Box Scraper Looking for advice on a 6' box blade

[jjp8182]

I'm going to agree with what jeff9366 said, and add (if you can) it's worth looking at the shape of the cutting edge(s) as well as the surface of the working surfaces as it generally helps if they are curved/shaped to roll the dirt.

For a box blade to be really effective it helps to not only have the weight to get the implement into the ground, but for it to be able to roll the dirt along (like a large rolling log composed of dirt/soil) rather that just dragging the dirt in a large stack/clump.

Personally I prefer the clevis-style connections on my equipment (and preferably as a Cat 1/2 setup in order to be able to use it with larger tractors) as I find them easier to connect with the telescoping lower-links (I don't use a quick-hitch).

Unfortunately, it seems that *new* high quality box blades aren't cheap and availability of used ones can be very dependent on region.... of course, once you buy one the only thing you may ever need to "fix"/replace is the occasional ripper if/when it gets bent. Which is something I've done, and have a couple spares, but I keep using the bent one since it's still entirely functional (just flipped upside down when not used/needed). .... and maybe a cutting edge if you're using it enough to wear down the edges.

Personally I went with a 6-ft one of EA's Category I & II Severe XTreme Duty Tractor Box Blade - Everything Attachments - though other manufacturer's also make box blades that meet the criteria for weight per ft, moldboard/blade/working-surface shape, and replaceable cutting edges. ...and if/when I do it again I'll probably go with a hinged back version as I've had times where the rear cutting edge was (undesirably) acting as a float.

 

[jeff9366]

No, it looks like this

Facebook Marketplace: 3 point box blade - Miscellaneous Tools - Sanger, Texas in fact this is actually my ad

Thin steel, probably 30 pounds per foot of width. Too poorly constructed to weight.

Put this bad purchase decision behind you and move on.

 

[SSweetland]

Thin steel, probably 30 pounds per foot of width. Too poorly constructed to weight.

Put this bad purchase decision behind you and move on.

Agreed! Not beating myself, lesson learned (I can write a book at this point LOL) but yes, good for just upkeep on a decent drive, not good for heavier work.

 

[mwayne]

This place isn't too terribly far from Sanger:

https://ee-equipment.com/

Back in the Stone Age before the internet the newspaper was how I found this place, they had an ad for tractors and implements and advertised a heavy duty box blade for a reasonable price. So I called and asked about the box blades and a lady with a distinctive Ft Worth twang told me they had them built for the rocky caliche soils around Eagle Mountain lake. So I bought one and it is tough but doesn't have the clevis type connection.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have a medium duty 6' box blade, which I believe was made by Titan. It is a "Branson" brand stickered implement, but if I recall correctly, Titan makes this one for them.

Anyway, it is the "clevis" style of pin through mount, and the upper bracket for the top link is pretty solid. All that being said, even though they (Titan) claim that this box blade is "Quick Hitch Compatible", it is not. The clevis pin spacing is off just enough that a quick hitch (also a Titan made one) will not work. Being that it is the "clevis" style, modifying it to work on the quick hitch would be very impractical without a full blown fab shop.

So even though I have a Titan made box blade, and a Titan made quick hitch, they don't work together, despite Titan's description that they will. Titan's response to inquiries was deafening silence.

Just food for thought during your search.

The box blade works well enough for my purposes, but I'm not a contractor, nor do I pretend to be one here or anywhere else. I'm a home owner that uses it for driveway maintenance in summer and snow/ice clearing in winter. It does have rippers, which I flip upside down and pin in place when not using. I have not bent a ripper, but I have put one very small ding in my rear facing blade. Not sure where it came from, but I noticed it last time I was swapping implements. My soil here is sandy-loam, with very little to no clay and few rocks. It rolls soil in either direction (has front and rear facing blades), and also (more importantly for me) it rolls snow and ice very well. In winter time, I set it up so it's angled down slightly to the back, so the rear blade will "cut" when backing up, and the front blade will lightly scrape and leave a smooth surface with a light layer of snow on top. This is ideal for times when I need to peel off a layer of ice from a parking area, or just scrape snow off a driveway.

Not sorry I got it, but it wasn't expensive, and I don't use it to make a living.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[SSweetland]

I like the titan I looked at. They are out of 6' models near me, both heavy and standard duty, so still looking around.
The 7' looked great, just huge. I'm with you on not using it commercial, so may end up going with the 7

I have a medium duty 6' box blade, which I believe was made by Titan. It is a "Branson" brand stickered implement, but if I recall correctly, Titan makes this one for them.

Anyway, it is the "clevis" style of pin through mount, and the upper bracket for the top link is pretty solid. All that being said, even though they (Titan) claim that this box blade is "Quick Hitch Compatible", it is not. The clevis pin spacing is off just enough that a quick hitch (also a Titan made one) will not work. Being that it is the "clevis" style, modifying it to work on the quick hitch would be very impractical without a full blown fab shop.

