Finally got my tractor

[Phineas7]

So now I have a question: I've never had a box blade, but it looks like just the thing for some hill smoothing and road fixing i want to do. What is the optimum size for the 790/3005? I see above a six footer mentioned. Is that what you all would suggest?
Mf

That's a tough one really. When using the BB for breaking up really rooty rocky areas or trying to grade down are area, the 48 had been good. For finish smoothing/grading I've wished for something bigger. I use mine for a counter-balance when using the FEL also. In that use narrower is better. If I had a gravel driveway to maintian, I'd get a 6' for sure.

 

[dcyrilc]

dcyrilc, not to hijack the thread, but Bellevue is nuts. I am South of you a couple hours, but I have to run up to Bellevue every few months and I swear it gets bigger and bigger each trip. We almost bought a small farm in Duvall a couple years back when I was going to relocate permanently. Love that area up there outside the city...

I'm outside Woodinville. It used to be outside the city, but they've grown in around me.:confused2: I just work for Bellevue.:laughing:

 

[Barely Smokin']

Don't assume bigger (wider) is better for road grading. I find my 48" is perfect, given my technique: one pass down the middle to knock down the hump, one pass down each tire lane. Rippers partially down on all passes, BB level or slightly canted forward.

[OK, IMO, you then need to follow up with a rear blade to properly grade and crown. Major issue: You can't sidecast with a BB, which means you can't get the gravel on the side of the road back on the road where it belongs. Two passes with an angled rear blade does this nicely. Next two passes are with rear blade, not-angled, with one tire on the furrow you just made with rear blade. One pass up and back and road is perfectly crowned. For extra points, swivel rear blade around and drag for glass-smoothness.]

So, even if I had a 6' BB, I'd still make three initial passes down the road, b/c my first pass has to be dead in the middle, to get the hump. With a 48" BB, three passes = 12', which is plenty for any road I've seen.

Also, in loose dirt my 790 is pretty well maxed-out traction-wise with a full 48" BB. If you're planning on actually moving dirt from point A to B with a BB over any distance, I wouldn't go bigger than 5'.

But, if you have a lot of land you're trying to level or rip, but not moving a ton of dirt, then I'd say go 6'.

 

[grnspot110]

I've only had my 790 for a week! But like it very well for my purpose, loader, mowing & blade work mostly. Headed for the farm today for another round with the 5' Woods finish mower. As for the box blade, I have a 5' 3-pt blade I intend to make a BB out of. First, I need to make a boom for the loader. ~~ grnspot110

 

[Barely Smokin']

Sounds like some fun projects! What are you intending the boom to lift?

 

[WA790]

I got to spend another weekend working with the 790. Since we have about a mile long gravel road and I'm working on extending the yard I picked up a King Kutter 6ft landscape rake. I spent the weekend switching implements. I went from box blade for leveling and taking off the sod, to the rake to clean up the small rock, to the BH to dig up the bigger rocks (boulders) that the box blade uncovered. It was great being able to change attachments so often and easy. I also went ahead and ran up and down the gravel road with the rake just to see what it would do. I was pretty shocked. We have always drug with a bent steel I-beam which worked ok, but the rake made the road look like it just got a fresh layer of gravel. I also have an email out through craigslist on a local Rankin PHD that looks lightly used, that's the last attachment on my wishlist, for now :laughing:. I still need to get picks up but thought I would chime in again on how great I think my 790 is.