Buying Advice Box blade or rear blade?

[rScotty]

Get a back blade yhat has as many adjustments as possible. Yes, a back blade is surprisingly difficult to learn how to use well. It takes time.
Good ones do tend to cost more. Keep in mind that a good used back blade seems to me to work every bit as good as a new one. If you are in doubt about which one to get, go for the one with the heaviest construction even if used. After that, go for more adjustability.
All back blades will angle, and most will reverse the blade. It does that because that is how you pull it with the blade reversed in "smoothing mode". Reversing the blade is NOT for pushing dirt in reverse; that will bend most medium blades.

Other adjustments are offset from side to side, and angle tilt. Handy, but not essential. Even more sophisticated blade accessories are level adjusting shoes or a trailing wheel and removeable end caps.

But while you are learning the tricks of how to use a back blade as it was designed, you can use it with the blade reversed and lots of weight piled on top of the implement.
That is how you a blade is used in "smoothing mode", and it's easy to do and will do a lot for you. You will be surprised at how good a job a green horn can do at smoothing.

It's for when you basically have a good driveway, but it is in need of smoothing out the ruts and moving the top dressing around to be more even. Even ruts a foot deep.
From your photos, It looks like that is what your drive needs.
Using a back blade with the blade reversed will still give you the ability to improve the driveway a lot without making the usual learning mistakes. And there is lots of experimenting you can do even with the blade reversed.
For example you can experiment with float, "home made level adjusting shoes", and also home made end caps.
enjoy,
rScotty

 

[MAD777]

I have a bit shorter driveway in the mountains New Hampshire and I could not live without my back blade for snow removal. It will also do a fair job of maintaining the driveway in other seasons, so it is very versatile. Mine is a EA 6-way blade at 84" wide. I wouldn't consider a smaller blade even on my 25hp Kioti CK2610HST.
A box blade will do a better job maintaining driveways outside of snow season and be versatile enough to work fields, etc.
A land plane will do best for driveway maintenance, again without snow, but is a one trick pony.

 

[airbiscuit]

Get a heavy rear blade with tail wheel.

 

[PEJ5]

Based on your tractor size, if you decide on a blade go with an 8 foot blade, not 7 foot To get a smooth driveway and avoid washboarding you will want to drag with an angle set on your blade. This means the width is reduced so a wider blade is preferred.

 

[airbiscuit]

Based on your tractor size, if you decide on a blade go with an 8 foot blade, not 7 foot To get a smooth driveway and avoid washboarding you will want to drag with an angle set on your blade. This means the width is reduced so a wider blade is preferred.

Yep...

 

[DKCDKC]

Got a mile long gravel drive up and down hills and with plenty of curves. Beautiful drive through a forest. I have a blade and a box-blade. I rarely use the scraper blade for more than snow removal and, once a year, pulling some gravel back on the driveway. But the box blade does a great job. You can lengthen or shorten the top link (I'd get an hydraulic top line but my tractor has no remote for it) depending on the condition of your drive and what you want to do. Best way to see what different angles do is to simply try them. But I have another tool as well that does a really good touch-up job - my ratchet-rake on my FEL. It is great for grading out minor imperfections and bumps - also for pulling out boulders that may rise into the drive. I've used these tools now for almost 20 years and my drive looks pretty good. My BB has now worn so much on the sides that I'm getting some steel plates welded on to return it to like new.

 

[CobyRupert]

Got a mile long gravel drive up and down hills and with plenty of curves. Beautiful drive through a forest. I have a blade and a box-blade. I rarely use the scraper blade for more than snow removal and, once a year, pulling some gravel back on the driveway. But the box blade does a great job. You can lengthen or shorten the top link (I'd get an hydraulic top line but my tractor has no remote for it) depending on the condition of your drive and what you want to do. Best way to see what different angles do is to simply try them. But I have another tool as well that does a really good touch-up job - my ratchet-rake on my FEL. It is great for grading out minor imperfections and bumps - also for pulling out boulders that may rise into the drive. I've used these tools now for almost 20 years and my drive looks pretty good. My BB has now worn so much on the sides that I'm getting some steel plates welded on to return it to like new.

...but what if you're like the OP and can only have one?
Would you live without the scraper blade and use the BB for snow removal and to clean out the ditches and pull material back onto the driveway?
Or would you live without the BB and use the scraper blade?

 

[deezler]

I dont understand limiting oneself to one tool. You need both!

The box blade (w/ teeth/rippers/scarifiers) is how you really disturb and churn material. If your drive needs heavy repair, you may have to attack it with this. Also will be your primary rear tool for landscaping DIRT, pulling it up, and dragging short distances, and smoothing.

The rear grader blade is best for pulling material on angles, into the center of the road, for restoring your crown, and smoothing the surface. Flip it around backwards for a more gentle attack. Also useful for cutting ditches (angle it hard into the ground), and of course, snow removal.

Get both. Look on craigslist, they are only $400-500 apiece.

 

[DKCDKC]

My problem with a choice is that the two implements have specific uses for me. The BB is primarily what I use for driveway maintenance. I also tilt it to dig or clean ditches. I can use it in reverse to level problem areas and neaten hillsides. The blade is used primarily for snow removal - for which a BB is totally useless. I have a limited budget - retired and all that - so my solution has been to purchase used implements. Everything I have except my JD tractor was purchased used. And I can tell you my BB and blade together cost a lot less than either new. Since these devices are very simple and open, it is easy to examine them and make sure you are getting a usable implement. It's hard to buy a dud if you simply keep your eyes open.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Thanks for recent replies. Since I'm buying a new tractor with a whole lot of stuff, I'm really trying to limit the "whole lot of stuff" part so that I survive this current financial craziness. (****, I probably need to add a shed for the attachments too, ouch). I already know I'd love to have both, but ONE for this year.

Based on what I'm reading it's probably the scraper. Most of the work this year is about repairing existing grades/crowns, and for the rougher portions I intend to bring in some truckloads of gravel to add a few inches and spread/grade/crown it with the scraper. (Hoping for tailgate spreads from the trucks bringing in the gravel, not sure if that will work in the forested portions). I hope that will be adequate, and of course the pro-BB entries eat away at my thoughts on this

As for ditch maintenance, that is problematic and people haven't weighed in too much on that. Those ditches are so variable in their size, the forest cruft that lands in them, and whether or not they have dirt under them or bedrock (which won't be good for any metal stuff scraping it, I think). I'd like to use the tractor to keep them clear, but it may be hopeless and require much shovel/rake time on my part
(or not, my back just won't do much of that).

Anyway, I appreciate all the feedback.