Grade Master or Box Blade?

[scesnick]

I recently posed a question about a box blade being able to grade my 2.5 mile dirt road. Knowing nothing about box blades I got some great answers.
Then someone posted that I should really get a Grade Master grader implement. Now, I'm torn between which one will work best for what I want to do.
I have noticed that everyone that uses both products are from the south where the dirt diveways/roads look very
sandy and relatively soft.
Has anyone in the northeast used a box blade or grade master to maintain thier road? If so, which model of either implement works the best?
Our dirt roads up here are usually super packed dirt/rock.
I'm concerned that the implements will not dig into the road surface.
I have tried to use the FEL on my Case 580 backhoe and it just scrapes it like its concrete.
Bottom line is that I don't want to plunk down $500 + on a useless ( for me ) yard ornament. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Thanks..

 

[BobReeves]

From the other post and reading this one I would sugest you go buy a box blade and get on with it. I have Oklahoma clay and it hasn't rained here in almost 3 months. With Bermuda grass to top it off my dirt is probably at least as hard to dig in as your road if not harder.

I just re-sculptured an area about 30 X 80 that was a bear to mow, dug down about 3 feet on one long side to eliminate a sharp drop-off. Don't know how much dirt I moved but it was allot. Except for putting it into a pile with the loader it was all moved with my box blade. I set the rippers at the lowest setting so I could use the top link to either drop the rippers or pull them up and use the blade. Believe me a box blade with the rippers down will cut through your road.

 

[browns40]

Hi scesnick,

I have never used a grademaster, so no info there...

Yes a boxblade will absolutely cut into your driveway; you should think about it as 400 or more lbs concentrated on 4 or more steel points of less than a square inch... scarifier will get into things you can get a pick-axe in, and once in, the forward pull & angle makes them sink... you actually need to be more concerned about cutting too deep & pulling up larger stones that make up the road base.

A boxblade is relatively compact ballast which costs just a bit more than a ballast box with weights... is styrdy enough for a ball to move most trailers around... can be used for moving good quntities of any material around (dirt, mud, snow, sawdust, limbs, etc), can rip into lawn/field you want to use for a garden or loosen for removel or tilling...

I have been using it for snow lately and it is great for that as well; no windrows, drag it where you want it.

While a loader may be #1 for all around usefulness, the box blade IMO is next.

If you only want to maintain roads, get a device that is road specific, but for versatility, get the box blade.

Happy tractoring! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

I maintain a gravel road and have managed with a box and loader for years however I always struggled with putting a crown back into the road. We all know whenever a puddle forms it will rapidly washout. The key to a good road is to run the water off and maintain a smooth surface. I finally decided to by a duragrader http://sealfabrication.tripod.com/ that had the angled blade to build a crown. This implement has been proven by other members and a similar device will do the job especially on such a long road. Unfortunately this dealer cashed my check but has yet to deliver so be careful. Most of the folks on this board are honest. The box blade will work but multiple passes on a 2 mile road I think justifies a specialized implement. Keep us posted on how you proceed.

 

[jim_wilson]

The problem I see with using just a boxblade is that it is hard to keep the driveway level as you drag. Using a boxblade with some gauge wheels attached might help. Or using scarifier to loosen up the surface followed by a pass with a Duragrader would work good too. My driveway is hard packed rock dust/gravel mix and the box blade does good at ripping it up but not so good at leveling it back out.

The duragrader levels out better because the sides are longer than a box blade so when you are dragging it evens out the surface as you are dragging.

The box blade is the best bargain to do everything you want to do - break up the surface and re-level afterwards - but it is somewhat of a compromise if you are looking to do a nice job.

There are a number of ways you could break up or scarify the road surface:

box blade
pulverizer
scarifier
tiller ( I have heard of a few people doing this using a light pass)

Then you want to smooth the surface out again:
box blade
rear blade (with gauge wheels)
Duragrader or equivalent
a drag of some form