Hydraulic Box Blade question

[anthonyk]

I'm trying to "finish grade" some of my acerage, and have been trying to use my standard "drag behind" box blade. It just doesn't seem to have the weight to really do as much as I'd like.
I want to be able to shave off all the weeds, and sometimes as much as a couple of inches of dirt.
Right now, my box just skips along. It's fine for soft dirt spreading, etc. But doesn't seem to do what I want.
Now, I've seen contractors using what appears to be a hydraulically operated box blade on tractors even smaller than mine (Century 3647 47 Hp), and they literally drive backwards like a light dozer and really remove dirt. It looks like it uses the hydraulics and weight of the tractor to push down rather than just the weight of the box. In fact I watched one guy clear a house site in less than an hour.
I'm wondering if anyone has experience using these things and if it'll really do more than my ordinary box does.
I want to grade and level areas, shave off humps as much as a foot high (this land was timbered about 15 years ago and the ruts left behind are really annoying when mowing).
I'm trying to avoid paying some dozer operator a couple of thousand dollars if I can.
Also, any idea what one would cost?

thanks,

anthony
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[RonMar]

Have you tried just adding weight to your box blade?

 

[steveinmo]

Anthony,

The weeds/grass usually keep the lighter boxblades from digging in. I usually have to use the rippers first to get things churned up and then raise the rippers for the final grading.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[gmsssi]

My BB (Kioti made by Midwest) is tapered on the side so I just adjust the top link so the front blade digs in first and it does a excellent job. It cuts the weeds/grass of the top great. I'm doing the same thing and I'm using the scapings for fill on the yard I'm re-landscaping. I'll send some pics when I get a chance. Make sure your draft in down, if that doesn't do the trick you'll need to add some weight to the BB. Good Luck!

 

[wushaw]

I recently had TnT installed and purchased a 2c2-66" Cammond BB with hyd scarfers. This thing weighs 830lbs and with the TnT it is absolutely awsome, it digs like no other BB I have previously had which were a 48" KK and 65" Bushhog.
The TnT turns a BB into a whole new tool, it will ruin you... you won't go back /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Here is a link to Cammond.
Cammond

 

[boomer4snow]

I would second the weight idea. I have an old BB -unknown manufacture -that is about 3 days older than God. I tried it on an old gravel drive with all 6 rippers down, and it would hop and skip and just make noise. I welded up a rack of sorts out of 1" square tubing kind of like an ATV rack, which makes an absolutely wonderful tool caddy, cooler holder when the BB is my ballast. I made a couple square concrete weights about 2'x1.75'x8" with a U bolt sunk in the top for a lift point for the cherry picker. Anyway, the difference was unreal, where before it would hop, this time i sunk all 6 rippers straight down in about 4'!! In fact I had to get a scoop of the gravel in the bucket and put it in 4 wheel mode to keep the tractor moving. A little bit of weight in the right place made all the difference. BTW it works just the same on dirt, the blade actually will peel an inch or two off the surface now instead of scratching it.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I would recommend that you break up the sod in the whole field before trying to do any leveling. Trying cut and fill with sod can be a frustrating undertaking.

 

[anthonyk]

thanks for the tips. I've thought about trying to add weights, but figured it wouldn't be enough.
I've also tried changing the angle of the blade, but not much improvement.

I'll go ahead and add the weights to start, but still interested in hearing from anyone who might have a hydraulic box, especially priceing/ performance info.

thanks again,

anthony

 

[Tim_in_IA]

anthonyk,

all the hydraulics do on a hydraulic box blade is allow you to raise the scarifiers and adjust top and tilt without getting out of your seat, depending on the model. They wont actually let you apply more force to the ground. Having said that, with the extra weight of the cylinders and mounts they may be heavier so in turn work better. You really just need more weight on your blade, or remove the grass covering first with a disc or somthing similar, then cleanup with the box blade.

 

[OkieG]

Some construction tractors with 3 Point Hitchs can generate down pressure. That, however, is a function of the 3PH, not the boxblade. A year or two ago there was a thread on that topic. As I recall, modifying a compact utility tractor to add that feature was either difficult or impossible.

You'd be surprised how much difference adding weight to the box blade can make, and it's easier than altering the 3PH.

OkieG