Box blade size

Ned_Horning · May 29, 2003

I just ordered a JD 4310 (32 HP) tractor and would like to get a box blade. The primary use will be to maintain a one-quarter mile dirt driveway and clear some areas currently under brush cover. I’ve been looking at the Frontier/Woods (they are the same I think) and Monroe Tufline since they seem to be pretty tough and have welds instead of bolts (like Midwest and First Choice). The soil here is primarily glacial till (extremely stony loam) so I am under the impression I need something fairly durable. I am thinking of getting a 5.5 or 6 foot box. My FEL is 62 inches and the tires will be set to approximately the width of the bucket. Now for the questions:

- Is my assumption that welds are tougher than bolts accurate and significant?

- Would a standard duty box be sufficient or is the medium duty a “must”?

- Is the hinged tailgate a valuable option? This is only available on the medium duty boxes.

- The horsepower ratings for these boxes seem very conservative. The 6 foot medium duty boxes are at the extreme limit for my tractor and the salesman I am dealing with is encouraging me to keep the box as small as possible (5 - 5.5 ft.) and stick with the standard design since those would fit my tractor power better. Do you think a 6 foot medium duty box is too big? The medium duty Tufline volume for a TB272 is 21 cu. Ft. and the Frontier medium duty box volume is 19 cu. Ft.

Any other pointers are welcome. Thanks for reading…

icat · May 29, 2003

I have the same HP on my Kubota L3130 and I went with the Bush Hog SBX720 - which is a medium duty 6 foot box blade. You really need to be able to cover your tracks, otherwise you'll never get a smooth surface. Perhaps the more important difference in the medium vs. light duty box blades is the units weight. I figure the heavier the better. Several TBN'ers have posted about having to ADD weight to get the BB to work properly. Might as well start with the heaviest unit you can.

MarkV · May 29, 2003

Ned, my feelings are very much like those that Keith stated. That is not saying that your dealer is wrong because much of it has to do with how you will use the box blade. For example I will bet that your dealer has had a complaint because he sold a large heavy box blade to someone with a 30 hp tractor and when it was full of to the brim and dug in the tractor could not pull it. The other side of that coin is a light blade will bounce on a heavily packed gravel road rather than dig in sometimes. For me, I will take a box blade that is as heavy as I can afford and wide enough to extend a bit past my tire print. If I am bogging the tractor down I will take smaller bites. If I don't have enough weight to dig when I want to…well…I don't have enough weight to dig when I want to. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

MarkV

JIMCT · May 30, 2003

I have a JD4300 and went through the same exercise last year. I came to the conclusion that a 66" box blade would be best. My 66" United box blade has worked fine so far on very difficult soil.

jmattox1 · May 30, 2003

Ned,

Don't now if this will help but, I have a JD 4210-28 hp and I am using a woods 5' and is working fine for me. It is a heavy piece of equipment. I stopped tractor a couple of times on very large roots at slow RPM. If I stop tractor do to it being full I just do what others suggested and take smaller bites.

tdenny · May 30, 2003

Ned,

You should easily be able to go with the 6 footer. I have a 5 footer and only have 24 HP. My "soil" is the exact same as yours (all glaciel till). I get nothing but rocks every time I use my box and I've never felt like I needed more power to run it. As others have stated - make sure you clear the tires.

MikeIIA · Jun 14, 2003

I bought a 72" Land Pride box blade with the hydraulic retractable scarifier for my JD4400 last fall. I thought about getting a smaller width model but wanted something that would match the 73" bucket on my FEL. It also is a few inches wider than the tractor. I saw some of the light duty models available at the local farm and home store but felt they would not last long with heavy use and were way to light for my needs. The welds on my box blade are continuous full length not the spot welds found on the lighter duty box blades. It is a heavy (890 lbs) unit. This ensures it will dig. It has the option to make the rear backfill blade fixed or swing by just removing or installing 2 bolts. I leave the backfill blade swing when doing anything but fine leveling. It has a 65hp rating so I am not concerned about the possibility of breaking it.
This unit seems to be a nice match for my JD 4400. I am able loosen hard clay with the adjustable scarifiers and move the soil with great precision. It is probably advisable to have a 4wd tractor if using one of the heavier models like mine. I have used it in 2wd but the extra traction is nice.
Hope you find this helpful.

glennmac · Jun 19, 2003

"Is the hinged tailgate a valuable option."

Here is the definitive, long, lively, and ultimately poignant TBN discussion of hinged boxblade tailgates.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 19, 2003

I agree with the heavier the better. I just have a little 2210 23hp and got the frontier 48" and seems to work great. It is a little light in the front moving around, but, didn't want to have to worry about adding weight.

John_Mc · Jun 19, 2003

( People tend to seek information that agrees with their own beliefs... )

Deere Collector:

I don't suppose you know who originally said that quote, do you? Or did you make it up yourself? I know a few people who "resemble that remark".

One of my other favorites (and one that I'm often guilty of):
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail"

That last one definitely fits me and my boxblade. (and no, I don't know where it came from either)

John Mc