ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please.

   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #51  
I think the "xtreme duty" and "severe xtreme duty" labels on the ETA box blades are in reference to the way they are designed and built to be very strong, and have nothing to do with their weight. They look like they would stand up to extreme punishment without bending or breaking.

That being said, I have been holding off on buying a box blade for my Kubota M6040, which is a Category II utility tractor (not a compact!!!). I think ETA's current box blades are a good value in terms of cost for the great quality of construction, but I am looking for something a little bit heavier, mainly because my tractor can handle it and I want more weight for ballast, and for cutting in really hard ground. I would be really interested in an 84" blade made of thicker steel and weighing in at about 1200 lbs.
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please.
  • Thread Starter
#52  
I think the "xtreme duty" and "severe xtreme duty" labels on the ETA box blades are in reference to the way they are designed and built to be very strong, and have nothing to do with their weight. They look like they would stand up to extreme punishment without bending or breaking.

That being said, I have been holding off on buying a box blade for my Kubota M6040, which is a Category II utility tractor (not a compact!!!). I think ETA's current box blades are a good value in terms of cost for the great quality of construction, but I am looking for something a little bit heavier, mainly because my tractor can handle it and I want more weight for ballast, and for cutting in really hard ground. I would be really interested in an 84" blade made of thicker steel and weighing in at about 1200 lbs.

I meant to ask Ted about adding an option for thicker steel on our current heaviest models. I think that it would be really worthwhile for ballast in cases like yours.
I'll ask him about that the next time I talk to him and let you know.
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #53  
I meant to ask Ted about adding an option for thicker steel on our current heaviest models. I think that it would be really worthwhile for ballast in cases like yours.
I'll ask him about that the next time I talk to him and let you know.

I think a box made from thicker steel and with a higher back giving greater capacity would be most worthwhile. I would like to see two versions of that: a base model with a fixed scarifier bar, and a version with hydraulically-retractable scarifiers. I'm not sure if I would personally go for the hydraulic scarifier version, because I don't think I can justify the increased cost of that plus an additional remote on the tractor, but I'm sure others would. My priority for rear remotes is top-and-tilt. Mechanical retraction of all of the scarifiers would be an interesting option.
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #54  
The Gannon is the premier box blade. Cammond is not a real old company but they have some very well designed equipment. Cost vs utility I prefer the Cammond 4C2.

I received my Cammond a few weeks ago - and I agree - it's well made.

And their service is very good - got it shipped directly from them. I also liked their cost - I was surprised to see their prices after shopping Landpride and Woods box blades and not coming up with what I was looking for ( got the hydraulically retractable scarifiers in a 60" width for my B3200).
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #55  
I received my Cammond a few weeks ago - and I agree - it's well made.

And their service is very good - got it shipped directly from them. I also liked their cost - I was surprised to see their prices after shopping Landpride and Woods box blades and not coming up with what I was looking for ( got the hydraulically retractable scarifiers in a 60" width for my B3200).

You can buy direct from Cammond?
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #56  
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #57  
two 5 ft box blades with auto rippers
I had not heard of mechanically retractable rippers until running across this ad recently. Anyone ever used a box blade of this type.
Here's a picture for posterity:
Gannon Landscaper.jpg
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #58  
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #59  
I originally wanted to get an ETA 72" Extreme... 635 pounds for ~ $1300 as I recall, but I did not want to gamble on it being too light for my dense clay, rocky soil. I just purchased a Bush Hog brand RO72 rollover BB for just a bit more money, due strictly to its weight of 710 pounds. No, there is not a lot of difference between 635 and 710- but I'll go with the heavier. My goal ended up being > 700 pounds for a 6' BB due to the many comments from the knowledgeable folks at TBN and the RO72 was the best bang for my buck.

And I agree that ETA's naming convention is confusing.
 
   / ATTN: Heavy BOX BLADE Experts.....Give us your opinions please. #60  
I like the lever that lifts or lowers all the scarifiers at once, like this Cammond. They raise straight up, out of the way.

I was moving silt with one that the scarifiers rotated back an up. The silt filled the BB and around the scarifiers, when you raised the BB the sticky silt stuck in there and would not fall out!

Don't need a hydraulic cylinder on the scarifiers, since I use the BB on a tilt-tach that takes the aux hydraulic connection.
View attachment 332032 View attachment 332033 View attachment 332034 View attachment 332035
This is Post # 13 of this thread. The black lever sticking up from the BB is what raises and lowers all the rippers all at once. It works great. :thumbsup:


two 5 ft box blades with auto rippers
I had not heard of mechanically retractable rippers until running across this ad recently. Anyone ever used a box blade of this type.
Here's a picture for posterity:
View attachment 332426


Mine is a 6'. Here it is on the V417, moving gravel for a cattle guard installation.
P4230002.JPG P4230005.JPG
 
 
 
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