Box vs Rear Blade?

[D2Cat]

ThisIsNotaStep, you asked for input. You probably didn't need a dissertation on dirt movement!

Keep it simple. Start off with a rear blade. Find a good used one to save some funds if you choose. Use it a while and see how it works for you. After some experimenting you discover likes and dislikes. Then, down the road a bit, if you think another tool will work better start looking for it. Same process. You learn as you go.

I've got rear blades, box blade, dozer blade, soil pulverizer, rakes and tiller. I loan my box blade more then I use it. Everyone has different machines, soil conditions, amounts of time to work with projects and outcomes desired. Take all this thread with an open mind.

Have fun with your choices.

 

[ShaunRH]

Also, I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything else per se.

I've run all three of the implements being considered and like all 3. It's really down to what the OP wants to do. I do want to steer him away from a ground planer for something like ditch digging though, it's useless for that. I would suggest that a standard blade isn't great for hardened roads or heavy weeds, that's a lot of work to get that ground churned up enough to function. A box blade is maddeningly onerous to use for snow clearing.

So, I'm not trying to ding any of the devices, just point out that there is no silver bullet for all instances of ground work.

In my opinion, the box blade comes the closest to being the jack of all trades (master of none). That's all, last comment on the matter... Shaun out... peace!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

As far as the pictures, nice wet sand you are moving there. Don't think they'd look the same with hard packed gravel! Then again, that's the point, the material you work with also has a big impact on what device to choose. Sand and DG is pretty forgiving. A gravel/DG mix is like concrete. Gravel and Asphalt tailings is actually a pretty good mix if you can keep it contained... which is a big if.

Actually that is pretty much all DG, rock hard when dry, (as in can not even use rippers on it in the middle of a dry spell) supports my brothers semi without problems even in wet conditions.

It moves well because of

A: it is currently damp in the picture and

B: all of my implements are 1000lbs +

I learned real quick that it was a waste of time to try and grade the roads when the ground is bone dry as it is when things are too wet, which just makes things worse.

One last thing regarding a LPGS, you have mentioned grading every month or so, which I don't need to do with my conditions, but others do. Using a LPGS is so much faster and easier that people do grade more often and simply don't let their road-drive get bad. So the roads are pretty much always in better shape than those that have to "work" at maintaining there roads because of just that. (easier and faster)

I guess that you are not going to respond, and that is fine, no real need to, but this is other information for others to see.

And by the way, I also feel that a box blade is the best all around implement to have for the 3pt. But then again the OP was asking what was the best implement to maintain his road with and with him having miles of road to deal with, in my opinion a box blade is not that implement.

 

[ShaunRH]

...But then again the OP was asking what was the best implement to maintain his road with and with him having miles of road to deal with, in my opinion a box blade is not that implement.

Well, I'll reply that I think it was mentioned that the BX was not the right tractor for miles of road maintenance, which is true, it's not, so a discussion of what implement to put behind it to do a job it shouldn't be doing is kind of moot.

So my points were more 'in general' rather than specific. I had to dive into specifics to clarify what I was saying. A fancy way of saying I did a horrible job of making my points concisely... ugh.

I haven't really had problems with rippers and DG, but then again the DG I work over isn't packed hard by tractor trailers... LOL!

Most of my experience with tractors is moving soil, it's about the only thing I am fairly confident with on the critters. I'm just getting into farming and ranching, talk about NOOB.

 

[ThisIsNotaStep]

Once again, thanks for all the advice, I'll keep an eye out for used equip, in hind sight I see my question more along the lines of what's better, blondes or brunettes!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Once again, thanks for all the advice, I'll keep an eye out for used equip, in hind sight I see my question more along the lines of what's better, blondes or brunettes!

I always liked brunettes, married a blonde though.

Pictures would have made a huge difference with what gets recommended for your conditions. Some of us got side tracked about dirt work in general and probably didn't help you out much.

You know what they say about pictures, each one can be worth a thousand words.

Some pictures please.

 

[skeets]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNotaStep View Post

Once again, thanks for all the advice, I'll keep an eye out for used equip, in hind sight I see my question more along the lines of what's better, blondes or brunettes!

Oh hell that's a simple one,,, A redhead of course

 

[Marty394]

I built a grading scraper last year to take care of about a mile of cabin road. Used to use a rear blade cranked off at a sharp angle to knock off the tops of the wash board. always had to keep adjusting the blade height. With the grading scraper it's pretty much drop it and drive. It rides on as set of skids about 5 feet long that skim over the top of the wash board, while the cutting edges shave off the high spots and recycle the gravel into the low spots. It was a great investment.
Works faster and better than the back blade, and less feathering of the attachment than with a box blade. As for transporting larger amounts of material . . . I have had so much material in the scraper that the hydraulics wouldn't raise it from the the ground! I've had to back-up to release some of the load in order to raise it. This situation is most common with moist soil, or with the sod that grows in the center of the road.

Bob

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I built a grading scraper last year to take care of about a mile of cabin road. Used to use a rear blade cranked off at a sharp angle to knock off the tops of the wash board. always had to keep adjusting the blade height. With the grading scraper it's pretty much drop it and drive. It rides on as set of skids about 5 feet long that skim over the top of the wash board, while the cutting edges shave off the high spots and recycle the gravel into the low spots. It was a great investment.
Works faster and better than the back blade, and less feathering of the attachment than with a box blade. As for transporting larger amounts of material . . . I have had so much material in the scraper that the hydraulics wouldn't raise it from the the ground! I've had to back-up to release some of the load in order to raise it. This situation is most common with moist soil, or with the sod that grows in the center of the road.

Bob

Something like this?

 

[rdeist]

Get a decent back blade, then attach 1/8" plates to each end of the blade with bolts top and bottom of blade. Put in a reinforcing pipe between plates.
Can be put on/off in minutes. You have both blade and box blade. Each have their uses. I have used this system for years on my BX23.
For more info/pictures check out my album on my personal page this site.

 

[ItBmine]

I bought my LP hydraulic angle rear blade because I thought it would be great for my road building and maintenance. I should have saved my money. It sits more than it's used, now that I've learned how to use the box blade properly. I pretty much only use the angle blade for ditching now.

Start out adjusting your top link out so that the front cutting edge of your box is not digging in, then make small adjustments from there until you get used to it. It will do a nice job. That way it won't dig into your road base, it will just smooth. Then as you get used to it, start to level it out more until it cuts to the point you want.