Box Scraper Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's??

   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #1  

kebo

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May 16, 2006
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Location
Lexington, SC
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2001 John Deere 790 4x4, bar tires
I'm very familiar with what a box blade (and a scrape blade) are capable of doing, but have never seen a roll over blade in action. So tell me, what can a rollover do that a box blade can't, and vice-versa? I don't do a whole lot of landscaping/grading so I'm not in the market for a rollover, just wanted to know the pro's and con's of the two. I think the biggest difference has to do with how you "gather up" the material at the end of a "run" to start back in the other direction?

Is there a video of one in action on the net somewhere?? That would probably help alot.

Keith
 
   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #2  
Kebo,
I have a roll over that I inherited and the major difference I have found is ease of using the ripper/scarifiers, (mounted on the back of the blade box)
No need to get off and lower them, like many BB's. Just pull the lever, kinda like some of the higher end Gallion BB's.
Greater length of the teeth. Makes for pulling trash and doing light subsoil type work easier.
And when rolled over to the rear you have a "carrying" capacity in the box going in reverse.
You do have to finesse the lever sometimes to get to the catch spot though.
PJ
 
   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #3  
If you do a search you will find some threads on roll over box blades. I have two of them, and I personally think they are the best overall three point tool out their. It is three sided. You can pull material, cut, drag, etc., all with the pull of a lever. It does a great job on drives as it will pull material back on the road, and you can also cut the sides of your road down. There are some thread of someone using it to cut in ditches on the sides of the road. If I only had one 3pt tool, it would be the roll over box blade.

Lets say you want to cut out some top soil, cut down about 4 inches, and level it out. Start with box with teeth down and cut into soil. Then back up, flip the blade so it is cutting as you pull forward. Cut out the top soil. Then back up, flip it to the third side where you are then pulling forward but the bade is in the back blade position. It will now smooth the ground very nicely. Bring in some gravel, lift up the box, drop down on the pile with the cut side forward, drag your stone out. Get as much as you want on the surface and flip to the drag side. It will smooth out that gravel very nicely.

They are a little pricey. There are two compaines that I found that make them. One is on the west coast. I ordered mine and had it shipped.

Great product!
 
   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #4  
When I wanted a box for moving some dirt and smoothing up our parking area I knew that i was going to have to make it myself as they simply do not exist here. I finally decided to make a rollover, I call it my imitation Gannon. I could not imagine my self getting off and positioning each scarifier, climbing back on and making a couple of passes, climbing off and pulling each scarifier up, making a couple of passes, etc. etc. So I either needed to make a box with hyd scarifiers--I do not have rear remotes yet though--or a way to lower and raise the scarifiers mechanically. The rollover was the simplest way to do that.

But since I have started using it I have seen that there are several other advantages. You can use the scarifiers like a root/rock rake without moving much material, you can push as much material as you can pull, and you can do it all without leaving the seat. :cool: I really like the rollover and would do it again.

Mike
 
   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #5  
Rollover blades are way more versatile and they are built heavier. I installed a weight rack on mine to carry sections of RR iron for extra digging weight.
 
   / Box blade versus roll over blade - pro's/con's?? #6  
The roll over box blades are very useful as others have said. I have several of them, and am quite happy with them. I think that they were originally designed to be able to do all that they can do without the use of hydraulics. The roll over design has been around long before rear remotes were as common as they are today. With today's use of hydraulics to lower rippers and "TnT" to adjust the box blade, I'm not real sure that there is any real advantage to having a roll over anymore. Yes the roll over will push a larger load backwards, but at the same time because of that ability you cannot back fill as close to a wall when needed. The roll over box blades are built similar in strength and weight to heavy duty box blades, but there are box blades that are by far stronger and heaver than the roll over box blades and you pay for that.

Just how I see things regarding this subject. Oh, here are a few pics, sorry no video. ;)
 

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