Box Blade Question for a new guy

L3130 · Jun 16, 2006

Can someone explain how the a box blade works and what it is used for? I'm new to tractors and need to know weather to get a rear blade or box blade. I will be smoothing out a MX track that has ruts in some areas. What are the advantages of both? Thanks for the help to a newbie.....

Av8r3400 · Jun 16, 2006

I am more of a box-blaade fan than a rear blade fan, but that's because I could never make the rear blade work right.

The box blade allows you to, by adjusting the length of the top link, vary the amount of bite you are taking into the ground more than a rear blade. The side panals allow you to move more material around and will automatically fill low spots once the box is filled. Scarfer teeth will break up hard packed material and allow the box to carry it.

The rear blade can be angled which allows wind-rowing material which is more difficult (impossible?) with a box blade.

More experienced people may be able to add more for the rear blade.

john_bud · Jun 17, 2006

Oh, if you have lots of rocks neither a back blade or a box blade will work real well. But, the box blade with the scarifiers down will pull up a lot of rocks.

You don't have any rocks in NH, now do you? ;-)

jb

cheesehead · Jun 17, 2006

I'd recommend the box blade for your application. In buying a blade you'll want 6 feet of width for the L3130 to cover the full tractor width. The variables start from there. Get as heavy a unit as possible. Many people end up putting stuff on top of the blade to increase down force as the hitch uses gravity to hold the blade down, and hydraulic force to bring it up. It's best to get the weight from steel in the box blade as this increases durability. The scarifier teeth should be easily adjustable AND removeable. There will be times that the teeth just get in the way. The fanciest box blades have hydraulic level adjustment for the teeth. The old fashion way is to decrease top link length to achieve more ripper depth. Lastly, the blade should be built to push dirt as well as pull. Experience has shown that I get less "roller coaster" effect when I can back-up through the soft dirt on the driveway. I ended up with a Frontier which is made by Woods. It also gets extensive use as loader ballast.

Jibber · Jun 17, 2006

I like the box blade because it's excellent for spreading gravel. Of course, you could always get both. Eventually I'll get myself a rear blade as well because there are some things it will do that the box blade can't .. and vice versa.

L3130 · Jun 17, 2006

Box blade it is then. My dealer reccomended a 72" with a quote of 1075.00 is that about right? It's a land pride unit.

cheesehead · Jun 18, 2006

That's a good price if it's the BB2572. The 3/8" thick side plates are worth the investment.

Jibber · Jun 18, 2006

I have a 65" Bush Hog and I believe it cost under 600. Well built with 5 scarifiers. It does what I need it to do.. Some of the Land Pride units have more bells and whistles, including hydraulics. But their basic box blades are very similar in construction to the Bush Hogs.. Kubota also makes a nice box blade.. but as with most of the Kubota implements.. very pricey!

http://www.bushhog.com/turftoc.html

Bob_Young · Jun 18, 2006

Just paid $875 for the standard duty 65" Woods Box Blade. Think the model number is GBL65. Am using it behind my L4300, but haven't done alot with it yet. Typical Woods quality...hell for stout. Probably should've gotten 72" but the tractor manual said 65" was max. for my machine.

Was hoping the scarifiers would rip up the little saplings I see so much of in the area I'm grading. They do rip up some, but miss more than they catch.

Apparently they don't take much skill to operate. Like you, L3130, I'm new to the BB. However, it didn't take long for it to flatten out an area that started as a grown over pile of dirt and a bunch of well-driller tailings.
Bob