Box blade

bubbu55 · Apr 21, 2021

Interested in box blade, using it for a plethora of projects and will be pretty rough with it. I have a 2008 ck35hst. Want to know should I buy a unit that is a few inches wider than the tires or go narrower, I have read differing opinions on the subject. I think a heavier unit is the way to go, need a unit that is built sturdy. I am leaning towards a unit that is hinged and was wondering if it's worth the extra money? Seems as if it would be. Again I will be using this for ripping and leveling, spreading gravel etc.,etc.

old and tired · Apr 21, 2021

I like to have it sticking out the sides by 6"... I don't have a hinged back, not sure it's worth it. I would put the extra money into hydraulic top and side links vs. a hinged back panel.

MtnViewRanch · Apr 21, 2021

bubbu55 said:
Interested in box blade, using it for a plethora of projects and will be pretty rough with it. I have a 2008 ck35hst. Want to know should I buy a unit that is a few inches wider than the tires or go narrower, I have read differing opinions on the subject. I think a heavier unit is the way to go, need a unit that is built sturdy. I am leaning towards a unit that is hinged and was wondering if it's worth the extra money? Seems as if it would be. Again I will be using this for ripping and leveling, spreading gravel etc.,etc.

I highly recommend roll over box blades or (ROBB).

I happen to have 3 of them all built by Gannon. A 36" for the garden tractor, a 65" for the 32hp tractor. (very similar in size and power to your CK) and an 81" for the 75hp machine. Gannon no longer builds them, but the Dirt Dog units and the like are the next best thing that are still available.

Without going to hydraulic actuated scarifiers, these ROBBs are a great multi use implement.

bcp · Apr 21, 2021

What would possibly be a benefit of having a general purpose box blade narrower than the tractor?

A hinged blade is useful in any concave digging situation. And you can get a bigger bite sooner.

Bruce

CH4Ohio · Apr 21, 2021

bcp said:
What would possibly be a benefit of having a general purpose box blade narrower than the tractor?

A hinged blade is useful in any concave digging situation. And you can get a bigger bite sooner.

Bruce

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AGREE!! Definitely want it wider than your tire tracks. If you're digging, or pulling/pushing dirt, you want your tractor tires riding on the same surface that your box blade is working on. Same with a tiller, snowplow, snowblade, snowblower, etc. Want them all to cover your tires at a minimum.

I don't know about the "hinged" question. I just have a standard box blade (3 point of course). 5' width with blades that cut forward or backward. Scarifiers are adjustable with pins. Not familiar with the "hinged" option.

arcadelt · Apr 21, 2021

I have a CK4220 (Australian model) and use a 1.8m (6 foot) box blade. It is pretty tough going when all six tines are in the ground, so take that into account.

dadster4 · Apr 21, 2021

bubbu55 said:
Interested in box blade, using it for a plethora of projects and will be pretty rough with it. I have a 2008 ck35hst. Want to know should I buy a unit that is a few inches wider than the tires or go narrower, I have read differing opinions on the subject. I think a heavier unit is the way to go, need a unit that is built sturdy. I am leaning towards a unit that is hinged and was wondering if it's worth the extra money? Seems as if it would be. Again I will be using this for ripping and leveling, spreading gravel etc.,etc.

I've used my 60" wide box blade for years and have been rough on it many times with no damage. I strapped a 55 gallon plastic barrel horizontally across the top for a counterweight and it also helps getting a good bite into hard clay and rocky soils. My gravel drive is very steep and anything wider wouldn't be able to pull a full box uphill.

g8erh8er · Apr 21, 2021

I have a Woods BSM84P with stationary blade. It comes with the hinge mounts if you want to switch to a hinged blade down the road or from the get go. It's also CAT 1 & 2 compatible. I consider this unit one step below the Woods/Gannon units with the hydraulic scarifiers.

