how to use a box blade

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a grader blade, but have never used a box blade. My neighbor has one and offered to let me borrow it to level out an area I'm preparing for a future pole barn. What can a box blade do that a grader blade can't? What are the basic techniques and some of the do's and don'ts of using a box blade?

Thanks, Danny

 

[GlueGuy]

Danny,

I think that the hows of using a box blade is almost enough to fill a novel. I've been using a box blade for about 90% of the first 30 hours or so of having my B7500, and I'm just scratching the surface (no pun intended) of how to use it.

With that caveat out of the way, this is what I've learned (so far) /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif:

Because the box blade has closed ends, it is great for picking up material from "high" spots, and moving it to "low" spots. The secret is in learning how to control when it's scraping versus when it's laying. I've found that having a hydraulic top link is the key. There is a very fine line between the scraping position versus the laying position, and can be best summed up by observing the relative positions of the front and rear facing blades of the box scraper. If the front blade is higher than the rear blade, you are in the laying position. If the front blade is lower than the rear blade, then you are scraping. With the hydraulic top link, I just modulate the top link up & down to control how the box is attacking the surface.

Something the box blade is not very good at (in my opinion) is in grabbing material from the side of the road (or wherever) an moving it en-mass to a parallel location. A good example is where your road has lost its crown, and you want to move material that has sluffed onto the shoulder back to the center of the road.

That said, however, and the box blade can take it from there.

Stand by for some sage advice from some of the other experts around here. I think I've already said more than my experience warrants. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[RobS]

Danny, I'm no expert but the theory is the box will hold some material allowing it to flow into low spots while cutting down high spots. I heard from others on this board that the box scraper is tricky to use and it's true! You will need to adjust your top link to cut more or smooth more by biasing the box to the front or rear blades. I need a lot more experience myself.

Other features of the box blade are scarifiers (most have them) for ripping up hard packed earth and the side plates allow you to use the box to transport material over short distances.

Take your neighbor up on his offer and give it a shot /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

A box blade can move more material faster than a plain blade in a straight line. With the scarifiers down it can dig pretty fast if you set the top link at the right length. It is not as good at cutting ditches or edges or moving material sideways to the direction of travel as a blade.