I am told the box blade( yes i have one) is the best way to spread and level aggregate ie sand or shell rock. Problem is if ya have say a 10 yd pile of shell ya want to drag and spread evenly without wasting material you are constantly working the the blade up or down becasue the tractor moveing fwd is never on level ground so how can you set the blade for a even height of base? I find it easier to drag and level backwards useing my loader blade. At least I can see and feel when the tractor is on level ground. Am I crazy?
Box blading
- Thread starter Gatormark
- Start date
I agree, the loader is probably best for levelling,working from a level flat area. The box scraper does work but over several passes. The longer the implement the flatter the surface.
Daren Todd
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
My brother used to fill in the big pot holes with the fel first when he would lay gravel on the occasional parking lot. Then dial in the box blade and spread the rest of the gravel. Depending on the angle of the blade, depends on wether it digs in or spreads.
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Grading is something of an art form. If you are starting from a very rugged, non-level surface, a box blade is going to get you filled in holes and a lot of frustration with trying to level it if you don't have the experience with the box.
If you are more comfortable with the loader, use that, but use the box for final leveling as the loader will just mess things up after a while. They are decent on the drag side but leave little hills and ruts that the box can level out. This is why you see landscaping tractors with a loader and a box on them, almost a universal given for the unit configuration.
When you get really good with the box, you won't need the loader much except to move delivered gravel/base/sand to another area to spread it out with the box more easily. When you get good with both, it will look like a ballet and it will be very easy work as well as fun with almost no frustration at all.
If you are more comfortable with the loader, use that, but use the box for final leveling as the loader will just mess things up after a while. They are decent on the drag side but leave little hills and ruts that the box can level out. This is why you see landscaping tractors with a loader and a box on them, almost a universal given for the unit configuration.
When you get really good with the box, you won't need the loader much except to move delivered gravel/base/sand to another area to spread it out with the box more easily. When you get good with both, it will look like a ballet and it will be very easy work as well as fun with almost no frustration at all.
IF, you have a pretty hard (frozen maybe) surface under where you are spreading your gravel... what I have done is reverse the "rakers" turn them so they are facing backwards. Then use them as a height gage, set them below the level of the box a couple inches and drag away , they will ride on the ground and give a reasonably consistent depth of gravel , like teeth on a loader bucket.
I knock the pile down using the loader and the box at the same time when possible then set the stop on my 3pt so when I let it down the box stops at ground level or maybe just a little below. Works great for me.
I do it the same way as Bulldog. Works great and you can move allot more material in a shorter amount of time. When first starting I dump the FEL in the larger holes then pull the box over the hole filling it more and depositing more material at the same time. After everything is spread out, just use the box to get your finish grade. Depending on how much you are fill/building up, this will take multiple passes.