The famous Gradall excavator traces its roots back to the start of the 1940s. During this time, World War II had caused a scarcity of laborers because most of the young men went away to fight the war. This decrease in the work force brought a huge need for the delicate work of finishing and grading highway projects.
Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda was a Cleveland, Ohio based construction business which faced this specific problem first hand. Ray and Koop Ferwerda were brothers who had relocated from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm that had become one of the major highway contractors in Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make an equipment that would save both their livelihoods and their company by making a unit which will carry out what had before been manual slope work. This invention was to offset the gap left in the worksite when lots of men had joined the army.
The brothers first invented a device which had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, which was connected on top of a used truck. They used a telescopic cylinder to move the beams in and out. This allowed the fixed blade at the end of the beams to pull or push dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their initial design. They created a triangular boom to produce more power. Then, they added a tilt cylinder which enabled the boom to rotate 45 degrees in either direction. This new unit could be outfitted with either a bucket or a blade and the attachment movement was made possible by placing a cylinder at the rear of the boom. This design powered a long push rod and allowed much work to be completed.
Many digging buckets were introduced to the market not long later. These buckets in sizes varying from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket that was offered as well.