Box Scraper Box blade, with hinged back....why?

[agford4x4]

What is the point of the box blades with the hinged backs? How do they work thats different than a regular old box blade?

 

[RobJ]

So the single blade can go deeper, the hinged will float since it's really only there for pushing dirt in reverse.

 

[Tig]

A regular BB will trap dirt between the blades which reduces the bite as Rob described.

 

[dirt ditch]

Is the advantage of a deeper cut by a hinged back box blade worth the extra money? Would it take 2 passes with a fixed bb for 1 pass with a hinged back bb?

 

[orezok]

Is a deeper cut really an advantage? I find myself flattening out the box to make a thin cut or you just end up with a whole bunch of hummocks.

I also find that for finishing I angle the box to its maximum angle (no bite by the front blade) and it gives a smooth finish just like back blading with the loader..

 

[RobJ]

Is a deeper cut really an advantage? I find myself flattening out the box to make a thin cut or you just end up with a whole bunch of hummocks.

I also find that for finishing I angle the box to its maximum angle (no bite by the front blade) and it gives a smooth finish just like back blading with the loader..

It depends on how you are going to use it. While folks here like me mainly used it to smooth things out a little bit, move a little dirt from here to there, a BB might have been born around construction and home building sites. I probably saw my first one as a kid pushing fill dirt in a foundation of a home. Then while pulling it to cut out the soil for a driveway or sidewalk. Here you want it to cut down 6-8 inches or more to grade for the concrete. Then with that work done to drag and level out the yard.

Rob

 

[john_bud]

Is a deeper cut really an advantage? I find myself flattening out the box to make a thin cut or you just end up with a whole bunch of hummocks.

I also find that for finishing I angle the box to its maximum angle (no bite by the front blade) and it gives a smooth finish just like back blading with the loader..

The "best" boxes have rear blades that are either free swinging, or can be bolted down.

Also the deeper cut isn't the real advantage. It is a "better" cut as there is more of the box weight on the blade doing the cutting. So, it cuts better - especially in harder soils. If the rear blade were fixed, it would have some of the box weight on it - robbing that weight from the blade that is doing work.

Does that make sense? Another way to look at it is if you have 2 identical boxes with rear blades that can be fixed or free and one is fixed and one is free -- the free one will act like a much heavier box. Less skidding across the surface and more work done per pass. In some cases, the fixed blade box may do near zero work on hard soils like dry clay or compacted dirt.

It's sort of like a razer sharp chisel vs a merely so-so sharp chisel. They both do the job , only one does it better, easier and with much less effort. It's the difference between a professional carpenter and a hack like me!

jb

 

[agford4x4]

I see.

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like for everyday use, a regular old box blade would do the trick. Well, for the amount im going to use it.

 

[RobJ]

I see.

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like for everyday use, a regular old box blade would do the trick. Well, for the amount im going to use it.

I agree, I got this one for $350 out the door at the local COOP. 5' and works fine for me.

 

[agford4x4]

Can someone tell me why i would want a box blade over a regular blade??