Rear Blade 3 pt rear blade

[wedge40]

I use a 7' Woods HD blade for snow removal the last 5 years in Northern Indiana and it works great. I am pulling it with my Jinma 284, 4x4 tractor. It has a FEL and weighs 5,200# with me and the blade on it so its a heavy little beast.

Only thing I use the FEL for as far a snow goes is to push back the piles.

Here is a couple a pix's after a 14" dump a few weeks back.


Chris

Loaded tires?

Wedge

 

[ahlkey]

It is nice to hear that KingKutter does make some quality stuff and the HD-Series appears solid. I did call the KK factory and they surprising told me not to buy the lighter models that are sold at T & S or Fleet Farm given my intented use and the size of my 4X4 tractor. The guy I talked to was an old timer who knew his stuff and said while the HD model is roughly three times more expensive it is worth it. I now think I better jump on that HD demo price before it is gone. I also have fluid in my rear tires and add chains when ice storms hit.

 

[KenKubota]

When I bought my first tractor the dealer threw in a rear blade. I tried using for landscaping but found it next to useless. The blade goes up and down with the tractor and either digs in skims the surface. I switched to a landscaping rake with gauge wheels and found it much more useful. Now I only use the back blade for moving snow. It works very well especially when you want to pull snow away from a garage door or something. The FEL means that the snow piles can always be moved if they get in the way.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Loaded tires?

Wedge

Yes, just the rears with Windshield Washer Fluid Adds about 340#. The tractor alone weighs 3,800#, the loader is about 800#, the blade is 400#, and me at 165#.

I used to use this blade on the back of my Ford 861 but the Jinma will do twice the work being 4 wheel drive and having a diff lock.

Chris

 

[Ken45101]

When I bought my first tractor the dealer threw in a rear blade. I tried using for landscaping but found it next to useless. The blade goes up and down with the tractor and either digs in skims the surface. I switched to a landscaping rake with gauge wheels and found it much more useful. Now I only use the back blade for moving snow. It works very well especially when you want to pull snow away from a garage door or something. The FEL means that the snow piles can always be moved if they get in the way.

I assume you mean a scraper blade? Box blades do a better job of smoothing and levelling. But you are right that rake with gauge wheels works well if the soil is loose.

With patience and some skill, you can smooth things out with a scraper blade but the first rule is that you can only do a bit at a time. You have to work the dips and rises out.

A previous poster mentioned a "BB". I'm not sure if that's a "back blade" or a "box blade".

Ken

 

[john_bud]

When I bought my first tractor the dealer threw in a rear blade. I tried using for landscaping but found it next to useless. The blade goes up and down with the tractor and either digs in skims the surface. I switched to a landscaping rake with gauge wheels and found it much more useful. Now I only use the back blade for moving snow. It works very well especially when you want to pull snow away from a garage door or something. The FEL means that the snow piles can always be moved if they get in the way.

Not to be mean or anything, but back blades take skill, experience and proper set-up to be used effectively. The angle of attack is crucial. About 10x more important than with a box blade. Even 1 or 2 turns of the top link can mean the difference between working well and frustration.

It takes about 10 - 20 hours working a box blade to get to understand it's moods and be able to adjust for changes in the terrain and soil compaction/composition. Multiply that by 2-5x for a back blade. That whole situation is made worse when the blade is too light to engage the ground effectively. Now put training wheels on one and you can be a pro in an afternoon.

If you've ever watched a pro with 20+ years experience you'd think they were the simplest tool to use to make the ground smooth and dead flat.

 

[MJPetersen]

Now put training wheels on one and you can be a pro in an afternoon.

John, That is so funny and so true. I have run heavy equipment for years and understand about skill necessary to smooth things. But on my very short wheel base Yanmar 1510 the rear blade was just impossible to use in any kind of a situation where it could get a bite. the resulting "whoop-de-doos" would make you think of the mechanical bull at the fair. However, with the addition of the guage wheels ("training wheels) it was super easy to get it all super smooth. A pro in an afternoon. Yep it is true.

Mike

 

[mojoinco]

Good timing for this discussion: Are the gauge wheels mounted at the ends of the blade or as an idler behind the rear pivot?

 

[Ken45101]

John,

Good post. Now maybe by the time I'm 90, I'll be halfway good at it

Ken

 

[AKfish]

I kinda use the same setup as Radioman.
BB to pull snow from buildings also extend blade to right side sort of winging back the snow banks.

Front plow attach to bucket for quick plowing,than quick pin pull allow to use bucket.

Visit farm auctions etc. they have good second/third hand plow setup at low cost.

Been useing my setup for 13 plus years never had problem.

Pretty slick bit of engineering there, Thomas. I'd like to see the wood stove that you plunk those half rounds into, too!

I'd have to hire the neighbor kids to come over and load the stove...

AKfish