what is the trick to a box blade or box scraper?

[greg_g]

Three elements essential to maximizing the potential of a boxblade:
(a) draft control
(b) hydraulic toplink
(c) plenty of practice in how to control the thing with (a) and (b)
To complete the picture would be at least one hydraulic side link. The combination of hydraulic top and side links is colloquially referred to as TNT (Top 'n Tilt)

//greg//

 

[jenkinsph]

Is there a specific way to use a box scraper to smooth off a road

I use a box blade to rip out pot holes and cut/fill any major amounts of materials. Grading with a box blade to get a smooth uniform surface is much more involved as others have mentioned. Top link adjustment and depth control need to be controlled continuously to achieve good results imo. Operate the tractor only as fast as you can make these adjustments to keep the box blade at the correct height. Having a topntilt hydraulic hitch makes this easier to do. Lots of seat time to be good at it and there is no substitute for experience.

I agree with others that a land plane is far easier to work with for simple smoothing and is what I use for maintenance work. These are good for averaging out the small mounds and uneven spots on a drive leaving a smooth, flat surface. Longer skids, with enough weight to keep the blades held to the surface is important here.

I spend a lot of time with both of these implements and can get good results with them. Most people here though don't have the time to spend to gain the skills required to operate a box blade well enough to smooth out a road. Their lives are filled with other things they need to do which I totally understand, but don't expect to be good with a box blade without countless hours of seat time.

 

[nybirdman]

Dry materials for sure;does not work well for sod.You can loosen sod with the scarifiers but you can't level it.As noted practice makes perfect.

 

[oosik]

The key to my learning - and I still am - how to use my box blade was the top link. I finally purchased a hydraulic controlled top link and now its a LOT easier. For me its all about how much you want to dig with each pass(steep or shallow angle of cut) to fill holes or move a lot of soil. Practice is the only way to become proficient.

 

[C4Ranch]

IMO, a good heavy box blade will help a lot in smoothing your grade and move you along the learning curve faster. Heavier it is, the better it will press and pack as you smooth. The cheaper and lighter ones will bounce as it encounters various material compositions and leave you with a less than desirable result.

That and, as others mentioned, a hydraulic top link.

 

[jenkinsph]

IMO, a good heavy box blade will help a lot in smoothing your grade and move you along the learning curve faster. Heavier it is, the better it will press and pack as you smooth. The cheaper and lighter ones will bounce as it encounters various material compositions and leave you with a less than desirable result.

That and, as others mentioned, a hydraulic top link.

C4Ranch,
I agree with everything you mentioned, my Gannon is 1260 lbs and 7' wide. But it is a lot of money for something the average home owner will use on a limited basis.



No one has mentioned it yet but the trick to box blading is having laser guided machine control. I am about half way there right now with the new laser and one receiver, hope to buy the rest of the parts next month. I am making the business pay for it as I go.

 

[Gmorin2217]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/122762-beginners-guide-using-box-blade.html. Pay close attention to the posts by 3RRL.

 

[sdef]

I am relatively new to my 710# roll over box blade (ROBB) but have enough hours on it to agree with most of the previous posts. My soil is very hard clay and very large rocks. There are numerous variables as mentioned by others.
- Weight is very important. I think the typical lightweight BB from most tractor suppliers and Craigs List (in my area anyway) would be sufficient only for sandy soil. My 6' ROBB is barely adequate for my very difficult conditions and could use a 1200# ROBB. But mine will do and a lighter weight BB would only skip across the top of the soil.
- Hydraulic top and side link is mandatory for the beginner to keep the frustration level down and actually make progress early on in the learning process. I use mine daily.
- Practice, practice and more practice. I have gotten pretty good with mine but it took some hours to get to this point. And again, the hydraulics shortened this learning/operational process greatly.
- I make more headway with wet/very damp soil that I do with hard packed. I first go through with the shanks down for a pass or two with the top link pretty short for more aggressive digging and then come back and drag the loosen soil with the bladed surface of the ROBB. I have to watch the ROBB nearly continuously as the large rocks can cause the ROBB to lift up and deposit everything before its time. At times I have to backup up a foot to get the ROBB back on the ground and picking up material again.
- 3PH draft control is very important and I use mine continuously.

