Box scraping the driveway. Grrrr!!!

[NWhomesteader]

My answer was based on my experience with a quarter inching valve tractor which you can't put in float, to get it to float you must hold the lever down or use a strap or bungee etc., the tractor in the OP's profile is shown as a B2620, the Kubota website describes the B2620 as having a quarter inching valve.

"Usually" what works best for you and Richard works well for me "if" I am using a light weight box scraper tilted back just right or with the tail gate bolted on my LP3584, but in really soft soil or material, I can get too much gouging or move more material than wanted and need to take a bit of weight off to get good results.

I agree dumping in a pile makes it much harder and always use my bucket to spread it out a bit before using my scraper.

I don't claim to be good and from the looks of Steve's pictures, I've a ways to go.

That's weird. I've only read about the differences but I concluded that mine was positional. It's infinitely adjustable and has two adjustable "stops" for both raising and lowering that restrict the movement of the lever which makes the 3 point move slower. You can bypass the stops by pulling the lever to the right when you move it and the 3 point moves up or down fast.

 

[s219]

That's weird. I've only read about the differences but I concluded that mine was positional. It's infinitely adjustable and has two adjustable "stops" for both raising and lowering that restrict the movement of the lever which makes the 3 point move slower. You can bypass the stops by pulling the lever to the right when you move it and the 3 point moves up or down fast.

Position control would have a numbered scale, and you'd simply move the lever to any position along the scale and it stays there (and the 3-pt will always be at the same height when the lever is at that setting). It has many advantages for certain implements, but for box blade grading work -- when you have the top link set right -- there are no real advantages over your quarter incher. You're always going to be down in full float or have the box moved up for transport. I have position control on my current tractor, and it doesn't really matter for grading. And in the occasions where I do want the box held at a set height, I am normally setting that by eyeball relative to the ground and material I am trying to spread, and the number scale isn't real important. So a quarter-incher would work fine there too.

 

[jenkinsph]

Position control would have a numbered scale, and you'd simply move the lever to any position along the scale and it stays there (and the 3-pt will always be at the same height when the lever is at that setting). It has many advantages for certain implements, but for box blade grading work -- when you have the top link set right -- there are no real advantages over your quarter incher. You're always going to be down in full float or have the box moved up for transport. I have position control on my current tractor, and it doesn't really matter for grading. And in the occasions where I do want the box held at a set height, I am normally setting that by eyeball relative to the ground and material I am trying to spread, and the number scale isn't real important. So a quarter-incher would work fine there too.

I have used my Gannon with the tailgate pinned and unpinned. Haven't had it pinned in a few years, I find it much faster grading with the tailgate free to swing out of the way. I agree that it would not matter much to me if it was a quarter inching or position control for box blade work. For the most part I am watching the blade, feeling what the tractor is doing ( movement up and down) in anticipation of whether I need to raise or lower the box blade. I am bumping the lever to raise/lower the hitch. No thought to where the numbered scale is on the position control. With a laser set up I also have to watch the lights too.

 

[jenkinsph]

Richard, Larry and John thanks for the nice comments. John, my dog is packing his stuff now and is ready to go I told him your wife was a real good cook.:licking: Glad to hear you are busy! That sure beats looking for a job.

 

[TSO]

I have used my Gannon with the tailgate pinned and unpinned. Haven't had it pinned in a few years, I find it much faster grading with the tailgate free to swing out of the way. I agree that it would not matter much to me if it was a quarter inching or position control for box blade work. For the most part I am watching the blade, feeling what the tractor is doing ( movement up and down) in anticipation of whether I need to raise or lower the box blade. I am bumping the lever to raise/lower the hitch. No thought to where the numbered scale is on the position control. With a laser set up I also have to watch the lights too.

I think that with 1/4" valving, you would be way less efficient... I would hate grading without position control. Especially when I'm land grading, I move quickly, and position control allows for quick, full movement's of the box.

In fairness, I've never had a tractor without position control ...

 

[ovrszd]

I don't claim to be good and from the looks of Steve's pictures, I've a ways to go.

I hear ya Larry. Just when I think I'm getting good at it I see pictures on here of projects and realize I'm just getting started.

What was the member's name that lived in rural California, had a Mahindra tractor and built a technical hydraulic/gear driven system to raise/lower his scarifier teeth?? I think his name was maybe Rob. Name on here was RRRL maybe?? Man he could run a BB!!!!

 

[ovrszd]

I think that with 1/4" valving, you would be way less efficient... I would hate grading without position control. Especially when I'm land grading, I move quickly, and position control allows for quick, full movement's of the box.

In fairness, I've never had a tractor without position control ...

I've got a tractor now without position control. I can run it but it takes some getting used to after running position control. I agree that position control works much better all around.

 

[jenkinsph]

I've got a tractor now without position control. I can run it but it takes some getting used to after running position control. I agree that position control works much better all around.

I have both types too, and for most work I prefer position control too. When making long runs grading a pasture or field either one is fine for small up and down movements is what I meant. Maybe I did not convey this very well but the position control scale on my tractor is not what I am looking at for a reference. Doesn't have squat to do with it.

There is no magic number/setting to use on the position control scale, no magic setting on the top link that prevents the whoop te doos, you simply have to go slow enough to adjust the height of the box blade to hold grade in real time. Slight imperfections can be easily removed with a lpgs afterwards.

 

[TripleR]

I hear ya Larry. Just when I think I'm getting good at it I see pictures on here of projects and realize I'm just getting started.

What was the member's name that lived in rural California, had a Mahindra tractor and built a technical hydraulic/gear driven system to raise/lower his scarifier teeth?? I think his name was maybe Rob. Name on here was RRRL maybe?? Man he could run a BB!!!!

Well you're better than I, so you can imagine how I feel.:laughing:

It was 3RRL and here is one of his threads, I haven't seen, him post lately.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/116316-various-boxblade-uses.html?highlight=

S219, the list of things I don't know is getting a lot longer than the things I know, the quarter inching valve on my BX automatically returns to center when the 3PH reaches all the way down or up, there have been several threads here on it and work arounds and I assumed it was that way on the B. (Yes I know what they say about assuming)

However, even given that I may be the odd man out, but I much prefer position control and HATE quarter inching, finding them much harder to use.

 

[ovrszd]

It was 3RRL and here is one of his threads, I haven't seen, him post lately.

However, even given that I may be the odd man out, but I much prefer position control and HATE quarter inching, finding them much harder to use.

Yeah, that's him. I haven't heard anything out of him for quite a while. Very talented and very energetic man. Always had something going on. A valued contributor.

Okay Larry, since you used the "H" word first, I'll concur. I hate it too. My first Kubota was a used B2910. One of the features that attracted me to it was position control. I'd trade my JD2210 even up for a good B2910.