Box Blade

[djwill]

Hello all,
Im a newb that just purchased his first tractor about three weeks ago and have a question I hope to get some help on.
I just had an acre cleared a few months ago. I have a lot of surface roots that need to be dug out and general smoothing of this area. Is a box blade what Im needing? If so, should I stick with a 48" for my BX24, or could I go 54"? What brands should I be looking for?

Thanks for any help on this,
dj

 

[inveresk]

BB is right implement for smoothing and would work on roots if they're small. A middle buster plow might be a better bet, though. My L3130 and 72" BB struggles with roots if I'm dealing with anything bigger than about forearm size. I can rip them out but need to take a few passes to do it. I don't tackle really big roots though. I've some thigh size roots in my meadow that I'm going to get an excavator to tackle.

 

[IslandTractor]

As Inveresk points out, even a heavier tractor can have difficulty pulling a BB through heavy roots. If you are just dealing with surface roots from saplings you could probably do it with just a 48" BB with multiple passes perhaps lowering the scraper shanks deeper with each pass. I have been warned not to try to put a subsoiler/middle buster on a SCUT or small CUT but I think some guys do it. You would probably run out of traction before power with the BX24 while using ground engaging implements.

 

[ronjhall]

For smoothing out the land. I would think a Landscape rake would be the proper tool. Since you have a BH on your BX24. I would use it to remove the stubborn roots.
A box blade works great for breaking up soil and moving it to other spots.
Do you have any pictures of the area. To help us with what you are calling SMOOTHING?

 

[Nasty135]

DJ, For surface roots , If you are looking to get a BB anyhow ,Thats what I'd try ... You can also use a toothbar for popping roots with a little practice you can become quite good at it, If all else fails BH them rascals into submission!!

Have fun /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[djwill]

Thanks guys for the info. I probably will be getting a BB, but I think I may use the toothbar and BH to get most of them up.
Guess this newb just needs to be pointed in the right direction. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

dj

 

[djwill]

One more thing....I also have to help maintain a dirt road about a 1/2 mile long. It always has potholes that need to be repaired. Im assuming the BB would be good for this?

Thanks,
dj

 

[billbill1]

IMHO that is what a box blade does best, smoothing out potholes!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[djwill]

Thanks Bill,
Thats what I thought, but Im learnin. Didnt want to make any more mistakes then usual

dj

 

[billbill1]

DJ, you'll be happy with a boxblade on your driveway, it works great on gravel and loose material. Mine is a J-Bar, I wish I would have bought the next better grade though. I've bent the stabilizer bar on the upper link connection on mine and had to rebuild it out of 1/2" flat stock-for strength.

 

[HomeBrew2]

You'll be even happier with the BB after you add gauge wheels to it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RonMar]

Yup
A road grader has the blade between the wheels for a reason. With a box blade hanging out there by itself with a slight lift to alow material to be deposited evenly, when the front wheels go into a pothole, the box lifts and leaves a high spot. When the front wheels go over a rise, the box tends to dig in. With gauge wheels, you can let the 3PH set down in the float position with the toplink disconnected. In this configuration, the gauge wheels set the height for even dispersal and the whole affair is less effected by the tractor rolling over road countours. It will cut into the high spots and deposit more material in the low spots. That is the advantage of the "Duragrader" type designs as they set down solid on the ground while their blades cut a small ammount of material that builds up and flows evenly over the top of the low blades. they cut harder in the high spots and material goes under the blades when passing over the potholes. They do not appear to be really effected by tractor movement.

I am in the process of building my own modeled after the "Big Boy" shown in the Box Blade Photo comparison post(around page 11?). It has a swing down gate in the back to hold in material to allow it to be drug into a pile and/or relocated to another location. I only really need one for driveway maint. If I had need to relocate a lot of material, I would want scarifier teeth to break up and collect more material faster as the low fixed blades only take a small cut.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Anxious to see that when you get it done Ron! Are you going to use prefab blades or make them yourself?

 

[RonMar]

I will post pics when I get it finished. I am making the blades myself out of thick wall angle and plate across the opening(triangular cross section for strength) with a heavilly welded leading edge for hardness. The loader bucket I have is mild steel with a welded/ground leading edge and it has held up very well.