I just received an ETA 7' landscape rake and am learning to use it to fine tune or give a finish grade to the soil prior to having gravel dropped off, including gathering up rocks smaller than basketball sized or so. And will primarily use the rake to spread the gravel using the gauge wheels.

 

[Marveltone]

Draft control, hydraulic TNT, and laser guided machine control are all wonderful tools, and I'm sure they'll all make grading and leveling easier, but for many of us, the financial outlays for this equipment is out of reach. I use older tractors because they fit my budget. It may take a bit more effort, but that's okay. I'm not in a race. Here's my take on box-blading:

1. Keep it slow! You'll need one hand on your steering wheel and one hand on your 3PH lift lever. Bumps and hills in your path will change the attitude of your tractor and implement. You'll want to be moving slow enough to compensate.

2. Weight is your friend. The more, the better. This goes for tractor and implement.

3. Adjust your top link to match conditions and the job at hand. I use a hinge-back blade, so what I do may very well be different from many others. In my case, a shorter top link lets it ride on the side plates and results in more of a scraping/smoothing operation, whereas lengthening it gives a more aggressive cut. (Fixed blades are opposite.)

4. Keep it slow. This ain't no land plane.

5. Make multiple shallow passes. Digging too deep and trying to do it in one pass will result in dips, hills and craters. Skim a little bit off at a time, spread it around and stop to see what it looks like. Repeat.

6. Did I mention speed? Good!

7. Patience! Like I said, I don't have the newest fancy equipment with the latest in gadgetry, but I can still get very good results with a box-blade... Provided I slow down, take my time, pay attention to what's going on at the point of engagement and adjust accordingly.

8. Practice. The more you do it, the better you'll get.

Joe

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I am relatively new to my 710# roll over box blade (ROBB) but have enough hours on it to agree with most of the previous posts. My soil is very hard clay and very large rocks. There are numerous variables as mentioned by others.
- Weight is very important. I think the typical lightweight BB from most tractor suppliers and Craigs List (in my area anyway) would be sufficient only for sandy soil. My 6' ROBB is barely adequate for my very difficult conditions and could use a 1200# ROBB. But mine will do and a lighter weight BB would only skip across the top of the soil.
- Hydraulic top and side link is mandatory for the beginner to keep the frustration level down and actually make progress early on in the learning process. I use mine daily.
- Practice, practice and more practice. I have gotten pretty good with mine but it took some hours to get to this point. And again, the hydraulics shortened this learning/operational process greatly.
- I make more headway with wet/very damp soil that I do with hard packed. I first go through with the shanks down for a pass or two with the top link pretty short for more aggressive digging and then come back and drag the loosen soil with the bladed surface of the ROBB. I have to watch the ROBB nearly continuously as the large rocks can cause the ROBB to lift up and deposit everything before its time. At times I have to backup up a foot to get the ROBB back on the ground and picking up material again.
- 3PH draft control is very important and I use mine continuously.

I just received an ETA 7' landscape rake and am learning to use it to fine tune or give a finish grade to the soil prior to having gravel dropped off, including gathering up rocks smaller than basketball sized or so. And will primarily use the rake to spread the gravel using the gauge wheels.

A couple of things, I agree that a 1200lb ROBB would be nice, but it has never been made. I have what I believe anyway, to be the largest heaviest Gannon ROBB that was ever built. 81" wide and 980lbs.

You might want to lengthen your top link to get the maximum from your rippers. You want your shanks to be straight down and the teeth will then be angled at the optimum angle. Your going to be down 10", so it will be a load on your tractor. Try it and see what you think.