How well does the Box Blade work

jfischer · Mar 16, 2015

Just about ready to go pic my 425 machine up.

Wanted to get some input to whether the box blade teeth worked well enough to brake a hard packed gravel road up, so I could fill some holes in.

I have seen it work on dirt, but wondered if the machine was big enough and had enough power to be worth its while to purchase one while I am down there.
Jeff

Sprinklerman · Mar 16, 2015

My kubota bx 24 does fine with a 4 ft grade box . I put the teeth down on the shallow setting and go slow.

The Suburban Farmer · Mar 16, 2015

I have the 5' box blade from Tractor Supply on the back of my 2320 and it works fine:

BUT, I have more HP (25 HP) than you are talking about with your 425 (only 20HP, I think?), so I would probably look for a 4' blade if possible based on my usage. I've found that mine works perfectly well for my tractor, BUT if I have all of the teeth down, I can only take VERY small passes at best or I start to lose traction. Generally, if I'm using the teeth, I only put down 3 at most, and sometimes just run it with 2 of the teeth, and not set at full depth. There were some old gravel paths that I wanted to rip up on our property and the 2-tooth, small-pass approach worked perfectly. I've hit a buried rock or two though, and it will stop the tractor dead in its tracks.

Like Sprinklerman, one of my buddies has a BX24 and he has the 4' blade and uses it for his gravel driveway all the time with very good results. Weight would be my concern with using a BB on a machine the size of a 425. You may run out of traction well before you run out of pull if you don't have enough mass. 20 HP should be plenty to take care of your gravel road after the FIRST grading, but you may have to take really small bites on the first grading.

Here's a video of someone using a 425 with a 4' box blade to make a gravel path. They aren't taking a very big bite...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=culxgkUoDXU

jfischer · Mar 16, 2015

The 4' one is what they make for the PT425 I am looking at, and it is a 25hp unit.

I have run them on a big tractor at one time in life and know how they work, I was just trying to get some idea if they would dig into a gravel based road, or driveway, and be able to smooth it out. Mainly just trying to do upkeep until the guy comes to do the yearly job on the road.

I have seen that video before, as I have been a JD guy since 1972, but was wondering how it worked on hard packed places, to fill a cavity, or pothole up. I just a Johnny bucket to do it now, and it just can't do what a larger box blade does, and especially one that you can set an angle to put a crown on something.

SpringHollow · Mar 17, 2015

Just a thought but I bought a 3 pt hitch adapter designed for a skid steer but they welded a PT attachment plate to it. Now I can use a 3 pt boom, box blade, etc. The biggest downside to that is that the adapter weight will reduce your lifting capacity which is already limited on PT's.

You can also just buy local used 3 pt attachments and make and weld on your own attachment plates. I modify used truck snow plows that way.

Ken

jfischer · Mar 17, 2015

Ken, I thought about that, but this is a 425 machine, not a big 1850 like you have, and really don't think it could pull more then a 4 foot blade of that kind with teeth. They seem to be hard to find, and the PT one doesn't really have the adjustable teeth like others I have seen, so just trying to get peoples ideas on there box blade.
I think PJ had one he was using, but mainly saw it on dirt, and just wondering if it was even worth getting to try on rock and gravel?
Jeff

MinnesotaEric · Mar 17, 2015

jfischer said:
Just about ready to go pic my 425 machine up.

Wanted to get some input to whether the box blade teeth worked well enough to brake a hard packed gravel road up, so I could fill some holes in.

I have seen it work on dirt, but wondered if the machine was big enough and had enough power to be worth its while to purchase one while I am down there.
Jeff

This ancient video was what first got me thinking about a tractor.

SpringHollow · Mar 17, 2015

The DR Power Grader seems pretty pricey but most people seem to be happy with it. The PT 425 should have no trouble pulling it.

Ken

oosik · Mar 17, 2015

I have a 72" roll over box blade (Bush Hog RO720) and it will rip my hard as concrete driveway just fine with the teeth down. However, if I do any ripping on the driveway I most often use the Land Pride GS2584(grading scraper) with the teeth down. Its a little less aggressive and produces a more level final product.

A properly sized box blade should rip just fine with the teeth down. It may take multiple passes to get down to what you want but that's what seat time is all about. A box blade or grading scraper with teeth down is an awesome ripping implement.

MossRoad · Mar 17, 2015

jfischer said:
Just about ready to go pic my 425 machine up.

Wanted to get some input to whether the box blade teeth worked well enough to brake a hard packed gravel road up, so I could fill some holes in.

I have seen it work on dirt, but wondered if the machine was big enough and had enough power to be worth its while to purchase one while I am down there.
Jeff

Since you are speaking about the PT425 box blade specifically, in the 14 years I've been here, I've only read one or two comments from PT425 owners with a factory box blade and as I recall, they weren't very impressed when it came to hard packed earth. Don't recall any posts about hard packed gravel drives, but can only guess you'll be disappointed. I don't have a picture of the teeth on it, but as I recall, they aren't typical scarifier type teeth you'd see on a conventional box blade. You may be better off finding a used 4' 3pt type box blade with adjustable teeth and adapting a quick attach plate to it.

