Grader

Graders are used to "finish grade", with the angle, tilt (or pitch), and height of their blade capable of being adjusted to a high level of precision.

Graders are also used to set native soil or gravel foundation pads to finish grade before the construction of large buildings.

Graders are also outfitted with modern digital grade control technologies, such as those manufactured by Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc., Trimble Navigation, Leica Geosystems, or Mikrofyn.

Working with farmers in Fresno, California, he had recognised the dependence of the Central San Joaquin Valley on irrigation, and the need for a more efficient means of constructing canals and ditches in the sandy soil.

In perfecting the design of his machine, Porteous made several revisions on his own and also traded ideas with William Deidrick, Frank Dusy, and Abijah McCall, who invented and held patents on similar scrapers.

In some locales such as Northern Europe, Canada, and places in the United States, graders are often used in municipal and residential snow removal.

In scrubland and grassland areas of Australia and Africa, graders are often an essential piece of equipment on ranches, large farms, and plantations to make dirt tracks where the absence of rocks and trees means bulldozers are not required.