Rear Blade Agonizing over rear blade decision

93Mustang · Dec 18, 2010

MtnView - I had to think a bit about your question regarding which shoulder I look over. Generally the right one so we will see if I need to adjust swap the cylindar side. I think my current setup if adjusted as you mentioned would work better if I was looking of the left. There are parts of my driveway where I will need to keep the blade straight between some rock walls, but beyond that I will have to experiment with the blade angled while adjusting the offset.

I still am having trouble understanding how the tilt changes when I angle the blade though. I am sure this happens but if you could explain a little more...I am interested. Regardless I am interested in a tilt as I could have used that quite a bit this sommer with the box blade - I only have one rear set of hydraulics, but I see no reason why I couldn't use the diverter with the lines I ran to the blade to do this also. Another option - I do have power beyond but it is not in use. I have been eyeing up some of the ingenious setups people have done to convert that into extra outlets at the rear. To say I am not mechanical is an understatement, but I may have to try something in the spring. There are a lot of "blueprints" on here for doing so. Ahh the possibilities...i have found it only takes money! (Laugh) If only I had an endless supply.

Well 45 inches is a lot - last year we did that in a week but most years i think probably half that is more reasonable. I think I am going to try and pull first and see how that goes. Probably will also try to push as well just to see how that works. We will see about traction as I don't think chains would be advisable on my pavement (I may be wrong about this but have read that they would probably do a number on the driveway). I already have a few "whoops forgot to lift the box blade high enough when entering from the grass" spots that my better half is not exactly thrilled about!:ashamed: Amazing how little resistance pavement has to a box blade!

Thank you for all the advice! -Happy Hollidays - Dana

MtnViewRanch · Dec 19, 2010

93Mustang said:
MtnView - I had to think a bit about your question regarding which shoulder I look over. Generally the right one so we will see if I need to adjust swap the cylindar side. I think my current setup if adjusted as you mentioned would work better if I was looking of the left. There are parts of my driveway where I will need to keep the blade straight between some rock walls, but beyond that I will have to experiment with the blade angled while adjusting the offset.

I still am having trouble understanding how the tilt changes when I angle the blade though. I am sure this happens but if you could explain a little more...I am interested. Regardless I am interested in a tilt as I could have used that quite a bit this sommer with the box blade - I only have one rear set of hydraulics, but I see no reason why I couldn't use the diverter with the lines I ran to the blade to do this also. Another option - I do have power beyond but it is not in use. I have been eyeing up some of the ingenious setups people have done to convert that into extra outlets at the rear. To say I am not mechanical is an understatement, but I may have to try something in the spring. There are a lot of "blueprints" on here for doing so. Ahh the possibilities...i have found it only takes money! (Laugh) If only I had an endless supply.

Thank you for all the advice! -Happy Hollidays - Dana

Dana, I am assuming that you will want the snow to roll off of the blade to your right side then. So you will then angle the blade so that the right side of the blade is the trailing edge. When you offset the boom to the right, some of that angle goes away, thus the reason to have angled the blade to 45*. With the rear blade set up in this manor, you will have the snow flowing off of the blade at the right side. If this is how you want the blade set up, you will need to have your offset hydraulic on the left side of the boom so as to be able to offset the boom to the right side.

As far as the tilt of the blade, if your blade is perfectly level with a level surface and all the rest of your 3pt hitch is set just right, then no the tilt will not change. BUT because none of that actually happens in the real world, it is very nice to be able to hydraulically adjust to compensate for all the irregularities. Say that you have your blade tilted 2" when it is perpendicular to your tractor. (blade is set in the straight position) Now when you angle the blade you have narrowed the width of the blade, so the angle has stayed the same, but that 2" amount of tilt is no longer 2".

I hope that some of this makes sense and helps you to have your blade set up how you want it so that when you need it you're ready to go.

djradz · Dec 20, 2010

MtnViewRanch said:
As far as the tilt of the blade, if your blade is perfectly level with a level surface and all the rest of your 3pt hitch is set just right, then no the tilt will not change. BUT because none of that actually happens in the real world, it is very nice to be able to hydraulically adjust to compensate for all the irregularities. Say that you have your blade tilted 2" when it is perpendicular to your tractor. (blade is set in the straight position) Now when you angle the blade you have narrowed the width of the blade, so the angle has stayed the same, but that 2" amount of tilt is no longer 2".

I hope that some of this makes sense and helps you to have your blade set up how you want it so that when you need it you're ready to go.

When the blade is angled, especially rather severely, the tilt of the blade is also affected by the top link adjustment. So, if angled to push to the right, the longer the top-link is made, the more the right side will tip down and the left side up. Exact opposite if angled to push to the left.

MtnViewRanch · Dec 20, 2010

djradz said:
When the blade is angled, especially rather severely, the tilt of the blade is also affected by the top link adjustment. So, if angled to push to the right, the longer the top-link is made, the more the right side will tip down and the left side up. Exact opposite if angled to push to the left.

Yes, the leading edge will go up, no matter which way the blade is angled and just the opposite will happen with the top link retracted. All stuff that one learns as they use these implements.

Chilly807 · Dec 20, 2010

I hadn't really thought about the effect of angling the blade, but now I see it does make a difference if the frame isn't sitting level.

If the front of the 3 point frame is raised when the blade is touching the ground, then the trailing end will be lower than the leading edge when the blade is angled.

I'll have to have a look at mine tonight, it should only be a matter of adjusting the top link so the frame is level front-to-back to correct it.

Thanks for the brain-kicker.

Sean

MiserableOldFart · Dec 20, 2010

I have a Woods 6' blade on my NH TC26 and it performs well. I wanted a blade that had the option of shoes for the snow, and they are a good idea on our rough and rocky little quarter mile road here. I would have preferred a 7' blade to give a little more clearance from the tires, but as mentioned above, I'm not sure I could reverse the blade if it were 6" longer on each end. Would have to take a look. The setup works well as long as I can get out there and plow every four or six inches. The four footer we got last year was a bit much though, and because the sides of the road were piled so high, I often had to move 300 feet or more in reverse with each little FEL scoop of snow. Took a couple days to get out of that one :laughing:

If you have pavement, it could be that the shoes are not important, but they are a godsend here. Once there is a smooth snow pack I can plow to my heart's content at good speed without getting my teeth rattled..

Also found that going backwards with the blade in the forward position works quite well with light snow, and allows more accurate placement of it because the shoes kind of keep it in the back of the blade rather than the sides, and of course, the tires aren't going over it first. Smoother than reversing the blade.

Depending on your situation, you might benefit as well from a blade that can be shifted to the side. Mine has to be unbolted and reattached to shift it that way, so I never do it, but it could be handy at times, especially in getting your snow pile further away from your tires on the next pass.