Big Year for Motor Graders with New Models from Top OEMs — Buyer’s Guide 2026

Motor graders rank far down on the list of top-selling types of construction equipment, but their unique talents mean they will always have a place when it’s time for building roads and other projects that require precisely leveled ground.

This year is also proving to be a big one for top grader manufacturers, with next-generation models from Caterpillar and John Deere released at ConExpo 2026.

Also revealed, Case has re-entered the 200-plus-horsepower market it exited a decade ago, and China-based LiuGong has released its first motor grader for the U.S. market.

Motor graders ranked 14^th of all types of new-financed construction equipment sold between March 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, according to Fusable’s EDA. (Fusable is also the parent company of Equipment World.)

Grader sales have remained steady over the past three years, averaging about 830 new-financed models sold annually.

Along with building and maintaining roads, motor graders are handy at plowing snow, leveling dirt for home and building foundations, and forming drainage ditches and slopes.

Their basic design hasn’t changed much in more than 100 years, but OEMs continue to roll out improvements to operator comfort, ease of use and performance.

(To see how the motor grader has progressed over the years, check out the historical photos at the end of this report.)

Manufacturers offer a variety of options, like four-wheel or six-wheel drive, steering wheel and levers or joystick control, open canopy or cabs with heating and air conditioning, and 2D or 3D grade control or no machine control at all.

Using EDA data for this report, we look at each manufacturers’ most popular models, as well as new models and features on the market.

Here’s the latest from Case, Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, LeeBoy, LiuGong, Mauldin, Sany, Weiler and XCMG.

Case Construction Equipment

Case's new largest motor grader, the GR395Case Construction EquipmentA year after launching the next generation of its two-model lineup, Case re-entered the 200-horsepower and above market, announcing three new larger motor graders at ConExpo 2026.

The three-model GR series will range from 240 to 325 horsepower, delivering more power for heavy road construction, snow removal, maintenance, site preparation and government work.

Case previously offered two graders in the 200-horsepower range — the 865 and 885 — which were discontinued about a decade ago. 

The new GR925, GR930 and GR935 will be built by South Africa-based Bell Equipment for distribution by Case in North America.

The largest of the three models, the 51,209-pound GR935, runs on a 325-horsepower Cummins engine paired with a continuous variable transmission. It has 6×6 all-wheel-drive, comes with either electro-hydraulic controls or traditional mechanical control and can travel up to 28 mph.

Its 16-foot moldboard is hooked to a protected precision circle with a sealed slew ring bearing designed to minimize wear and improve blade accuracy. The Blade Impact Absorption System protects the moldboard from unexpected impacts. 

The GR Series Motor Graders will be set up to integrate with Trimble, Topcon and Leica grade control systems. Deliveries of the GR Series motor graders are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Case’s D Series motor grader lineup launched in 2025 and consists of the 137-horsepower 836D and 173-horsepower 856D. 

The 26,495-pound 836D and 33,995-pound 856D feature powershift transmissions and come in either four-wheel or all-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive models have a creep mode for compaction work.

Their 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-long moldboard, and the 856D’s is 12 feet. Blade extensions are available.

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.

Caterpillar

Cat 150 Next Gen at ConExpo 2026Equipment WorldThe No. 1 top-selling motor grader in the U.S. belongs to Caterpillar.

Its 140 model leads all new-financed sales in the U.S., according to EDA.

In the past year, the model underwent a redesign and now comes with a joystick option instead of separate JOY and LVR (lever) models.

The new 140 Next Gen will also offer options for tandem- or all-wheel drive, various technologies and attachments. It weighs 42,542 pounds and runs on a 248-horsepower Cat C7.1 diesel engine. The blade is 14 feet long.

The 140 features the same next-generation cab design as the 120. Cat relocated the C-pillar from the back corners of the cab to behind the operator for improved visibility. Windows are larger and equipped with wipers.

The HVAC system has been relocated to the top of the cab for quieter operation and improved airflow.

The new adjustable seat has an operator presence monitor that keeps the parking brake engaged and hydraulic implements disabled until the operator is seated and the machine is ready for operation.

The transmission has moved from eight speeds to nine, giving operators another slower gear to reduce the use of the inching pedal.

The 140 comes equipped with the Cat Grade Attachment Ready Option, providing all wiring harnesses and sensor mounts for 2D or 3D grade control.

Also recently getting the next-gen treatment are the company’s 150 and 160 graders, which are popular sellers, too.

The next-gen upgrades include new cabs like the 120 and 140. They, too, will offer options like the 140 Next Gen rather than separate models.

The redesigned models feature Cat’s C9.3 engine, which provides more power to the ground through constant net power. The 45,012-pound 150 gets 219 net horsepower, while the 45,838-pound 160 gets 240 horsepower. The 150’s standard blade is 12 feet long, and the 160 comes with a 14-foot blade.

Optional tech for the next-gen models includes 360-degree cameras, Caterpillar’s People Detection system, automatic blade control, E-fence calibrated from the factory and Cross Slope Assist with Position Sensing Shift Cylinder.

