Is it unwise to buy a BB narrower than your tractor??

[MJPetersen]

Judging from the pics of the roads that you want to maintain it is my opinion that you will not be able to work the edges and ruts in the road if you have a BB that is narrower than the track of your rear wheels. You will not be able to run the wheels out far enough off the road so that the BB can cover the rut. I'd save up for the wider one and maybe adapt my RB to accomplish the task temporarily.

Mike

 

[SkunkWerX]

Can a Box Blade be modified to be Offset?
I have never seen one like this, but it just struck me that an offset BB would help in cases of ditches, banks and roadsides.

 

[Grrrr]

Can a Box Blade be modified to be Offset?
I have never seen one like this, but it just struck me that an offset BB would help in cases of ditches, banks and roadsides.

This is exactly what I do with my BB that is narrower than the wheels (it is all that was available)

I use chain attatched on to a convenient point on the tractor and to the end of the TPH arm.

I figured the tractor is big enough to handle the side force and extra strain.

It works ok.

 

[Spiveyman]

This is exactly what I do with my BB that is narrower than the wheels (it is all that was available)

I use chain attatched on to a convenient point on the tractor and to the end of the TPH arm.

I figured the tractor is big enough to handle the side force and extra strain.

It works ok.

So you are basically just pulling the 3ph all the way to one side and holding there with a chain? I bet you could also do that with the stabilizer bars. Adjust one out, one in. I usually keep mine in the slotted position so that it can sway a bit, but that should work if I needed to get the blade over further, right?

 

[Grrrr]

So you are basically just pulling the 3ph all the way to one side and holding there with a chain? I bet you could also do that with the stabilizer bars. Adjust one out, one in. I usually keep mine in the slotted position so that it can sway a bit, but that should work if I needed to get the blade over further, right?

Yeh, thats what I do. My tractor does not have stabilizer bars but has chains. These are quite beefy. I just tighten one up more that the other.

It is good to leave a bit of slack so as if you hit something it will move a bit. I found out if you tighten them too much when the TPH is low and then you raise it you snap chains

 

[sandman2234]

I went out and measured my wheel spread on the 7710, just for comparison. My fronts are at 80" and the rears are at 8'. Probably pretty close to what yours are set at. Only difference is the rears do have an addition set of tires outboard of them that make it an overall width of 11'3". Think about the money to buy a boxblade that wide! The rears are extended to allow the boom mower to run down either side and not tip the tractor over. The fronts are narrow to allow for a decent turning radius.
My take on this is to narrow the rears anytime you need to use the boxblade on things that count, but if you like them wide, leave them there for everything else. It isn't the end of the world to spend the time moving the wheels in or out, depending on just which setup you have. Make sure the boxblade will cover your tracks when the rears are adjusted in, or you will regret it.
David from jax

 

[3RRL]

Spiv-
I'm definitely with the "wider than rears" for a number of reasons.
Covering you tracks is very important especially in wet weather when your tires will be leaving ruts. You don't want that. Even with multiple passes, you will always have a tread mark or rut left over.

You want to be able to fit the tractor in the cut you made, otherwise the cut is smaller than the wheel base and only the narrow boxblade will fit in there, not your tires. Then when you use that trail or road, your tractor won't fit in it. You are guaranteeing you need more than one pass for that.

You'll want to be able to work up against ledges or cut gutters for your trail. Again much harder if your tires are outside that width.



Also, when you tilt it sideways to cut gutters, the boxblade becomes narrower due to the geometry. So I like mine to stick out a few inches per side.




Just don't snag it on anything. I've gotten to where I can judge the distance it's going to cut outside my fronts and rears.
I'll bet the 7' boxblade your looking at will work? I hope.

 

[Spiveyman]

I went out and measured my wheel spread on the 7710, just for comparison. My fronts are at 80" and the rears are at 8'. Probably pretty close to what yours are set at. Only difference is the rears do have an addition set of tires outboard of them that make it an overall width of 11'3". Think about the money to buy a boxblade that wide! The rears are extended to allow the boom mower to run down either side and not tip the tractor over. The fronts are narrow to allow for a decent turning radius.
My take on this is to narrow the rears anytime you need to use the boxblade on things that count, but if you like them wide, leave them there for everything else. It isn't the end of the world to spend the time moving the wheels in or out, depending on just which setup you have. Make sure the boxblade will cover your tracks when the rears are adjusted in, or you will regret it.

I love how you refer to moving your rears in and out like you are adjusting a Tonka toy! Ha! I think that might qualify you as "handy." For reference, see post # 20 above! For the serious newbie here, that certainly seems like a big deal. My rears are filled, about 500 lbs each. Is it a one man job to change the position? Do you have to have serious tools for this? I doubt I even have a jack or stands that will reach that high or carry that heavy of a load. Sounds like another trip to TSC for me! And then I'm not sure where I'd have level enough ground to do that, but I'd love to be able to. That would truly be very handy for me. That would solve my problems with this thing.

I'm definitely with the "wider than rears" for a number of reasons... ...So I like mine to stick out a few inches per side.

Yikes! I'm always humbled when I see your rig. Wow. I can also see where it would be good to have some wiggle room there between the width of the blade and rears. You're not always going straight. Any turns and I bet you wind up missing the tracks if you cut it as close as I'm likely to do. 7' rears + 7' blade. Thought I was home free there. Well, the guy at the shop brought the wheels in, I'll have them load up the BB tomorrow and just see how close we really are. Then I'll come home, learn how to weld, buy a welder, and make a 3RRL-modified BB for my tractor!!! Then you will all want to look outside because there will be pigs flying all over the place and snowballs laying around in south Florida. Must be nice to actually be handy.

 

[john_bud]

I love how you refer to moving your rears in and out like you are adjusting a Tonka toy! Ha! I think that might qualify you as "handy." For reference, see post # 20 above! For the serious newbie here, that certainly seems like a big deal. My rears are filled, about 500 lbs each. Is it a one man job to change the position? :

You may want to sit down - or lie down if you are already sitting.

Your rear tires if filled are probably closer to 1200 pounds each. 16.9x38's have 950 pounds of fill alone. (each)

Check here

http://www.firestoneag.com/tiredata/info/info_hydro_2.asp

It's still a one man job to change, but it's a careful and cautious man with some experience and the ability to jump out of the way!

I've done mine, switching the center hub around and going side to side with the tires. They are smallish at 420x70 - 24's. Filled with CaCl2 they are heavy.

 

[BTDT]

Something that might work for you, buy 2 four foot BB's, and fasten them together. You could make it solid, or leave the center adjustable (for crowning). Two six footers, and you could grade 12' at a time. I'm sure your tractor could handle that easy.