Box Blade or Grader Blade

   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #1  

thunder86

Silver Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Messages
139
Location
Southern Indiana
Tractor
Bobcat ct4045
I have a kubota B2601 and live in southern Indiana. At my hunting property the drive is under water. I have mounds of dirt around knee some places higher that's full of creek rock from when the county put a bridge in. I'd like to smooth all these mounds down and build up my drive. I also have a mound of gravel sitting their from a previous owner. For ripping these mounds down then building up a section wide enough to drive on what's the best tool? I also want to make a ditch line around the drive and add drain tile if necessary.
Also other projects, in the woods where my food plots are going theres plenty of uneven ground I'd like to level out, small dips that make me uneasy driving over. Also my tractor causes ruts when clearing out I'd like to fix. Rocks, I have a lot of rocks and I'm thinking a box blade could help pull them out and keep them until I got where I wanted them. Lastly small sticks and brush left behind from clearing I'm thinking a box blade would be nice to have to rake those up. I have a loader but I'm terrible at getting things in the bucket, I often get off and put them in myself.

Long post sorry but expense investment.
Thank you,
David
 
   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #2  
You are planning heavy duty tasks for a 1,600 pound bare weight tractor with an FEL bucket capacity of around 7 cubic feet. This weight tractor is commonly used for property landscaping. You will have to discipline yourself not to force this light tractor.

Almost every tractor will rut the land if the soil is wet. Wait until land has drained to work it.

For consolidating sticks and brush a Ratchet Rake bucket attachment is very fine. Ratchet Rake will also assist in your grading.
NOTE: You cannot dig using your FEL bucket with a Ratchet Rake attached.
MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/375397-ratchet-rake-today.html

A decision for a Box Blade or an Rear/Angle blade could go either way. As I parse your post, transporting dirt short distances is much of what you want to accomplish, which favors a Box Blade. Land Pride BB1560 (60"/428 pounds) would be a reasonable choice. You are considering heavy work. You need a heavy Box Blade containing plenty of steel for strength and weight for cutting ability. Also, 428 pounds pretty fair Three Point Hitch counterbalance to ~~900 pound~~FEL lifts.

VIDEO: BB156 Box Blade - YouTube

(A 72" or 84" Rear/Angle blade would be the width needed to cover B2601 tire tracks when used on a 45 degree angle to windrow. Set perpendicular to transport dirt, a 72" or 84" rear blade would load too much dirt and stall your light tractor. Also, awkward.)

Rocks, I have a lot of rocks. Perhaps a box blade could pull them out and move where I want them.
When I purchased my tractor I ordered a Wood's tooth bar.

Use your Wood's toothbar to prize rocks loose. Box Blade or FEL bucket to transport detached rocks.


MORE FROM T-B-N ARCHIVE: Box Blade vs rear angle blade site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search


I want to ditch around the drive and add drain tile if necessary.

How many linear feet of ditch? How deep/wide does ditch need to be?
 
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   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #3  
You have been asked for your location in prior threads.

Add your southern Indiana LOCATION to your T-B-N PROFILE, so location shows with every post you author.
 
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   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #4  
The type of work your describing box blade would be better but do take it easy when ripping the ground,far as front loader just keep practicing you'll get the hang of it.
 
   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #5  
If this drive has any length or if you have any restrictions on time know that your machine is on the small side.

With that said I have a similar rocky property. I wouldn’t be without my Box Blade BUT I would waste my time and skip hydraulic Top and Tilt and hydraulic rippers. I’d also have a good grapple out front. My grapple is good for new roads etc. The tines will dig in and pop out rocks and stumps. It will also doze more material than you would expect.

Everything Attachments has a good selection of Box Blades and Grapples. I prefer the root grapple to the rock grapple. I like opening the root grapple and hand piling brush and slash on it. The rock grapple doesn’t hav a flat bottom.

Also check out BX Expanded. They have some neat stuff.

With all that said you are into several thousand bucks for implements. If this is on going, you may want to make this type of investment on a bigger machine. If it’s not ongoing it may be worth hiring someone to come in and at least rough out the shape. Then you could detail it out with your box blade (with TnT) and maintain it.
 
   / Box Blade or Grader Blade
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks for advice. I have considered getting a bigger tractor, maybe l39 series. I have seen the grapple buckets and wanting one badly but not going to put it on this tractor as I think it would be a waste. Much rather put it on a L series heavy tractor. I may hire out or rent a mini excavator.
 
   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #7  
Thanks for advice. I have considered getting a bigger tractor, maybe l39 series.

VIDEO: So you want to TRADE UP for a new Tractor? - TMT - YouTube

Kubota MX series walk around and features by Messicks. | MX48 MX52 MX58 - YouTube


Think HEAVIER, not BIGGER.


Within subcompact and compact tractor categories, a significant tractor capability increase requires a bare tractor weight increase of 50%. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!
 
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   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #9  
The type of work your describing box blade would be better but do take it easy when ripping the ground,far as front loader just keep practicing you'll get the hang of it.

Yep .
 
   / Box Blade or Grader Blade #10  
You have been asked for your location in prior threads.

Add your southern Indiana LOCATION to your T-B-N PROFILE, so location shows with every post you author.

Give it up already, geez.
 

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