Motor graders have been building and maintaining roads in the U.S. for more than 100 years – 140 years if you count the horse-drawn versions of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Though the basic design is relatively the same, a wide blade between wheels for smoothing dirt, manufacturers have added all kinds of advancements. Those include automated machine control for meeting slope and grade targets, comfortable cabs with heating and air, and a multitude of other improvements to make operation easier and more efficient for what many consider to be the most exacting earthmover on the jobsite.
Motor graders can also be used to create level foundations for homes and buildings, form drainage ditches and slopes, and plow snow with a front-end blade attachment.
Motor graders still maintain healthy sales, with 2024 seeing a 15% increase in new financed models sold, according to data from Fusable’s EDA. (Both EDA and Equipment World are owned by Fusable.) Using that data, we take a look at each manufacturers’ most popular models, as well as new models and features on the market.
Here’s the latest from Case, Cat, John Deere, Komatsu, LeeBoy and Sany.
Case Construction Equipment
Case's new 836D Case CE
The new 836D and 856D are built off the same platform and drive system as their C Series predecessors. The cab gets a new layout with choice of electro-hydraulic or mechanical-lever controls, a new keypad control, a touchscreen display and a new Case SiteConnect modem for advanced telematics capabilities.
The 137-horsepower, 26,495-pound 836D and the 173-net-horsepower, 33,995-pound 856D both feature Powershift transmissions. They come in either four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive models have a creep mode for compaction work.
The electro-hydraulic system uses three-axis joysticks built into multi-adjustable armrests on the standard heated and air-suspended seat. The joysticks are equipped with multiple roller switches and buttons to control all moldboard operation.
The 836D has an 11-foot-wide moldboard, and the 856D’s is 12 feet. Blade extensions are available.
The moldboard consists of high-carbon steel on a roller-mounted encapsulated slewing ring, a design that protects against impacts, prevents debris buildup and supports high mechanical torque. The grader’s A-shaped frame and central saddle provide stability and versatility for the cutting edge, according to Case.
The graders can come factory-outfitted for universal or Leica machine control and can be equipped with a variety of attachments, like rippers, scarifier and front-mounted push blade.
Cat
Cat 150 JOY motor grader with new High-Performance CircleCaterpillar
Caterpillar motor grader sales are still going strong 94 years after its Auto Patrol’s debut. The company produced the top-two new-financed models sold in 2024, with two other models on the top-10 list, according to EDA.
It also continues to innovate. Just this month, it added a High-Performance Circle to the next-generation joystick (JOY) models of its popular 140, 150 and 160. The HPC replaces the previous open circle and drawbar and is designed to deliver increased torque. The company adds that the circle requires “no adjustments for the life of the grader.”
The company also offers a multitude of cab comforts, advanced hydraulics, control types and technology like 2D and 3D machine control and automatic functions.
Caterpillar’s most popular model – and the top-seller on EDA’s list – is the Cat 140, which comes in a variety of configurations, ranging from 179 to 250 horsepower and 38,725 to 44,613 pounds. Its blade is 12 feet wide. The grader is available in standard drive, all-wheel drive, joystick control, steering wheel and lever control, and a “GC” version, which is a lower-cost model without all the bells and whistles.
Next in popularity is the Cat 150, which comes in second on the EDA list, and also has AWD and joystick versions. The grader runs on a 200-horsepower engine, weighs 43,950 pounds and has a 12-foot blade width.
Other top sellers:
- Cat 160 – 224 horsepower; 45,547 pounds; 14-foot blade. Also available as AWD, JOY.
- Cat 120 – The smallest of the lineup, it has 130 horsepower, weighs 35,067 pounds and has a blade width of 12 feet. It is also available in a GC version.
- Cat 14 – 238 net horsepower in first gear; 57,250 pounds; 14-foot blade.
Cat also offers two larger models:
- The 18 weighs 74,324 pounds and achieves 304 net horsepower in first gear. It has a blade width of 18 feet.
- Then there is the 24 with 535 horsepower, weighing 165,314 pounds and a blade width of 24 feet.
John Deere
Deere's 672GPJohn Deere
Both models feature six-wheel drive and are members of the G-Series. The 672G weighs 44,092 pounds and is 255 horsepower, while the 772G weighs 45,195 pounds and is 275 horsepower.
