Grading Box Blade How-To?

   / Box Blade How-To? #1  

shu

Bronze Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
52
Location
tip of texas
Tractor
Case IH 45A
Looking for guidance on how to use box blade.

Have large yard generally graded as desired, draining from north and south toward center, thence from east to west. However dogs, decayed tree stumps, and trenching for sewer line replacement have left undesired local high and lows, +/- 3 inches.

Tools at hand are TC30 with FEL and box blade/rippers, roto-tiller and hand tools for the edges.

Getting things leveled out with the box blade ain't as easy as one would first imagine. Guidance anywhere on how to use that thing?
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #2  
The short wheel base of these compacts makes it very difficult to achieve a smooth graded effect. About the most I've ever been able to do is to knock down the high spots then reverse the blade and try to smooth them out. I've had better results using a chain pulled drag.

Bob
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #3  
If you are trying to level out those + or - 3 inch divots, the box blade with rippers can get you started by opening up the surface. It also helps a lot with bigger ruts and holes, and can also help you relocate soil to change the slope and grade.

I find taking it very slowly lets me adjust the box depth with the 3pt lift as the tractor moves over uneven ground.

This is one tool where results improve with practice.

For perfect smoothness, the chain drag does great as a final touch.
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #4  
The more you use a box blade the better you get.
Drop the scarif's low and shorten your top link and it will rip the ground up.
lengthen your top link move dirt . to smooth i set it and try not move the the lift. if it digs i stop and raise it a little. sometimes it take multiple passes.

Ive never used the chain . but i will try it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #5  
If your box blade has a fixed rear blade, you can adjust your top link so that the rear blade rides on the ground and the front blade is an inch or so off the ground. Then when you drag it across those 2 - 3" high spots it will shave them off and deposit them into the low spots.
 
   / Box Blade How-To?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
thanks -
had about come to the same conclusion. short wheelbase is good for tight turns, but makes a poor road grader. rip it up and drag sounds like a good idea.
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #7  
This is where you really see the benifit of position control. Start cutting with the box high enough that it only cuts the tops of the high spots and move the dirt to the lowest spot. then go back to the high spot move the blade down a little and do it again. After all the high spots are removed go back and drag the box (setting as the other posters have suggested) to smooth.
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #8  
I have found that dirt is best moved going forward and best leveled going backward (assuming your box has both forward and reverse blades). Going forward, the wheels are riding on uneven ground and the box moves up and down accordingly. I drag up a box of dirt going forward and begin to slowly raise the box until the dirt begins to gradually drop out over several feet. Then I lower the box slightly and back over that area to level it. Going backward the wheels are moving over freshly leveled ground and the box does not move up and down as much. Note that I do this after I have ripped up the soil if necessary and have raised the scarifiers. Practice, practice, practice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #9  
If using a rear blade (not box) this is where angling it - more is better - can really help. With a square blade (or box) once the wash board effect starts, it will only get worse, as the tractor rises & falls over the ripples, the blade in back will continue the pattern behind you.

Angling a blade stops that pattern, and will eventually get a very level surface. It does take many trips & lots of practice. With just a box blade, you might want to tackle it at many different directions, n & s, E & w, NW & SE, etc. When you are close, backing up will help a lot, you can then be on the smooth surface you create & it's easier to keep it all level.

--->Paul
 
   / Box Blade How-To? #10  
Box blade would be my tool of choice. The box blade does require a little getting use to. Start out real slow and watch the cutting or empting of the blade. As you approach a high area the front wheels will rise, causing the blade to dig in. As the rear wheels go over the high area, the box will rise up and you should carefully lower the box to remove the amount of dirt you want.

As you approach the low area, front wheels go down causing the box to rise, carefully lower the box to maintain the load. As rear wheels move into low area, box will tend to dig in, you should carefully raise box to maintain flat surface. Then feather lift to maintain the grade you wish.

With time you will get the hang of it.

Good luck.
Gil
 
 
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