Newbie on board 3 pt hitch drag blde issue

[Stoners8N]

First of all greetings from the North country, and Thanks for keeping this forum available for rookies like me. Now I'm going to have a lot of goofy questions but bear with me or is it bare.

First post:
I have just spent my first 4 months with my 1948 ford 8n s/n 124983 it has a drag blade hooked to the 3 pt hitch which I was able to find and buy from a local farmers field.
During the summer the blade did some nice work on my gravel driveway and now it drains nicely and new gravel has been applied.

Question: I don't want to scrape the gravel off as I clean driveway any suggestions please, I'm sure there is a simple solution and you are all chuckling at my rookie question and I'm ok with that...........tougher ones to come lol

Thanks Wayne

 

[nybirdman]

Just turn the blade around..........if the ground is frozen should be able to pull forward(in the normal position).Try not to push backwards..tough on the three point.I use a back blade all winter and a front snow plow...

 

[KWentling]

I've never tried the blade backward, as I have a tilt cylinder back there. I made shoes that bolt to the back of my blade that hold the cutting edge up an inch or so. I have also read of slitting a pipe and driving in on the cutting edge.

Kim

 

[LD1]

Backwards works real good on the lighter snows. When the snow gets deep and heavy it is less effective unless you add weights to the blade somehow.

But once everything is frozen good and solid, going forward should be no problem. And you can make the angle of attack of the cutting edge less agressive by shortening the toplink as short as you can get it.

 

[Stoners8N]

Thanks Guys I liked all suggestions , especially the reverse blade. Then a thought came to mind.
I had a piece of 10 foot 2 " PVC Pipe I cut it to 6 foot, then put the pipe in a vice loosely and cut into the PVC in a straight line jig saw. I then pounded the pvc on to the blade , lubed with some grease (reduce friction) and lashed the pipe with 6 coat hangars twisted on I then used the unit forward and backward for 30 mins and it worked perfect. Snow was only 4 " deep though.I can see that the pvc will need to be possibly attached with steel strapping rather then old clothes hangars. But that's once they start to breakdown.
Thanks again
Wayne
Next no brainer tomorrow !!

 

[gears351]

I ran into the same type of dilemma - rather than reinvent the wheel, why not pick up a set of Myer or Western plow shoes from your local autoparts store & fab mounts (cross drill some old pipe) to weld to the back of your blade.

 

[Stoners8N]

Thanks Ill look into that (shoes)appear to be about $34.95 on Ebay
Cheers Wayne:thumbsup: