Box Blade report

[RayCo]

I got a box blade or my BX24 this weekend, and didn't really have enough time to use it, so I took the day off today and spent about 6 hours try to get a little bit of experience. Two things are clear so far: 1. this will be a very useful implement on my property. 2. It will take a good deal of time to learn how to use it most effectively and efficiently.

I spent the day cutting some trails and clearing out a flat spot on my hillside property. Here are pictures as promised.

This first picture shows one of the things I had to deal with quite a lot. The one area I worked in is loaded with vines and they're a real pain. But the box blade actually turned out to be quite helpful with pulling the hanging ones off the tress, since I could just hook on and carefully pull away.



This picture is after about three hours of doing some clearing and fighting with vines.



This is a trail after a few passes. I actually used the loader to do most of the trail carving, but the box blade helped clean things up. I didn't get any pictures after I finished today, so the trails and things as they exist now look a bit cleaner than this. But now I need to learn how to get things smoother than how I left them.



For $400, I'll be able to make much more use out of my property. I'd say it was well worth the investment.

Another thing I learned today is that when you're making your way back up to your house, don't decide to take a quick scoop of undergrowth and dump it after forgetting that you were carrying your chainsaw in the loader.

 

[Jimmyp5]

Another thing I learned today is that when you're making your way back up to your house, don't decide to take a quick scoop of undergrowth and dump it after forgetting that you were carrying your chainsaw in the loader.

Good to know that I am not the only one who forgets what he stuck in the loader.... it a good thing that I have a "Wildthing" chainsaw that when I finally manage to tear it up I can toss it. Your making me want a box blade now.... I have got tiller working now...found a FL 850 on Craig's List for $300, new PTO., adapter to get off the metric spline so have another $250 in it., so I am going to start looking for a box blade.

 

[ampsucker]

it's hard to tell from the pics, but that looks like prime poison ivy territory! watch out for vines of unknown origin!

amp

 

[40_acre_mule]

Hmmmm...

I've never tried using the rear wheels to gather up the vines.
How'd that work out for you?

 

[RayCo]

Hmmmm...

I've never tried using the rear wheels to gather up the vines.
How'd that work out for you?

It did a good job, actually. It was nice having the vines all coiled up and ready to toss into the fire instead of dealing with the long ones like this:



Some of these vines are insane. There was one that was hanging down that I tried to pull off, but my tractor just lifted in the air. I could have completely the suspended the tractor off the ground on this thing. I'm going to have to widen my trail enough to get access to this annoying vine with my truck.

 

[mozark]

Some of these vines are insane. There was one that was hanging down that I tried to pull off, but my tractor just lifted in the air. I could have completely the suspended the tractor off the ground on this thing. I'm going to have to widen my trail enough to get access to this annoying vine with my truck.

This reminds me of the Land Rover stuck in the tree in "The Gods Must Be Crazy", that was a really funny movie.

 

[Singlecoil]

That's a nice piece of property you have there!

I've had some good results attaching a piece of chain link fence to my scraper for smoothing trails without filling up the box.

Here's a link:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/103161-another-use-box-scraper.html

 

[RobJ]

If you have a bushhog you can run around that area first and chop things up, then drag it. Looks like a nice and easy cut around the trees.

 

[fish6942]

Rayco - Which box blade did you get? It looks like the XB 4 foot model.

I started another thread regarding using a 5' box blade with a BX but I keep thinking I'd be better off with a 4' model.

 

[RayCo]

Rayco - Which box blade did you get? It looks like the XB 4 foot model.

I started another thread regarding using a 5' box blade with a BX but I keep thinking I'd be better off with a 4' model.

It is a 4' one, yes. I considered getting a 5' one, but I read a number of posts that it can be a bit too much for a BX. 4' will actually probably turn out to be a better fit for the future for me. After I get a bit of practice in remote areas of my property, I'll be grading about 3/4 of an acre of unwooded area around my house. For that, a bigger blade definitely would be nice, but after that, it'll mostly be used for trail carving in the woods. 4' is good for that.

I'm also going to get a landscape rake, and I plan to get a 4' one to match the width of the box blade. I believe the BX could easily handle a 5' landscape rake, but I want the widths to match for the trails.