Drag Scraper: The Post-Boxblade Uber-Implement

[glennmac]

Several tabloids, including this forum, have disclosed the shocking fact that most of the people who claim the boxblade to be the super-implement actually spend thousands of hours a year manipulating their manual toplinks or, alternatively, spend thousands of hours and dollars trying to replace their manual toplinks with ill-fitting hydraulic cylinders.

All of this is futile, of course, because the whole theory of the boxblade is based on an irreconcilable Zen paradox: you are trying to shape your rutted dirt with a static implement blade that has to bounce up and down on the very surface it is trying to change. This is like trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

Enter the Cammond drag scraper. Cammond makes the hydraulic boxscrapers sold by Gearmore in the West. The drag scraper is like a hydraulic boxblade on wheels. It cuts, levels, smooths, spreads, carries and reshapes earth without all of the toplink nonsense.

Could this finally be the tractorholic's uber-implement?

http://www.cammond.com/dragscrapers.htm

[gordon]

Glenn, yes a nice item if your working in a large area. But if I were to put out all that pocket jinge I would go for a Harley power rake. http://www.glenmac.com/ NICE and it's even named after your screen name.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Gordon

[Bird]

Yep, Glenn, like Gordon said, that's great if you're working a big area with a big enough tractor. I guess it's another brand, but I have a neighbor who has to maintain some dirt roads, and he has an 11' model that looks just like that. Of course, he has 3 tractors in the 100-110hp range.

Bird

[mlmartin]

<font color=blue>Several tabloids, including this forum, have disclosed the shocking fact that most of the people who claim the boxblade to be the super-implement actually spend thousands of hours a year manipulating their manual toplinks or, alternatively, spend thousands of hours and dollars trying to replace their manual toplinks with ill-fitting hydraulic cylinders.</font color=blue>

I must have found the perfect toplink length for my box blade[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img] I've only changed it once, when knocking down two foot deep ruts in my pasture. I change the agressiveness of the cut with the 3ph height. I think having a chain harrow to do the final grading has something to do with it as I don't use the BB to try to get a mirror finish[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Matthew

[DDT]

This is another brand from what I found. They don't cut very well but do a wonderful job of leveling. The Brown brand has another model with removeable touge and rear wheels for $130 more.

[glennmac]

Gordon and Bird,

I dont think it is the case that the drag scraper is only for large jobs or large tractors. The Cammond DS series scrapers are 4, 5, 6 and 7 feet wide, and have cubic capacities and weights that are comparable to all the average boxscrapers that members buy here. I think the Cammond DS scraper could be a direct replacement for the conventional boxes and could do many things better, because of the wheels and hydraulically adjustable blade. Tell us what a 5' box scraper could do better than a 5' drag scraper.

[Bird]

Glenn, I think DDT answered your question about a minute before you asked it.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] The drag scraper is great for leveling, but won't tilt forward and back to dig as well.

Bird

[glennmac]

Keeping firmly in mind that I have never used either implement and that I am not exactly sure how the drag scraper works, I do have to point out the seemingly obvious fact that in order to level you have to dig (unless you're just pouring and spreading). I am assuming that the drag scraper has some sort of hydraulic blade that can be extended to dig at different depths while the scraper is being pulled along on its wheels. I further assume from the description that you enhance this digging action by putting weight on the drag scraper. You also seem to have the ability to transport soil somehow in the compartment, and to spread soil from the compartment evenly.

So, assuming I'm right about the drag scraper action, which I wouldnt bet much on, I dont see what digging function the box scraper can do that the drag scraper cant.

There is only one known force in the universe that can provide close up photos of a drag scraper in action, but he may be taking a day of rest.

[Knight9]

Glenn,

<font color=blue>I am assuming that the drag scraper has some sort of hydraulic blade that can be extended to dig at different depths while the scraper is being pulled along on its wheels. </font color=blue>

I could be wrong, but I believe the hydraulic ram on the drag scraper simply raises or lowers the box relative to the wheels. The blade is fixed, but the height of the box varies based on its position above the wheels. Same way the big drag bush hogs work.

Kevin

[gordon]

I can think of one way the drag would be better. But I'll stick with my Woods box.

Comparing a drag scraper is sort of like comparing a rearblade to a rake. Two different animals for two different uses.

Thats why I've got all of the above. All excell at different things. But the drag would be a nice addition to my work tools.
Gordon