q6witt
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I am interested in getting a box blade for my 1601, what size have you run or recommend?
Mitz 1601d...what size box scrapper size would you recommend?
- Thread starter q6witt
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284 International
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Not knowing your conditions or intent it is hard to suggest specifics, but if you're planning to cut and move dirt, I would get the smallest blade that covers your tire tracks. My first suggestion/estimate would be one like this: 4-1/2 Foot Xtreme Duty Compact Box Blade by Everything Attachments The 4 foot unit is also a very viable option, and may work better, depending on your use.
The 4 1/2' width should easily cover the tracks, it is heavy enough to work well, and is very well built. It is also probably not too big to use for cutting ditches or other serious ground engaging work. If your use will be mostly smoothing out areas like driveways or horse arenas, you might be happier with a wider unit, but will compromise on digging ability.
Here is a little bit of my rationale for suggesting that particular unit:
The information I can find about your MT1601D says it is a little bit lighter (1300 pounds or so) than my Yanmar YM186D. With the compact tractors of this size and vintage, they virtually always run out of traction before power ever becomes an issue. My 186D weighs 1538lbs according to the manufacturer, but with the extra wheel weights, filled tires, side cultivators, and suitcase weights it easily weighs more than 2000 lbs: I have all 4 tires filled (at least 250 lbs) plus 175 lbs of cast iron wheel weights. The side cultivators are another hundred pounds, which takes the machine to a ton. I also have about 240 lbs of suitcase weights, and I'm another 245 lbs myself, so this tractor would weigh around 1000 pounds more than your machine with a 200 lb operator, a large difference.
I use either a 4 foot or a 4 1/2 foot box blade with my machine. The 4 foot I have brackets attached to add additional cast iron weight, because I want the blade to dig in and bite in my hard, compacted soil. I use the 4 1/2 foot for general purpose duties. Even with my dramatically heavier than original tractor, the 4 1/2 foot box blade will pull my tractor sideways if I have adjusted the side links to angle the implement to cut a drainage ditch. The 4 foot pulls much straighter. The 4 foot unit can be easily pulled when full of dirt, the 4 1/2 foot is just at the ragged edge of sometimes needing differential lock to be manageable when full.
On my similar sized Kumiai ST1440 (A rebadged Mitsubishi S373) I used a 42" box blade on that 1200 lb tractor, and it was fine, but a bit small. The weighted 48" blade was barely too big for that machine, which had no additional ballast whatsoever. It wouldn't quite pull the 48" box when full.
Since your machine is between mine in weight, but has more power than either, I think the larger sized units are better suited to your purposes, since it is also likely that your conditions and use aren't as demanding as mine. If you have a loader, I would get the same width as your bucket or a smidgen narrower. I like to be able to dig a hole with my loader and drive down into it (For burying animal carcasses etc), and a rear implement the same width or wider than the bucket keeps that from being possible.
The 4 1/2' width should easily cover the tracks, it is heavy enough to work well, and is very well built. It is also probably not too big to use for cutting ditches or other serious ground engaging work. If your use will be mostly smoothing out areas like driveways or horse arenas, you might be happier with a wider unit, but will compromise on digging ability.
Here is a little bit of my rationale for suggesting that particular unit:
The information I can find about your MT1601D says it is a little bit lighter (1300 pounds or so) than my Yanmar YM186D. With the compact tractors of this size and vintage, they virtually always run out of traction before power ever becomes an issue. My 186D weighs 1538lbs according to the manufacturer, but with the extra wheel weights, filled tires, side cultivators, and suitcase weights it easily weighs more than 2000 lbs: I have all 4 tires filled (at least 250 lbs) plus 175 lbs of cast iron wheel weights. The side cultivators are another hundred pounds, which takes the machine to a ton. I also have about 240 lbs of suitcase weights, and I'm another 245 lbs myself, so this tractor would weigh around 1000 pounds more than your machine with a 200 lb operator, a large difference.
I use either a 4 foot or a 4 1/2 foot box blade with my machine. The 4 foot I have brackets attached to add additional cast iron weight, because I want the blade to dig in and bite in my hard, compacted soil. I use the 4 1/2 foot for general purpose duties. Even with my dramatically heavier than original tractor, the 4 1/2 foot box blade will pull my tractor sideways if I have adjusted the side links to angle the implement to cut a drainage ditch. The 4 foot pulls much straighter. The 4 foot unit can be easily pulled when full of dirt, the 4 1/2 foot is just at the ragged edge of sometimes needing differential lock to be manageable when full.
On my similar sized Kumiai ST1440 (A rebadged Mitsubishi S373) I used a 42" box blade on that 1200 lb tractor, and it was fine, but a bit small. The weighted 48" blade was barely too big for that machine, which had no additional ballast whatsoever. It wouldn't quite pull the 48" box when full.
Since your machine is between mine in weight, but has more power than either, I think the larger sized units are better suited to your purposes, since it is also likely that your conditions and use aren't as demanding as mine. If you have a loader, I would get the same width as your bucket or a smidgen narrower. I like to be able to dig a hole with my loader and drive down into it (For burying animal carcasses etc), and a rear implement the same width or wider than the bucket keeps that from being possible.
