Rear blade recommendation for 45hp 4WD tractor

[roadhunter]

Roadhunter - never seen a trip edge on a grader blade? Hows that work out?

Many of the snow blades I have seen have them. Work great if you hit a concrete lip or something similar.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

This brings up several good points Brian. 1st, a heavier blade will "dig in" better. Does Ron want this to happen with a stone drive? Secondly, the heavier blade will put more stress on the tractor as it is lowered to ground level and becomes "unsprung weight". While Ron has a tractor with enough guts, some others reading this thread might think "bigger is better" and over size their tractor with a blade too heavy and that takes too much bite and carries more product out in front of it increasing the weight to over come even more. I agree with Brian's assessment of blade type. For your use, I do not think you need a blade much heavier than 400 -500 Lbs. Plenty strong enough to move snow while not being so heavy as to dig into your stone topping and carry it places you do not particularly care to have it to go.

Is this not why we have position control? I have an 1200 lb rear blade. I can set it to take a 1/4" bite. I do not have to allow it to take as big of a bite as it will possible take. I am all about getting the right size blade for the machine. Width has a huge factor in this, as well as weight. But the weight being controlled with the hitch allows for the material to be cut and moved instead of the light weight blade riding up and over the hard spots.

If all the OP is moving is a material that does not pack down, then yes a light weight blade will work, although even that will still ride up as the blade loads up. There is no substitution for implement weight, a person just needs to know how to make full use of it. That usually comes with a few hours of experience. And you have experience right after you needed it.

 

[gladehound]

This brings up several good points Brian. 1st, a heavier blade will "dig in" better. Does Ron want this to happen with a stone drive? Secondly, the heavier blade will put more stress on the tractor as it is lowered to ground level and becomes "unsprung weight". While Ron has a tractor with enough guts, some others reading this thread might think "bigger is better" and over size their tractor with a blade too heavy and that takes too much bite and carries more product out in front of it increasing the weight to over come even more. I agree with Brian's assessment of blade type. For your use, I do not think you need a blade much heavier than 400 -500 Lbs. Plenty strong enough to move snow while not being so heavy as to dig into your stone topping and carry it places you do not particularly care to have it to go.

I was thinking the same thing before you wrote it. I do not have the hard packed "concrete" ground that others here seem to have to deal with. So I probably don't need the heaviest blade. And my kids play with the gravel in the drive like it's beach (yes they build gravel castles.... opps, sorry, I mean "loose stone" castles). on the flip side, I've nearly broke my light blade with the 20hp tractor when catching the edge on a big root while landscaping (it stopped the tractor and when i backed up the blade went back to it's normal shape... no harm, no faul, but any furthur and it woudl have been permanently bent). That is why i don't even want to hook it to the bigger tractor. Why trash a good blade that is already a near perfect match for the 20hp tractor that I'm sending it away with.

Some other interesting comparisons... the ~400 pound RB26 series has a taller mold board, 17.5" rather than 17" on the ~600 pound RB37 series. So I think the RB26 series wins for snow removal where light weight (remember snow over loose stone) and high mold board would help - but probably not a noticable difference. For spreading stone I think either would work fine. There are times when lighter would be better and times when heavier would be better - so probably a wash here. Finally, for my ocational earth moving, obviously the heavier blade would grab more ground saving time - but this type of use is infrequent so not really an issue. But it is important to note that I am less likely to break the heavier blade doing something suppid. I do stupid things, so a valid consideration.

I don't see the mounting points for the hydraulic cylindar on the RB2684 even though it is listed as an option. Whereas on the RB3784 they are obvious. So I talked to a dealer and there is a $400 kit that you need before adding a cylindar.

He quoted $1100 for the RB2684 and $1600 for the RB3784. Both without hydraulics and I assume without any other options. Also said he can probably work those each down another $100. I have no idea if these are fair prices or not. However, compared to other blades they seem a good value for what you get. Once you factor in the price of the hyraulic kit on the RB2684, there is almost no difference. Then again, I know I guy who would probably fab up mounting hardward for free.

So I think it comes down to the deal I can get on each. I do like the land prides compared to others I've looked at.

Ron

 

[gladehound]

Is this not why we have position control?

Unforntunately, I don't have position control. But I do have bungie cords

 

[gladehound]

Unforntunately, I don't have position control. But I do have bungie cords

I meant that I don't have draft control because that's what I thought you were talking about based on your description.

 

[Underdog57]

This is what I did about a year ago;

"Thanks for every one's input here, I really learned a lot. I bought a Land Pride RB3784 ($1330.) & Hydraulic Angle Kit ($275.) It is a 7' blade and weighs 630#, can't wait to plow some snow with my new Tractor & Blade."

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I guess I just don't understand why any of you think that heavy is a problem. Do your 3pt controls only allow for full up or full down and nothing in between??? I understand that a person may not need heavy and therefore not want to pay for it, but to say that it is a problem I simply don't grasp the problem. :confused3:

 

[LD1]

I guess I just don't understand why any of you think that heavy is a problem. Do your 3pt controls only allow for full up or full down and nothing in between??? I understand that a person may not need heavy and therefore not want to pay for it, but to say that it is a problem I simply don't grasp the problem. :confused3:

I like heavy too.

Only time it is an issue is removing snow from a gravel drive. Which can be remedied by other means. (skid shoes or pipe). If I was buying a dedicated snow blade, I would buy about the lightest blade in the width I wanted. If for anything else, heavy is good.

While I dont have a 1200# blade. My 700# 7 footer is quite sufficient for my machine. Sure, heavier would dig in more, but then I couldnt move:laughing: @ 700# I have no trouble ripping up hard packed ground or driveway for repair. Bout the only thing it is less than stellar on is sod. But once sod is removed, it cuts in nicely.

 

[Underdog57]

Heavy is Good!!! I sure wouldn't want one any lighter than my 630# er.

I don't understand why everybody worries so much about digging into the ground when plowing snow. If the ground is not frozen yet I just push the snow with the back of the blade and once the ground is frozen I just drop it and go, in fact I do most of my snow plowing with the back side of the blade anyway.

 

[arrow]

I guess I just don't understand why any of you think that heavy is a problem. Do your 3pt controls only allow for full up or full down and nothing in between??? I understand that a person may not need heavy and therefore not want to pay for it, but to say that it is a problem I simply don't grasp the problem. :confused3:

Allow me to explain then. Ron has a stone drive. As a result of stones being pushed to the shoulders as it gets traveled on, stones meander to the fringes. Some might intermingle with the grass edges. In order to pick up and crown all the stone, the blade has to be set all the way down. A lighter blade mitigates the aspect of bringing in the grass that is torn up by a heavier blade. If you relinquish blade pressure by lifting even a little bit, you lose much of the periphery gravel you're trying to bring back in as it seems to have a knack of riding under the blade. This has been my experience when using a lighter 6 foot blade as opposed to when I use a friends heavy 7' blade.