Some basic box blade questions

[Williy]

Thanks Ed,
And the blade will work on really hard packed calcihe?
I have a very hard time just trying to dig a big hole in
the calcihe with the rocks in it and I am using a B75 woods
backhoe.

Never used a blade or box blade.

Drive way is level with the lawn and we get very little
rain so no problem with water.

willy

 

[MechanicalGuy]

Using a blade when ;your tractor hits a bump your blade goes
up and leaves a lump more bumps more lumps???? So how
is a blade better than a box blade???

willy

I use my float valve on the blade angle so that it follows the Contour of the road at times.

 

[fried1765]

Thanks for that info. With a rear scrape blade, as a rule, should the blade be the same width as the tractor, particularly if the blade has offset capabilities?

The same width at a minimum!
The EA 6 way deluxe scrape blade has has a very easy to use offset system....better than most other blades I have seen.

 

[DieselBound]

My favorite two words (which my wife has grown tired of!): It Depends.

I've constructed pathways with a bunch of hauled-in material. Had to move a LOT of material. My box blade worked well for moving that material. And what I've found is that pushing is the ONLY real way to get something smooth, especially if you start out with a rough/un-even surface (such as I was doing).

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NOTE: Don't need a crown. Not the finish, but close.

My opinion is that a back blade (or a land plane) is great for maintenance, but a little less so for creation/construction. It Depends!

I'm fortunate in that my driveway is very stable and that over the course of 10 years it has required about zero maintenance. I had a back blade for my B7800, 6' I believe it was- it came with a purchase of a box blade that I was after, and I really never used it. Because I didn't use it don't mean that I think they aren't viable/useful, it was for MY use that one wasn't useful (as was/is the case, for me, a box blade).

Other than the "it depends" advice I'd have to qualify that my comments are based on MY experience, which others might note is of incorrect/misapplied thinking/use Your mileage may vary. It Depends!

 

[fried1765]

My favorite two words (which my wife has grown tired of!): It Depends.

I've constructed pathways with a bunch of hauled-in material. Had to move a LOT of material. My box blade worked well for moving that material. And what I've found is that pushing is the ONLY real way to get something smooth, especially if you start out with a rough/un-even surface (such as I was doing).

Attachments

• 
  IMG_20170607_163315368.jpg

  7.9 MB · Views: 220

NOTE: Don't need a crown. Not the finish, but close.

My opinion is that a back blade (or a land plane) is great for maintenance, but a little less so for creation/construction. It Depends!

I'm fortunate in that my driveway is very stable and that over the course of 10 years it has required about zero maintenance. I had a back blade for my B7800, 6' I believe it was- it came with a purchase of a box blade that I was after, and I really never used it. Because I didn't use it don't mean that I think they aren't viable/useful, it was for MY use that one wasn't useful (as was/is the case, for me, a box blade).

Other than the "it depends" advice I'd have to qualify that my comments are based on MY experience, which others might note is of incorrect/misapplied thinking/use Your mileage may vary. It Depends!

You are absolutely correct!
A box blade is designed for MOVING material.
A scrape blade is designed for grading/shaping material.

 

[DieselBound]

You are absolutely correct!
A box blade is designed for MOVING material.
A scrape blade is designed for grading/shaping material.

Each can do the other, but not as efficiently. That said, my "construction" work result had a very nice "shaped" (flat!) grade For wider work and crowning (in looser material) the back/scraper blade is the tool.

If the box blade has two scraper blades it can work forward and backward, though forward work isn't as controllable as backward. I don't think that a back/scraper blade can do the same. More of a "construction" function, though.

 

[dirttoys]

Thanks Ed,
And the blade will work on really hard packed calcihe?
I have a very hard time just trying to dig a big hole in
the calcihe with the rocks in it and I am using a B75 woods
backhoe.

Never used a blade or box blade.

Drive way is level with the lawn and we get very little
rain so no problem with water.

willy

Willy,

You found something the grader blade struggles with. You can set the top link to cut pretty aggressively, and the sharper the angle the more it will cut, you can add weight.

All that said, If I couldn't break it with a hoe, I wouldn't run a blade down it.

You will need: something with scarifiers, or a power rake, or some rain, or go through and scuff it all with the hoe or x.

Best,

ed

 

[Williy]

Thanks Ed

willy

 

[/pine]

...I have a new box blade that I bought 15+ years ago..... never used...

LoL...There are two kinds of tractor operators in this world...those that have learned how to use a box blade and those that haven't...!...Confucius says man who has mastered the box blade is like a man who can catch a fly with chopsticks...he can do anything...!!!

A box blade with hydraulic top & tilt is probably the single most (non powered pull behind) multi function
attachment ever invented...!

Do a search on YouTube...there are hundreds of videos that clearly show how to use a box blade to crown a road, grade/pitch a lane to one side or the other...repair soft spots and pot holes (using scarifiers) correctly and not just grade over them (pot holes etc.) filling them with loose material that will wash right back out...(this can not be done with a scrape blade)

A quality box blade will have both forward and backwards cutting surfaces on the blade itself...this blade functions the same as the cutting edge of a scrape blade...but with a hydraulic top link a box blade can be changed on the fly to go from cutting to smoothing in either direction...this can't be done with typical scrape blades..

When the top link is adjusted the forward cutting edge can be raised which lowers the rear cutting edge so when moving forward payload material will pass under the forward edge and be smoothed by the rear cutting edge as it leaves the box this works the opposite in reverse...

Other than tasks requiring offsetting and or angling the blade...there is very little a scrape blade can do that can't be done with a box blade with a practiced operator...

 

[jgoodma1]

Well, I want to thank everyone for all the comments. I'm learning a lot reading them. In the last week, I've been searching for a box blade, because I do have other needs for it besides the potential use on the driveway. So, today I've had a very good (I think) development; I found a 72" rollover box blade an hour and a half away from me for $575. I'm taking the plunge and picking it up tomorrow and I'm guessing it's either a Gannon or Gill, but the current owner doesn't know. I've attached a couple of photos. It is definitely category 1. After everything that has been said in this thread, I think I'm going to end up getting a back blade and a land plane, and then I should have all my needs covered. Getting the box blade at a good price makes that possible.