Back Blade Offset Function - Do You Use It?

[Keuka]

My tractor is a Kubota L35, Loader/Backhoe. I don't have any rear remotes or attchments other than the loader & hoe. I have about 800 feet of crushed stone drives and a few parking areas. I'm also thinking of snow removal as my walk behind blower is getting old. I live in the Finger Lakes region of New York and we do get a few good snow storms each season.

I have to do some excavating and grading for a 3 to 4 bay storage barn. I have the drives to maintain, fine grade and touch up the stone each spring. I'm thinking seriously of adding a three spool rear hydraulic remote system. I'm thinking a back blade that offsets and a high quality york type rake.

I considered a box blade and a drag type grader box. I'm just not real sure what would work the best on the touch up work on the drives. I'm thinking a rear blade would do the snow removal and maybe some fine grade if I had hydraulic controls. The york rake would rake the stone and dress off the drives. I've also read a few posts on here about using a york rake for snow removal.

One problem that's a real pain is weeds in the drives and parking areas. I own a summer camping area and the drives look great untill the @#$%^& weeds start again. I Round Up 2 to 3 time a year but they just come back after a few weeks. Round Up advertises that it kills down to the roots and thats seems to be true. It doesn't kill the roots. I'm thinking a back blade and york rake would break up a destroy the root system when the ground is soft, after the spring thaw. The rake would also work up the stone and hopefully bring it back to the surface.

I'd like to have all the various toys but cost and storage is a concearn. I'm a firm believer in buying quality tools. They always pay for themselves and I'd rather do with out untill I can buy something that will last. I'm probably not much different than everone else on here.

 

[boggen]

My tractor is a Kubota L35, Loader/Backhoe. I don't have any rear remotes or attchments other than the loader & hoe. I have about 800 feet of crushed stone drives and a few parking areas. I'm also thinking of snow removal as my walk behind blower is getting old. I live in the Finger Lakes region of New York and we do get a few good snow storms each season.

I have to do some excavating and grading for a 3 to 4 bay storage barn. I have the drives to maintain, fine grade and touch up the stone each spring. I'm thinking seriously of adding a three spool rear hydraulic remote system. I'm thinking a back blade that offsets and a high quality york type rake.

I considered a box blade and a drag type grader box. I'm just not real sure what would work the best on the touch up work on the drives. I'm thinking a rear blade would do the snow removal and maybe some fine grade if I had hydraulic controls. The york rake would rake the stone and dress off the drives. I've also read a few posts on here about using a york rake for snow removal.

One problem that's a real pain is weeds in the drives and parking areas. I own a summer camping area and the drives look great untill the @#$%^& weeds start again. I Round Up 2 to 3 time a year but they just come back after a few weeks. Round Up advertises that it kills down to the roots and thats seems to be true. It doesn't kill the roots. I'm thinking a back blade and york rake would break up a destroy the root system when the ground is soft, after the spring thaw. The rake would also work up the stone and hopefully bring it back to the surface.

I'd like to have all the various toys but cost and storage is a concearn. I'm a firm believer in buying quality tools. They always pay for themselves and I'd rather do with out untill I can buy something that will last. I'm probably not much different than everone else on here.

sounds like a pull behind grader box. would be ideal for you. it pulls up the sunken down rocks, kinda sifts the rock and dirt so the dirt goes down and rocks come back on top. this would remove the "dirt" that the roots of the weeds are growing in.

just scraping, and pulling and pushing the rock around. will not do a lot of good if the dirt is still mixed in.

hope that made sense.

you could most likely rent a grader box for a few days. to get majority of things done. and be done with it for a few years to come. check your local tractor stores. and "machine rental" stores.

 

[JoeL4330]

My tractor is a Kubota L35, Loader/Backhoe. ... I'm thinking a back blade that offsets and a high quality york type rake.

I I'm thinking a rear blade would do the snow removal and maybe some fine grade if I had hydraulic controls. The york rake would rake the stone and dress off the drives. I've also read a few posts on here about using a york rake for snow removal.



I'd like to have all the various toys but cost and storage is a concearn. I'm a firm believer in buying quality tools. They always pay for themselves and I'd rather do with out untill I can buy something that will last. I'm probably not much different than everone else on here.

As I recall, the York rake offers an optional "blade" that flips down and that might scratch several itches for you ..., again as i recall, you can have your tilt, angle and offset ...eat your cake and have it, too. [and, as I recall, they offer end-plates for it so you begin to approximate a box blade]

As for hydraulics, they are great, but most of the "fine tuning" (which is a lot easier said than done) is with the hydraulic lift of you 3ph, which you already have ...

hydraulic top-n-tilt is great but I don't think you will be driving along and tickling either of them ..."top" would just change the angle of attack of the tines/blade (that is, how aggressively it/they contact the surface); "tilt" would permit a little crowning/ditching (especially if offset) but, again, not something that you normally twiddle continuously while moving ...so, not much "fine tuning" gets done in my experience ...if you have another hydraulic port, you could power-angle the rake/blade although, again, not much fine-tuning while moving in my experience.

