how not to make whoop-de-doos with a box blade

[Anonymous Poster]

In my recent post "How to use a box blade" I got some basic pointers on using one. I finally got around to trying it yesterday. I had a lot of problems. I was trying it out where I started to put a garden (but changed my mind and put the garden elsewhere), so it has been tilled to the point of being like powder 8 to 10 inches deep. The box blade kept wanting to go too deep. I adjusted the scarifiers all the way up, but it still wanted to dig in. So, I set the position control to keep it up some, and this helped. But, now when the front wheels go up on a high spot or the rear wheels go down in a low spot, the box blade digs in and makes a low spot. So, I just end up making a bunch of whoop-de-doos. If I go over it again, I just move the whoop-de-doos to a slightly different location. Now I know why they had draft control on the old Ferguson and Ford 8N! If I set the position control so the entire weight of the box blade can drag along, it smooths out pretty good, but it goes way to deep and I end up with a low spot in the middle and a pile of dirt at the end. I tried adjusting the top link all the way in both directions, but that didn't help, it still wants to dig in. I gave up and went to another area that is packed down clay and it worked much better. I just let it drag and it smoothed it out pretty good. The ground there is packed down enough that the box blade doesn't dig in too much. But, I've got a mess at the old garden area. I was actually doing better on this area with a grader blade by just reversing it and letting it drag behind me. Any suggestions? Thanks, Danny

 

[RobS]

Danny, a couple of things. In the soft fluffy stuff, the box will always sink down and pull more material than you want. Maybe you can wait for some rain to settle that soil some? In "normal" dirt, you can extent the top link to raise the front cutting edge. On a fixed rear like mine, that will allow the box to ride more on the rear blade and do a bit less cutting with the front blade. This is where T&T must be really handy, though I've had reasonable success with the manual approach. Hope this helps /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Harv]

Danny -

I'm a total newbie myself, and I'm hardly in a position to give advice, so I'll just empathize. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I've had all the same problems with my own box blade and have the whoop-de-doos to prove it. I am surprised, however, that you didn't have more luck when you lengthened the top link. That should put the weight on the rear blade and do a fairly good job of smoothing.

I have also been befuddled by uneven ground causing the front of the tractor to rise and the box to dig in. I thought that since the blade is always floating, that that wouldn't be a problem, but I guess it changes the angle enough that the front blade tends to hog in. With tractorin' in general, I now realize that when you're scraping with either the FEL or the box blade, your results are going to try and match the contour of the ground the tractor is on. In other words, if you want to flatten out the speed bumps, you have to make sure your tool gets to them before the tractor. That means you must be going forwards to use the FEL or backwards to use the box blade. That way the tractor itself is always on the part that has already been flattened.

The experienced folks are probably chuckling at us newbies by now, but heck, that's how we learn. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I kinda wish there were detachable guage wheels for my box blade. Sound silly?

 

[john4nh]

Danny i would check the top link adjustment as Rob stated.. You also need to keep your hand on the lever to raise and lower the box.. you must adjust for inclines and declines for low spots of course your gonna have to raise the box to put more material in the spot.. It just takes practice.. if worse come to worse get you a heavey piece of iron, like a rail road track and just drag it across the area your working.. it will generally fill in low areas an leave you a smooth surface. Depending on your soil type condition etc...Ive got a pic of one behind my disc but cant get the darn thing to post...Good Luck

 

[gerard]

you hit the nail on the head Harv with the guage wheels. I'm in the process of having a set made for my rake and the will also be able to be put on the box blade.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Congrats on your motorcycle track! (oh, wait, you were not TRYING to make a motorcycle track?)

Practice Practice Practice. Things will get better. It is hard to learn to ride the height control and get it right. What I do is rough out what I want and I don't get overly concerned at this point with perfection. Do be careful not to tear up your hard packed dirt too much if you are working on a drive or walkway etc. Then when the rough cuts are done start thinking about just BARELY knocking the high spots into the low spots. Set the height so that you only drag dirt 1/10 of the time. Other than that your blade will be empty. Leave the height control alone. Then drag just like that again. After a few (or a lot) of passes you will have a flat surface. It always looks the worst just before it looks the best. Also, know when to quit. It is easy to get carried away. Then, let the rain finish the job.

 

[scotd1]

Danny Y,
As the other guys have mentioned, you control the box scraper (blade) by using the top link to adjust the angle of the box blade. Lengthen the top link and the box will smooth and spread, shorten the top link to cut into the ground and remove material. You can lower the scarifiers(sp?) if you really need to bust up some hard dirt. Most of the time you will have your 3 point hitch all the way down (float position) so the box can follow the contour of the ground and do it's thing somewhat independant of the tractor although I do find myself feathering mine up and down often.
These things don't come with instructions and you are left up to your own devices to figure out how they work but play around with it and you'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
The hyd. top link is real handy but I have used box blades for years without one with good effect.
Also, most people find that adding weights to the box scraper helps in most working situations and it also makes a good ballast if you have a FEL. I added a rack and 500 lbs of suitcase weights to mine.
In my opinion, you are alot better off using a box scraper to shape, smooth and/or remove dirt and gravel in most cases. I had a rear blade for years, never used it and gave it way this spring. I live in the South so snow removal is not a factor for me but I would suspect a rear blade would be good for this and a box scraper useless.
Hope this helps, Good luck

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for all the guidance everybody. A couple of you mentioned getting some help from rain. Unfortunately, we haven't had any here in southern Indiana in quite a while. We're about 7 inches below normal for this time of year. As for the not getting instructions with the box blade, that's kind of like my kids. They didn't come with instructions either. So, we have been learning on the job. By the time we know how to do parenting, the kids will be grown up! Hopefully, I'll figure out the box blade in less than 18 years!

 

[RobS]

Southern Indiana, eh? I'm at the other end of the state and seems all it's done for the last week or so has been rain. Sure is doing my new trees well though /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[skent]

In central MD we have 30 days without any measurable precip and 4 inches below normal. Corn is 4 to 5 inches now and really needs it. Potatoes and beans haven't done a thing yet. Today it looks like its ready to pour. . . . but so far. . . nothing. Maybe I'll try washing my car today!

Steve