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He continues, "When cutting grade at curbs, experienced operators will watch the wear rate on the first 2 ft. of the leading edge, as this area will experience faster wear rates than the center of the moldboard. Left too long and the operator will be cutting deeper at the middle of the blade — the opposite effect to what a municipal operator experiences."

The operator must pay careful attention to how the blade is being used. "Try to work with an even pressure along the entire length of the moldboard instead of working the first quarter when cutting grade," says Newberry. "This will greatly reduce the quarter crowns, help reduce the number of passes needed to achieve grade and also keep the cutting edge wear more even. When the cross slope of the grade is good but an additional 1/8th, 1/4 or 1/2 in. needs to be removed, the use of the blade tip will accomplish this."