Boxscraper for L4610

JeffInDaUP · Apr 7, 2001

A couple of you have said that the Landpride boxscraper I have been looking at (BB2572-478pounds) would be O.K. for my L4610 that will be delivered soon. It is in the price range that I like, but is low in weight compared to some others and is also rated for under 40hp. I plan to use mainly for leveling out some new food plots on my property and maintaining old logging trails.

My question is, do you guys think I will be dissapointed with this one? would it hold up well? or will this fit my needs and I shouldn't worry about the lower hp rating and weight. My Kubota dealer deals with Landpride and KingKutter and offers good terms and pricing for their implements-I kind of want to buy everything from him but I have located a distant implement dealer that has Woods, Rhino, and Bushhog. There are a couple of models with almost double the weight but only a few hundred more.
Thanks for your continued help!!

Jeff...MI.

john_bud · Apr 7, 2001

Jeff,

I am a near neighbor in Eau Claire, WI but my primary tractoring is in northern WI maintaining logging roads. I looked at the box blade options in great depth and decided on a Gannon L120 with manually operated scarifier bar. My tractor is "only" an L3410, but I wanted to be sure the box blade would work well and last for a good long time. If you can at all afford it, buy the Gannon. (or a similar heavy duty competitive unit)

One big thing among the many that makes ground engaging attachments better or worse is weight. More is better. Oh yeah, stronger is better especially when you hit an immovable object like a hidden rock left by the last passing glacier. I don't know about your land, but them dang glaciers must have thought it was a pretty funny joke to leave some pretty huge rocks on mine.

http:// woodsonline.com The gannon stuff is in the construction area. The Gill brand is in the landscaping area (I think).

I figured that for the price of a "good" box scraper, you might as well get one that is indestructable with the tractor you're using. I honestly feel that it's better to have fewer but better quality tools. You might cuss because you don't have what you want, but you won't cuss because it was cr-p and broke!

That and I saved up since last September....

John Bud

cowboydoc · Apr 8, 2001

Jeff,
I'd go for the heavier duty one. For a hundred bucks or so you know you aren't going to have problems. I have a Woods but also looked really hard at the kingcutter, $299 for the heavy duty king cutter vs. $579 for the heavy duty woods. In the end I got the woods. I have hit rocks, stumps, etc. with the woods and not one dent or bent scarifer. Last year when I was putting in that arena there were a few rocks in there. Before I plowed it I set the scarifers as low a they would go to bring all the rocks up. I figured I would bend a few scarifers but I didn't bend one even a little. I hit a few rock that nearly stopped the tractor but no damage at all. Now maybe the King Cutter wouldn't have either but the Woods was thicker metal and much heavier. Anyway to make a long story short I'm happy with the extra money spent.

gordon · Apr 8, 2001

Jeff, Landpride makes some really good products. But the bottom line with a boxblade is weight. The heavier the better and if you have to spend a couple of hundred more to get the one with more weight you won't be unhappy.

When it comes to buying 3pt attachments I look at it this way. The average person is going to hold on to that item for quite a few years so buy the best. Then when the time comes to trade it in on another or if you decide to sell it it will once again bring top dollar.

The box that I've got for my L3750 is a Woods box and I've been very happy with it so far. Haven't bent it yet.

The other thing about buying landpride stuff new is the price they are at the top of the scale. I've got a landpride 15series rake, landpride 35 series rearblade and a landpride 25 series tiller and bought all of them used. So I'm not against landpride stuff.
Gordon

GlueGuy · Apr 8, 2001

Jeff,

I've got a Woods, and it is seriously built. The 72" one that you're looking at weighs about the same as the 48" Woods. After looking at the scrapers side by side, my advice is to go for the weight. Makes a major difference.

The GlueGuy

JeffInDaUP · Apr 9, 2001

O.K., you guys have got me convinced! Thanks!
I appreciate the advice, as I've said before, the people on this site are about the only ones I have any contact with that have real experience with this stuff. I'm going to go with the Woods(closest dealer is 120 miles away-next is 200 plus!) and I'm kind of stuck with the price he quotes me(hope he isn't reading this!), do I go with the 72"or76" high back or low back? 72"has 3/8 endplates and 76" has 1/2" endplates-does this matter? they all weigh between 900 and 1000 pounds and cost around $1100(Landpride was around $700).
What do you guys think? Thanks again!

