Boxblade or Plow

BigTee · Sep 24, 2015

I'm clearing off some land that I just bought, there is an area that I want plant a food plot in next spring. The area was used years ago for a staging area for logging. It is so rough and rutty that it will just about bounce you out of the seat trying to mow it. I want to level it now. Should I use a box blade or go ahead and try to plow it? It's about 1 1/2 to 2 acres.

MF283 · Sep 24, 2015

It sounds as if you need to box blade it to some form of level before it could even be plowed.

Ronnie

/pine · Sep 24, 2015

If you have both implements...see what gives you the best results...

If you're looking for advice for buying a particular attachment...some pictures of the terrain and what you're dealing with would help...

jeff9366 · Sep 25, 2015

MF283 said:
It sounds as if you need to box blade it to some form of level before it could be plowed.

=== X2 ===

However, your tractor is light for serious Box Blade work.

You cannot keep a plow in the ground if the front and rear wheels are undulating over ruts.

Thomas · Sep 25, 2015

Have you consider hiring dozer to level site?

brown40 · Sep 25, 2015

Are those the two implements you have access to? Rough food plots it seems like small discs are most frequently used for preparation. Of the two you listed for leveling I'd use the box.

Baby Grand · Sep 25, 2015

For leveling, I'd reach for the box, too.

Will you be using your eMax for this work? Depending on the amount of material that needs to be moved to achieve the level of smooth that you desire, it may be a good match for the job, or it might take a loooooooooooong time to finish.

A photo of the land and a description of the soil would help - is it rocky, sandy, clay? Is it covered with grass, weeds, brush, saplings? Are there stumps & roots remaining below the surface after the loggers picked up their skidders & left? Is it just tire ruts that need to be leveled, or is it large dips & ridges, requiring the movement of yards & yards of soil.
-Jim

txdon · Sep 25, 2015

I would use a disc and some type of level drag item behind the disc. I have used cattle panels or a an old RR rail.

BigTee · Sep 25, 2015

I have a boxblade and plow. The areas was grow up bad,it hasn't been touched in over 20 years. It was part of my wife's family farm and we wanted to get it back in the family. I plan on clearing the old pasture, about 12-14 acres, and on the other side it was about 8 acres of orchard and garden. I'll probably put some food plots out next year, but figure I'm 2 or three getting it all cleaned up.

Here is the area I'm talking about, doesn't look that rough in the picture,but you can hardly mow it for the ruts.

The first pics after I mowed it and the second is before.

arrow · Sep 25, 2015

I'd just plow it. After the harrow, it should kind of "self level". That's a rather large field. Don't know if the Max can pull a two blade but it would certainly shorten the time.

Grandad4 · Sep 25, 2015

12-14 acres of boxblading? Ground covered with vegetation, too? You'll spend the rest of your life doing that with a little tractor and a boxblade. I'd go with TXDon's suggestion. Mow it down as much as possible, remove any bigger stumps that exist, then have someone with a BIG tractor and disc come in and break it open.

Google Image Result for https://www.deere.ca/common/media/images/product/tractors/row_crop_tractors/2011_7r_series/7280r/r4d010291_7280R_642x462.jpg

They'll get the ground opened and rough levelled in a day; then you can do some touch-up work and maybe even overseed it with your eMax. If there are any really big holes/ruts that wouldn't get filled by discing, you might fill them with additional soil beforehand.

Garycw · Sep 25, 2015

Grandad4 said:
12-14 acres of boxblading? Ground covered with vegetation, too? You'll spend the rest of your life doing that with a little tractor and a boxblade. I'd go with TXDon's suggestion. Mow it down as much as possible, remove any bigger stumps that exist, then have someone with a BIG tractor and disc come in and break it open. Google Image Result for https://www.deere.ca/common/media/images/product/tractors/row_crop_tractors/2011_7r_series/7280r/r4d010291_7280R_642x462.jpg They'll get the ground opened and rough levelled in a day; then you can do some touch-up work and maybe even overseed it with your eMax. If there are any really big holes/ruts that wouldn't get filled by discing, you might fill them with additional soil beforehand.

It's about 2 ac op said. A countyline box blade with scarifiers down will do nicely. IMO. A box blade is something you can't do without either. They're good for a lot of things.
Ps. If you're close to Russell springs you can find new 2nds for big discounts from a few places

joeu235 · Sep 25, 2015

I'd disk it real good, drag it with something heavy like an i beam, and let rain and gravity finish leveling it out.

TSO · Sep 25, 2015

Box blade with rippers will create clumps that won't grade well. Best bet is to disc it a bunch first, then use the boxblade... Or even better, till it first, then grade it.

Grandad4 · Sep 25, 2015

Garycw said:
It's about 2 ac op said. A countyline box blade with scarifiers down will do nicely. IMO. A box blade is something you can't do without either. They're good for a lot of things.
Ps. If you're close to Russell springs you can find new 2nds for big discounts from a few places

That was the original post, then his second one mentioned more acreage. Sorry if I read it the wrong way. I'd agree a couple of acres is do-able - did that on my place actually - but 10+ acres is a whole new ballgame. Agree boxblade is a very useful tool for such work.

jeff9366 · Sep 25, 2015

BigTee said:
I have a boxblade and plow. The areas was grow up bad,it hasn't been touched in over 20 years.

The area I'm talking about doesn't look that rough in the picture, but you can hardly mow it for the ruts.

A HEAVY Disc Harrow with pans 24" or greater in diameter will both cut and smooth this area considerably, keeping in mind that a HEAVY Disc Harrow produces its own small furrows after it passes. You will need a HEAVY tractor to pull such a Disc Harrow. (RE: Grandad 4, Post #11)

Fourteen acres is no more than one days work for a HEAVY tractor and Disc.

I like to get things done. Now is my favorite time. The taxes you pay each year waiting are better spent improving the land today.

txdon · Sep 25, 2015

You need to think of how the box blade will act when full of large clumps of grass. I still think to get the prettiest land first disc or till. If you don't have one hire it out or go shopping - (we love to spend your money).

BigTee · Sep 25, 2015

I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough. The area that is so rough is about 2 acres.Part of it is the road coming in and the rest must have been where they staged their logs. There is still a couple of big ones laying there rotting away. I have a Frontier 4' boxblade and a good disc. I have a few small trees to cut first and then I'll try them both to see which one works the best.

Thanks very much for sharing your knowledge.I would have already made a lot of mistakes if it wasn't for this forum.