Box Scraper box blade advice

[chuckhole]

I have a 5' Ag Products box blade on my Kubota L2800 4WD and if I make a mistake with it, it can stop my tractor. I guess it also dependes on how much material the box will hold while you are scraping and what the material is and if it is weighted by water as well. There have been times when my box was so full that my back tires were running into it.

I don't know if all box blades are double sided but I like to work mine in reverse. When reversing back over what I just scraped smooth, it seems to really get a level finish.

One thing is for sure, my BB serves me more as counterweight for the FEL so for that reason as well, get a HEAVY box blade.

 

[john_bud]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't more about the weight of the box blade then the length. You want the weight to get enough bite when you want it and the width wide enough to cover the rear tires. From what I've seen guys go wider to give them more weight. If they made a 1000 lbs 36" box blade it probably would stop a 40 hp 4x4 tractor.

You are correct and also off a bit.

It is about the weight. For digging / smoothing you want the heaviest box you can afford that is 6-12" wider than the tractor tires. If you are just going to spread material, light duty boxes work out fine as long as they are strong enough to match the tractor. Some boxes are 6' and only 300# and they don't last too long.

A 1000# 36" box would dig nicely and a 40 hp would be able to pull it. Boxes get stopped when they hit roots, rocks or get overflowing full of material. The narrow heavy box can still hit roots and rocks, but can't hold much so it would pull easier.

Best thing to do with a box, is hook it up and start pulling!

jb

 

[N80]

There really aren't any hard fast rules about box blades as far as I am concerned. The reason is that 1) box blades are so versatile that the range of uses is almost endless and 2) the types of materials you use them on varies tremendously.

There is no reason to buy a heavy, expensive box blade for scraping loose soil or moving light materials. At the same time, a light flimsy one would be alost useless for serious terrain changing landscaping in clay or rocky soil.

Fortunately, even though there are no absolutes there are some basic ideas that will get you by for most typical jobs and they have already been mentioned here. Width: about the same as tire width or maybe a little more. Weight: as much as you can afford without going overboard. Horsepower: most tractors can handle a box blade about the same width as its tires but any tractor can be stopped by the right obstacle (stump) and any box blade can be mangled by a sufficiently powerful tractor.

 

[Old School]

Help me out here. I rented a box blade to use behind my JD950 and it worked relatively well considering my skill level of using one. I was considering buying one for my BX2200 like the KK, but I read how the KK designed for this size tractor apparently will bend. I'm surprised to hear. I haven't had any problems with my KK back blade I use with this tractor. Do I really need to spend an extra $150 for a heavier box? I plan on using it for moving gravel.

 

[jbrumberg]

When I was researching out box blades I looked long and hard at the KK line. I liked the prices, but I was not impressed with the quality of paint, steel thickness, nor welds at the time. Since that time KK came out with a HD line of box blades with hinged black plates. They are heavier and appear to be of higher quality. If I remember correctly they also have captured lower link pins which were an important criteria when I was looking at box blades. I also did not think hinged back box blades would meet my needs at the time. Jay

 

[N80]

I think there are a lot of people who have KK and similar Howse boxblades that are satisfied with what they have, but I agree with Jay. When it was time for me to buy one, the KK's on the lot at Tractor Supply just looked awful and I couldn't make myself do it, regardless of the good price.

I ended up with a Bush Hog 6 footer that I found for a good price. I found it quite telling when I was comparing the KK to the BH. The SBX720 (the one I got) is considered standard duty (a more manly way of saying light duty) and it is significantly more beefy in every aspect than the KK. It weighs more than the KK, the steel is thicker, the bracing is more substantial, the welds are excellent, it has captured lower hinge pins, paint was better, etc etc. Granted, it did cost a bit more but if the BH is a 'kight duty' then the KK has to be a 'light light duty'.

 

[jbrumberg]

N80:

Bush Hog and Land Pride (both "standard duty") were the other two brands I seriously considered. The Woods was the cheapest in my area (which is not saying much living in MA). I really think captured lower links are superior to non captured pins. Jay

 

[john_bud]

Captured pins !! Big thumbs up on that one!

If you are going to "just" move gravel, the cheap kk will be ok. That assumes that you don't have any large rocks, roots or stumps hiding in your path! But, if you are going to use it soley for spreading new layers of gravel on the driveway, it should be fine.

Should you stray from that application, you may find that other boxes are built more in line with more challanging tasks. Hey, it's your $$, spend it wisely. If you will never use the the extra beef of a heavier box....

jb

 

[3Jranch]

Hey, I have a John Deere 2550 and watched my X hook it up several times but for some reason I can't get the three point arms in close enough together to get both sides on. What am I doing wrong? What's the trick, Thanks

 

[Baby Grand]

Welcome to TBN, 3Jranch!
You have awaked ole Lazarus with this thread, but the information's still good, so why not?
To answer your question, there should be either a pair of pins or turnbuckles that allow you to adjust the distance between the 3 point arms. Until you figure out how to release the arms, you won't have much luck hitching up implements.