Buying Advice Back Blade for sub-compact, Kubota BX2200

[BillTruz]

Hello all. I'm searching for the right tool to maintain my 800 foot long steep driveway that gets washed out when it rains. I've asked numerous local tractor users what to buy for my Kubota and come to the conclusion that I should get a back blade. Looking at the variety of scraper blades I like the ones that tilt vertically as well as horizontally. My tractor is about 23 hp so I think a 5 foot blade, although short when tilted horizontally, would probably be max for my sub-compact. Wouldn't mind hearing responses to my ideas. But my question is: Do I need to go through the trouble finding and expense to buy a vertically tilting unit (most do not tilt vertically) or can my 3 point hitch be adjusted to give an only horizontally tilting scraper a decent angle to pull gravel off the sides of my driveway (and keep a good sized ditch) to maintain a crown? I've heard that you can adjust the vertical angle by moving the chain stay (the part that allows shortening and lengthening by tightening or loosening the center union). How well does this work? What sort of angle can I expect to get by doing this? Thanks for your comments... Bill

 

[94BULLITT]

If you want a blade that tilts check this one out.

Everything Attachments 5' 6 Way Value Scrape Blade for Compact Tractors with 25-50 HP


I am not sure if a blade will tilt on a BX2200. Is it a limited Cat 1 3PH. You can adjust your sidelink for tilt. You dajust the stay straps to keep it from moving side to side. The top link control how much it will cut.

 

[Grandad4]

We have a 1/4 mile private dirt/gravel road to maintain. There are two jobs involved: 1. Keeping a crown and returning gravel from the sides due to traffic; and 2. Removing potholes.

A back blade (aka scraper blade) does the first job, and is also good for snow removal. There is (or at least there should be) a threaded adjustment on the right lower 3 pt link on your BX (sorry, I don't have a photo of it from my BX) that lets you tilt an implement so one side is higher or lower than the other... you'd use that to make a crown, for example. You shorten the threaded link to raise the right side and make it longer to drop the right side. There are also heavier scraper blades that have their own tilting mechanism. We have one like that for our larger tractor that is handy for clearing ditches, but you don't need it just to make a crown. I've been using a 4 ft. scraper blade with our BX, but the tractor would do OK with a 60" one.

The second job requires a different implement, a boxblade, because simply re-filling a pothole with gravel - like a scraper blade does - will not give a permanent repair... the next time it rains it'll all wash out again. With a boxblade, you can regrade the area surrounding the pothole down to the depth of the pothole and eliminate it completely. Unfortunately it's the nature of gravel roads that more potholes will appear, so maintenance is an ongoing job.

 

[BillTruz]

We have a 1/4 mile private dirt/gravel road to maintain. There are two jobs involved: 1. Keeping a crown and returning gravel from the sides due to traffic; and 2. Removing potholes.

A back blade (aka scraper blade) does the first job, and is also good for snow removal. There is (or at least there should be) a threaded adjustment on the right lower 3 pt link on your BX (sorry, I don't have a photo of it from my BX) that lets you tilt an implement so one side is higher or lower than the other... you'd use that to make a crown, for example. You shorten the threaded link to raise the right side and make it longer to drop the right side. There are also heavier scraper blades that have their own tilting mechanism. We have one like that for our larger tractor that is handy for clearing ditches, but you don't need it just to make a crown. I've been using a 4 ft. scraper blade with our BX, but the tractor would do OK with a 60" one.

The second job requires a different implement, a boxblade, because simply re-filling a pothole with gravel - like a scraper blade does - will not give a permanent repair... the next time it rains it'll all wash out again. With a boxblade, you can regrade the area surrounding the pothole down to the depth of the pothole and eliminate it completely. Unfortunately it's the nature of gravel roads that more potholes will appear, so maintenance is an ongoing job.

Thanks, Grandad4. Got it. I see the adjustment on the right link now that you mention it. I could see how that would allow maintaining a crown. And I'll need the tilting function as well, for getting a good ditch going. Thankfully my driveway is not prone to developing pot holes. "Ain't seen one yet." I've been here since February. Probably since there aren't any really level spots on it, so I think I'll be okay with just the scraper blade. I ordered the Everything Attachments 5" 6 Way blade for 551.00. It looks like a really well designed and built piece of equipment for the price. It's 290 lbs, which I think will work okay with my sub-compact.

 

[94BULLITT]

I forgot to mention the blade will work best with a loader on the front of the tractor or a set of weights.

 

[Grandad4]

+1 what Roger says. The BX is pretty small and a 300+ lb implement on the back will make the front end pretty light. The FEL on the front balances it out. We also have the rear tires filled and use bar tires instead of turfs (anybody want a brand new set of turfs + rims?). That plus my not insignificant presence on the seat give it as much traction as possible.

 

[BillTruz]

What's a FEL?

 

[94BULLITT]

What's a FEL?

Front end loader

 

[BillTruz]

I'm laughing so hard. I really am green. I'll get the lingo after a while. Thanks.