Cat’s other top sellers:

• Cat 120 — The smallest of the lineup, it has 130 horsepower, weighs 35,067 pounds and has a blade length of 12 feet. It is also available in a more basic GC version.
• Cat 14 — 238 net horsepower in first gear; 57,250 pounds; 14-foot blade.

Cat also offers three larger models:

• The 16 weighs 71,454 pounds and achieves 290 net horsepower in first gear. It has a blade length of 16 feet.
• The 18 weighs 74,324 pounds and achieves 304 net horsepower in first gear. It has a blade length of 18 feet.
• Then there is the 24 with 535 horsepower, weighing 165,314 pounds and a blade length of 24 feet.

John Deere

John DeereJohn Deere rolled out its next-gen motor graders at ConExpo 2026, moving its full line from the G Series to the company’s Tier system.

Each of the company’s motor graders have G-Tier and P-Tier versions, except the two largest models, the 870 and 872, which are only P-Tier.

Models available as G- or P-Tier are the 620, 622, 670, 672, 770 and 772.

G-Tier are more basic machines, while the P-Tier models come available with advanced technology like SmartGrade, mastless machine control designed to increase productivity and accuracy while grading.

Standard tech on the P-Tier models includes:  

• Auto-Articulation — Allows the rear tandem wheels to follow the tracks of the front tires when steering and lets operators make fine steering adjustments without activating articulation.
• Machine Presets — Saves operators time by activating multiple functions, features and machine positions by pressing a single button.
• Blade Flip — Automatically mirrors the blade angle to a preset position to eliminate repetitive operator input when making grading passes.

Deere also offers such optional tech for P-Tier graders as:

• Machine Damage Avoidance — Prevents the blade from damaging the tires and steps or contacting the saddle.
• Auto Pass — Automatically lowers the blade to a predetermined elevation and enables machine control/cross slope at the start of a pass. At the end of the pass, the feature can be configured to automatically raise and flip the blade angle.

Other features on the P-Tier models:

• Improved seat with adjustable armrests and optional heating and ventilation.
• Next-gen 8-inch touchscreen primary display.
• Simplified six-wheel drive controls.
• Centralized switches.

Deere’s top-selling models have been the 672G and 772G for third and fourth place, respectively, on the EDA list. Their new P-Tier versions are also climbing the sales ladder.

The 872G also made EDA’s top-10 new-financed sales list.

Here are the new next-gen models:

• 620 G-Tier/P-Tier — 215 net horsepower and 40,433 pounds.
• 622 G-Tier/P-Tier — 225 net horsepower and 41,928 pounds.
• 670 G-Tier/P-Tier — 235 net horsepower and 40,223 / 42,188 pounds.
• 672 G-Tier/P-Tier — 255 net horsepower and 44,613 / 44,537 pounds.
• 770 G-Tier/P-Tier — 255 net horsepower and 43,294 / 43,954 pounds.
• 772 G-Tier/P-Tier — 275 net horsepower and 46,044 / 45,825 pounds.
• 870 P-Tier — 280 net horsepower and 45,535 pounds.
• 872 P-Tier — 300 net horsepower and 47,650 pounds.

Komatsu

GD655KomatsuKomatsu offers two motor grader models — one that’s about 40,000 pounds and one that tops 50 tons.

The company’s GD655-7 made EDA’s sales list at No. 9. It weighs 38,250 pounds, runs on a 218-horsepower Komatsu engine and has a 14-foot-long 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. in 2024.

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

685DLeeBoyNow owned by France-based Fayat Group, LeeBoy offers two models of motor graders.

At a base weight of 16,000 pounds, LeeBoy’s 685D is touted as a more compact model that can be used on specialized projects like spreading base materials, ditch and shoulder work, fine grading, medium cutting and snow removal. 

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.

LiuGong

421DLiuGongChina-based LiuGong unveiled its first motor grader for the U.S. market last year, the 4215D.

The 45,415-pound model comes with a 225-horsepower Cummins engine and a six-forward, three-reverse ZF powershift transmission.

The 14-foot blade has a maximum cutting depth of 2 feet 3 inches and a cutting angle of 28 to 74 degrees. A standard blade-lift buffer function reduces wear.

The cab gets a heated air-suspension seat, air conditioning, radio, Bluetooth, coat hook, cupholders, an opening side window and a rear sunshade curtain. Electrohydraulic control double joysticks integrate all machine operations into one control system. The anti-glare LCD display provides machine information.

The cab’s trapezoid shape and five-pillar design expand the operator’s view out the front and side windows, the company says. The honeycomb-shaped hood provides operators with an unobstructed view of the rear wheels.

Dozer blade, ripper, scarifier and snow removal attachments are available.

Mauldin

Mauldin swaps out its traditional yellow for the special-edition Raised on Blacktop M415XT.MauldinMauldin calls its M415XT “The Maintainer” because it does so much more than grade.

Its basic design is of a motor grader, with a 10-foot moldboard, but with its 10-foot boom and high-flow hydraulic quick-attach capability on the front and rear, it can also act as a compact loader, as well as perform a variety of other jobs, such as sweeping, compacting, loading — whatever kind of attachment you want to run.

