_RaT_
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2000
- Messages
- 5,813
- Location
- Peoples Republic of Northern CA.
- Tractor
- Kioti 3510-SE HST
The Gannon has about 5/8" bolts (2) to lock it down.
Grading fine tuning my box blade education
- Thread starter stevenf
- Start date
- Views: 2842
JClark
Silver Member
There is no way I can control my box blade well enough to do a decent job on our lane. My solution was to attach a gauge wheel to the back of my straight blade. The straight blade angles and tilts and can be turned around 180 degrees. Woods has (or had) a gauge wheel that sticks out about 4' behind the blade. With about 8' between the rear tractor wheels and the gauge wheel it makes a mini road grader.
The only problem with this setup is that is does such a nice job the neighbors now zip up and down the lane like its an interstate.
The only problem with this setup is that is does such a nice job the neighbors now zip up and down the lane like its an interstate.
drm
Silver Member
Steve,
I am having the same problems as you with the rolling "bumps" in my drive getting bigger the more I work them. I started with a rear blade and it did a fair job when I finally tried driving backwards pushing the gravel. When I attempted to control with the TPH I would be doing a fair job, get distracted/fed up, and be back to square one.
I recently purchased a box blade to see if dragging material would make smoothing the rolling bumps better. It works better but only when you first start on each pass. It seems to me that as it picks up too much material I have the same problems as you describe. I have been experimenting with starting at the beginning of a "bump" by fully lowering the TPH, dragging to the end of the "bump" very slowly and raising the TPH to distribute the material in the low spots. It seems to be doing better but it may just be that I am getting better on the machine. I only have 35 hours with the beast.
The wife is tired of listening to my thoughts on how to make the job easier. I have a 1200 foot drive with about 1/2 that still needs lots of work. My latest though is to dump piles of gravel in the low spots and push them level with the FEL or the box blade in reverse. If all else fails I can spend the next several weeks doing it by hand. I started cleaning up the road like that waiting to get my tractor and don't want to think about it.
I have heard the use of gauge wheels with the rear blade but I am sceptical as to their value with bumps that are up to a foot high and 10 to 20 feet long like I have.
...Derek
I am having the same problems as you with the rolling "bumps" in my drive getting bigger the more I work them. I started with a rear blade and it did a fair job when I finally tried driving backwards pushing the gravel. When I attempted to control with the TPH I would be doing a fair job, get distracted/fed up, and be back to square one.
I recently purchased a box blade to see if dragging material would make smoothing the rolling bumps better. It works better but only when you first start on each pass. It seems to me that as it picks up too much material I have the same problems as you describe. I have been experimenting with starting at the beginning of a "bump" by fully lowering the TPH, dragging to the end of the "bump" very slowly and raising the TPH to distribute the material in the low spots. It seems to be doing better but it may just be that I am getting better on the machine. I only have 35 hours with the beast.
The wife is tired of listening to my thoughts on how to make the job easier. I have a 1200 foot drive with about 1/2 that still needs lots of work. My latest though is to dump piles of gravel in the low spots and push them level with the FEL or the box blade in reverse. If all else fails I can spend the next several weeks doing it by hand. I started cleaning up the road like that waiting to get my tractor and don't want to think about it.
I have heard the use of gauge wheels with the rear blade but I am sceptical as to their value with bumps that are up to a foot high and 10 to 20 feet long like I have.
...Derek
RaT where did they put the 5/8 bolts thru at down low and close to bucket or? How long are the bolts and do you ever take them off or does the bucket just work better with them on? In which case I wonder why they even make a swing back gate although in the first couple of passes I rolled up some pretty good size rocks (a foot around or so) and many old cedar stumps which have passed out under the gate dumping the box load it also unhappily gives me more holes to fill "BUT" more seat time. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Steve
Steve
sherpa
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2004
- Messages
- 538
- Location
- North Carolina Mountains
- Tractor
- 2004 NH TC33D & 2014 NH Boomer 24
My box blade is like Westonium, it has 6 teeth that are adjustable. If you adjust the teeth to where they are about 1 to 2 inches lower than the box blade it works great for driveways and roads. The box blade must hit the ground level all the way around (except the side to side tilt you may want). That means when you lower the blade, adjust the top link to where the back of the blade is level with the front and the teeth are about 1 to 2 inches into the ground. This does a great job and takes out all the dips and ups and downs. The teeth break the material loose and the front and rear of the box blade smooth it all out. It works great for me and you dont have to look back. Once you get it adjusted, you can just enjoy the ride and make $. Try it if your blade has teeth. Start with an inch of teeth depth first. Just get that blade level front to back.
Sherpa
Sherpa