Educate me on how to use a box blade

[markhait]

Hi everyone! I recently bought a used JD 2305 tractor that came with a FEL, mid mower and a Land Pride box blade. I live on a private road that I share with 5 other homes, but no one wants to take care of our road. I decided that I was going to take care from my driveway to the county road, this section is about 12 feet wide and about 300 feet long. The worst section is from the county road to about 150 feet towards my driveway. I understand that the box blade may not be the preferred tool for the job (land rake or land grader may be better), but this is what I've got and my wife is mad enough at me for spending what I've spent already, so spending more right now is out of the question. I gave the box blade a run and thought I did a pretty good job....until it rained and now it has pot holes again....not as bad, but not how I want to road to be. I did buy 4 1/2 tons of limestone that I used to fill the potholes and although the road is 1000% better, it is still far from great.
This is what I understand/don't understand about box blades from my short experience with them and countless YouTube videos.
I set the teeth down to bust up the road and to break up the walls of the potholes so that the gravel can then mix together. If I float the box blade, doesn't it just keep scraping material from the road and it'll be a never ending process? I tried to gauge setting the box blade and inch or so higher than the road, but with every high or low spot that I drive across, either the box blade digs into the road or is inches above it. I kept trying to adjust it as I was driving to keep a consistent height, but that proved to be very difficult with the unevenness of the road. It does look like you need both a box blade to bust up the road and then a land grader to level/smooth it out. I can't afford a land grader now and so I'd appreciate any input your guys may have for me to do the job just using a box blade. I understand that I may not be a pro at this anytime soon, but I have lots of road to practice with and since no one else cares about the road, I don't mind making a mistake or two!

 

[Hughman]

Adjust the top link, shorter to tilt the BB forward for digging, longer to tilt it back for smoothing or spreading gravel over the top of your driveway.

 

[Rich B1]

Everything wannabe said plus go slow! Speed is not your friend.

I recently got a box blade myself. I read as much as I could and watched lots of videos as well. Then started practicing. My driveway is in the best shape it has been in years. Still got work to do, but it is vastly better. Some other problems spots on the property are much improved.

My wife rolled her eyes when I drug the blade home. Now she wonders why I didn't get one sooner.

IMO, for what it is worth, this is a tool that requires finese. Getting the fore/aft pitch correct (digging vs. spreading) and keeping speed down are key in my experience. Scarifying is a bit different, but still requires some care for best results.

 

[nybirdman]

Another trick is to lower the top link so just the back blade is smoothing and the front not touching at all.It is a bit of a learning curve with a box blade but more than up to the task.Your material must be dry.

 

[markhait]

Excellent guys! Thanks a ton! That all makes total sense. I guess where I missed it was even in the owners manual for the box blade it kept stressing that the box blade must be level side to side and fore/aft. It is level and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get it to work! We just got a ton of rain and everything is soaked to the bone. Maybe in a couple days I'll get out and try her the correct way!
Thanks!!!!

 

[WVH1977]

Practice, Practice, Practice.

When I bought my tractor I did grading work everywhere I could. I worked on almost everyone in my immediate family's yards and driveways and my property. I also did tons of work for friends. I have done more land clearing with just my grader box than all my other implements combined. It is an outstanding implement for a tractor and they were made for each other. I was on and off the tractor constantly at first adjusting the top link and scarifiers. You will eventually come to a point where you just know the sweet spots with the adjustments. It just takes time and most of the time you can fix what you mess up with the box. You have to learn how to raise and lower the box at exactly the right time when your tires hit the high and low spots on your drive (this comes with practice). When I worked on drive ways I adjusted the scarifiers as low as they would go to hang below the blade. I then put the the tractor in low range, 4 wheel drive and dug in to break it up real good, then I would take the scarifiers completely off and do the fine grading with the blade. Its kind of hard for me to try and explain operating a grader box, its something that I learned by experience and feel. I have busted all the teeth off of my scarifiers from all the digging I have done with them (they are replaceable LOL). You will build up neck muscles you never knew you had. LOL Once you learn how to use the box you will be amazed at how much work you can do with it.

Did I mention lots of Practice.

 

[bcp]

For smoothing and spreading, the height of the front blade above the ground is controlled by the length of the top link, with the box blade pivoting on the rear blade.

As the top link gets longer, the front blade's position gets higher.

Bruce

 

[xring100]

To get rid of the pot holes use the scarfiers to rip down below the bottom of the pothole and smooth the whole surface if you break teeth i have found H&L seem to be the best. My gannon came with them never broke one although they show some wear. My landpride grading scraper broke two of what ever brand they use the first time out.

 

[brown40]

Make sure you keep a well established crown--easier to knock down than build up with a box.

 

[kthompson]

You will find leveling is easier in reverse as the box blade hits the high spots before the tractor does but that is hard to run that long of distance in reverse. Can also be hard on the lift arms. One other suggestion is to drive the same side of the road from both direction as the approach will be different just due to holes and high spots being approached from the opposite direction. Not sure I agree you want the box blade level side to side, note Brown40 post above, you may need to run with the side near the crown and most likely the left one raise a little over the right side. Again as has been said practice.