Grading using box blade

[tld]

How iss the best way to work a truckload of dirt that was just dumped. Seems as if I back up to it to drag it out, the back tires go up and it won't let me gt a good load. Any suggestions, other than to get a FEL?

 

[Mark_in_NH]

If it were me, I would use my FEL to initially spread and distribute the gravel then fine tune it with a rake or box blade

 

[Bird]

Tom, I would think if you shorten your top link, you can probably get a reasonable load, but perhaps not. I understand what you're talking about. Another possibility is to back into the pile along the side so you're just pushing with about one-third of the back of the box blade at a time to push it away from the pile. And if it isn't too high and soft a pile, simply back across the middle of the pile, with the 3-point lowered so you push the top off and level the pile just slightly, then you can get a full box to drag when you go forward.

 

[OkeeDon]

Whittle away at the sides of the pile. The dirt will keep falling in to your cut and you will get a little more on each pass. The key to working with a box blade is patience. It's not designed to move a lot of dirt in a hurry.

 

[KenNTx]

I agree with the others, a little off the ends of the pile..I have used the box blade to do both gravel and dirt..It just takes time to get the pile down, then drag and grade it..

 

[normde2001]

That's not really what a boxblade is for. With no FEL, you definitely need a pond/dirt scoop, (poor man's FEL, about $200). Back into the pile with that, get a load and dump it where you want it. When finished with that, hook up box blade and smooth it out.

 

[jmc]

tdl,

My boxblade has a deadspace between the frontfacing and rear facing blades. If I drop the boxblade straight down, dirt can pack in there and not let the front blade penetrate far enough. Easing the blade down while moving forward seems to help. Bird's suggestion about shortening the top link effectively reduces that dead space by raising the rearfacing blade. Next time, I'm going to try one of those hinged rearfacing blades.

John

 

[spanky8N]

I just got done with two piles of gravel that were dumped. I also do not have a loader but I do have a rear blade. I just backed into the pile and droped the blade and let the blade work on the way out. It took me a hour and a half per pile but it got the job done.