On that note, be sure to check angles before mounting anything to a PT quick attach plate to make sure you can dump/curl it to the angles you'll need. Very few conventional attachments can be welded 90 degrees to a PT quick attach plate and end up working correctly. You'll need to weld the QA plate with some angled stock to get the proper angle.

MossRoad · Mar 17, 2015

Also remember these PT425s are not pulling machines like conventional ag tractors. It only weighs 1500# or so. When you pull a box blade backwards it will want to pull the rears off the ground, putting more weight on the front tires, adding to the traction. This is a good thing. If you spread the weight of 1500# onto 4 tires, you get about 375# per tire. Easier for one of them to break loose. If you get it up on two wheels, you get #750 on each tire, making them harder to break loose.

One of you guys mentioned weights on the rear. I'm sure that would help. You'll find a balance (literally) between what works best for you.

You could also add weight to the box blade itself, or attempt to put down-pressure on it with the FEL arms out of the float position.

Not having a box blade for mine, I'm only guessing. I did have a box on my old IH2500b, but that was an 8000# tractor/loader designed for pulling.

SpringHollow · Mar 19, 2015

Box blade works moderately well on mine but my tractor is heavier. But no way near as well as one works on a traditional tractor.

You could use a mini hoe attachment to dig up around pot holes and then level. You could also add a receiver to a PT attachment plate and attach a scarifier (or two) to it like some have and rip up and down the driveway a few times before using the box blade. Or make a mini land plane/grader with the ability to add teeth.

Ken

Ken

jfischer · Mar 19, 2015

Ken, that is what I ended up doing, is I bought the Mini Hoe. Figured I could use it for other projects so wouldn't be a waste, and since I have a couple of other styles of buckets, can use them to fill all back in.
Jeff

KentT · Apr 3, 2015

I'm using a KK 48" boxblade from Tractor Supply with a QA plate added on my PT 425. IMO, it is a much better/heavier duty blade than the one from Tazewell, and cost less. It has adjustable rippers with replaceable teeth, which the PT one does not.

IMO, PTs aren't ideal for boxblades because of the lack of wheelmotor torque and the fact that you can't adjust one side up or down individually to assist in crowning a gravel road or in cutting a gentle swale. Conversely, some aspects with a PT are absolutely great, such as being using the bucket curl to get the equivalent on a power top link on a traditional tractor. This is great for tilting the rippers down to quickly rip something loose the curling the box back down to drag it off. You can also put hydraulic down pressure on it, which other tractors can't - they rely on VERY heavy boxblades whose own weight determine their cutting capability.

You also likely find yourself pushing with it much more than you'd typically do with a normal tractor. It provides all the bulldozer that you wheelmotors will push, without concern over breaking or bending 3pt hitch arms...

jfischer · Apr 4, 2015

I think if I do go for a Box Blade, I will try to go for one of the KK ones, or something that I can find used, and weld it to a plate, as I don't think I will be using it that much.

I can see that after the day or so of my first use on the machine that I kind of wish it had a slower speed in digging, seems it is real slow, or all of a sudden it is moving fast. I know it is just me, and going to take some seat time to get used to all.

It will be something to add to the collection of things in the future, if I can find one at a good price.

pajoube · Apr 12, 2015

I have the 425 factory box blade and love it. My use is for soil, not hard pack drive way. I have put the teeth down a few times to breakup hard pack soil which worked well. It was faster and easier to leave teen up and put the potatoes digger onto break up the soil.
PJ

MossRoad · Apr 12, 2015

Thanks PJ!

jfischer · Apr 13, 2015

PT, Thanks for your replies, I passed on getting the stock PT Box Blade and went with a mini hoe at the time. I figured I would get more use out of it, and to this point I think over half the time running the machine has been with the Mini Hoe on it.

I have been digging out, and moving things out of a storage hole I didn't even know were in there. Really having a blast with it.

farm23 · Apr 14, 2015

I have a 1430 with the factory box blade and the mini hoe. I find both very useful. The box blade keep a 1/4 mile drive in shape and the mini hoe is used around the farm. I put a fixed thumb on the hoe and have never taken it off. For me it adds to the utility of the hoe.

Enjoy,

joshlee · Apr 14, 2015

Well Jeff, I will be getting a box blade and a 4 in 1 bucket in a week or two. I'll let ya know how it works on our stone lane. How are you making out with the armrest on your PT?

jfischer said:
PT, Thanks for your replies, I passed on getting the stock PT Box Blade and went with a mini hoe at the time. I figured I would get more use out of it, and to this point I think over half the time running the machine has been with the Mini Hoe on it.

I have been digging out, and moving things out of a storage hole I didn't even know were in there. Really having a blast with it.