Implement Sizing

[erda]

So, I've had my B2601 for a couple of weeks now and am looking to add some implements. The question/concern I have is the difference between the recommendations in the manual and what the dealer is recommending.

For a box blade, the manual says a 54" and the dealer says go 60"; for a rear blade the manual says 60" and the dealer says go 72".

What to do?

 

[Sysop]

The manual is stating what it states for capacity reasons. Dealer is stating what they state due to experience.

A full blade of the smaller size can likely pull the unit to a halt in some situations, so the manual states that as a max to keep people from having too high of expectations and breaking something... The dealer figures you want to cover your tire tracks with it, even if making a little bit of a turn, and also that you will use it with good sense and not break anything... (but hey, if ya do break something no big deal, he gets paid to fix broken ones.)

I'd go larger and use my head and not overload them for the machine, wider swipes mean shallower swipes... I prefer the results of wider blades for any sort of finishing work.

 

[s219]

I think your dealer is too wide in both cases. I agree with the sizes listed in your manual. For the box blade, anything from 50-54" should be fine. I had a 50" box blade on my old B2920, which is the same size as the B2601, and it was an ideal size -- wide enough to cover the tracks, yet it would still bring the tractor to a stop (traction limited) when full of material.

I have 60" box and 72" rear blade on a much bigger and heavier tractor. That 60" box can bring my tractor to a stop when it fills up with heavy material, and the B2601 doesn't have the weight or traction to handle even half the amount of material in my opinion. And for the rear blade, you want it to cover the rear wheel tracks when angled about 30 deg, and not be substantially wider. You only need a 60" blade to do that on a B2601. If you go too wide with a rear blade, it will act like a rudder and countersteer the tractor.

 

[repair1]

Does the dealer have the smaller size implements in stock? If not, he's more interested in clearing his inventory and not what is right for your tractor. See if he's willing to let you demo one of the larger tools before making a decision.

 

[AStanton]

I can't comment on a box blade. However, regarding the rear blade, I think you could run the 72" one. If a BX25, with a 23hp engine, can easily handle a 60" blade, I think your B could handle the 72" one.

 

[bellweather]

I would trust the manual. Even though engineers tend to be conservative about load limits, I figure they probably know a thing or two about the equipment they design.

 

[Sysop]

My way of thinking on the subject is you can always choose to dig and drag less per pass to keep from overloading the machine. They are both tools to work the surface to a finished grade and to me a finished grade is easiest to get with less passes using a wider blade.

Long time ago my uncle upgraded from a heavy 6' blade to a lighter duty 7' blade (both weighed about the same) and touchups on his road/driveway went from requiring 6 passes to 4 passes and a better end result. Something to consider...

 

[jeff9366]

For a box blade, the manual says a 54" and the dealer says go 60"; for a rear blade the manual says 60" and the dealer says go 72".

You have not told us your outside-to-outside tire measurement, which will vary 10" - 14" depending on whether you have default ag tires, industrial tires or turf tires.

Recommendations in your manual are for default ag tires.

Are you sure you need an angle blade and a box blade? The functions overlap. Consider just an angle blade with optional 'shoes' to pull dirt if needed.

 

[erda]

The dealer doesn't have either the 54 or 60 inch box blade in, so he'd have to order in either size.

Not looking to buy both a blade and a box blade, just simply looking at what the manual says and what the dealer suggested.

Tractor is at the farm about 3 hours away , so I don't have an actual width measure. I'm thinking it's about 49 inches or so.

Part of what I need to deal with is the lane way. It's an old school lane with two gravel tracks and grass down the middle, and also some re-sloping of part of the yard behind the garage before I have some new fence put in.

 

[jeff9366]

Not looking to buy both a blade and a box blade, just simply looking at what the manual says and what the dealer suggested.

Tractor is at the farm about 3 hours away , so I don't have an actual width measure. I'm thinking it's about 49 inches or so.

Part of what I need to deal with is the lane way. It's an old school lane with two gravel tracks and grass down the middle, and also some re-sloping of part of the yard behind the garage before I have some new fence put in.

Tell us what type of tire is on the tractor. We can determine the outside-outside width (+/-) from that.

TIRE WIDTH IS EVERYTHING, YOU CAN'T SELECT PROPER IMPLEMENTS BASED ON A GUESS.

If the dealer knows your tire type/width he would base his implement recommendations on that width, which is correct.

All data in tractor manuals is based on R1/Ag tires. This is an industry convention.

For your lane an angle blade will be more useful than a box blade.

For ground contact implements you want the heaviest weight per unit of width that will not bog your tractor.