Grading blade vs. box

[chrisjbell]

Get a box blade. They are a bit more expensive than a straight blade but are much more useful. I have a straight blade and have rented a box and wish I'd spent the money up front on a box.

The straight blade isn't useless, but the box blade is much more useful.

 

[B7500]

I think it is finally sinking in. The "box" is not a box with a bottom that fills with dirt instead it's a "U" shaped box that moves dirt.
Correct?
-Terry

 

[Casimir]

B7500:

When you tilt the box forward by shortening your top link, the front blade of the box hits the ground before the rear blade does, causing the box to dig if the soil is soft enough. When the box is full, you raise the 3-pt hitch slightly, so the box drags the material to wherever you want to drop it. When you get to the low spot you are trying to fill in, you slowly lift the 3-point while you are moving, and the material spills out the bottom until the box is empty. Lifting the 3-pt hitch quickly will leave a pile as the box lifts up over the material you have been dragging.

For final smoothing and leveling, lengthening the top link will tip the box back so the back blade hits the ground first and the front blade will ride just above the surface. Driving in circles, figure 8's, walking ovals, or similar patterns to hit all of the area from a number of different angles helps to smooth everything out.

Hope this helps. You have to really try it or see one in action to truly understand how they work. But the Box Blade is one of my most useful implements.

 

[Hambone]

There ya go! On the open part of the "u" is where the adjustable scarifers (teeth) are located.

 

[MLB]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My 2 cents is that having the box scraper is the way to go. I have found that I can do almost everything I need to with one. After using a number of different implements I have settled on a box scraper and a home made 7'x7' steel drag for smothing and leveling.

Finances allowing I would also get Top n Tilt.

I am almost always using just the rear wheels unless there is a slope or the surface is slippery (muddy, sandy, etc). )</font>

Wussy soil you got there /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Around here (CLAY) you can't pull a box ANY time in 2wd.

 

[BB_TX]

You got it now, Terry. You collect the dirt in the open box as you move. Then you can either drag the whole load to a new location. Or you can raise the box slightly and let the collected dirt gradually fall out as you move. The first is how you move dirt from a high area to a low area. The latter is how you fill in the low spots as you move.
Get a box blade with both a forward facing blade and rear facing blade. Both blades are at the rear of the box. The rear blade will be hinged so that it rides up over the dirt when going forward. But cuts when going backward. That makes it more versatile.

 

[B7500]

Thanks Bill,
Yes I do understand how it works now. I can see why most everyone says it's a must have implement.
I'm going to order one.

Terry

 

[jmc]

In defense of a grader blade...

A box blade can't move stuff sideways (like snow) because you can't rotate it like a grader blade. Still, if I only had one, I'd rather move snow with a box blade than work dirt with a grader blade.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You can with the right size machine

 

[Mark4510]

Roberts,
I took some 2" angle iron that is 7' long to form a drag that has 2 rails lenghtwise with 3 similar pieces running across the length. I drag this to really smooth out the surface. I use this on my gravel service road and on the horse arena.

Usually I use one or the other but when I get a couple of truck and transfer loads of sand in the arena, I hook the drag to the ripper teeth with a chain to the box scraper. This allows me to move larger amounts of materials in the box scraper and then smooth it out with the drag. The smoother surface makes my next pass over the area that much easier.

It seems to save me a bit of time.