Box Scraper Box Blade Ballast

[N80]

You say it like it's a bad thing. Riding over obstacles is what you want to avoid. Ripping them out of the ground and leaving a fine smooth flat path is what you want. right?jb

John, I'd have to say that it depended completely on the obstacle. I've got some rocks and stumps that I'm quite sure are simultaneously frustrating me and some poor fellow in Manchuria. I've hit these a number of times with my BB and it has stopped my tractor cold. The only thing that prevented damage to the BB was slick soil conditions that allowed for the wheels to spin a little before my cat-like relfexes got on the clutch.

 

[roxynoodle]

I have a couple of bags of cement that got wet and turned into hardened cement that I have used on my box blade. I have used them to weight down the BB to help with ground engaging and to add ballast for using my loader in clay. If you do hit an object that stops the tractor, be careful. You don't want that tractor standing up on you or you could have a rear rollover. If the front end pops up, step on your clutch immediately.

 

[3RRL]

N80,
I have to agree with John that the goal is to get your path as smooth and void of obstacles as possible. That is why I suggested using the box blade with all that weight on it in the first place. Generally, those obstacles that can, will eventually be pulled up and out of your way. (not a dang windmill ) Those that can't are always going to be a PITA until you do get rid of them. If not, every time you boxblade over that spot, you stand a chance of ruining something.

I have that (had) all over my property. First thing I did is rebuild my boxblade to make it super heavy duty and hydraulic. Now it weighs easily over 1,000lbs.



Then I pulled up everything that it used to "skip" over and now my entire road is gravy. In those spots where I had an excessively large root or boulder, I back hoed and pick axed the crap out of them till they were sub flush.




Now, I only graze the surface to keep it smooth and beautiful.



I always use position control anyway to control my depth of cut ... even on new trails and roads. On new trails and roads, even an inch deep cut will pop out all kids of large rocks boulders etc. You have to control this or you WILL meet your buddy in Manchuria.

 

[Deerfoot]

Thanks for all your great replies. Although I haven't found any sub-terranian "windmills" I have found my share of roots and other junk the previous owner left behind. When I got the 2305 about a month ago I only had the BB out back for ballast. I latched on to a buried stake with the loader and it pulled the back end up like a feather. Since then I have loaded the tires and put on the 200# of suitcase weight out back. I tied on to the stake again yesterday. This time the back end sat still and the FEL stalled. That is one mean stake!!! Anyhow I feel I have enough weight back there now to keep it on the ground where it should be. I didn't want to mess up the BB though. Sounds like you guys have tested that theory and I should be OK. I can't wait to move some dirt with it to see what a difference the added weight will make. I was thinking that gravity would keep these guys from coming off but after reading some of your suggestions I may have to rethink that.

 

[john_bud]

Rob,

I didn't see your thread on the BB modifications, but the pic you posted shows your normal very high level of proficiency and quality. Sure would be nice to have the hydraulic scar bar but $$$ ....

Around the house, the soil is mostly sand and free of any real rocks for the first 8" or so. The tree farm however has some rocks with egg foo young stains on the bottom side. You find them pretty quick. And learn to avoid them!

Still, the BB does a dern fast job getting out the ones in the 6" to 24" range. Much better than the hoe.

jb

 

[Joe1]

The one downside I see is that the weights are taking up some of the space where the dirt would be pulled up into the "bos" to be moved. Looks like a good idea overall.

Filling the tires as you did sure makes a difference.

Good luck with your projects.

 

[roxynoodle]

Deerfoot, I wonder if that stake is set in cement?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I caught some old, buried remnanats of 6x6 framing for an old pole barn. They'd been left from a building that had burned before I owned the property. To let you know how hard that stop was it actually caused me to replace my rear axle housing as it snapped one of the ears off it where the swingarm attached. Of course, the new housing was much heavier in that area. When I saw that I decided to go ahead and replace both sides while I had the thing torn apart. That OEM axle housing looked like cast pot metal. I was (and am) sorely disappointed in that.

 

[kubuddha]

3RRL,

Nice looking road job! Big *** rock!!! How many hours, days, months?


__________________

B3030, Loader, RB,BB, 72"MMM and soon Landpride reverse tiller.

 

[N80]

N80,
I have to agree with John that the goal is to get your path as smooth and void of obstacles as possible. That is why I suggested using the box blade with all that weight on it in the first place.

Sigh. I'm not arguing that box blades aren't used for smoothing things out. I'm not saying that it is good to leave obstacles in place if there is a way to move them. What I said is that you might need to be more careful with obstacles that will not move when you have that much weight on one. I have rocks on my place, as mentioned, that could not be removed by my tractor nor anything short of a huge excavator. I've hit them before and the blade rode over it. Same with some stumps. If I had 300 pounds on the BB it might hang and break something. I did not say the weight was a bad idea (it is obviously a good idea!), I just said it would be a good idea to be more careful.

Don't forget that there have been numerous accounts of folks breaking teeth and shanks on objects in the ground and a few accounts of people bending the box blades themselves. So even with no added weight you have to be careful. If I were to add a lot of extra weight I would be even more careful.