Adding box scraper instead of weight box

   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #1  

jimgerken

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2001
Messages
1,638
Location
Minnesota
Tractor
John Deere 3720
A friend has suggested that instead of a JD weight box (@ $150 empty) or a cast concrete block hanging from the three-point, I go ahead and buy a box scraper and then add some weight to it if needed. I agree with my friend that I have use for the box scraper anyway, so I might as well have a usefull implement back there. The goal is ballast for the FEL, initially for snow removal, but also in the Spring I will need to use the scraper to level a building site.
SO, I measured my JD 4100 and its 48 inches wide. I looked locally and found a couple of 60" box scrapers, cheap ($279-$320), but I feel that a 54" might be less clumsy hanging back there (3 inches sticking out each side instead of 6" each side). Also, since it is just a 20 HP tractor, I want to size the implement correctly. I found only two 54" scrapers on the internet, LandPride and New Holland. I do not have a price on them yet, but do have local dealers for each.
Whatever I buy, if it is not heavy enough I will add a bracket and add tractor weights to the scraper (maybe a couple hundred pounds added to it).
Feedback, more ideas, sources for 54" scrapers, your experiences and other info welcome.
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #2  
Jim -

I'll definitely go along with using a box scraper for ballast. They hang pretty close to the tractor, so they're not much of a maneuvering liability, plus they come in handy for more things than you can imagine. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Make sure it's wide enough to cover your tracks and rugged enough to suite your needs. There has been much discussion on this board about brands and models. I have a 60" Howse (I think around 450 lbs) and loaded rear tires, and have had no problems using the FEL with even the heaviest loads. In fact, I know from experience that if I try to lift more than the loader can handle, the rear wheels are still on the ground. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

HarvSig.gif
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #3  
Jim,

The perenial question.... what to hang back there for ballast.

Three schools of thought and you've stated the obvious one in your post. The second school is to use a ballast box either bought or homemade. Third, fill the tires for additional ballast.

I'll talk about my preference. I went with the ballast box for my JD 4100 for the following reasons.

One is cost - right around $200 for just over 500lbs of ballast.
Two is no reason fo me to have a box blade. I have no need for it so it never entered the picture.
Three is the ballast box size. It's weight to size ration is very good. It rarely gets in the way and when it does. It is usually because I have it low to keep the center of gravity low to the ground.

As far as leveling ground, I have been successful with using my FEL with a toothbar and a 60" rear blade. I guess the argument could go either way for the rear blade or box blade choice. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have gone with a 72" rear blade. This would have made some work a little easier when angling the blade. Just an observation on my part. I have been impressed with the amount of material that can be moved with this implement. The combination of the FEL/tootbar and rear blade made all the difference in the world.

Just had my memory jogged by HalseyGreen. When I think about it, the best use of the ballast box is when your moving heavy, dense materials like stone or asphalt millings.

Anywho, this is my experience.

Good luck.

Terry

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by TerryinMD on 12/20/01 10:10 AM (server time).</FONT></P>
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #4  
I have a JD790 and went through the same issue, what to use for rear ballast. Ended up with a 5' box blade, 450 pounds. Works great for loader work, which was the first 100 hours on the tractor. Went to use the box blade to break up some Virginia red clay to do some final leveling for grass seed planting and found that I didn't have any traction, needed some weight on the tires. Ended up loading my tires, did it myself for about $50. Now doing loader work doesn't require the box blade on the rear and if I'm going to do some really lifting with my loader, I put the box blade back on. I checked out the ballast box, but why spend money for something that doesn't have many other uses. I do recall someone emptied theirs and used it to tote tools.
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #5  
Jim,

All good points. The JD4100 is pretty close in size to my B7500. <font color=orange>Lucy!</font color=orange> is 52" wide where I have the wheels set right now, and I get along fine with a 48" Woods boxblade. The dealer originally extimated that this boxblade weighed 500 lbs., but I think it is closer to 400. At any rate, it is one heavy puppy (especially for it's size), and you do not move it around casually. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I use the boxblade probably more than the FEL, if that is possible. My 3PH is augmented with T&T, so I find I can just "do stuff" better with it than the FEL. The biggest problem I have with the FEL is when I want to change the slope of something. With the boxblade & T&T, that is a piece of cake; not so with the FEL. So you will typically see me "backing into" my work on many, if not most occasions.

So if you will have occasion to actually use the boxblade (I'm betting that you will), go for it!

I also have the tires filled with ballast. You can never have too much weight....


The GlueGuy
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #6  
Jim
I have both a Box Blade and a Weight Box. I use the Weight Box most of the time. Because of the small hills on my land I need extra traction when using my MMM. I was worried about the extra weight causing problems with the lawn. It turned out that this was only a problem early in the spring for the first couple of cutting. I checked some of your earlier post. You were going to get a MMM. You may find the Ballast Box a good attachment to have when cutting your lawn with a MMM. A Box Blade always seems to be in the way for cutting lawn with my B2910.

I filled Ballast Box with white Marble chips used in landscaping. Thought I might want to change its weight at a later date. I filled it to about 3" from the top. That leaves a place to keep chains, hooks and pry bars.


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   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #7  
Certainly purchasing an implement that can serve a dual purpose is a wise decision, though a ballast box or concrete weight can supply a lot of weight in a compact package.

To me what's more important is not as much what your using but how much weight and where to be effective. My experience with the 4100 has been that the more weight used the better the tractor digs and pushes, the more stable it is especially when transporting loaded buckets, along with raising and reaching to dump. Also weight in the form of wheel weights and liquid ballast increases traction especially when pulling a ground engaging implement.

The JD loader operator's manual has detailed recommendations on weight requirements for loader work. If your interested here's a link to a past discussion on ballast. Loader Ballast

Guess I got a good deal on my ballast box. It was thrown in as part of the deal for buying the tractor/loader.

DFB


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   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #8  
If you have any need to scrape or level dirt, and have used a FEL or backblade, then you have a use for a box scraper!! ONce you get the hang of them, they pay for themselves in terms of increased productivity. Also, I couldn't imagine maintaining a gravel road with a backblade rather than a box scraper - like night and day! Never buy dead weight when you can get useful tools to do double duty instead. Now if the dead weight is free - thats another story altogether!

PaulT
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #9  
I've got a Howse 5' box blade on my 955. Picked it up for $200 at a local dealer, it has good weight to it, built like a battleship, and I use it for lot clean-ups. Great combo- fel and box blade.

Paul
 
   / Adding box scraper instead of weight box #10  
Jim,
Check out Carvers by clicking here. This link is for a 54" Land Pride boxblade (the model BB-1554)

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Wally <font color=green>JD 750 "GATOR"</font color=green>
 
 
 
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