finishing jobs months ahead of schedule and moving to the next faster than ever that’s how this stuff pays for itself and then it just pays.
Hello I'm not impressed with it cause you said so that's all that matters lol. Have a good night.
Haha
You been doing it long enough I'm sure the smart grade wouldn't be any good to you anyway. I'm sure some jobs it would be useful but never know they may make it alot better and make you a good deal on one. 🤷♂️
We use gps on most all our machines makes life much easier.
Loader won’t work like a dozer. It’s the hinge point of the up and down arms. A dozer hinge point is level with the roller frames. A loader has a high hinge point. This causes a washboard affect. It’s why the back end of a bucket on a CTL is the heal and the bucket cutting edge is the toe. The heel steadies the toe like your wrist and edge of palm steadies your hand for writing. You have to have something to “bear against” to write accurately. Better off using a blade only for shoving loose dirt in production out in layers or over an edge. Or hell…use the bucket and leave bucket full and just keep pushing. It’s such a fad to attempt these dozer blade ideas. Oh, I guess it can also be cool to use on a rough grade backfill of a ditch running angle at parallel. Or a slow rollout of a ditchline. It’s just a fad. Blah
👍
I don't like it. Just my opinion though. 😎👍
👍
Definitely not worth 255thousand
170k