All your John Deere are belong to us

[dmccarty]

jeepinator,

I'm still laughing about your subject line.....

I would use a box blade. Like others said get one to cover your tracks. Also get a hydraulic toplink. It should only costs a few hundred and its worth the money. I need to regrade my "yard" and I'll do it with the box blade. If you can rent a Harley Rake that would be better but in my area there aren't good rentals for attachments.

I also have a 4n1 bucket which is very heavy duty. That could help fix up the lawn but its not required.

Later,
Dan

 

[jeepinator]

woops

 

[jeepinator]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Also get a hydraulic toplink.)</font>
Is this so you can set the angle? He did say I can raise and lower the box (probably an obvious and required feature), but what does this toplink do?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I also have a 4n1 bucket which is very heavy duty. )</font>
How does this differ from normal buckets? Please forgive me. I know very little about this stuff. Thanks!

 

[jeffinsgf]

Jeepinator:

The box blade is attached to the tractor with the 3 point hitch. Point 1 & 2 are down low and level with each other. The third point is up high and centered between 1 and 2. The "rockshaft" raises and lowers points 1 and 2, while point 3 pivots. The length of the arm running from the tractor to the implement on the third point (commonly referred to as the "toplink") controls the angle of the implement in relation to the ground and the tractor. If you shorten the toplink, a box blade will bite deeper into the ground. If you lengthen it, it will sort of slide across the existing grade. You can do this with the toplink that comes with the tractor, but it requires you to stop, get off, unlock a jam nut, make the adjustment, relock the jam nut, get back on, start the tractor, run for a few feet, realize you over-adjusted, stop the tractor, get off, unlock the jam nut.....I think you're getting the idea. A hydraulic toplink makes fine adjustments to the angle of the box blade quite easy. The adjustments are done from the seat of the tractor, while the implement is in use. For example: You've got a little hump you want to cut off and shortly thereafter a depression to fill. Driving over the hump you shorten the toplink, the box blade and rippers bite in, cut the hump off, and fill the box with soil. As you approach the depression you start feathering the toplink back out to start depositing the collected soil.

Some other random thoughts in response to this thread:

"Final Grade" and "Cat" (as in dozer) do not belong in the same sentence. If you really do need a dozer, you have some really rough ground, but even then, it will only do the "broad strokes". You're on the right train of thought with your tractor selection for the final grading and seed bed preparation.

If your property is rocky, the earlier mentioned "Harley Rake" or a "Preparator" are great rental implements for lawn creation. If not, a box blade and a landscape rake will get the job done. I just did about an acre of yard this past summer with a Preparator (rented for a week) followed by hours and hours of work with the box blade and landscape rake.

Good luck, and have fun. It sort of sounds like I am about 10 months ahead of where you are right now in terms of "estate" ownership.

 

[kude]

jeepinator,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But I can afford it and I want one really bad. )</font>

When I was a kid on our farm, my job was feed the chickens and hoe the garden. I'd see dad and my brother out in the fields cultivating with a tractor. One day I saw a Farmall garden tractor and thought gee why can't we get that. Nope. It was okay for me to get chiggar bites up the you know what. So it became a lifelong thing for me to get a garden tractor. I'm happy with it and don't have any regrets. If you like doing outdoor stuff, you'll do more with it.

If you can afford it get one, especially based on what needs to be done on your place.

The Toolcat is pricey, and new, and maybe overkill for the average property owner, but it it is interesting combo of utility vehicle and tractor. If I was a rental place I think this would the prime thing that I rent out. I have a friend who is always changing his landscape and he bought a used skid steer. It mostly sits around rusting, but it's there when he feels like using it. To each his own.

To me it might be more fun to rent different stuff and see what damage I could do, to my property that is, not the equipment.

 

[cford]

I was in your shoes this past summer. I spread 1500 yards of topsoil with the 2210, then the decision on what to do next. I ended up renting a skid steer with a Harley Yard Rake. It was the best money I spent, and I tried real hard not to spend it. (Coundn't get it out of my head not to use my tractor.) But it was well worth it. I don't think you can get the quality and speed out of a box blade, tiller or anything else like the Harley. You won't be disappointed.

 

[hilld]

A skid steer mount is a quick release system for loader attachments. Not only can you attach a bucket, but also grapples, forks, posthole diggers (need hydraulics) and many other attachments. The advantage is that the skid steer mount is a "standard" and attachments from other vendors will fit and you can even rent ss implements if needed.

The grapple I have bolts to the bucket I have (JD Construction bucket - pretty heavy - had to have the rear tires filled) and requires a 3rd SCV in order to operate. It works great, but in order to detach it, I have to unbolt it.

I hope this answered some of your questions.

Derek

 

[jeepinator]

jeffinsgf, thanks for taking the time to explain that to me. I called the dealer and asked him about pricing for the hydraulic toplink. He said that it would be quite expensive to add /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I asked why and he qualified by stating that it could be done cheaper through custom work (having someone make me what I needed and just buying the components (piston, etc)), but the JD parts to do it are in the thousands ($). And he mentioned that the solution involves using the mid SCV and ports? I am hoping he is wrong, yet I am hoping he is right because it sounds like a really handy feature but I don't want to think he doesn't know what he is talking about, if you know what I mean. Either way, it is amazing how helpful you and others have been. I really appreciate it!

I also asked about a wider box; no problem. He admitted that a wider one would have been a better suggestion. The upgrade is really inexpensive (about $75). The brand of the box is "Big B". Anyone ever hear of this brand?
The HD bucket is another $125. Easy decision there.

Finally, do you think a tiller will do me any good for the stuff I have mentioned so far? Seems expensive at about $2500 for the 665. But if I need it, hey, more toys! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Thanks again!

 

[jeepinator]

kude, I checked out the Toolcat. Now that is my speed! But not at all my price. Wow, has it been dipped in gold?

 

[hilld]

Big B is a decent brand - made right here in Beaverton, OR