I think I need a box blade

[JonKioti]

Hi everyone,

I have just finished putting in a drainage trench and some underground conduit. The area is somewhat level now, but with rough soil and a few rocks to smooth out.

I have smoothed the space as much as I can with the backhoe, but I'm thinking a box blade would be the way to go. What are people's thoughts on this for the CK-20S?

It's not so much the cost but I'm trying to figure out how much use I would make of one.

Jon

 

[Kioti guy]

Unless my snowblower is on my ck 20 my box blade is always on it. I really like it ,the more I use it the more usefull it is. I use it for grading the driveway,for ditching beside the drive,for spreading topsoil etc. It also makes great ballast for loader work. I have a 60" heavy duty unit with 5 adjustable scarifiers ,this size seems to be a good fit for the ck20......... Craig

 

[JD 4520]

Box blades are very useful and I find myself using it as much as other implements. I am curious though on the prior poster how he uses a BB on a ditch? May have a new use if I figure this one out.

 

[CowboyRon]

Box blades are very useful and I find myself using it as much as other implements. I am curious though on the prior poster how he uses a BB on a ditch? May have a new use if I figure this one out.

Do a YouTube search on box blade and everything attachments has one. He cuts a ditch with a box blade.

 

[kiotiken]

I would be cautious about the expectations you're setting for a box blade. They make great ballast for sure, they can move a ton of material quickly, but as far as giving you a perfect smooth finish, especially in rocky and vegetation filled soil, you will be disappointed.

I like my box blade, I use it a fair bit and you do get fairly proficient with it after some practice, but I find it's more of a rough level tool and I almost always follow it with a drag harrow to finish it off. I also have a backhoe and it's on the tractor all summer (much better ballast anyway). I would use my box blade more often if I didn't have to take the hoe off first, I usually just make due without it to save the hassle.

 

[Gittyup]

A box is awesome for digging, leveling, spreading and smoothing fine soil or loose gravel. A box won't break up clumps. It will spread evenly, but big, hard pieces will cause it to skip. If it's clumpy, you'll need a tiller, disc, or dirt crusher. Still a valuable tool to add to your 3ph collection, and if bought used, can usually get all of your money back later.

 

[Bob77064]

My BB is on the tractor most of the time for ballast. It is a 60" so it doesn't seem to get in the way, I have used it for dirt work and to smoth out hills.

 

[k0ua]

I am not trying to talk you out of getting a Box Blade, and they are good for a lot of things, but if your are in a hurry and strapped for cash you can smooth quite a bit with your FEL by going in reverse and backdragging with the bucket in float. It takes a bit to learn to feather the bucket and not move too much material to one end, or you can turn around and go the other way to even it out.. Then to make is smoother still you can just make a "drag" to really smooth it out.

James K0UA

 

[JonKioti]

Guys, thank you for the great advice and insight, both for and against. This is the information I was looking for.

I was pleased to find my dealer had a 60" one ready to take for a reasonable price. While I perhaps could have saved a few dollars by waiting and looking around, there are a few less tangible reasons to get this one from them. The liquor store gift card they send me each Christmas as a customer appreciation gesture might be one of them.

So, I tried it out and it is everything I had expected and hoped for. I was impressed at the first swath it cut - level and flat. What had accumulated within the box was mostly the rocks and sticks I was trying to remove. When I started on a patch of hard packed grass, it peeled a slice off a high spot like a potato peeler, no problem at all.

All that is left is a bit of light raking, and a plan for using this on several other paths that need leveling each spring.

Thanks for the insight and thoughts, as they set my expectations appropriately.

Jon

 

[TripleR]

A bit too late to do any good, but a box blade is one of the most useful pieces of equipment we have. Between construction jobs hauling dirt, my dad used his old Ford and box blade to prepare home sites.