A motor grader rents for $550 to $1,300 a day depending on horsepower and blade width, or $5,200 to $11,500 a month. To buy, a used Cat 140 class machine from 2020 onward runs $175,000 to $296,800, and a near-new Cat 150 reached $528,400 with 255 hours on it.
One thing to say plainly at the top: no public new list price exists for any major motor grader. Caterpillar, John Deere and Volvo quote through dealers. Every new price on this page is a low-hour current-model listing used as a proxy.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 hp, 12 ft blade, daily | $550 | $550 | USD/day |
| Cat 12M3 AWD, daily | $600 | $600 | USD/day |
| Deere 570B 90 hp, daily | $800 | $800 | USD/day |
| Deere 672G 255 hp, daily | $875 | $875 | USD/day |
| Cat 150 14 ft, daily | $1,300 | $1,300 | USD/day |
| Cat 150 14 ft, monthly | $11,500 | $11,500 | USD/month |
| Cat 140 class, 2020+ | $175,000 | $296,800 | USD used |
| Cat 150, near new | $365,000 | $528,400 | USD |
| Deere 670G, near new | $323,950 | $459,350 | USD |
| Volvo G930 series | $25,000 | $110,000 | USD used |
| Country | Typical Range | Per Tonne | Cur. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Baseline rates shown | n/a | USD |
| Canada | About 5 to 15% above US | n/a | CAD |
| United Kingdom | About 0.75 to 0.85x US in GBP | n/a | GBP |
| Germany / EU | Broadly comparable to US in EUR | n/a | EUR |
| Australia | About 20 to 40% above US | n/a | AUD |
| India | About 30 to 50% of US rates | n/a | INR |
| UAE / Dubai | About 60 to 80% of US rates | n/a | AED |
Rental rates by machine
| Machine | Daily | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 110 hp, 12 ft blade | $550 | $1,950 | $5,200 |
| Cat 12M3 AWD | $600 | $2,400 | $7,200 |
| Deere 570B, 90 hp, 12 ft | $800 | $2,400 | $7,500 |
| Deere 672G, 255 hp | $875 | $3,500 | $10,000 |
| Deere 772GP, 275 hp, 6WD | $925 | $3,700 | $10,500 |
| Cat 150, 14 ft blade | $1,300 | $4,150 | $11,500 |
The four-times spread in published rates
Metro cost guides disagree wildly on this machine. One quotes $400 to $700 a day and $4,500 to $7,500 a month in one city, then cites a national chain at $1,018 a day in the same article. Another quotes $900 to $2,800 a day and $8,500 to $24,000 a month in a different metro.
That is a four-times spread on the same class of machine. The dealer-posted rates in the table above sit between those extremes and are the more reliable planning figure. State force-account schedules, used for public works billing rather than market rent, run $45.65 to $95.38 an hour by weight class.
Purchase prices by model
| Model | Working band | Notable points |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 140 | $175,000 to $296,800 (2020+) | 2023 140GC AWD certified at $296,800; 2018 140M3 at $152,500 to $194,000; 1998 140H at $89,750 |
| Cat 150 | $365,000 to $528,400 | 2025 with 255 hours at $528,400; 2024 at $445,000 to $491,600 |
| Cat 12M | $60,000 to $349,490 | Fleet average about $114,262; 2009 to 2011 at $60,000 to $122,000 |
| Deere 670 | $78,000 to $459,350 | 2024 670G at $323,950 to $459,350; 2023 at $239,000; 2010 at $78,000 |
| Volvo G930 series | $25,000 to $110,000 | All pre-2015. Used market only in the US now |
Two closest proxies for a genuinely new machine: a 2025 Cat 150 with 255 hours at $528,400, and a 2024 Deere 670G with 224 hours at $459,350. A widely circulated $200,000 to $500,000 new-price figure dates to December 2021 and should not be used.
What drives the price
- Blade width. The step from 12 ft to 14 ft is the main dividing line in the rental table, and it is worth $400 to $700 a day.
- Horsepower. A 90 hp machine and a 275 hp machine do different work. Fine finish grading needs control; ripping and heavy cut needs power.
- All-wheel drive. AWD models command a premium and earn it on slopes, soft ground and in snow work.
- Machine control. GPS and laser grade control add substantially to purchase price and are increasingly specified on highway work. Confirm whether a rental includes it and whether the receiver is your responsibility.
- Scarifier and ripper attachments. Front scarifiers and rear rippers are common but not universal. Ask.
Rent or buy
A Cat 150 class machine at $11,500 a month against roughly $500,000 breaks even at about 43 months. A used Cat 140 at $200,000 against $7,200 a month breaks even near 28 months.
Motor graders are among the least sensible machines to buy speculatively. They are single-purpose, they need a skilled operator, and utilisation on most contracts is intermittent. Municipalities and road maintenance departments own them because they run them year round. Most contractors rent.
The exception is snow work. A grader that maintains gravel roads in summer and plows in winter earns enough months to justify ownership.
The operator is the real cost
A motor grader is the hardest common machine to run well. A skilled grader operator produces a finished surface in two passes; an unskilled one takes six and still fails the string line.
Operating engineer median pay runs around $28.78 an hour, with experienced operators well above that, and union or prevailing-wage jobs substantially higher again. On a monthly rental at $10,000, the operator can easily cost more than the machine.
If you do not have a grader operator, price the job with an operated rental and compare. Many suppliers offer it, and it is usually cheaper than the rework.
Getting a fair quote
- Specify blade width and horsepower. Motor grader is not a spec.
- Ask whether machine control is fitted and who supplies the base station.
- Ask about AWD if there is any slope or soft ground.
- Get three quotes locally. The published spread on this machine is the widest of any class covered here.
- Ask for the monthly rate on anything over ten days.
- Price operated against bare if you do not have a proven grader hand.
Rates move with regional demand and fuel. Figures here are dated August 2026. Confirm locally before you book.