One thing I do have on my back blade and my box grader, is a hydraulic tail wheel ...and that I do twiddle on the move ...it adjusts the depth of cut, which changes as you go up and down little hills, so I correct on the move ... [if you are counting, top-n-tilt, angle and tail wheel uses up more than the usual 3 ports ...in fact, I have added 6 rear remotes and use them all when my blade is on the tractor ...but, that's probably overkill for most]

So, generally not a lot of fine-tuning on the move gets done, even with hydraulic-everything ...but overall hydraulics sure help me in not having to get on and off the tractor many, many times and, your legs and back will thank you if you install the hydraulics.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

JoeL4330, while you did say that you do not adjust much while moving and you apparently have all the hydraulic accessories requiring 6 rear remotes, :thumbsup: a lot depends on existing circumstances. When I am grading, it seems like I am adjusting something at least every few minutes. There are many others on TBN that have indicated that they too are constantly adjusting their implements, some of them are professionals and are always working with different conditions. When I regrade my road, yes I can go the full mile length and only need to adjust a few times, but when grading rough or virgin ground I am constantly adjusting my side link to accommodate the changing terrain.

Just my experience and other info that I have read here on TBN.

 

[JoeL4330]

JoeL4330, while you did say that you do not adjust much while moving and you apparently have all the hydraulic accessories requiring 6 rear remotes, :thumbsup: a lot depends on existing circumstances. When I am grading, it seems like I am adjusting something at least every few minutes. There are many others on TBN that have indicated that they too are constantly adjusting their implements, some of them are professionals and are always working with different conditions. When I regrade my road, yes I can go the full mile length and only need to adjust a few times, but when grading rough or virgin ground I am constantly adjusting my side link to accommodate the changing terrain.

Just my experience and other info that I have read here on TBN.

Yes, I was only recounting my own experience ...I don't know about virgin terrain, my use is road maintenance and the road is pretty much crowned/sloped correctly and "tilt" is either set to maintain same, or to ditch, but that's generally not being constantly adjusted ...and, perhaps the reason I don't fiddle much with "top" is that I can control the tail wheel which, in turn, fine tunes the bite ...but, still, that's just me, as you point out. thnx

 

[KWentling]

One thing I do have on my back blade and my box grader, is a hydraulic tail wheel ...and that I do twiddle on the move ...it adjusts the depth of cut, which changes as you go up and down little hills, so I correct on the move ... [if you are counting, top-n-tilt, angle and tail wheel uses up more than the usual 3 ports ...in fact, I have added 6 rear remotes and use them all when my blade is on the tractor ...but, that's probably overkill for most]

Finally someone mentions a tail wheel. Absolutely the best add on for a blade. I made one for my old 8' blade and my new 10' that was supposed to be delivered today but wasn't due to our morning blizzard, has one. This new blade will have hydraulic offset as well as the other three functions I have had on the 8'. So I need 4 outlets now. I'm going with two splitters on the blade to be operated off the tractors two remotes. I'm curious what you run off six remotes on your blade?

Kim

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Finally someone mentions a tail wheel. Absolutely the best add on for a blade. I made one for my old 8' blade and my new 10' that was supposed to be delivered today but wasn't due to our morning blizzard, has one. This new blade will have hydraulic offset as well as the other three functions I have had on the 8'. So I need 4 outlets now. I'm going with two splitters on the blade to be operated off the tractors two remotes. I'm curious what you run off six remotes on your blade?

Kim

My guess is 2 for "TnT", 4 for his rear blade, 1st for angle, 2nd for offset, 3rd for blade tilt, 4th for tail gauge wheel. 6 total, I think that there are a few guys that have been on TBN that have this setup.

I would be happy with 4, I just use the tilt on the 3pt and I don't have a gauge wheel. But for now I get by with 3 and use manual offset for my rear blade.

 

[JoeL4330]

On the money ...T&T, blade tilt, angle, offset and tail wheel ...and, yes, love the hydraulic tail wheel ...

The "tail wheel" I have on my box-like blade is actually a roller, but serves same purpose (in addition to rolling) by subtly adjusting the depth of cut ...love it, and the recent monsoon did quite a job on my 1/2 mile uphill, winding driveway, which I am in the process of regrading.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

On the money ...T&T, blade tilt, angle, offset and tail wheel ...and, yes, love the hydraulic tail wheel ...

The "tail wheel" I have on my box-like blade is actually a roller, but serves same purpose (in addition to rolling) by subtly adjusting the depth of cut ...love it, and the recent monsoon did quite a job on my 1/2 mile uphill, winding driveway, which I am in the process of regrading.

