By late September, a rough gravel driveway stops being an annoyance and starts being a deadline. Once the ground freezes, those potholes and washboard ridges are locked in until spring — and every snow pusher pass all winter will find them. Fall is the window to regrade, and the two skid steer attachments most people cross-shop for the job are the land plane and the power rake (better known as a harley rake).
They overlap on paper. Both grade, both level, both leave a surface you can drive on. But they work in completely different ways, sit at very different price points, and each one is clearly better for certain jobs. Here's how to pick.
What a Land Plane Does
A land plane is a non-powered, ground-engaging attachment: a heavy frame with cutting edges that shears off high spots, carries the loose material, and redistributes it into the low spots as you drive. No hydraulic flow required — the weight of the attachment and your machine do the work. That simplicity is the appeal: nothing to plumb, nothing to match to your machine's flow rating, and very little to maintain beyond the cutting edges.
We carry two Haugen land planes, both made in the USA.
The Haugen MLP land plane is the heavy-duty option, built by Marv Haugen Enterprises in Casselton, North Dakota, for full-size skid steers. It runs replaceable 5/8" × 8" bolt-on cutting edges on both the front and back of the frame, so it cuts whether you're pushing forward or dragging in reverse — you can work a driveway in both directions without repositioning. It comes in two widths: the MLP 78 (78", 710 lbs, $2,665) and the MLP 84 (84", 745 lbs, $2,750). An optional scarifier with replaceable teeth is available as a $1,750 add-on; more on when that's worth it below.
The Haugen land plane with mesh is the lighter-duty, lower-cost version. The mesh top lets the operator see the cutting edges and the surface through the attachment, which makes it easier to judge your cut. It comes in three widths: HLP 72 (72", 530 lbs, $1,935), HLP 78 (78", 570 lbs, $2,035), and HLP 84 (84", 610 lbs, $2,135). Like the MLP, it's made in America.
Between the two Haugens, the decision is mostly weight and budget. The MLP carries roughly 140–180 lbs more steel at each width, which translates to more aggressive cutting in hard-packed material, and it's the only one of the two with the scarifier option.
What a Harley Rake Does
A power rake — the Star Industries Power/Harley Rake in our catalog — is a hydraulically driven attachment. Instead of a static cutting edge, it spins a drum studded with carbide teeth that pulverizes the top layer of soil, tears out debris and vegetation, and leaves a finely conditioned surface behind. It's the tool of choice for seedbed preparation, lawn renovation, and reconditioning surfaces where you want loose, workable material rather than just a leveled grade.
The Star 130-72 is a 72" working-width unit (80" overall) weighing 450 lbs, rated for 15–25 GPM of hydraulic flow. Design details worth noting from the spec sheet: the drive motor sits inside the drum where it's protected from impact damage, the drum is bi-directional with removable side plates, front and back debris curtains contain what the drum kicks up, and it rides on solid foam-filled tires that can't go flat on a job site. The pivot is manual rather than hydraulic — one less set of hoses and cylinders to fail. Price: $11,759.
That 15–25 GPM rating matters. Check your machine's auxiliary hydraulic output before buying any powered attachment — most full-size skid steers with standard-flow auxiliaries land in this range, but verify yours against the spec plate or operator's manual.
Head to Head
| Haugen MLP Land Plane | Haugen Land Plane w/ Mesh | Star Power/Harley Rake | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Ground-engaging, non-powered | Ground-engaging, non-powered | Hydraulic drum, carbide teeth |
| Hydraulics needed | None | None | 15–25 GPM |
| Widths | 78", 84" | 72", 78", 84" | 72" working (80" overall) |
| Weight | 710–745 lbs | 530–610 lbs | 450 lbs |
| Cuts both directions | Yes — edges front and back | Yes | Yes — bi-directional drum |
| Best for | Gravel driveways, pad leveling, hard-pack | Lighter grading, visibility while cutting | Seedbeds, lawn renovation, surface reconditioning |
| Price | $2,665–$2,750 | $1,935–$2,135 | $11,759 |
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy a land plane if your main job is gravel. For driveway maintenance, leveling a building pad, or knocking down washboard on a farm lane, the land plane is purpose-built and costs a fraction of the rake. It reuses the material that's already there — shaving crowns and ridges into the potholes — which is exactly what a gravel driveway needs. Most rural property owners doing one or two driveways a year will never outgrow one.
Buy a harley rake if your main job is dirt and seed. If you're renovating lawns, prepping seedbeds, clearing rocky or root-laced topsoil, or doing finish work for hydroseed or sod, the powered drum does things a land plane physically can't. The carbide teeth pulverize and separate; a land plane only cuts and drags. Landscape contractors who bill for finish grading recoup the price difference; a homeowner fixing a driveway won't.
On the fence? Ask what surface you'll be on the most. Gravel and hard-pack: land plane. Topsoil you intend to plant: rake. If you genuinely do both, most operators buy the land plane first because it covers the recurring maintenance work, then rent or add the rake when a seeding project justifies it. And if your regrading project ends where a tilled food plot begins, the Haugen rotary tiller (44"–76" widths, from $3,895) covers the ground a land plane can't break up.
The Scarifier Question
If your driveway has sat unmaintained for years — deep washboard, hard-packed crust the cutting edge just skates over — the MLP's optional scarifier is worth serious consideration. Scarifier teeth rip into compacted material ahead of the cutting edges, breaking the crust so the plane has loose material to redistribute. At $1,750 it isn't cheap, but it's the difference between resurfacing a neglected driveway and just polishing it. For driveways graded once or twice a year, the standard cutting edges are usually enough.
Sizing It Right
Whichever direction you go, pick a width that at least covers your machine's tire or track width, so your tires aren't running on ungraded material next to a graded strip. For most full-size skid steers, the 78" models are the sweet spot; wide-stance machines should step up to 84". The 72" HLP and the 72" rake suit smaller full-size machines.
FAQ
Does a land plane need hydraulics?
No. Both Haugen land planes are non-powered, ground-engaging attachments — any full-size skid steer with a universal quick-attach can run one. The Star harley rake, by contrast, requires 15–25 GPM of auxiliary hydraulic flow.
Can a land plane cut in reverse?
Yes. The Haugen MLP has replaceable 5/8" × 8" bolt-on cutting edges on both front and back of the frame, so it grades pushing forward or dragging backward.
Can a harley rake fix a gravel driveway?
It can grade and recondition gravel, but it's overkill for that job alone. At $11,759 versus $1,935–$2,750 for a land plane, the rake only makes sense if you also need its powered soil conditioning for seedbeds and lawn work.
What size skid steer do I need for the Star power rake?
Your machine needs auxiliary hydraulics delivering 15–25 GPM. The unit weighs 450 lbs with a 72" working width, so it's within the lift capacity of virtually any full-size skid steer.
When is the best time to regrade a gravel driveway?
Fall, before freeze-up. Regrading in September or October lets the surface compact and shed water before winter, and gives your snow pusher a smooth surface to work all season.
Not sure which attachment fits your machine and your property? Email us at sales@upnorthattachments.com with your skid steer's make and model and what you're trying to fix — we'll give you a straight answer, even if it's "buy the cheaper one."
