box blade advice

[/pine]

There's no doubt about it that a bigger heavier bb can do many things faster...brute force will always win some battles but finesse and technique will overcome the lack of mere weight...
An embedded boulder or root etc...that is well deposited will still lift the heaviest bb up...

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I have a Kubota MX5100 HST (4wd). I am looking to purchase a box blade and was looking for advice on size. would this tractor be able to pull a 6 ft box blade? the loader is 6 ft and I can dig some pretty good holes with it.
I am looking to prep a dirt path to be able to put down gravel and an looking to go about 4 inches deep and 10 ft wide.

any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

You will not have a problem pulling just about any blade you can attach to your tractor. As everybody else has suggested, select a box scraper that is wider than your tractor's rear wheels by a few inches on either side. For example: as actually measured (rather than looking at spec sheets), my tractor is 78" wide from the outside edge of the left wheel to the outside edge of my right wheel. As a result, I went with a 84" box blade. On commercial box scrapers the weight of the blade isn't really a factor, but weight is a factor on non-commercial box scrapers.

Weight matters because three points on tractors do not supply any down force except what gravity supplies and so at any given size, heavier box scrapers are considered more useful than lighter box scrapers (unless you got that Deere tractor with an optional downforce kit). I've learned that the best way to work a blade is to get a hydraulic top link and adjust the angle of attack the front and rear blades contact whatever material you're grading. I've also learned that a hydraulic top link accelerates the learning curve of working your box scraper as it provides for rapid adjustments allowing the operator to quickly find out what works and doesn't work in a variety of circumstances.

 

[C4Ranch]

I have a Gannon 76" HD 4x2.

Perfect size and sticks out a couple inches from tire width (r4).

Would have gone 84" but this is what came up on Craigslist.

 

[docone]

I have the MX5100 and have no problem working the dirt with an 84" landpride BB. Grade my 600' road twice yearly, and do all manner of landscaping with it. Great combo in my opinion!