JoeL, what brand of blade do you have and model number? Any pictures, single or double tail wheel? Any pics of your roller tail wheel? I love to see this stuff. :thumbsup:

 

[taborekle]

I use to have a smaller Land Pride blade that just covered my wheel tracks. I offset the blade, so that I could shove the snow windrows further to the side. Without the offset, I would have had to drive the tractor over the windrow for the blade to address it. With the offset I could push the windrow over a little with each pass (at least until it got so big that the tractor wasn't heavy enough to push it).

I've since gotten a bigger/heavier blade.

Larry

 

[JoeL4330]

Landpride RBT35 series, 8ft. ...the pic says it all

 

[JoeL4330]

sorry, you also asked for info about roller "tailwheel" on box grader ...
this link will take you there:
Roller Option
and, here is a pic from their site ...I will try and get some pix from my setup, but as you can see, the hydraulic cylinder extends the roller to effectively adjust the cutting height ...and, when fully extended, puts all the (considerable) weight of the implement on the roller for compaction. I would say, though that my 8' version (needed to cover my rears) with the roller is a beast and right at the limit of what my tractor can handle.

Incidentally, on the landpride blade, above, I have the toplink set up with a swinging toplink (HF) to permit the blade to respond to the "commands" of the tail wheel more easily.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Landpride RBT35 series, 8ft. ...the pic says it all

Someday I would like to get an RBT3584 for my smaller tractor. I am a cheap skate though and will stay with the skid shoes like I have on my RBT45108 instead of the tail wheel.

Have you found that you use both the "TnT" tilt along with the blade tilt?

 

[JoeL4330]

do I use the two tilts (3ph and blade tilt) together? ...only for serious ditching

 

[djradz]

My tractor is a Kubota L35, Loader/Backhoe. I don't have any rear remotes or attchments other than the loader & hoe. I have about 800 feet of crushed stone drives and a few parking areas. I'm also thinking of snow removal as my walk behind blower is getting old. I live in the Finger Lakes region of New York and we do get a few good snow storms each season.

I have to do some excavating and grading for a 3 to 4 bay storage barn. I have the drives to maintain, fine grade and touch up the stone each spring. I'm thinking seriously of adding a three spool rear hydraulic remote system. I'm thinking a back blade that offsets and a high quality york type rake.

I considered a box blade and a drag type grader box. I'm just not real sure what would work the best on the touch up work on the drives. I'm thinking a rear blade would do the snow removal and maybe some fine grade if I had hydraulic controls. The york rake would rake the stone and dress off the drives. I've also read a few posts on here about using a york rake for snow removal.

One problem that's a real pain is weeds in the drives and parking areas. I own a summer camping area and the drives look great untill the @#$%^& weeds start again. I Round Up 2 to 3 time a year but they just come back after a few weeks. Round Up advertises that it kills down to the roots and thats seems to be true. It doesn't kill the roots. I'm thinking a back blade and york rake would break up a destroy the root system when the ground is soft, after the spring thaw. The rake would also work up the stone and hopefully bring it back to the surface.

I'd like to have all the various toys but cost and storage is a concearn. I'm a firm believer in buying quality tools. They always pay for themselves and I'd rather do with out untill I can buy something that will last. I'm probably not much different than everone else on here.

I think the landscape rake would work well for the work you describe, but I'd highly recommend the use of gage wheels on your rake. These will help you to not end up digging too deep in areas and keep you from having to make constant adjustment of the 3-pt as you go along.

Regarding your weeds; You should probably add a pre-emergent herbicide to your Roundup that will remain in the soil. If you select the right product, you should not have to do it again unless you disturb the surface substantially. I suspect you really are killing the roots, but every time you grade, you mix in more weed and grass seed and give these a nice opportunity to sprout and grow.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Trenching between gate posts.

 

[allen in texas]

I think the landscape rake would work well for the work you describe, but I'd highly recommend the use of gage wheels on your rake. These will help you to not end up digging too deep in areas and keep you from having to make constant adjustment of the 3-pt as you go along.

Regarding your weeds; You should probably add a pre-emergent herbicide to your Roundup that will remain in the soil. If you select the right product, you should not have to do it again unless you disturb the surface substantially. I suspect you really are killing the roots, but every time you grade, you mix in more weed and grass seed and give these a nice opportunity to sprout and grow.

That's what I was going to say, about the weeds I mean.
Round up kills the plant all the way to the roots. Doesn't kill seeds. Weeds come back from seed mostly.
Next time you grade, spray a pre-emergent first and your grading will incorporate the chemical into the soil. It will kill seed for about 3 months.
Have you considered a soil sterilant? The right kind applied properly can keep the ground free of ALL vegetation for up to three years.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Maybe I missed it, but one thing not mentioned that the swing is also good for is allows you to turn the 7foot + blade around without unhooking> You can swing to far position, turn the blade to center then swing to the other side to finish the turn. It gives you enough room to clear the wheels. You man need to shorten the 3 arm to have it tilted enough to clear the lift arms but it works at least it did on a big #1500 Rhino blade we had once.