Rear Blade Box Blade vs. Rear blade

   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #1  

Haz

Silver Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
104
Location
Northeast PA
Tractor
Kubota L3430cab w/ FEL
I spoke with the local dealer about ordering a box blade for my L3430. I will be doing some grading and landscaping around our new house and reclaiming some old cow pasture which has gotten overgrown with brush and small trees. The pasture land will be used for my daughter's horses. He told me that with our soil conditions in Northeast PA that a rear blade would do fine for most applications and they are less expensive. He has sold only 2 box blades in the last 3 years and he is a fairly large dealer. Any comments would be appreciated.

Haz
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #2  
Haz:
They reqlly are two different tools suitable for different jobs. If you are going to be moving dirt for leveling, the box blade will do a lot better job. The ripper teeth will loosen the soil, while the end plates keep the material in the box until you are ready to drop it where you want it. Even without the ripper teeth extended, the box blade will be much heavier and will cut into the soil better than the rear blade.

The biggest advantage the rear blade provides is the ability to angle the blade and side cast the material. This can be very handy for crowning roads and driveways or just moving material to the side. However, since the rear blade is much lighter (unless you add additional weight /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif), it will not cut into the soil as deeply or take as much material with it.

The box blade should usually be just a little wider than your rear tires, so that it covers the tracks. Much wider, and you may run out of traction trying to move all the dirt it will hold. A rear blade, however, should probably be at least a foot wider than your tractor, perhaps 2 feet, so that it covers your tracks when angled.

I have both, but I must say that the box blade seems to be more useful for all around use. I use the rear blade only for specialized applications, like plowing snow, where the angle feature allows me to throw the snow to the side as, long as it is not too deep /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

Keep reading the posts, you will find a wealth of information on the differences. Could be that yoru dealer doesn't sell many because folks buy different brands from those he sells. Good luck with your choice.
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #3  
The rear blade is good for moving loose material around, but if you want to re-shape your terrain, (dig up earth and move it around), you will befinitely want a boxblade, (landscape box).
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #4  
Well said.
I think the guys have covered most of the issue.

But I would add that a rear blade can be very heavy as well. The light duty ones you commonly see give the rear blade a bad name but a well built rear blade will be very heavy. Mine is more than 1000 lbs.

The rear blade, as stated, is best for road work and ditch cutting, etc.. Sound like a box blade will be of more value to you since you appear to have more need for spreading material and landscaping.

Fred
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thanks for the info. It appears that I probably will end up getting both. I have a long stone driveway which will have to be plowed in the winter and maintained so I guess I will need the rear blade for that. The dealer handles Woods box blades which I hear are good ones. Which size would be best for a Kubota L3430?
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #6  
<font color="blue">I probably will end up getting both... </font>

Hi Harry,

If you buy a Woods or equivalent MD or HD rear blade (550 lbs. +), pick up a pair of "end plates" for the rear blade and use it for dual purposes... both as a rear blade and "box blade"...

the main thing you lose with this setup are the scarifier teeth mounted on a box blade...
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #7  
<font color="blue"> the main thing you lose with this setup are the scarifier teeth mounted on a box blade... </font>

Mr Miller, your comment above makes me wonder if anyone has modified a heavy duty rear blade and added scarifier teeth? With that modification, and the end plates you also mentioned, seems like it would make for one very useful multi-use tool. If anyone has, I'd really like to see a picture.../forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Corm
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #8  
Since a rear blade pivots on a center point, I don't think scarifiers would be a good idea on a blade. If one of the scarifiers near the end of a blade caught on a rock or root, it would cause tremendous torque on the center pivot point and latch and probably damage it. My $.02.
Now someone will probably say "No problem, BB. Mine works great." /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #9  
Mr. Miller should be able to send you a picture and a web link for a scarifier attachment that you connect your backblade to.
(Or, to which you connect your backblade.) It goes between your 3ph and your blade.
 
   / Box Blade vs. Rear blade #10  
250545-Rear%20blade%20Woods%20with%20endplates%20HBL84-2.jpg

Woods rear blade with optional end plates & tail wheel...

Don’t hold me to it… but I believe a couple mfrs have scarifier options for their rear blades… ?? maybe Woods and Landpride being a few… the main problem I’ve seen, was the price of the options mostly negated actually buying them… when you could purchase the “full and independent” implement for considerably less money elsewhere…

York Rake Co… with multiple options

Woods rear blades with options…
 

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