Plow with BoxBlade??

[ChuckinNH]

Here is a link to a long post on the subject from a guy that really uses his box blade:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/88588-plowing-food-plot-box-blade.html

 

[3RRL]

That link is a thread about using my boxblade to plow up the food plot.
Unfortunately, I see I must have relocated the photos and they are not coming up in it? Anyway, like you said, I did use what I have to prepare my food plot. Plowing with the rippers down did a great job for me, since I didn't have a plow or disc. I used the position control to keep the blade up, off the ground. Only the scarifiers went in and I dragged very little dirt doing it that way. I'll re-post some of the photos for you so you can see how it turned out. They are clickable thumbnails. My food plot was a bout 1 acre or a little bigger. Hope the photos show well enough how it turned out.
Rob-





Some photos after planting and before mowing.
I planted wheat and oats and even some peas. Most of it came in very nicely.

 

[lakngulf]

That link is a thread about using my boxblade to plow up the food plot.

Thanks, Rob, for reposting the photos. I checked out the previous posts and appreciate the descriptions of your work with the box blade. This is the first bb I have owned or used, but I am quickly becoming a fan. Your results make me even more anxious to do more with the box blade and rippers.

I did give the rippers a try as a breaking plow on Saturday. What a great day to be outside on a tractor at daybreak. The process went very well and I will document soon with some pictures. I do have a disc so the goal was to loosen the soil among the pasture grass and roots of many years. Here are my initial thoughts:
(1) Mow the grass as short as possible, and use the box blade rippers before it begins to grow again. I had to raise the bb often and lose the grass gathered around the rippers.
(2) Use the rains to your advantage. We had a small shower a few days before, but it would have helped for the soil to have been a little moist. Of course, then, I might have spun a bit on the grass when going up hill.
(3) The process does not like roots from large trees. I was often stopped dead in my tracks when I was breaking the soil near the fence and wood line.
(4) All in all, the soil has been turned over and in good shape for a soaking rain, and a disc.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Thanks Rob, I wanted him to see some of what you had done!

 

[clemsonfor]

Smoody in the yanmar forum says thats how he does his. I did my garden this way this year and plan to break some more of the sod in my fields to reclaim it to foodplots. use to be foodplot but let it go to grass and my disk is to light to do any good i would have to runover it like 4 times and that would take way to long so im going to do exactly as you describe, then use my disk with around 200lbs on top.

Also look at this post that was just up on top of one of the forums 2 days ago attachments maybe? The post has been around for some time but shows a member using it as a plow and in his foodpots.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/116316-various-boxblade-uses.html

-nate

 

[lakngulf]

I am sure if we look in wikipedia, under 3RRL, it will say Mr Boxblade

 

[clemsonfor]

uh it appears im an idiot:confused2:. I totally missed page 2 of this thread. Someone already posted the link i did as well as 3 the original poster and his own pics in this thread. Then i come along and post the exact same thing someone did 2 days ago, im not as stupid as that to post the same thing i just missed the second page at the time:laughing:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Loose the box and it is a chisel plow it looks like to me. The supporting photos posted convinced me that it is a good solution. How many points have you ever seen worn out.

 

[lakngulf]

Don't beat yourself up Clemson' I think your link is different from the one referenced earlier. I am glad to have all the box blade stuff in one place.

 

[3RRL]

Yeah Nate,
That link you posted is another thread that describes other uses for the boxblade.
So it is a good thing you posted it anyway. Regarding wearing out the scarifiers and tips, I have mangled 1 set (7 on my 7' boxblade) of scarifiers and busted them off or bent them. Lesson is never make a turn with the scarifiers down in the ground. The can't take as much sideways load as going straight forward. On top of that, I've worn out the tips on my 2nd set and replaced them. You can get replacement shanks and/or tips very reasonable at ASC (Agri-Supply).
Scarifier Shanks, 4 Hole
They have shorter ones for less $$ and replacement tips too, but I couldn't find it in that link. I saw them in their monthly mailer they send me.

I have also worn out one blade and had to flip it over.
I'm about ready to get a new blade since the flip side is worn too. I've done a lot of work on my boxblade to make it sort of custom and easier to use...more versatile. If you haven't seen this old thread, it shows some of the improvements I did to it.
Gear Driven Hydraulic Scarifiers on Boxblade
I checked the thread and the photos still come up.
Rob-