The 15,000-pound Maintainer’s main purpose is to give small paving contractors a lot of what they need on the jobsite without having to buy separate machines.  

Features on The Maintainer include two- and four-wheel steering and front and rear hydrostatic-driven dual live axles with limited slip differential. It runs on a Cummins 127-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine and has a top ground speed of 17 mph.

All its hydraulic functions are handled by a single joystick control. A 7-inch color interactive monitor shows engine parameters and control options. The cab is enclosed and has heating and air conditioning.

The moldboard is 19 inches high and features side shift, angle, tilt and float. The company says its “exclusive rear-mounted A-frame design generates as much blade down pressure as machines twice its size.”

The M415XT delivers 35 gallons per minute of auxiliary hydraulic flow at 4,000 psi. The front and rear linkages are standard universal quick attach.

Mauldin also offers a limited-edition “Raised on Blacktop” version of the M415XT in collaboration with social media influencer and 2023 Equipment World contractor of the year finalist Asphalt Pavement Specialists.

Features include padded adjustable seat, additional LED work lights, lockable tool storage inside the engine access door, red exterior and Raised on Blacktop graphics and engine grille, among other special additions.

Sany

SMG200SanyChina-based Sany offers one motor grader model in the U.S., which got some minor upgrades for 2026.

The 45,107-pound SMG200 runs on a 253-horsepower Cummins diesel engine and has a 14-foot-long moldboard as standard.

The model is designed for maintaining roads, clearing ditches, shaping shoulders and infrastructure projects. The company says it “delivers the downforce and drawbar pull needed to cut through hard-packed surfaces, spread material evenly.”

Electronic hydraulic joystick controls are standard, allowing operators to adjust sensitivity from the in-cab display. A traditional steering wheel is optional.

Factory-installed standard equipment includes a rear scarifier, push block, work lights, heated mirrors and front auxiliary hydraulics.

The cab has air conditioning and heating, a heated air-ride seat and a rearview camera. Other features include Bluetooth and improved noise isolation.

The grader has a “low-maintenance circle bearing” that the company says improves efficiency and operator control.

Weiler

G65WeilerWeiler offers just one motor grader, but its compact G65 traces its history back to 1949 and the former equipment manufacturer Allis-Chalmers, which produced the M65.

Weiler took over the grader in 2000 and enhanced its design. It claims “big grader performance in a compact package.”

The 17,000-pound G65 features a 10-foot moldboard with optional extensions to 12 feet. It runs on a 120-horsepower Cat C3.6 diesel engine and can reach a top speed of 24 mph.

Features include:

• 53-inch circle with A-frame drawbar.
• Powershift transmission with six forward and two reverse speeds.
• Optional cab with air suspension seat, air conditioning and AM/FM Bluetooth radio.
• Hydraulic controls for articulation, circle side shift, circle turn, moldboard lift/lower, moldboard side shift and wheel lean.

Options for the G65 include all-wheel drive, Caterpillar-style blade control, bank slope, scarifier, dozer blade and ripper.

The Weiler G65 is serviced and sold at Cat dealerships.

XCMG

GR2605XCMGChina-based manufacturer XCMG offers the 41,888-pound GR2605 and the 163,142-pound G3505Tpro motor graders in the U.S.

The company says its GR2605 “is a heavy-duty grader specially developed for high-load conditions,” like highways, airports, snow removal.

It has a 260-horsepower diesel engine, and a forward travel speed of 25 mph.

Features include:

• Load sensing hydraulics.
• Engine variable power control technology for higher energy efficiency.
• Intelligent fan control technology that changes fan speed in real time based on temperature and energy consumption.
• Wet brakes.
• ROPS / FOPS cabin.
• Air conditioning and heating.
• Anti-vibration and noise-reduction technology.

The 350-horsepower GR3505Tpro is designed for mining and haul road building and shaping, as well as snow removal.

Features include:

• Heavy-duty drive rear axle, high-strength slewing bearing and overload-protection worm gear box.
• Centralized maintenance points.
• Machine monitoring and fault-diagnosis system.
• Wet brakes.
• Double emergency stop control.
• Reversing camera.

Historical Motor Graders

Minneapolis-based Russell Grader Manufacturing Company has been credited with the first self-propelled motor grader. The photo above was taken around 1919 of a Russell Motor Hi-Way Patrol, which combined a tractor engine with the company's pull-behind grader. Caterpillar acquired Russell in 1928 and produced the first motor grader designed as one machine, the Auto Patrol, in 1931. Wikimedia Commons

In 1926, Russell released its first Motor Patrol with a Caterpillar track-type tractor.Caterpillar

A Caterpillar Diesel No. 12 Auto Patrol at work in 1938. A year later it was renamed a "motor grader." Iterations of the 12 stayed in the Cat lineup for 81 years. In 2019, the 12M3 was rebadged as the 140, which is the top-selling motor grader in the U.S.Caterpillar

A Maryland State Roads Commission road grader in the 1940s performing shoulder work on MD 451. The original course of MD 451 is now the portion of MD 33 between Claiborne and Tilghman Island. MD 451 was removed from the state highway system in 1998.Maryland State Highway Administration Facebook post