Leeboy Equipment FAQs: What an Admin Buyer Wants You to Know

Leeboy Graders, Parts, and Practical Tips: An Admin Buyer's FAQ

I'm the office administrator for a mid-sized paving company—we've got about 40 employees, and I manage all the equipment and parts ordering. Roughly $1.5 million annually across maybe 15 vendors, if I had to guess. I report to both operations and finance, so I'm the one whose head explodes when a $12,000 part doesn't fit or an invoice gets rejected.

Over the last 5 years, I've placed a lot of orders for Leeboy equipment and parts. I've made mistakes, learned a few things, and developed some strong opinions. This FAQ covers the questions I actually get asked—and a few I wish someone had answered for me.

1. Are Leeboy 635 and 685 graders still a good buy, or are they outdated?

I get this one a lot. The Leeboy 635 and 685 graders aren't new models—they've been around. But outdated isn't the same as obsolete. These machines are workhorses. We bought a used 635 grader for sale last year through a dealer, and it's been reliable for grading on smaller commercial sites.

The key is parts availability. Leeboy still supports these models well. If you're looking at a used 685 grader for sale, check the maintenance history more than the model year. A well-maintained older grader beats a neglected newer one every time.

2. I found a used Leeboy grader for sale. What should I check before buying?

We went back and forth on a used 685 grader for sale for about three weeks—or rather, closer to a month when you count the back-and-forth with the dealer. Here's what I learned the hard way:

• Hydraulics: Check for leaks. Repairs aren't cheap.
• Blade condition: Worn blades are expected, but check the moldboard for cracks.
• Engine hours vs. age: Low hours on an old machine can mean it sat unused, which has its own problems.
• Parts manual: Does the seller provide a Leeboy parts manual for that model? If not, you can usually find one online. We always verify this before committing.

Oh, and don't trust the photos. We flew out to inspect a Leeboy grader once—looked pristine in pictures. In person, it had clearly been through some rough winters.

3. Where do you actually buy Leeboy parts online?

This was true 15 years ago when the only option was calling a dealer and hoping they had it in stock. Today, finding Leeboy parts online is much easier—but you still have to be careful. There are a few legitimate online parts dealers specializing in paving equipment. Some are official Leeboy dealers; others are aftermarket suppliers.

We split our orders between an official dealer (for critical components like filters and belts) and a reputable aftermarket supplier (for wear parts like blades and shoes). The surprise wasn't the price difference—it was that the aftermarket parts sometimes arrived faster. Well, for the ones they stocked. Custom orders still take forever.

4. I need a Leeboy parts manual. Can I find one without paying?

Honestly, you can often find basic parts manuals for free online—some dealers host PDFs. But here's the catch: free manuals might be for older model revisions, and part numbers change. We downloaded a manual for a Leeboy 635 grader once, ordered parts based on it, and three items were wrong because the manual was from 2019 and the machine was a 2022 model.

I'm not 100% sure what the best source is for every model, but I'd suggest starting with a Leeboy dealer and asking if they have a digital copy. Most will send one for free if you're a potential customer.

5. Can I use an engine hoist for lifting Leeboy grader parts?

Sort of an odd question, but I see it come up. An engine hoist (shop crane) can work for lifting some heavy components off a grader—like a hydraulic pump or motor—if you're in a shop. But you're not gonna lift a grader blade assembly or the entire engine with a standard 2-ton hoist. That's asking for trouble.

We have a 2-ton engine hoist in our shop for general work. It's fine for removals and installs of smaller parts. For anything bigger, we use the shop's overhead crane. (Should mention: we learned this after a close call with a hydraulic tank. Nobody got hurt, but it was a wake-up call.)

6. What is a bucket bag, and do I need one for paver work?

This is one of those terms that comes up more in maintenance discussions than in purchasing, but I've had to order them. A bucket bag is basically a heavy-duty liner or bag used to contain material in a bucket or skip—often for asphalt or aggregate. Some paving crews use them for hauling small amounts of material or for cleanup.

Do you need one? Depends on your operation. We don't use them regularly for paver work. But if your crew is doing handwork in tight spots where a full load is overkill, a bucket bag can be a cheap solution. They're not expensive—maybe $20–40 each from a supplier like Leeboy or a general equipment dealer.

7. How do you keep track of parts and maintenance across multiple machines?

This might be the most practical question nobody asks upfront. We run a small fleet: two Leeboy pavers, one 685 grader, a couple of tack distributors, and some smaller equipment. Trying to juggle parts orders for each machine from memory is a disaster waiting to happen.

I built a simple spreadsheet—nothing fancy—with columns for machine model, serial number, part ordered, vendor, and date. It's saved me countless headaches. Just last month, I ordered the wrong filter for a paver because I didn't double-check the manual. It cost me $60 in return shipping and a day of delay. Now I check the serial number every time before ordering.

8. What's the biggest mistake you see people make when buying Leeboy parts?

The most frustrating part: people assume all Leeboy parts for a given model are interchangeable across years. The 'one size fits all' thinking comes from an era when models didn't change much. That's changed. Even between the 635 and 685 graders, some components are model-specific. You'd think the part number would be the same for common wear items, but nope—I've seen two 685 graders from consecutive years that took different brake pads.

The lesson: check the parts manual against your machine's serial number. Not just the model. The serial number. We order online now, and I always verify with the dealer if I'm unsure. It takes 5 minutes and saves days of frustration.

And one more thing: don't fall for the cheapest online price without checking the return policy. I learned that one the expensive way—$400 worth of grader blades that didn't fit, and the vendor wouldn't take them back. (Source: personal experience, January 2025.)