Last edited:
PhysAssist
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- Kubota B2320
Hi neighbor,
We're in Orleans County, and have a small (8.1) rural lot on what used to be an apple and cherry orchard about 100 years ago. We have about 1000' setback and use our Kubota B2320 to maintain it, as well as moving the 2+ acres that aren't wooded, pond, or swamp, and helping with firewood, moving stuff and every other excuse I can come up with to use ot.
What general area of Monroe Co. are you in, and what is the lay of your land, as this will impact your choice of implements for use there. Other helpful questions are what is your situation for hydraulics? Any rear remotes, because if you are going to use a traditional box blade, they will be invaluable.
After months of reading TBN and surfng the interweb, asking every dealer I could find about what made their implements special and how much they cost, we decided to try to find a rollover box blade, because with a little light tractor, having a heavier implement (as rollovers tend to be) that performs one function at a time (as rollovers do) without requiring rear remotes or constant adjustment (the first we couldn't afford, the latter we had little patience for) and would be difficult to damage (both my wife/boss and I are widely regarded as Klutzes (notice capital K)), it seemed to be the best idea.
We kept vigilantly searching EBay and Craig' s List and eventually ended up buying a new never used Gannon 48" Earthcavator Rollover Boxblade from Mesa Az (the shipping almost killed me), with freight to one of the terminals between Colfax St. and Emerson St., saving $50+ by picking it up there.
We have actually come to enjoy using it, and as our tractor is just about the same as yours by specs (similar weights, HP, etc) and we live in the same general climate and geography, one like it would probably work well for you too.
Again welcome!
If there is anything else I can do for you, then PM me.
Thomas
It may seem hopeless trying to find one, but they are out there and do become available, even though they are not mfg any longer. A lot of folks here can be really helpful with information, so keep reading...
Thanks for getting back, good food for thought. Actually I live in Penfield but own a camp near Canadice / Springwater... Clay, hilly, steep 1/2 mile long r.o.w. that neighbors aren't interested in helping maintain. Wife heard me mope about wanting a tractor for a couple of years until The small funds could be appropriated from Walt Disney, Birthdays ect. and I bought the tractor last month. Now I have to learn how to use it.
PhysAssist
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No worries, that's what we do here.
Your property sounds a lot like ours. Our house is set into the side of the only hilly area of our land, and the driveway and land slopes down into wetlands that comprise the headwaters of Sandy Creek. We have several gravel quarries all around us in the town that mine the shale, whereas we're on glacial till on top of an upthrust fault.
We have been here since 1994 having moved from Greece when I graduated PA school and took a job in Brockport, and my knees and back got to the point of needing help doing what needed to be done, so we looked and found that the B2320 seemed to have enough power (though now I think I could use more) in a small enough form factor to fit into our wooded areas and between tree for mowing.
Think about the rollover BB, it has really been great for us here. If you look on my profile page for posts on BB's or search Rollover BB (use google and enter "search www.tractorbynet: rollover boxblade" or substitute box blade, scraper, and consider trying earthcavator) you'll find that there are many threads here debating the benefits of each type.
Here one to start you out:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/265471-gannon-ek42-box-blade.html
BTW, if I recall correctly our Gannon weighs 492# and we often add another 100# of weight when it is in use.
Once we put it on the 3-pt, it improved the tractor's stablility so greatly that it never came off for about 1.5 years until we finished weighting our ballast box with scrap iron, brake disks, and about 300# or so of concrete to get it to about 650#, not counting the chainsaw and mount, assorted chains, tools, and the HF trailer hitch.
If you haven't already, try search tempest to look for any BB's for sale locally, though I didn't find many at all that way. Repeated ebay searches using a variety of terms was what paid off for me, though I wish it had been local, cause the shipping was almost as much as the BB......
Thomas
Your property sounds a lot like ours. Our house is set into the side of the only hilly area of our land, and the driveway and land slopes down into wetlands that comprise the headwaters of Sandy Creek. We have several gravel quarries all around us in the town that mine the shale, whereas we're on glacial till on top of an upthrust fault.
We have been here since 1994 having moved from Greece when I graduated PA school and took a job in Brockport, and my knees and back got to the point of needing help doing what needed to be done, so we looked and found that the B2320 seemed to have enough power (though now I think I could use more) in a small enough form factor to fit into our wooded areas and between tree for mowing.
Think about the rollover BB, it has really been great for us here. If you look on my profile page for posts on BB's or search Rollover BB (use google and enter "search www.tractorbynet: rollover boxblade" or substitute box blade, scraper, and consider trying earthcavator) you'll find that there are many threads here debating the benefits of each type.
Here one to start you out:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/265471-gannon-ek42-box-blade.html
BTW, if I recall correctly our Gannon weighs 492# and we often add another 100# of weight when it is in use.
Once we put it on the 3-pt, it improved the tractor's stablility so greatly that it never came off for about 1.5 years until we finished weighting our ballast box with scrap iron, brake disks, and about 300# or so of concrete to get it to about 650#, not counting the chainsaw and mount, assorted chains, tools, and the HF trailer hitch.
If you haven't already, try search tempest to look for any BB's for sale locally, though I didn't find many at all that way. Repeated ebay searches using a variety of terms was what paid off for me, though I wish it had been local, cause the shipping was almost as much as the BB......
Thomas