The BSM84P weighs about 100lbs per foot, with my seven footer coming in at 750 lbs. It is 200 lbs heavier than 7 foot units you'll find at Tractor Supply or Rural King. The Gannon 7 footers come in around 1,200 lbs and would probably be too much for my 55 hp tractor. My tractor tires are 6 feet wide.

SylvainG · Apr 21, 2021

What's the three anchor points at the back for? The aligned hole on the side panels seems to allow a rod through them, but what for?

g8erh8er · Apr 21, 2021

SylvainG said:
What's the three anchor points at the back for? The aligned hole on the side panels seems to allow a rod through them, but what for?

Those are the mounting points for the optional hinged blade that Woods offers. You just remove the stationary blade like I have on mine and switch to a hinged blade.

jjp8182 · Apr 22, 2021

I went with one that wasn't hinge-backed and and have come to semi-regret the choice because I've run into the situation where the fixed rear blade has worked as a float limiting how fast/deep the box blade would cut on a single pass. Which isn't something that's an issue that often (hence only semi-regretting the purchase), but when it is it can slow things down.

While there may be benefits to having a box blade that doesn't cover the tractor width I can't think of them at the moment. Though on the flip side( outside of some very specific applications) I'm not sure I'd want to go a whole lot wider than the overall tractor width either since could create additional clearance issues for working in tight areas.

So personally if/when I do it over I'd like one that is hinge-backed, wide enough to cover the tractor's width with minimal overhang, and has enough depth/capacity to carry as much soil as the tractor can move.

rjpotts · Apr 22, 2021

I didn't know there were so many box blade variants, maybe I should consider upgrading. Never the less my "run of the mill" King Kutter has done a lot over last 20 years. I've leveled driveways and yards, moved piles of material, dug drainage trenches, and to this day I have it hooked up all winter as a counterweight to my front snowblower and to scrape what the blower leaves behind. It's paid for itself many times over.

SylvainG · Apr 22, 2021

Dug drainage trenches?

jjp8182 · Apr 22, 2021

By the way on a related note a hydraulic top link is a very useful thing to have when using a box blade.

Can make it easier to control or feather the spreading of material - or gain better (though not "good") control during the removal of material on rough/uneven ground.

rjpotts · Apr 22, 2021

SylvainG said:
Dug drainage trenches?

I had water standing on about 1/2 acre of my property. Using a water level I mapped the topography. Then I used the box blade to dig a trench through the lowest points and exiting where it can drain to. I then used the box blade to taper the sides so I can mow it. The deepest part is about 18".

bubbu55 · Apr 22, 2021

Thanks guys, I think the reason for a smaller unit was just about moving in and out of tight spots. That being said it really doesn't make sense to do. I like woods products, they just seem to be beefier than most others. Haven't heard any good arguments for the hinged box.

kantuckid · Apr 22, 2021

I got a nice Land Pride box blade scraper with my tractor and wasn't sure I'd use it much as I liked my old Bush Hog grader blade-wrong! It's been great and my go to tool for our 1/2 mile of private gravel road. They will also level a build site if your patient. It's well made and designed plus it's made in KS, my home state! Mine is orange so it matches my Kioti.
I fail to see the rationale to a small one if road works the job?

3gunr · Apr 22, 2021

Go with at least a 66 inch , 72 would be fine., My 28 hp tractor handles my 72 just fine , Last fall i used it to build a pad for my 28x35 garage Was fun doing it and saved me some money, Concrete guy said it was level within an inch or so. That was just eyeballing it. I had a 5ft box but wanted a wider one . The 6 ft is perfect.

LS Tractor Owner · Apr 22, 2021

The hinged rear blade really allows to do a "finish" on what you are grading. I do have a hydraulic top link, so makes it very easy to set the blade.

I recently regraded and spread some road base on my neighbor's driveway. He was amazed at how smooth I got the drive, just driving back and forth using only the hinged blade, skimming over the surface.

I did the same thing when I graveled our parking area (50' x 200'), you couldn't see a tire mark, ridge, or hump anywhere.

My first box blade had a fixed rear blade.... night and day difference in easeof use!