Rear Blade Need some help with a new old Ford back blade

[Josh61513]

I picked up a back blade yesterday for a very good price (free!) via a friend I work with. It was his dad's blade long ago.

It's a 6' blade that looks like it can spin 360 degrees and also has a (camber?) angle adjustment for forming ditches, has a "FORD" nameplate on it. It's well built but has been welded over the years and is need of some work again. If someone can ID this model blade i'd love to see some pictures of one in good shape! The member that connects that main frame to the back blade itself is broken/partly missing. I don't suppose this member could be ordered anymore?

Thanks for any and all help!
-Josh

 

[Josh61513]

Hrmmm looks similar but not quite an 8' Ford "316" blade

 

[djradz]

Looks like a great opportunity. Yes it needs some work, but you'll have a fine blade when complete. Not sure there is a whole lot of benefit to having that "camber" adjustment and it may make sense as part of the repair to eliminate it and make the connection fixed and stronger. The blade looks straight and otherwise in pretty good shape. Keep us posted with pictures as you progress with the project, and good luck!

 

[beenthere]

If you have a good welder at a local shop, they will be able to fab the parts and put it back into good working order.
Rust is an enemy, and these blades most often just get dumped on the ground with no form of shelter or base to help protect the steel.

 

[Gordon Gould]

The camber adjustment helps if you are dropping the blade down into a ditch to dig the bottom or clean it out. You can get the blade more vertical down in the bottom. Probably not a useful feature for most folk. There are other uses for it too I bet. Those old timers were very clever in the way they used simple tools.

 

[jbooth]

For my use/2cents worth, I would keep the camber feature if feasible. Set some camber and a big angle on the blade and those things will cut a ditch and roll dirt over like a plow. Can actually make small terraces with them.

 

[djradz]

For my use/2cents worth, I would keep the camber feature if feasible. Set some camber and a big angle on the blade and those things will cut a ditch and roll dirt over like a plow. Can actually make small terraces with them.

Obviously not our call on what he does, but I don't see how the camber will help with cutting or use almost "like a plow". Note that I have done exactly those two things (cut/plow), as you describe (worked incredibly great) with a standard blade, so I don't dispute the ability to work a blade in such a manner. What I don't see is how the camber will help. If you look at the pictures, you'll see that the blade is already tilted as far back as it can go, so it cannot lay back any more to make it "like a plow" as might be desireable in the case of when it's turned to 45 degrees or more for cutting/trenching. It can only tilt forward more from where it is set, which doesn't appear to help with much of anything other than as Gordon notes, but even that would require the blade to be offset from the tractor and this blade does not have an "offset" feature.

 

[Opti-Mist]

The hitch frame is not like any "Ford" 3-pt implement that I can recall, going back to the "Dearborn" days. If it were Ford it would carry a "7XX" model number to indicate "material moving". "3XX" relates to planters.

As for "camber", the ability to tilt the blade made it useful for ditching applications. At one time there was a "ditching point" avaiable as an attachment for use in creating new ditches or improving existing ditches.

 

[jbooth]

Obviously not our call on what he does, but I don't see how the camber will help with cutting or use almost "like a plow". Note that I have done exactly those two things (cut/plow), as you describe (worked incredibly great) with a standard blade, so I don't dispute the ability to work a blade in such a manner. What I don't see is how the camber will help. If you look at the pictures, you'll see that the blade is already tilted as far back as it can go, so it cannot lay back any more to make it "like a plow" as might be desireable in the case of when it's turned to 45 degrees or more for cutting/trenching. It can only tilt forward more from where it is set, which doesn't appear to help with much of anything other than as Gordon notes, but even that would require the blade to be offset from the tractor and this blade does not have an "offset" feature.

You're right it sure isn't my call. I will butt out. I'm 68 yrs old and would like for people to learn from my experiences both good and bad. There is no point in me trying to get people to learn from my mistakes. Some will have to make them all themselves.

 

[KWentling]

Got to agree with jbooth. I'd keep it. Why go through the trouble to eliminate it? Almost all (maybe all) motorized graders have that feature. You can control the aggressiveness of the cut and also "blade pack" by pitching it forward. (Ran graders for the road and bridge about 35 years ago) Not sure it's a feature that I would use much once it is set where it works good, but I would certainly leave it functional.

Kim

 

[DJ4wd]

Thats still a fine looking blade. I would sand, grind, and welded it up and lay the paint on it. Im excited to see what you do with it!

 

[Opti-Mist]

Well Josh, I actually saw one of these at the DuPont Airport in Lapeer today. It was painted red but had no identifying marks of any kind. It was attached to a Ford 600 and I was told that it probably was bought with the tractor, both when new, for clearing the runways. Yours looks to be in better shape.

 

[RickB]

Obviously not our call on what he does, but I don't see how the camber will help with cutting or use almost "like a plow" .

Your lack of understanding does not lessen the usefulness of the feature.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

This is one of the things that can easily be done with a blade that can be tilted.

 

[beenthere]

I'll agree with jbooth as well. And I'd like to have those adjustments on my back blade...more than once.
It is one of the reasons they are on road graders, although getting a back blade to even come close to a road grader is tough (if not impossible) to do.

 

[Baby Grand]

Definitely keep the camber adjustment. Being able to moderate the "bite" allows the implement to switch personalities fater than Sybil. With some skill you will have a poor man's ditching plow, snow plow and grader.
-Jim

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I picked up a back blade yesterday for a very good price (free!)

That's the best price of all! :thumbsup:

 

[djradz]

This is one of the things that can easily be done with a blade that can be tilted.

Yep, increadible options and capability, all done with a blade that has NO capability to change the "pitch" of the blade.

 

[djradz]

Your lack of understanding does not lessen the usefulness of the feature.

No lack of understanding here, just don't see it as all that useful. The parts that provide the feature are broke and obviously a weak link. In addition, to change the angle requires unbolting. You could pin it, but then its always loose and bouncing.

As MtnViewRanch showed in the pics, excellent ditching, etc can occur simply by changing the angle and tilt.

Is there another blade sold today that has this feature? If it is so useful, are others calling for it on their blade purchases/investment?

 

[jbooth]

No lack of understanding here, just don't see it as all that useful. The parts that provide the feature are broke and obviously a weak link. In addition, to change the angle requires unbolting. You could pin it, but then its always loose and bouncing.

As MtnViewRanch showed in the pics, excellent ditching, etc can occur simply by changing the angle and tilt.

Is there another blade sold today that has this feature? If it is so useful, are others calling for it on their blade purchases/investment?

I promised to but out, but I can't help myself. Look again at MtnView's pictures and you will notice his blade does have "camber" adjustment and he is using it.