3-Point Hitch GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade

   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #1  

TractorEnvy

New member
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
10
Location
SC/NC
Tractor
MF GC2410
I'm trying to find a rear blade for my GC2410 which has angle, tilt, and offset capability. I need the tilt function for cleaning out ditches. I realize the limited lift height on the GC 3-pt will make the use of a tilted blade a bit dicey but, even if it's necessary to dismount and adjust the tilt after each pass, such a blade would be useful to me.

When I bought my tractor the dealer sold me a Bush Hog 6' rear blade, insisted that it would work just fine with the GC. But after only about 10 minutes of trying to use the blade it was obvious that it wouldn't lift high enough to avoid scraping off every high spot in my yard:thumbdown: The dealer took the blade back and ever since then I've been searching for a compatible blade. Just came across the Cammond Industries site last week and I see they have a small rear blade with the features I'd like to have. Awaiting a report back from the distributor as to whether their blade is suitable for the GC. I'm thinking the moldboard, at 13 inches, may be too high for adequate clearance.

Has anyone used the Cammond 5' rear blade with a GC series tractor and, if so, does it work well for you? Anyone have a rear blade with angle, tilt, and offset from a different manufacturer which works for you on the GC series?

Thx!
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #2  
Not sure, but you may be into the area of "custom fabrication." There are quite a few very talented guys on this forum in the welding department (I'm not one of them!) who have fabricated their own set-ups. Have you done a search on this forum for rear blades?

What I have used some is a DR Power Grader thing. It worked great on my gravel driveway, but then I had an opportunity to get it paved-- and haven't looked back. I still use it occasionally to help out the neighbors. No tilt action, per se, but it does work well behind my GC, and the remote control for the height is quite useful; I was able to maintain a crown with no problems.

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   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I hadn't considered an option like the DR Power Grader but I'll keep that in mind...thx!

Noticed that your equipment list includes a 'Woods RB-60 back blade'. How well does that work for you on the GC2310? You don't have a problem with the limited lift as I mentioned in my post?
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #4  
Have you checked out Everything Attachments? They should be able to tell you if their 60" Value Blade will fit the GC series.
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Yes, that blade and plenty of others will "fit" the GC series from a 3-pt hitch perspective, i.e. they are all Cat 1, but I already know from experience that a large moldboard (e.g. 15" on the Value blade) won't work due to the limited lift on the GC series. With the lift arms in the full up position a blade this size will drag on uneven ground. I should have mentioned in my original post that the Bush Hog blade the dealer sold me had a 14" moldboard.

I've pretty much given up on finding a smaller blade with tilt capability as it seems that no one makes such a blade. Posted here hoping someone knew of a manufacturer I'm not aware of. So far no luck getting such information from anyone.

I realize the adjustable link can be used to get some tilt with a fixed blade but ultimately I think I'll go with a hydraulic "top and tilt" solution.

I've narrowed down my choices of a fixed blade (no tilt) which I think have a small enough moldboard to work with the GC series to the following:

Woods RBC60
King Kutter TRB60-XB
Frontier RB2060L
Bush Hog CRB60

I'm leaning toward the Woods...even though it has the smallest moldboard of all it has offset capability and is heavier. I know the small moldboard will limit my snow removal but it's not like we get that much snow even in the mountains of western North Carolina. And if we do I'll just stay at home until the snow melts:cloud9:
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #6  
Find the smallest blade that you like that has all of the features that you want, get the blade and then modify the hitch points to lower them so that the blade boom and your draft arms are parallel. This will allow you to raise the blade high enough to work with it. If you are going to go with a top & tilt system, remember that you can use the top link to raise the blade for transport also.

You can get to where you want to be, just need to think about it a bit. ;)

It is very common with rear blades of all sizes and all tractor sizes to have blade lift height issues, this is not just a limited cat 1 problem.

I made adjustments and I have a 75hp tractor. You can see the hitch modifications at the lower points. And a person does not grade with the blade boom at that kind of an angle, that was to see how high it would be for transportation.
 

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   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #7  
Shortening the top link will raise the blade. Lengthening the top link will lower the blade. The secret is finding the spot where the blade is curled enough to obtain the bite necessary to accomplish the task.

A good rule of thumb to use on sizing scrape blades to a tractor is, when attached to the tractor, will the blade be long enough to angle and still remove the tractor track and short enough to be rotated 180 degrees to reverse the blade to allow one to use the blade to back drag with.
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade #8  
Sorry, TractorEnvy, but I've been traveling with wife & two grandkids, so haven't checked in on TBN for a while.

Concerning the Woods back blade, I've never used it-- it was part of a package deal on some used equipment I bought; I really only wanted the tiller. (Also came with a York-type rake.) I had been planning to modify the plow blade to mount on a GC front-mount shoe (which I already have) so I could quickly switch between blower and plow. Of course, I haven't gotten around to that yet, either!

Well, ten days so far on the road, visiting MO, OH, and points in between and all around, and now sort of heading back home... But first, a visit with a TBN member outside Frankfort, KY!
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Find the smallest blade that you like that has all of the features that you want, get the blade and then modify the hitch points to lower them so that the blade boom and your draft arms are parallel. This will allow you to raise the blade high enough to work with it. If you are going to go with a top & tilt system, remember that you can use the top link to raise the blade for transport also.

You can get to where you want to be, just need to think about it a bit. ;)

It is very common with rear blades of all sizes and all tractor sizes to have blade lift height issues, this is not just a limited cat 1 problem.

I made adjustments and I have a 75hp tractor. You can see the hitch modifications at the lower points. And a person does not grade with the blade boom at that kind of an angle, that was to see how high it would be for transportation.

Now that's one heck of a scrape blade!

I had thought about how to increase the lift and figured that lowering the lift point would help. Obviously you made it work with that giant blade of yours.

Another option which I didn't consider until by chance I saw a small JD with the same size rear tires as my GC2410 sitting in someones yard last week. It had a 60" Gill scrape blade (angle and tilt capable) attached and in the full up position the blade cleared the ground by probably a foot or more. My wife thought I was crazy when I did a bat-turn into that person's driveway, jumped out to get a closer look. I noticed right away that the lift arms on that tractor are about twice as long as the ones on my tractor and, unless I'm worse in Geometry than I thought, per Pythagorean's theorem the extra lift arm length (hypotenuse) would create a higher lift height (rise). I'm sure there are some negative aspects of having long lift arms, e.g. moving the center of gravity toward the rear of the tractor, but for the blade weight I'll be dealing with I don't think that will be a problem.

Your thoughts on extending the lift arm length?
 
   / GC2410 limited Cat-1 hitch compatible rear blade
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Sorry, TractorEnvy, but I've been traveling with wife & two grandkids, so haven't checked in on TBN for a while.

Concerning the Woods back blade, I've never used it-- it was part of a package deal on some used equipment I bought; I really only wanted the tiller. (Also came with a York-type rake.) I had been planning to modify the plow blade to mount on a GC front-mount shoe (which I already have) so I could quickly switch between blower and plow. Of course, I haven't gotten around to that yet, either!

Well, ten days so far on the road, visiting MO, OH, and points in between and all around, and now sort of heading back home... But first, a visit with a TBN member outside Frankfort, KY!

Thanks...enjoy your trip!
 
 
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