I'm downsizing tractor but would like to keep my box blade

[VoyagernOK]

I no longer really need my 75hp Mahindra and am looking at a JD 3046 Compact Utility Tractor. (46hp)
I have a lot of implements, including an 8' heavy duty box blade that I would like to keep. My uncertainty is whether the 46hp JD 3046 will handle that blade without overloading the tractor?
Anyone ever overloaded a tractor by using too large or heavy a box blade?

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[oldnslo]

Will the 3PH lift it? You won't be able to pull a full load of dirt but will still work. I pull a 5 foot with my 24 HP CUT.

 

[VoyagernOK]

Will the 3PH lift it? You won't be able to pull a full load of dirt but will still work. I pull a 5 foot with my 24 HP CUT.

The 3pt is rated to lift 2200# at 24" behind or 2530# at the hitch. My box blade is just over 1000#.

 

[JohnnyMX]

You may not be able to do as much with that size implement on a smaller tractor, but as others have said, you will be able to lift it. I had a very heavy gravel spreader attachment on a 20hp Kubota and it was on the verge of lifting the front wheels and got very sketchy on hills and limited steering. I could drag it no problem, but when it was up in the air I should have had weights. A 46hp JD shouldn't be a lightweight tractor correct?

 

[loggin]

I no longer really need my 75hp Mahindra and am looking at a JD 3046 Compact Utility Tractor. (46hp)
I have a lot of implements, including an 8' heavy duty box blade that I would like to keep. My uncertainty is whether the 46hp JD 3046 will handle that blade without overloading the tractor?
Anyone ever overloaded a tractor by using too large or heavy a box blade?

​

You would be giving up around 4,000 pounds in tractor weight, depending on model, and 3,000 pounds in 3 point hitch lift capacity. Those are significant numbers and pulling an 8 foot box blade behind a tractor only weighing around 3,500 pounds might be rather challenging. Not sure how much material you could actually move let alone digging the teeth in. You might get away with it if you loaded the tires or had some wheel weights. Not sure.

The other thing to consider is rated implement weight for the tractor at the 3 point hitch. My MX4700 is capable of lifting 2,800 lb. at the rear ends, 2,300 lb. at 24 inches out from the ends. But the manual states maximum of rear implement weight is rated around 1,100 pounds. I imagine this possibly has to do with the implement bouncing around back there when one is traveling with it up in the air and adding extra stress but that is purely speculation on my part.

Just some things to consider.

May I ask why you want to get rid of the Mahindra? It seems to be quite a nice tractor!

 

[VoyagernOK]

You may not be able to do as much with that size implement on a smaller tractor, but as others have said, you will be able to lift it. I had a very heavy gravel spreader attachment on a 20hp Kubota and it was on the verge of lifting the front wheels and got very sketchy on hills and limited steering. I could drag it no problem, but when it was up in the air I should have had weights. A 46hp JD shouldn't be a lightweight tractor correct?

Johnny, no, the JD 3046 weighs 3500 plus the loader, so lifting that on the 3 pt won't lift the front end. If so, I would just add suitcase weights to the front.

 

[VoyagernOK]

You would be giving up around 4,000 pounds in tractor weight, depending on model, and 3,000 pounds in 3 point hitch lift capacity. Those are significant numbers and pulling an 8 foot box blade behind a tractor only weighing around 3,500 pounds might be rather challenging. Not sure how much material you could actually move let alone digging the teeth in. You might get away with it if you loaded the tires or had some wheel weights. Not sure.

The other thing to consider is rated implement weight for the tractor at the 3 point hitch. My MX4700 is capable of lifting 2,800 lb. at the rear ends, 2,300 lb. at 24 inches out from the ends. But the manual states maximum of rear implement weight is rated around 1,100 pounds. I imagine this possibly has to do with the implement bouncing around back there when one is traveling with it up in the air and adding extra stress but that is purely speculation on my part.

Just some things to consider.

May I ask why you want to get rid of the Mahindra? It seems to be quite a nice tractor!

loggin, I appreciate that guidance and the rated implement weight is something I do need to check on.

