losing traction with box scraper

[flynifr]

Hi All,

I tried my new/used BX2200 for the first time with the 4' box blade I have used for a few years on my old 13hp 4x4 Ford 1100 gear drive tractor. The Ford handled the box great and I could drag up my steep gravel driveway with the teeth on the box scraper. No such luck with the BX2200. As soon as the box picked up a small amount of dirt all 4 wheels would break loose and spin. With the old Ford I could fill the box until the dirt overflowed. The only thing I can attribute it to is the tires possibly because the BX2200 doesn't seem to be straining at all. The BX has new bar tires on it, the Ford has turf tires on the back and ATV type lug tires on the front. the Ford also had much larger tires on the rear (about 3 feet tall).

Suggestions/Comments?? Other than the traction issue I absolutely love the Hydro drive for working with the box blade and rear scoop once I found a short toplink since the one off my Ford was way to long.

 

[MMagis]

It’s the tires. The turf tires provide more tire/ground surface contact, therefore friction, on hard surfaces (your driveway). The ag tires excel on softer ground. Wait until you use those ag tires on frozen dirt or ice. Chains make a huge difference

 

[flynifr]

It's actually softened soil or loose gravel where it is slipping and digging in. Sometimes when the teeth hit the stone even before the box starts to fill.

 

[Degolyerent]

Fill rear tires and run low air pressure

 

[flynifr]

I checked and all the tires were filled to 23lbs by the dealership. I dropped them to 12lbs and it drastically improved the problem. I also noticed that my Ford had much longer 3pt hitch Arms and top link. Would it make a difference if the box was further back from the axle? It definitely seems that the BX is pulling the box much different as the box is on the ground well before the hitch arms are level with the ground so it is pulling it from a higher position.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

I checked and all the tires were filled to 23lbs by the dealership. I dropped them to 12lbs and it drastically improved the problem. I also noticed that my Ford had much longer 3pt hitch Arms and top link. Would it make a difference if the box was further back from the axle? It definitely seems that the BX is pulling the box much different as the box is on the ground well before the hitch arms are level with the ground so it is pulling it from a higher position.

It seems as though the angle of the drawbars would make a difference. If they are angled up toward the implement, they would have a tendency to lift the tractor back end as it pulls. Not sure how you'd fix that though, unless you could move the pins on the box scraper down to level out the arms.

In general, bigger tires will provide more traction, due to the size of the footprint. It's the reason that tractors have big tires. But it also is a function of weight too. Big tires and weight both contribute to traction.

 

[EE_Bota]

My BX2200 does really good with my box scraper of the same size, so I'd be happy to know the difference myself.

I have turf tires. It won't do much at all without being in 4wd. I don't think it would do well without the loader on, but I have never tried it without the loader. If something is really tough (though unneeded for the box blade,) I will put the deck on.

Every blue moon, I may pick up a bit of gravel in the bucket and carry it around to make the front wheels pull. That makes the front tires get better traction, and enough traction overall so that I can fill my box blade.


Usually once the box blade starts to get toward full, often I may need to raise it some anyway, and that puts more pulling ability to the rear tires.

A trick I use...if I don't have to use the weight of the box blade to make it dig, then the rear tires get to carry some of that weight. I use the scarifiers to deliver material into the box blade, and it all winds up looking fine.

I have been able to do pretty good with my 6' scrape blade as well.

If you use the techniques I mentioned, and still don't get good performance, it may be the tire difference that is at the root of the issue.

I wouldn't be afraid to try good chains if that is the problem.

 

[Mechanos]

I checked and all the tires were filled to 23lbs by the dealership. I dropped them to 12lbs and it drastically improved the problem. I also noticed that my Ford had much longer 3pt hitch Arms and top link. Would it make a difference if the box was further back from the axle? It definitely seems that the BX is pulling the box much different as the box is on the ground well before the hitch arms are level with the ground so it is pulling it from a higher position.

By "fill the tires", he means fill them with liquid ballast. Also, you can add rear wheel weights. More weight on the axle = more traction.

 

[Johndeere3720]

By "fill the tires", he means fill them with liquid ballast. Also, you can add rear wheel weights. More weight on the axle = more traction.

Yes. Filling the rear tires with calcium or an anti freeze/water mix will greatly help with traction.

 

[flynifr]

Thanks for all the advise. I don't have a FEL so I'm missing that forward weight. Interesting that my ford was 300 lighter but performed better. I'm going to try some weights on the front and get the rears filled. Also, I have a set of quick hitch adapters that end up extending the arms about 4 inches. Longer arms and a shorter top link will allow the hitch arms to pull more level hopefully.