I was planning to purchase a BB to level out some fields to be used for food plots. They are currently somewhat irregular in contour, enough to prevent disc harrow and landscape rake from making full contact across their full width. I know that I will encounter partially or completely buried rocks that are not bedrock and which are removable. Although some may require backhoe to free up. Question is when using BB on rocky ground, how do you avoid significant damage to implement or 3-pt hitch??
BOXBLADE VS ROCKS
- Thread starter flINTLOCK
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art
Super Member
Start with a disc harrow as stones shouldn't break it. Then you will have some loose soil to work with which you need for a box blade to work.
If you bought a decent BB, there should be no damage. Go slow until you know what is down there.
Decent is not the 6' wide 350# specials. A decent box is going to be 100 pounds per foot of width. A good box is 125 pounds per foot and a commercial duty box is 150 or more pounds per foot. This is just my scale and not some industry standard.
Using a 880# 66" box, there have been no problems or damage in 6 years. They do a very nice job pulling out the rocks so you can haul them away. Obviously, some are too big to mess with, those need a BH.
First knock down the high spots and drag the dirt to the low spots. Set the scarifiers so they are 1-2 inches lower than the blade. Then set the tilt of the box so the nose is level to very slightly up. Then drag away. It may take some number of passes in all directions to cut the sod so you can work the dirt. Keep at it. (or disk it first)
After you have the rough grading done and you have found the rocky spots, tip the box agressively forward, Extend the scarifiers all the way down, lower it down so the scarifiers are down all the way into the dirt and the box's blade is just riding on or above the surface, when you get a "bite" pull up on the 3pt lever to bring it to the surface. Basketball size rocks can be moved in the box with it raised so the scarifiers are just at ground level or in a couple inches. Rocks much smaller will fall between the scarifier shanks and much larger may not drag well.
After you have most of the big rocks out, you can bring the scarifiers up so they are at the 1-2 inch level below the blade or take them out entirely. Keep the agressive nose down tilt and cut the high spots down more.
YMMV
jb
Decent is not the 6' wide 350# specials. A decent box is going to be 100 pounds per foot of width. A good box is 125 pounds per foot and a commercial duty box is 150 or more pounds per foot. This is just my scale and not some industry standard.
Using a 880# 66" box, there have been no problems or damage in 6 years. They do a very nice job pulling out the rocks so you can haul them away. Obviously, some are too big to mess with, those need a BH.
First knock down the high spots and drag the dirt to the low spots. Set the scarifiers so they are 1-2 inches lower than the blade. Then set the tilt of the box so the nose is level to very slightly up. Then drag away. It may take some number of passes in all directions to cut the sod so you can work the dirt. Keep at it. (or disk it first)
After you have the rough grading done and you have found the rocky spots, tip the box agressively forward, Extend the scarifiers all the way down, lower it down so the scarifiers are down all the way into the dirt and the box's blade is just riding on or above the surface, when you get a "bite" pull up on the 3pt lever to bring it to the surface. Basketball size rocks can be moved in the box with it raised so the scarifiers are just at ground level or in a couple inches. Rocks much smaller will fall between the scarifier shanks and much larger may not drag well.
After you have most of the big rocks out, you can bring the scarifiers up so they are at the 1-2 inch level below the blade or take them out entirely. Keep the agressive nose down tilt and cut the high spots down more.
YMMV
jb
Egon
Epic Contributor
Whatever you do when digging rocks with a rear implement go slow. You can actually damage the tractor if the stop is real sudden at a higher speed.
3RRL
Super Member
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flint,
Also, if you have the scarifiers down, be sure to raise your boxblade up when making a turn or you can bend them that way. Going slow enough is the key when "trolling" for rocks. Most of the smaller ones will "pop" out that way. Going slow will give you time to raise the 3pt to help raise and/or also stop the tractor if you hit a really big one. If you do pull out a really big one, you can use the fel bucket to move it out of the way.
Also, if you have the scarifiers down, be sure to raise your boxblade up when making a turn or you can bend them that way. Going slow enough is the key when "trolling" for rocks. Most of the smaller ones will "pop" out that way. Going slow will give you time to raise the 3pt to help raise and/or also stop the tractor if you hit a really big one. If you do pull out a really big one, you can use the fel bucket to move it out of the way.
zeuspaul
Silver Member
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- North of Escondido, San Diego
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- Kubota L4330****RTV 900
I damaged my tractor twice by using the box blade with large rocks. $1000 a pop!
Zeuspaul
Zeuspaul
zeuspaul said:
Gotta ask, what tractor do you have and what did you break? And what actions were you doing just prior to the break? And what would you give as advice to not break our tractors?
jb
3RRL, do you mean real sharp turns or any turns? I leave everything down and do gradual turns and medium turns all the time....no all the way stand on one brake turns though.
zeuspaul
Silver Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
- Messages
- 214
- Location
- North of Escondido, San Diego
- Tractor
- Kubota L4330****RTV 900
I was making a road while going backward on the side of a slope. Twice I broke the casting where the right lower lift arm attaches to the tractor.
The first time I was raising and tilting the boxblade while trying to pry a rock up. I usually grade downhill to make use of the weight of the tractor which adds to the forces. However I believe it was primarily the odd angle that caused the problem.
The second time I was more careful with the tractor as I thought I knew its limits. I backed into a bolder. The lower arm bent and the casting broke again. I believe the casting broke because the lower arm was bent and the forces came at the casting at a bad angle.
Thinking back I wonder if it relates to an earlier problem I had with the tractor. One week after I got the tractor the lower arm came off because the bolts holding the arm in place were never tightened. The arm wedged itself into the back of the tractor and was bent. The dealer replaced the pin under warranty. I pointed out the bent arm to the mechanic and he hit it with a sledge a couple of times to straighten it out.
Now I think the arm was weakened. In its weakened state I believe it bends more easily and a bent lower arm is not a good thing when backing up.
That explains the second problem. I was easier on the tractor but the arm was weaker yet from the previous incident so it bent easier and then I snapped the casting again.
I am going to have the lower arm replaced this time.
Its a Kubota L4330. I don't fault the tractor as I do push it to the limit. However I have noted forged connections on some other tractors which I think would be a bit stronger.
Zeuspaul
The first time I was raising and tilting the boxblade while trying to pry a rock up. I usually grade downhill to make use of the weight of the tractor which adds to the forces. However I believe it was primarily the odd angle that caused the problem.
The second time I was more careful with the tractor as I thought I knew its limits. I backed into a bolder. The lower arm bent and the casting broke again. I believe the casting broke because the lower arm was bent and the forces came at the casting at a bad angle.
Thinking back I wonder if it relates to an earlier problem I had with the tractor. One week after I got the tractor the lower arm came off because the bolts holding the arm in place were never tightened. The arm wedged itself into the back of the tractor and was bent. The dealer replaced the pin under warranty. I pointed out the bent arm to the mechanic and he hit it with a sledge a couple of times to straighten it out.
Now I think the arm was weakened. In its weakened state I believe it bends more easily and a bent lower arm is not a good thing when backing up.
That explains the second problem. I was easier on the tractor but the arm was weaker yet from the previous incident so it bent easier and then I snapped the casting again.
I am going to have the lower arm replaced this time.
Its a Kubota L4330. I don't fault the tractor as I do push it to the limit. However I have noted forged connections on some other tractors which I think would be a bit stronger.
Zeuspaul