End plate thickness, 'robustness' of the top/mast section, and size/grade of the square cross base/scarifier holder seem to be the main differences in traditional box blade designs.
They all 'look' similar, and are designed to function similarly-looking at the component part thicknesses and actual overall weight lets you know how much steel your getting.
If ballast is your primary concern, go as narrow as possible to cover your footprint but not be out there to have to factor the extra swings wider implements require.
I have a frontier 2072; 530#--I have 150# of free weights and an old cast wagon axle on it as well that has to be well over 100#--the total is probably around 700#.
My frontier has the same captured pin set-up the Martin link shows. It is cumbersome, it will round out your cross brace (the gauge of which determines how quickly--mine is 4"), it will bend the pins, squeeze out the locking clips and drop the scarifiers eventually. Avoid that set up if you can afford to.
Woods and Gannon were where I arrived after 'if I had to do it all over again', but in Maine we don't have good representation of all the brands available. Those give good examples of rugged well-though boxes--lots of the 'caliche' building in the southwest seems to happen with a big Gannon box on the back.
I believe it was a worksaver contracted impement.
They all 'look' similar, and are designed to function similarly-looking at the component part thicknesses and actual overall weight lets you know how much steel your getting.
If ballast is your primary concern, go as narrow as possible to cover your footprint but not be out there to have to factor the extra swings wider implements require.
I have a frontier 2072; 530#--I have 150# of free weights and an old cast wagon axle on it as well that has to be well over 100#--the total is probably around 700#.
My frontier has the same captured pin set-up the Martin link shows. It is cumbersome, it will round out your cross brace (the gauge of which determines how quickly--mine is 4"), it will bend the pins, squeeze out the locking clips and drop the scarifiers eventually. Avoid that set up if you can afford to.
Woods and Gannon were where I arrived after 'if I had to do it all over again', but in Maine we don't have good representation of all the brands available. Those give good examples of rugged well-though boxes--lots of the 'caliche' building in the southwest seems to happen with a big Gannon box on the back.
I believe it was a worksaver contracted impement.