Box Scraper How to/pointers?

[_RaT_]

I have a Gearmore. Don't remember the model number. I was considering the Gannon, but it was about $400 more and weighed in at about 1200lbs. The weight has been a great asset. My L3830 handles it easily. The Gannon has a better hydraulic ripper setup.

 

[Libertine]

Freds:

<font color="blue"> . . . so I don't have a bunch of weed mounds sitting around when I am done levelling the field. </font>

Well, if you don't want the piles, and you can't burn it, run it through a big chipper & reduce it to chips. You can usually rent good size Vemeers (or similar) pretty reasonable & they'll chew up about anything less than 5"-6" in diameter.

JEH

 

[Libertine]

Rat:

Never heard of those brands around here, but you're from California so that doesn't mean anything. Anyway, the weight's certainly an asset for hard ground. Unsure of what my rollover weight is, but it's substantially more than a straight box but probably less than yours. No doubt the L3830 would handle it - that KUB about the same size as my TC40. In fact that model was one I seriously considered before I bought my NH.

JEH

PS Seem to recall asking you before about your new governor (would he win). How's he holding up now that he's been in awhile?

 

[_RaT_]

Your right, Gearmore is out of California. I'm not sure just what the details are and where you get them. My understanding is they are not the manufactuer. I looked at the TC 40D and JD 4410 proir to my purchase, both fine tractors.

The Governor has made life interesting and quite frankly, a lot more fun. He's easily accessable, has charisma and seems to work well with folks regardless of party. Some of my friends see him around town at the local (Sacramento) restaurants. He insists on entering at the front door of the restaurant so folks who want to greet him can. He's very likeable. Rat... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[theboman]

Let it sit and rot a spell. In a month or so turn it over and let it rot some more. After three months find some more weeds, sticks etc and toss on the ground beside the pile and place the old pile on the new pile... it's a never ending cycle of rot and heat to make compost. It'll get good and black and nasty feeling and smelling and that's ready to use as compost. You'll also start to see lots of earthworms in this food hotel for critters.


</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I just started playing around with my BB. I brush hogged a small area and then went over it with the BB. I now have a pile of weeds about 7' high and 6' at the base that I moved out of the area I am trying to level. With the rain and what not I'll bet it's got a pretty good compost effect going.
So... my question is, what am I supposed to do with this pile? If I get my area all levelled out should I spread the weeds back onto it? Will they act like a mulch? Is this where discs would have been the preferred method because they would turn the weeds in with the soil?

Thanks for any help.

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )</font>

 

[LoganWildman]

This talk about hydraulic scarifiers gave me a thought that I'd like to get some opinions on.

Why couldn't a guy take a piece of square tubing 1/8" wall and weld the scarifiers to it then take a small cylinder to control the raising and lowering? I don't think it would take much to fabricate and this combined with a hydraulic top link would really be useful on a BB.

 

[_RaT_]

You could, the biggest thing would be designing the lock mechanism that pins the ripper bar down. I have a 1.25" solid pin that goes into some 1.5" steel. It takes a beating. The cylinder could not even begin to handle the loads put on it by the rippers so you really need a means to pin it.

 

[LoganWildman]

My BB has the rippers that slide up and down in a piece of square tube like this one KK Box blade
so I'm thinking weld the tube across the rippers towards the bottom and weld cylinder brackets so that the cylinder is mounted vertically.

 

[_RaT_]

The issue I see with that is it would be difficult to get the ripper out and replaced when they break. I can break even forged rippers with my tractor. On my boxblade, the rippers attach much the same to a 4" square tube and slide up and down with 2 notches in each ripper to set the depth individually, the entire 72" long square tube pivots and gets up and out of the way. It also allows me to clean the rippers of weeds and branches very easily.

 

[udrugby]

all - thanks for the advice, I got my area leveled with the box blade. The swing set is up and the kids are happy. Man this sure beats grading with the fel. I found that making the top link longer dug more. Thanks again. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif