Making My L175 More Effective??

buffumjr

Member

Equipment
L175
Mar 30, 2019
70
1
8
Orange City, FL USA
I bought my L175 to maintain my road, but a neighbor up the street splurged (I'm guessing) $30K + for a new one with a loader. It's a much heavier machine, maybe 30 hp, and when it drags its 6 foot box blade, it digs in without the need for scarifying.

OK the time is coming when I must make a decision, sell my machine, and rely on him, or do something to make my machine work better.

I currently have a five foot box blade, and a five foot scraper blade.

What can I do to improve performance with my existing equipment??
 

BigG

Well-known member

Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,950
774
113
West Central,FL
Weight is your friend. Add some weight to your box blade. I added a 5 foot piece of 4 x 4 steel tubing along with 2 50lbs weights hooked over the scarifier. If I need more weight I have some rebar that I will cut to fit into the tube which should be plenty.

Have you weighted your tires? That will help also.
 

buffumjr

Member

Equipment
L175
Mar 30, 2019
70
1
8
Orange City, FL USA
Weight is your friend. Add some weight to your box blade. I added a 5 foot piece of 4 x 4 steel tubing along with 2 50lbs weights hooked over the scarifier. If I need more weight I have some rebar that I will cut to fit into the tube which should be plenty.

Have you weighted your tires? That will help also.
Tires filled with water. Got lots of weight lifting weights. All I have to do is weld sections of 3/4" water pipe to the tops. Finding or making suitcase weights for the front wouldn't hurt, either. All do-able. Thanx.

Kind of enjoy the pioneer effort of keeping my road.

Soon to publish cosmetic improvement and ROPS build in "Home Shop Machinist".
 

BigG

Well-known member

Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,950
774
113
West Central,FL
Are you fighting the ripples in the road? I was looking for a pull type land leveler, i.e., looks like a box blade mounted with 2 wheels in back and hitched to the tractor like a trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooDbG_OQbJA This would let the tractor move up and down as you go over the bumps but not make the box blade remake the bumps in back.

Just a thought.
 

buffumjr

Member

Equipment
L175
Mar 30, 2019
70
1
8
Orange City, FL USA
Great idea.

I'm fighting chuck holes. Any pooling of water results in an ever expanding chuck hole. Drivers have no earthly idea they're making it bigger, and just drive through as fast as they can, splashing mud outward, making the hole bigger. They don't CARE. They just want to get where they're going.

I'd like to create a 2 degree fall to one edge of the road, so all water goes to the edge. Unfortunately, the other guy just doesn't get it. He cuts it level.

Would extending the blade on the box blade by an inch or two help in the cutting? Right now, the 45 degree angle blade is only two inches long from the vertical. Maybe make it four inches? My tractor doesn't have enough power and weight to bulldoze backwards, so the second blade, going backwards, does nothing.
 

BigG

Well-known member

Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,950
774
113
West Central,FL
Do you have a box blade or a land plane?
 

BigG

Well-known member

Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,950
774
113
West Central,FL
I PM my phone number to you.