Front blades?

[Green_in_MI]

Deere offers a front blade that attaches to the loader bracket. They even sell it with hydraulic hookups for angling. I have plans to get one but I would never use one to push anything heavier than snow or brush. I would not use it to push gravel or dirt.

 

[Trev]

<font color=blue>I am not real sure about this, but I think that most manufacturers shy away from thr front blade since a loader is not really designed for that kind of force. If you have ever looked at a dozer, they have very substantial straight supports from the blade back to the frame of the dozer, and loaders are generally designed and attached much higher on the tractor.</font color=blue>

This is what my Deere dealer told me also. The real front blade has a nice straight push right into the frame, plus you get the hydralic angling (which I couldn't live without when pushing snow.) I think the blade setup for the Deere was about $1500 for the 74 inch blade.

HTH,
Bob

 

[Trev]

<font color=blue>I have a Curtis 6 ½” blade on my Kubota B2910. It works great. I have used it since 2000 with no problems.</font color=blue>

No problems, except that it takes forever to plow when your blade is only 6.5 inches wide? You must be as desperate for seat time as I am! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[HayDR]

Curtis is made by Servis-Rhino for Wallace Hwd which is now Richey Equipment. Their private lables are Curtis and Walton.
RICHEY EQUIPMENT CO, INC.
Mr. David Richey
5050 S Davey Crockett Pkwy, Box 687
Morristown, TN 37815
Tel: 423/586-1466
Fax:888/696-7637

 

[ELMO67]

Trev- my thoughts also, I think that any side loads on the loader arms could by quite high, possibly enough to bend them. The only type I would consider would be a frame mount- I have a narrow driveway 1200 ft. long, the Curtis type assy. adds too much extra length. I know that many people make out fine with a rear blade, but as I mentioned, with a lot of seat time it is a major " pain" in the neck. With that said, I'll admit that I have used my rear blade quite a bit, but I still think I get better results using a ft. blade, especially considering the amount of future dirt moving I have to do. The next big project will be covering my driveway with a 1 ft. thick layer of a coarse, 6" minus bank run gravel to- hopefully- eliminate the 1200 ft tank trap that we get in the winter and spring thaw. So- onto Kubota customer relations for some "hopefully" good part numbers and prices, and no " We don't like to talk to the customer" attitudes.

 

[Trev]

Hi Elmo!

<font color=blue>I know that many people make out fine with a rear blade, but as I mentioned, with a lot of seat time it is a major " pain" in the neck. With that said, I'll admit that I have used my rear blade quite a bit, but I still think I get better results using a ft. blade, especially considering the amount of future dirt moving I have to do. The next big project will be covering my driveway with a 1 ft. thick layer of a coarse, 6" minus bank run gravel</font color=blue>

Could you possibly rig up mirrors to help you back up that blade with a minimum of neck pain?

Here's a thought for you ... I love my front blade for snow and for routine pushing of dirt, etc. But I think most people agree that things like your "next big project" might lend themselves to a rear blade, or box blade, etc., more than a front blade. Perhaps I'm wrong..

The biggest problem with a front blade is that while you're trying to cut a level path, the front and rear wheels are going over little bumps. The geometry is such that the front blade digs in deep, you have to raise it a bit to keep forward momentum going, then you lower it back down ... the end result is a series of little hills where you really wanted it to be flat. There's less of this with a rear attached implement because it can free float on the 3pt hitch.

I love my front blade.. but I'm not sure it's the best solution for every job. Just my $5.39 (plus tax) /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Worksmart]

ELMO - This is how I solved my problem(see attachment). /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif For the price of one of those aftermarket setups, you could maybe buy a decent Cub with a plow!!! This also solves my problem of needing/wanting more than one tractor./w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[ronjhall]

Bob
/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif 6 ½” = 6 ½’ sure makes a difference in the amount of snow I can plow. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Now I know why it takes so long to do my 300’ of drive. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif At 6 ½” I will never have to worry about bending the FEL frame. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[ronjhall]

Chuck
30 years ago I had a Cub with the same plow. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif When we had some big snows in the 70’s. I would have given anything to have your BX22 with a plow on the front. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif It would have moved 10 time as much snow when the drifts were over your head. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[tractorlet]

Hi Trev:

You can do away with those little dips and constant blade adjustment by having a float position on your lift arm control valve. You can put a float valve on an existing control valve or replace the control valve fairly reasonably to add a three position loader arm control with float. You have your normal back position to lift the blade, forward for down pressure on the blade or all the way forward to the float hold position which has neither up nor down pressure so that the blade floats on the ground and isn't impacted by front or rear position of the tires.

All our FELs come with a 3 spool control valve with float on the lift arms spool. The third control spool drives our front hyd angling dozer blade and other front hyd implements as well as center and rear hyd implements.