Jeff...MI.

roysallis · Apr 10, 2001

Jeff, go to http://www.monroetufline.com and check their specs and for a dealer in your area. I have several pieces of their equipment and they are good.

roysallis · Apr 10, 2001

Jeff, go to http://www.monroetufline.com and check their specs and for a dealer in your area. I have several pieces of their equipment and they are good.

JeffInDaUP · Apr 10, 2001

Roy,
Thanks for the info! There are no dealers anywhere near where I live, but I called Monroe, talked to a sales rep and he is working up a price on delivery for a TB272, with 1/2" endplates for more weight than the standard 3/8". The unit will weigh 697 pounds for around $850 with shipping. I was wrong on my prices earlier, the Gill I was looking at was $1350 for a 72" and weighs 707 pounds-Monroe is a much better price and won't take a 4 hour roundtrip drive to pick up. Sounds like a good deal-I don't have much to compare to
though. Thanks again!

Jeff...MI.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 10, 2001

Hi Jeff, /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

You mention that the Landpride box you looked at is relatively lightweight (and that it was a "25" series).

The Landspride "35"series scraper in 78 inch size with retractable scarifiers has 1/2 inch endplates, weighs 941 lbs., and is super-solidly built., It also has a common-sense method of adjusting the scarifier-length using hitch-pin type "keepers". rather than the metal-clip devices used on many other makes (and complained about often on TBN).

As others have said, Landpride makes top-quality implements, and aren't bashful about their prices, ...whether they are worth it is a matter for each user to decide, You said you would like to buy from your dealer, and that he gives you good prices. Might be interesting to see what he'd take for one of these.

Mine is a hydraulic unit, which weighs just a-little-more, and I had it delivered to my local JD dealer, who doesn't sell Landpride. It is sitting in his lot waiting for my tractor to be ready. All the sales/service people have been out to take a look at it, and were impressed. It is one serious-looking piece of equipment.

I was also thinking of Monroe, but never got a chance to see one, before I went ahead with the Landpride. They have a good reputation, it seems, and the price you were quoted sure is attractive (the RetractableLowback3578 Landpride/manual would probably cost you around $1700, ...OUCH! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif )

Good liuck with whatever you get. Let us know what you think when you've got it!

Larry

JeffInDaUP · Apr 10, 2001

Larry,
Well it's a little bit of a tough choice on what to go with. The Landpride 3578 manual is in the $1700-1800 range, can be delivered with my tractor next week, weighs 941 pounds, and I don't have to pay for 2 months. The Gill is 707 pounds, costs $1350, and I have to drive 4 hours RT to pick up myself. Then there is the Monroe Tufline, it weighs 697 pounds, costs $1030 with shipping($273 for shipping) and should be delivered within 2 weeks of ordering.
Decisions,Decisions, Decisions! I don't think I'll consult my wife on this one. Any thoughts???

Jeff...MI.

Bird · Apr 10, 2001

Jeff, I've had no experience with the Landpride and Gill, but have owned a Monroe Tufline box blade and it was one tough piece of equipment.

Bird

JeffInDaUP · Apr 10, 2001

Thanks Bird, it's good to hear your approval of Monroe Tufline. I'm not used to implement shopping yet, but it sure seems there may be a wide range of prices within a similar quality range.
On a side note, it would be an adventure for me to unload the Boxscraper off the trailer with my new 4610 and FEL-a good way for a tractor newbie to get some experience!-good thing I don't have any neighbors around to watch me mess up!!

Jeff...MI.
Oh, by the way, the salesman at Monroe offered to make the boxscraper with 1/2" sideplates to get the weight up to 697 pounds(a 72 pound increase) at that price-seems like a good company to work with.

GlueGuy · Apr 10, 2001

Jeff,

Here's an engineer's analysis (the only kind I do /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). I plugged your numbers into a spreadsheet to add together shipping and travel costs. Don't know what your time is worth, but I used $40/hour. Adjust to fit your reality./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

So from the left is base cost, then travel time, then shipping. Fourth column is the sum of the previous three. Then comes the weight and size. Finally, is the calculation of the $'s/pound and $'s per inch. The landpride is the cheapest per pound, but only by a penny /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. The Monroe is cheapest by the inch.

The GlueGuy

JeffInDaUP · Apr 10, 2001

Glue Guy, your numbers are crystal clear, hope your paid well at whatever you do. It's even clearer since the Monroe price of $1030 included the shipping cost of $273-moves that cost per inch and pound down quite a bit. As long as quality is about the same, seems like an easy choice. I sure wish a could look at this stuff in person, Oh well!

