Back blade question

bjorn773 · Mar 18, 2016

I got a deal on a back blade today but it was bigger than I thought when I arrived. I mainly want to use it for snow removal. Its an 8 footer, it was advertised as a 6. I'm contemplating cutting it down. Any disadvantage to this vs selling it and buying a 6. I think the extra weight might be advantageous on my driveway, like down pressure. But 8 is too big.

RedNeckRacin · Mar 18, 2016

If it's just for snow, it might be fine. I would angle thr blade and see how it covers your tracks before you unload it. As for your driveway, it's way to light of a blade for anything more than light smoothing.

Looking4new · Mar 18, 2016

How many hp is your tractor?
Figure 5 hp/foot of implement.

ovrszd · Mar 18, 2016

The hp/foot rule doesn't mean much for a rear blade. The intended uses is more important. Looks like the moldboard is homemade or shop built and then added to the blade. Previous owner probably wanted more coverage. Would be very easy to cut off some on each end. But, you might look at the sell and buy what you need method too. You'll decrease the value of the blade with each inch you cut off.

bjorn773 · Mar 18, 2016

27 hp and the wheels are 65" wide... it's about 1.47x the width of my rear wheels.

bjorn773 · Mar 18, 2016

Original intent was for snow removal, maybe some light grading.

Billrog · Mar 18, 2016

I'd sure be using it for a while before cutting it any shorter . That blade has a good feature being able to slide it more to one side or the other.

bjorn773 · Mar 18, 2016

I thought that might be handy... it's a pretty stout blade. I'll hold off on modifications til I use it.

/pine · Mar 18, 2016

I would not cut it...on an angle you will be glad it is as long as it is ...IMO...!

RjCorazza · Mar 19, 2016

More of a tractor weight factor. An 8' blade may push the rear of a lighter tractor around too much. Larger snows would still push the rear of my L3410 with loaded rears using a 7' blade.

chim · Mar 19, 2016

It might work fine as is. I have a 6' blade on my little Ford 1210 and I thought a 5 footer would be max. It wouldn't get far scraping dirt or crushed stone. For snow it's great.

Gary Fowler · Mar 19, 2016

With that blade, it would allow you to angle it more so there is less force trying to push the front end around OR slide the rear. You can angle it till the tip is just behind your rear wheels. The more angle the less side force is generated to move the load.
I wouldn't cut anything off till I determined from use that it wont function for the tractor.

Threepoint · Mar 19, 2016

Nice looking blade, but I think you'll find it's way too long for the weight of your tractor. My B2150HST w/ loader and filled rear tires is well-matched with a 6' blade. But the rear end will still want to scoot sideways in 6 to 8 in. of wet snow. My guess is you'll be plowing every 2 in. during a snowstorm.

Since it was priced as a 6 footer, I'd see if I could sell it for more than you paid before you try to cut it down.

brown40 · Mar 20, 2016

That sure looks like a Countyline from TSC with homemade swap on the adjustment bolts. You can certainly offset your leading edge so its closer to a tire... when its set most aggressively to one side or another the "footprint" is not so huge--probably near to six feet. Try it and see how it works--its not too heavy as is, and you can always cut it later.

bjorn773 · Mar 20, 2016

I used it for some light grading today. What I learned is that 8' just barely fits thru the gate to my back yard. I had it pivoted all the way to one side and still had to "hook" the tractor in. I don't anticipate using it back there often though.

bspeedy · Mar 21, 2016

My L3710 (4wd, loaded ag tires) and a 7-foot bush hog 50-07 blade has all it wants with deep wet snow - which is the only kind we get here!!

I'm guessing your tractor will have a hard time with that blade in a heavy snow. Blade may tend to float due to it's light construction, as well. I'd try to sell it as it is and get a 6-footer. Down here it should be worth 300-400 as it is. That money would get you a heavy brand-name 6-footer here, especially in the summer.

bjorn773 · Mar 22, 2016

Can someone post a pic of a "heavy" blade? This thing is made of 5/16 plate I'd guess and seems pretty darned heavy. I'd like to see what is referred to as a heavy 6 foot blade.

brown40 · Mar 23, 2016

It may not be the TSC one... if it is, it is light enough to "walk around" by hand using the 3pt arms. I have a very similar 7 foot TSC behind a lighter 37hp machine, and it is plenty for what force I can get to the ground. Their set-up being able to slide and pivot can get to extreme angles if need be... all manually done.
Heavier ones can weigh north of 100#/foot, and would paralyze a smaller machine. "Heavy" blades take higher stress than a smaller machine can apply, and are intended to be purchased based on the tractor (65-150+hp). An actual heavy blade would be useful only as an expensive external parking brake for a small machine, and are usually offered with set up to use hydraulics. They expect a lot of use and adjustment, where a lighter one may sit around 364 days/year.
I think its plenty heavy gauge for the application/tractor. Woods would probably be the easiest website to see heavy ones. The RB850 would be a heavier 8 footer at 818#.

LD1 · Mar 23, 2016

Gary Fowler said:
With that blade, it would allow you to angle it more so there is less force trying to push the front end around OR slide the rear. You can angle it till the tip is just behind your rear wheels. The more angle the less side force is generated to move the load.
I wouldn't cut anything off till I determined from use that it wont function for the tractor.

Not sure I agree with that. From my experience, the more you angle the blade, the more it tries to slide you sideways.

bjorn773 said:
Can someone post a pic of a "heavy" blade? This thing is made of 5/16 plate I'd guess and seems pretty darned heavy. I'd like to see what is referred to as a heavy 6 foot blade.

100lbs per foot is considered a heavy blade. The heavy blades all have some kind of substantial re-enforcement on the back side...soemthing more than a couple of angle slots to slide the blade.

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