Adding weight to an underweight Box Blade (Woods BSE4 Heritage)

[Scooby074]

I have a woods BSE4 "Heritage" box blade I use behind my BX. It has never been good. It just skips along the ground regardless of angle of attack or length of the rippers. It's only good for tilled dirt!!! not hardpacked clay or gravel. Basically useless!!

The root cause is weight, its far too light to penetrate the ground at a mere 309 Lbs (6.4 lbs/in)

So I had to address it in order to try and get my backyard in shape.

Unfortunately I dont have any "in construction" pics but I'll answer any questions you have.

I went to the scrap yard and picked up a 8x4x.250 W beam.. 6' 95lbs. This size is crucial, and it was quite fortunate I found it because it fits a 4x8X16 concrete block between the flanges. The block measures 3.5X7.5" You'll see why the beam size matters in the finished pics $20

Then I needed something to support the block, got 48" of 2" channel. and 5' of 1/2" round bar $17. Then I got 12 4x8 solid concrete blocks, $25. Total for everything, $62!

Assembled product without brick, sorry for the crappy paint, It was all I had left in a spraybomb and wanted to keep it from flash rusting. I intend on painting the implement Kubota orange in the future when I add a receiver hitch to the centre rear of the BB.

The rod across the top will hold the brick in place.

Finished product. There is room for another brick.

In use. Before adding the weight all the rippers would do was scratch the surface. The cutting edge wouldnt even begin to cut in.

Finished weight:

309 lbs + 100 (steel) + 32 lbs/block * 13 blocks = 825 lbs. 17.2 lbs/in. A 269% improvement!!

The BX25 3pt is rated at 660 lbs @24" behind the lift points however the tractor has no issues lifting the BB even with a full load inside. Plus it is great counterweight for the loader. The BB finally preforms like I expected it to. I highly recommend that everyone with a light BB upgrades theirs and adds weight, the difference is truly night and day. Where before the BB was a toy, now its a tool!

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Nice job! :thumbsup:

Will another block fit in the center?

 

[Scooby074]

Nice job! :thumbsup:

Will another block fit in the center?

Yes. I added a block in the centre today. There is still about 2" gap. I jammed a piece of wood in to tighten the blocks and keep them from ratteling. If I can find a 2" block I'll probably stick it in there.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Yes. I added a block in the centre today. There is still about 2" gap. I jammed a piece of wood in to tighten the blocks and keep them from ratteling. If I can find a 2" block I'll probably stick it in there.

Sounds good. :thumbsup:

 

[Scooby074]

Ive used the improved BB for a couple days now.. Have to say the difference is amazing. It actually will take a cut now!! I may start a thread on my new lawn construction project using the BB

 

[Stihlrunner]

Nice work. I also recently added a section of railroad rail to the inside of my BB...what an amazing difference!

 

[94BULLITT]

How high is that box blade off the ground with the 3ph all the way up?

 

[bcp]

Must be different soils. I have the same blade and it works fine on my ground. But it is very sensitive to tilt. Just a few turns of the top link can change it from a dirt polisher to a digging machine.

Bruce

 

[Scooby074]

How high is that box blade off the ground with the 3ph all the way up?

Good question. Ill measure it next time its hooked up.

I dont know the exact measurement, but I noticed no difference in max height after adding the weight

 

[Scooby074]

Must be different soils. I have the same blade and it works fine on my ground. But it is very sensitive to tilt. Just a few turns of the top link can change it from a dirt polisher to a digging machine.

Bruce

Very hard clay here. The scarifiers just skip across the ground regardless of top link position. The added weight really helps performance on compacted gravel driveway as well.

 

[94BULLITT]

Good question. Ill measure it next time its hooked up.

I dont know the exact measurement, but I noticed no difference in max height after adding the weight

Thanks, I'd appreciate it, actually if you could just measure the lift arm pins to to the ground unhooked that would be good enough. I have a king kutter xb box blade and want to get something better. I know with a bx you have watch what you buy because they do not lift real high.

 

[Scooby074]

Thanks, I'd appreciate it, actually if you could just measure the lift arm pins to to the ground unhooked that would be good enough. I have a king kutter xb box blade and want to get something better. I know with a bx you have watch what you buy because they do not lift real high.

With the BB installed.

C/L of pins ~24" off the ground

Rear of BB 12"

Hope that helps:thumbsup:

 

[94BULLITT]

With the BB installed.

C/L of pins ~24" off the ground

Rear of BB 12"

Hope that helps:thumbsup:

Thanks, that does help. If see one on craigslist I'll get it if the price is right. I was worried that the bx may not pick it up high enough like my rake. If you go over uneven terrain it will barely drag.

 

[Dick]

Suggest you try experimenting on changing the angle of the rake without the cement blocks on the blade. In the longer term that might be a better solution.

 

[Scooby074]

Suggest you try experimenting on changing the angle of the rake without the cement blocks on the blade. In the longer term that might be a better solution.

All the angle changes in the world make no difference when the ground is hard as concrete. BTDT sometimes you need brute force ie: added weight to penetrate.

 

[FTG-05]

Nice work. I also recently added a section of railroad rail to the inside of my BB...what an amazing difference!

Yes, I know, old thread.

Having said that, how about pics of your install? Thanks!

 

[oldballs]

I just saw this thread, Scooby. Nice work. Recently I used my new BB to level a neighbor's back yard for a patio. He watered it down the night before. The rippers and blade worked pretty good in the dirt/gravel mix It is a 54 inch 335 lbs BB. The next day he wanted to go deeper for the base. Now it was getting tough. So I had this 225 lb guy ride on the back edge while holding on to the middle support. That really made a differance in cutting an even depth without the rippers down. Total 560 lbs made the differance. I hope he is around the next time the BB is on.