Jeff...MI.

scruffy · Apr 10, 2001

GlueGuy, I may have mis-read Jeff's pricing here, so tongue in cheek, I think you have his Monroe priced incorrectly. Didn't he say the price was $850 (more or less) with $273 shipping?

Anonymous Poster · Apr 10, 2001

[[Any thoughts? ]]

Jeff,

I would write off the Gill. considering your time and pickup truck fuel/wear, you'll pay 30-40% more for it than for the Monroe, for a 1.4% weight gain (this assumes equal quality, though I'm not sure the Gill has the same rep. as the Tufline, (...maybe it DOES!?). I'm not comparing lengths, as you can probably get the length you want in any brand).

This leaves the Monroe as maybe the best bargain (still having good quality, if the reports are true),... and the Landpride as MAYBE(!) the best quality, and certainly the most weight (35%more than the Monroe) for 70% more money(figured @ $1750).

I say the Landpride may be the best quality, without having seen the Monroe, because after the looking I did, I came away feeling it was difficult to imagine anything "better" than the Landpride. And having had it around for some time, and looking at what other equipment I can, I feel the same way still. If I had to fight with "clips" the way some TBN members have reported, I'd soon have spent more "irritation-energy" than I would have saved dollars. I'm no genius, but I'm kind of an impatient guy when I run into something that seems obviously poorly designed,...particularly if it isn't corrected as soon as it's discovered. Building it the "wrong-way" once is a mistake,... continuing to do it is something-else. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif And if I "don't-like" something about my rig, I'm going to be "not-liking" it until I die,... I'm retired, and will definitely only have the money to do this sort of thing ONCE!! After this, I just "live-with-it".

I don't know if the last point even applies, because I don't know what the scarifier adjustment/attachment-method is on the Gill OR the Tufline!?

So I see the choice between your candidates as being one between a very good(probably) "sensible" choice, and a more "extravagant" one that MAY be worth the extra money.(this will depend a lot on whether you are the kind of equipment "freak" who will look back at that Landpride box and think, "Damn, what a piece of gear!", or someone who just wants something that will give good "bang-for-the-buck", and get the job done.

I don't think the Gill is likely to give much-more "bang" for the extra bucks,.. but remember, these are just my thoughts. I went for the Landpride Hydraulic, and so may be the wrong person to ask. I'm certainly not wealthy, but I may be stupid! (But I LIKE that lookin'-back feeling of satisfaction. You're the only-one who knows how much money you are willing to spend for it, considering your other uses for the additional dollars).

One more "thought"; Wouldn't it be nice if the Monroe is every-bit the "quality" of the Landpride!? Then you can just stick some additional weight on it and you have the best of both worlds,... Landpride performance for Tufline price! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Best of luck with your choice!, (... I am still interested in seeing a Tufline, so tell us all your opinion, if you decide to go with it.)

/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Larry

GlueGuy · Apr 10, 2001

<font color=blue>the Monroe price of $1030 included the shipping cost of $273</font color=blue>

Right on! My bad/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif! I corrected the spreadsheet, and here's the new version (should be easier to read too)/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Have you looked at/priced the Woods/Gannon?

The GlueGuy

gordon · Apr 10, 2001

Isn't shopping fun---not!!! They always try to razzle-dazzle you with numbers. Some key thing to keep in mind other than weight. How the fingers are adjusted is key if your going to be raising and lowering them alot. If you are you might want to look into one with hydraulics right off the bat. You gave the price of the gill brand what about the woods and the gannon as well. Of those three I would pick the gannon first gill second and woods third and I own a woods boxblade. But for the price I payed it was worth it.

Something else to consider since you are gitting a tractor is some wheeling-dealing of the price on the Land-pride. Thow a lowball number at the dealer and see if he bites. Ya never know./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Say $1400 all he could do is laugh in your face ya never know unless you try.

Remember saving a couple of hundred now you might regret later! When it comes to the three point attachments buy the best and don't look back. You will be living with that box for quite some time.

Good luck in your quest
Gordon

Bird · Apr 10, 2001

<font color=blue>If I had to fight with "clips" the way some TBN members have reported,</font color=blue>

Larry, I didn't have the hydraulic scarifiers, but the Monroe I had used some square pins that just dropped into the slots and each one had a short piece of chain attaching it to the main bar so they couldn't get lost. They were quickest and easiest of the manual ones I've seen.

Bird