The company touts its machines’ precise grading abilities, but also recently released a new satellite mapping system for snowplowing. John Deere Path displays the route, road edges and obstacles on an in-cab screen for safe, efficient plowing on snow-covered roads.
Deere’s graders come in tandem or six-wheel-drive configurations. Model numbers that end in “0” are tandem drive, while those with “2” on the end are 6WD.
Six-wheel-drive models are equipped with Precision Mode in which consistent speed can be maintained with a dial switch instead of the inching pedal. For more control when using the inching pedal, operators can go to Inching Mode.
Deere also offers a GP option for all its graders – which stands for Grade Pro – that provides standard features like cross slope, return to straight, lever steering and choice between fingertip and joystick controls. SmartGrade 3D mastless machine control and automation options are also available with GP. Automation features include Auto-Shift Plus, which reduces foot movements up to 65%; Machine Damage Avoidance, which keeps the blade from damaging the tires and steps; and Auto Articulation, which automatically enables the rear tandems to follow the tracks of the front tires.
Other Deere models making EDA’s top-10 sales list were the 872G, at 300 horsepower and 47,620 pounds, and the 670G, at 235 horsepower and 42,395 pounds.
Other models from Deere:
- 620G – 215 horsepower; 40,400 pounds.
- 622G – 225 horsepower; 42,108 pounds.
- 770G – 255 horsepower; 42,825 pounds.
- 870G – 280 horsepower; 45,668 pounds.
Komatsu
Komatsu's GD655-7Komatsu
The company’s GD655-7 made EDA’s top-10 sales list. It weighs 38,250 pounds, runs on a 218-horsepower Komatsu engine and has a 14-foot-wide moldboard. The company also still offers the previous-generation GD655-6.
Komatsu gave the -7 model “a unique dual-mode transmission (eight forward, four reverse) with a torque converter and innovative stall-prevention technology,” which the company says makes it easier to operate. One feature immediately noticeable is the hexangular cab with a rear side pillar layout and blade linkage positioning that together provide an “unobstructed view of the moldboard and front tires.”
It can be operated by steering wheel or steering lever. Other features include multi-position, adjustable armrests; high-capacity, air-suspension seat; an operator presence monitoring system that alerts operators when they leave the seat without properly locking the controls; inching pedal; plug-and-play grade-control compatibility.
On the other end of the spectrum is Komatsu’s largest next-generation motor grader for the North American market, the GD955-7, which entered the U.S. just over a year ago.
It got a 50% increase in operating weight over its predecessor for a total 104,323 pounds. It can handle such tasks as building and maintaining haul roads for truck fleets of 100 tons and up at quarry and mine sites and other hard-packed road surfaces. It runs on a 426-horsepower Komatsu engine and has a standard moldboard of 18 feet, with a 20-foot option offered.
LeeBoy
LeeBoy 685DLeeBoy
It runs on a 130-horsepower Cummins engine and can be equipped with heated cab with optional air conditioning or with a canopy. It also comes in tandem drive or AWD. It has a standard 11-foot-wide moldboard with replaceable end bits and cutting edge, and 10-foot and 12-foot options.
LeeBoy’s other model, the 695B, has nearly identical specs as the 685D but with standard pressurized heated and cooled cab, which the company says has 360-degree views and increased visibility to the cutting edge as well as “ergonomic controls, industry-leading hydraulic responsiveness and electronic gauge package.”
Both models come ready for Topcon machine control installation and have a variety of options like scarifiers and front-end blades.
Sany
Sany SMG200AWDSany
The company maintains a theme of keeping it simple while delivering loads of standard equipment.
Like the company’s earlier model, the SMG200AWD comes with a 253-horsepower, 8.9-liter Cummins diesel engine. The AWD model weighs about a ton more, at 47,715 pounds. With its all-wheel drive, it gets high traction for grading roads and clearing snow and ice, the company says. The moldboard is 14 feet wide and has a cutting depth of 28 inches. A 12-foot moldboard is optional.
The FOPS and ROPS cab comes with air conditioning and is designed for high visibility to the moldboard. The air-ride seat is heated.
The grader is controlled by two joysticks mounted to the seat. It is also equipped with a steering wheel that takes priority over the joysticks for driving the grader on-road. Other standard features include ripper and scarifier, front auxiliary hydraulics, rearview camera.