As to why I'm (now "considering" after this thread and the answers) getting rid of the Mahindra -- none of my employees care to drive it leaving me as the only one using it and our work operation has changed shapes from 5 years ago when it was purchased. We've completed several miles of road construction that I used it for... blading, then spreading thousands of tons of rock. We channeled over 1/2 mile of drainage that was formerly a 200' wide overgrown bog that I cleared with the bushhog then channeled. We no longer use the big bushhog we mowed with as we've cleared almost all our land that was formerly brushland, have good grass in those areas and have two 60" commercial zero turns. (We have about 60 acres we mow weekly.) My guys all prefer running the 27hp JD 4210 when loading rock or sand, but that little tractor can't do everything we need done, just loading sand and rock and blading is 3 times as slow with it. So, I was considering getting a single tractor with a HS transmission somewhere in the middle. I think the bigger tractor (small compared to what I grew up operating) intimidates them; you do have to be careful parking it in the shed, you have to watch closer for clearances around trees, and I think most people just don't know how to use a clutch anymore and I think a couple of them might have killed the engine once or twice at intersections or stop signs while driving through the neighborhood to different properties. And it is harder for them to change implements even the SSQA loader, grapple, fork, etc. as you can't see as well. (Even though it has the shuttle shift, you have to clutch to shift it.) Bottom line, if they only get on that tractor once every couple of months, they don't become proficient operating it and so avoid using it when they do need to... leaving me to do work which I should have an employee doing.

So, I'm in the position as manager (and the only one proficient with large equipment) of trying to make a decision that I will have to justify financially to the board. (We used to be a private water utility, but we're now a Rural Water District, so I can't just do whatever I want.)

 

[oosik]

For sure - KEEP the box blade. If it's simply is too big and will not work for you - sell it and get a smaller one.

BTW - the only "overload" is when the implement is to large to be lifted. Either on the FEL or 3-point. If you are overworking the implement - all four wheels will start digging their own little trench.

 

[loggin]

loggin, I appreciate that guidance and the rated implement weight is something I do need to check on.

As to why I'm (now "considering" after this thread and the answers) getting rid of the Mahindra -- none of my employees care to drive it leaving me as the only one using it and our work operation has changed shapes from 5 years ago when it was purchased. We've completed several miles of road construction that I used it for... blading, then spreading thousands of tons of rock. We channeled over 1/2 mile of drainage that was formerly a 200' wide overgrown bog that I cleared with the bushhog then channeled. We no longer use the big bushhog we mowed with as we've cleared almost all our land that was formerly brushland, have good grass in those areas and have two 60" commercial zero turns. (We have about 60 acres we mow weekly.) My guys all prefer running the 27hp JD 4210 when loading rock or sand, but that little tractor can't do everything we need done, just loading sand and rock and blading is 3 times as slow with it. So, I was considering getting a single tractor with a HS transmission somewhere in the middle. I think the bigger tractor (small compared to what I grew up operating) intimidates them; you do have to be careful parking it in the shed, you have to watch closer for clearances around trees, and I think most people just don't know how to use a clutch anymore and I think a couple of them might have killed the engine once or twice at intersections or stop signs while driving through the neighborhood to different properties. And it is harder for them to change implements even the SSQA loader, grapple, fork, etc. as you can't see as well. (Even though it has the shuttle shift, you have to clutch to shift it.) Bottom line, if they only get on that tractor once every couple of months, they don't become proficient operating it and so avoid using it when they do need to... leaving me to do work which I should have an employee doing.

So, I'm in the position as manager (and the only one proficient with large equipment) of trying to make a decision that I will have to justify financially to the board. (We used to be a private water utility, but we're now a Rural Water District, so I can't just do whatever I want.)

Thanks for your response. I understand your predicament and wish you the best in finding a suitable replacement. Just a shame to have to let go of such a capable machine.

 

[VoyagernOK]

Thanks for your response. I understand your predicament and wish you the best in finding a suitable replacement. Just a shame to have to let go of such a capable machine.

loggin, this dilemma came home to me again today when I went to one of our locations I hadn't been in a couple of months. After a winter ice storm there were many LARGE branches down in a 25 acre pecan orchard. (not part of what we mow) This is the perfect cleanup job for the Mahindra with the grapple, gathering these large branches and carrying them to the brush pile. But none of the guys will run that tractor with the grapple... why would that scare someone??? So, I'll probably run over on the weekend and it will just take me maybe half an hour where otherwise a man would spend an entire day or more dragging these by hand, cutting up the ones too big to drag, loading in a trailer and unloading them on the brush pile.
My employees are very good employees in every regard except that tractor and for some reason it scares them. And getting good, reliable, honest, self-motivated workers these days is not easy! So, I'd rather replace a tractor than try to replace these guys.