Guage wheels or guage wheel?

[mfrost]

THAT is very clever!!! I really like the rake ... I find a curved-tine rake to be too aggressive many times. Also, looks as though the float might function as a "hula" hoe for those sparse but prolific dry summer weeds!

Here is a picture of the rake in the operational position for pushing( it will flost back when going forward so you can use your blade to cover holes or level where brush was removed. If you desire not to get a sore neck then it can be taken off and installed on the inside of the box blade and it still folds up out of the way for normal blade use. It really keeps the dirt out of your brush or weeds.

I can just hear those brains cranking out ideas.

 

[patrick_g]

here is another idea. works great in sandy soil and it also keeps the back blade functional for pushing dirt. It also helps in compaction and no moving parts or flat tires.

I see the sand, where is the soil?

So are you in Eastern San Diego county, Imperial county, or where? Looks mighty arid!

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

...you would want the guage wheel as close as possible to the cutting edge to minimize the variation as the tractor goes in and out of the potholes.

If the distance from the rear axle to the blade is 1/2 the distance between the rear axle and the gauge wheel(s) then the blade will be raised and lowered 1/2 the distance the gauge wheels move up and down. Gauge wheels farther from the blade reduce the rapidity of the vertical movement of the blade and tend to average out the variations.

Of course the "hobby horsing (pitching up and down) of the short wheel base tractor introduces another source of relative motion that complicates analysis. I end up sometimes having to just go slow and make TNT adjustments to achieve a decent start toward level since my little tractor is so short coupled. (Kubota L4610)

Pat

 

[mfrost]

I see the sand, where is the soil?

So are you in Eastern San Diego county, Imperial county, or where? Looks mighty arid!

Pat

Close but wrong. In the high desert of San Bernardino County at 3000 feet.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Here is a picture of the rake in the operational position for pushing( it will flost back when going forward so you can use your blade to cover holes or level where brush was removed. If you desire not to get a sore neck then it can be taken off and installed on the inside of the box blade and it still folds up out of the way for normal blade use. It really keeps the dirt out of your brush or weeds.
I can just hear those brains cranking out ideas.

It seems you put some good thought into it all! An all-in-one deal. If I viewed your pix right ... a nice use of old concrete form stakes on the rake

 

[mfrost]

It seems you put some good thought into it all! An all-in-one deal. If I viewed your pix right ... a nice use of old concrete form stakes on the rake

Actually they were not that old and some were new. Now that I'm building a 40x40 shop I need to buy more

 

[HomeBrew2]

... I need to buy more

Yep, that's why I'm gaurding my last few dozen. Haven't found much use for a shop though, other than my small garage ... shop time is down time to me ... maybe if I ever retire

 

[Tig]

If the distance from the rear axle to the blade is 1/2 the distance between the rear axle and the gauge wheel(s) then the blade will be raised and lowered 1/2 the distance the gauge wheels move up and down. Gauge wheels farther from the blade reduce the rapidity of the vertical movement of the blade and tend to average out the variations.

Pat

I have no experience in running a box blade and guage wheel but it would seem to me that the guage wheel is riding on a flat, graded surface with the only irregularities being the ones caused by the uneven movement of the tractor as it crosses potholes. That being the case, having the guage wheel closer would mean less vertical movement of the blade as the tractor crosses potholes.

Example A; tractor to cutting edge is 4', cutting edge to guage wheel 1'. While crossing a 5" pothole the cutting edge will lower 1". The secondary effect would be the guage wheel crossing this 1" deep irregularity and lowering the cutting edge .8" As for climbing out of this irregularity there would be a 1' lag and 80% correction per foot traveled.

Example B; If the distance between the blade and and the gauge wheel was equidistant the blade would lower 2.5" when the tractor crosses a 5" deep pothole. The secondary effect would be the gauge wheel crossing this 2.5" deep irregularity and lowering the cutting edge 1.25" As for climbing out of this irregularity there would be a 4' lag and 50% correction per 4" feet traveled.

In this scenario on paper the short gauge wheel seems to be the way to go. More consistent and quicker correction. That being said, my experience working with the box blade is negligible and I have never used gauge wheels so once I get out in the dirt I may find that this logic is flawed.

 

[patrick_g]

Close but wrong. In the high desert of San Bernardino County at 3000 feet.

It could have easily been Arizona or Baja except for your bio claims California. My sister used to live just a block out of San Bernardino in the community of Highland and now lives in Wickenburg, AZ in a community with landscaping indistinguishable from yours.

Pat

 

[mars1952]

I have no experience in running a box blade and guage wheel but it would seem to me that the guage wheel is riding on a flat, graded surface with the only irregularities being the ones caused by the uneven movement of the tractor as it crosses potholes. That being the case, having the guage wheel closer would mean less vertical movement of the blade as the tractor crosses potholes.

Example A; tractor to cutting edge is 4', cutting edge to guage wheel 1'. While crossing a 5" pothole the cutting edge will lower 1". The secondary effect would be the guage wheel crossing this 1" deep irregularity and lowering the cutting edge .8" As for climbing out of this irregularity there would be a 1' lag and 80% correction per foot traveled.

Example B; If the distance between the blade and and the gauge wheel was equidistant the blade would lower 2.5" when the tractor crosses a 5" deep pothole. The secondary effect would be the gauge wheel crossing this 2.5" deep irregularity and lowering the cutting edge 1.25" As for climbing out of this irregularity there would be a 4' lag and 50% correction per 4" feet traveled.

In this scenario on paper the short gauge wheel seems to be the way to go. More consistent and quicker correction. That being said, my experience working with the box blade is negligible and I have never used gauge wheels so once I get out in the dirt I may find that this logic is flawed.

Hi Steve: I agree with your logic as long as the box blade has plenty of dirt to drop. If it runs out of dirt the box blade with a short coupled gauge wheel set will drop into the unfilled part of the hole and start cutting off the following bump too soon. Also if a short coupled box blade is angled to cut aggressively it can dig too deep too fast. If the distance between the tractor wheels and the blade and the gauge wheels and the box blade is even the box blade can't dig in excessively because it is held up equally on each end. Mounting the gauge wheels close works but A long setup with the blade in the middle will work better (except for maneuverability).
Marshall