Box Blading in Reverse

[_RaT_]

Chris, you are correct. When cutting with the boxblade in reverse, it generally requires low gears or range as the load is high when cutting material. The impact is virtually eliminated becasue the speed is slow. I find my cutting speed is probably at or less then 2 mph. It takes everything my tractors have to push a blade in reverse depending on where I set my hydraulic top link. You make a good point that may have been missed.

 

[Ozarker]

[quoteSo, they don't spread apart because they are restrained completely at each end. )</font>

Restrained by what? Those cheap little snap pins? Please.......

 

[jinman]

Lower Links

Aww RaT, you know I have a "peek-ture" of everything, don't you? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

My lower links are made of steel almost 1" thick and where they attach to the tractor is a yoke rather than pins. Yes Ozarker... really. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'd also like to make it clear that I think the geometry of the lower arms and the fact that they are solidly pinned to an implement does make the pressure essentially perpendicular to the pins. The rotating ball endlinks also help to assure this. Not all tractors have this yoke design, but I think my pins can take the same amount of force in either direction and that amount of force is not likely to be achieved while boxblading as I do, even if I hit a rock or a stump. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Finally, I never said that the lift arms do not have more strength for pulling loads. I said that they were designed with reverse loads in mind and are stronger than ones on older tractors.

 

[_RaT_]

No, by the 1/2" or 5/8"steel pocket it sits in. My lower links are surrounded on both sides by these 1/2" to 5/8" plates of steel. I think your Yanmar/boxscraper setup is obviously designed much different with a simple pin sticking out securing the lower link with the snap pin. This may well account for the confusion and why you feel hesitant about blading in reverse. The cheap little snap pin you mention does little more then keep my removable 3/4" from falling out. A quick trip to most dealers should clarify how things have changed.

 

[Ozarker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ozarker, I don't think you can support the statement that the arms aren't designed to push with any engineering data. Certainly the traditional draft loads have been pulling, but I'll bet you that if we sat down with the engineer who designed lift arms on any modern tractor, he would tell you that pushing in reverse was indeed taken into consideration when sizing the rear lift arms. )</font>

No need for engineering data. This is fairly basic high school geometry. The 3-point system isn't designed to push. It is designed to pull......period. In fact, everything about a tractor is designed to work in one direction. That is why they have directional tread on the tires. Implements designed to be pushed are on the front and implements designed to be pulled are in the middle or on the back.

What it is designed to do what you get away with doing are two different things. A pickup truck isn't designed to have round bails of hay hanging off the back end but people mount spikes on the ends of their trucks and do it anyway. You can tell and old used truck that use to have a hay spike mounted on it by the way the frame is bent.

Box blades are not designed to be dozers when pulling or pushing. They can make shallow cuts but the reality of the design is that they have scarfer teeth to break up the ground in front of the blade if you need to cut rather than spread material. And it is certainly not designed to be a dozier in reverse.

Just imagine for a moment if someone designed a blade for the front of the tractor that was mounted with a system as loose as a 3-point on the rear. It had to have chains or bars to limit side to side sway. People would complain about fit and finish and walk away from such a silly design.

Nope, 3-point systems are designed for pulling implements and the implements for 3-point systems are designed to be pulled. Your tires are directional and your seat faces the front. No engineering data is required.

 

[Ozarker]

There is no confusion and I won't hesitate to blade in reverse if I need to push loose material the other direction.

But what you or I will or will not do has absolutely nothing at all to do with that the equipment is designed to do. My FEL isn't designed to be a grader blade but I backblade with it all the time.

Just because you CAN do something doesn't mean it was designed to be done that way.

 

[slowrev]

I use the rear edge of the blade to smooth with going forward. Just tilt up the fromt of the box and go. The trailing edge leaves a nice smooth surface.

 

[normde2001]

I reckon we do. I don't see where it says you grade with the rear blade. Also "Optional adjustable scarifiers loosen soil ahead of the blades." If you were in reverse, the scarifiers would not be ahead of the blades.

 

[_RaT_]

Jim, your hoses look a bit rotted. I think Ozarker has an entirely different setup. I'll snap a shot to help clarify where I believe he and we are comparing oranges to lemons.

 

[_RaT_]

"Restrained by what? Those cheap little snap pins? Please....... "

Ozarker, I think this pretty much says it all. There indeed is confusion. The pins in my case restrain nothing except keeping the pin from falling out. In your case apparently they hold the lower links on. If I'm the only one confused, I apologize, take a look at the attachment. See those plates of steel, they trap the lower link from going in or out, pushing or pulling.