So even though I have a Titan made box blade, and a Titan made quick hitch, they don't work together, despite Titan's description that they will. Titan's response to inquiries was deafening silence.

Just food for thought during your search.

The box blade works well enough for my purposes, but I'm not a contractor, nor do I pretend to be one here or anywhere else. I'm a home owner that uses it for driveway maintenance in summer and snow/ice clearing in winter. It does have rippers, which I flip upside down and pin in place when not using. I have not bent a ripper, but I have put one very small ding in my rear facing blade. Not sure where it came from, but I noticed it last time I was swapping implements. My soil here is sandy-loam, with very little to no clay and few rocks. It rolls soil in either direction (has front and rear facing blades), and also (more importantly for me) it rolls snow and ice very well. In winter time, I set it up so it's angled down slightly to the back, so the rear blade will "cut" when backing up, and the front blade will lightly scrape and leave a smooth surface with a light layer of snow on top. This is ideal for times when I need to peel off a layer of ice from a parking area, or just scrape snow off a driveway.

Not sorry I got it, but it wasn't expensive, and I don't use it to make a living.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Here is a great BB, made in Tx. There might be a distributor near you. I know RCO in Greenville and Spicewood carry them.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...OX+BLADE.pdf&usg=AOvVaw14GcLYybg27lF0iU8f1hBD

https://www.armstrongag.com/app/download/3446700/MBB+-+MEDIUM+HINGED+BACK+BOX+BLADE.pdf

Also: https://www.armstrongag.com/app/download/3447016/BB+-+STANDARD+BOX+BLADE.pdf

I have the medium duty and it is great! I really like having the swing rear blade.

 

[SSweetland]

I did find a 6' Titan blade nearby, so went ahead and bought that one. So far, the blade design is incredible and does what I need it to do. I can see a little issue with the light weight, but I also see a benefit to the lighter weight, so I will have to concede that the weight point is fairly mute for normal small farm duties.
I was able to level a 20 yard load of fill dirt in about 30 minutes with this new blade. The old blade I had, would not have done 1/10th of the work. This made it look simple! Many of the things I had been doing with the old blade, it became painfully obvious to me, I would have to watch out for being too aggressive with this blade (so far, not a problem, just a thing)
Happily, the blade they had in stock was the same color red as my massey, so that was an added plus.

Been keeping an eye out for weights to hang from the blade when needed, but honestly, right now, I don't see that is going to be a pressing problem


Thanks for your input

I have a medium duty 6' box blade, which I believe was made by Titan. It is a "Branson" brand stickered implement, but if I recall correctly, Titan makes this one for them.

Anyway, it is the "clevis" style of pin through mount, and the upper bracket for the top link is pretty solid. All that being said, even though they (Titan) claim that this box blade is "Quick Hitch Compatible", it is not. The clevis pin spacing is off just enough that a quick hitch (also a Titan made one) will not work. Being that it is the "clevis" style, modifying it to work on the quick hitch would be very impractical without a full blown fab shop.

So even though I have a Titan made box blade, and a Titan made quick hitch, they don't work together, despite Titan's description that they will. Titan's response to inquiries was deafening silence.

Just food for thought during your search.

The box blade works well enough for my purposes, but I'm not a contractor, nor do I pretend to be one here or anywhere else. I'm a home owner that uses it for driveway maintenance in summer and snow/ice clearing in winter. It does have rippers, which I flip upside down and pin in place when not using. I have not bent a ripper, but I have put one very small ding in my rear facing blade. Not sure where it came from, but I noticed it last time I was swapping implements. My soil here is sandy-loam, with very little to no clay and few rocks. It rolls soil in either direction (has front and rear facing blades), and also (more importantly for me) it rolls snow and ice very well. In winter time, I set it up so it's angled down slightly to the back, so the rear blade will "cut" when backing up, and the front blade will lightly scrape and leave a smooth surface with a light layer of snow on top. This is ideal for times when I need to peel off a layer of ice from a parking area, or just scrape snow off a driveway.

Not sorry I got it, but it wasn't expensive, and I don't use it to make a living.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[SSweetland]

Few things I learned since buying a new blade.

A twisted box blade will break your top link
If the blade does not roll the dirt you are scraping, it's not going to do a good job
choose a box blade just slightly wider than your tractor tires (like a foot wider), anything bigger is too much for your tractor to pull when loaded right
rippers are a very useful tool, but not always needed (understand their use and depth)
Heavy box blades are good if you know what you are doing, standard duty allows you some forgiveness and also does a fine job
Learn to feather your 3 point! I mean, as your tractor goes up and down, know the box blade may or may not float (ie, when the tractor lifts the blade up, it creates a lump)
level of the blades might do a better job if the front blade is a little lower, but maybe just level is best (watch how it is cutting) so adjusting the top link is very critical to a good finish or a rough cut to move material.

If you are doing a lot of box blading, be sure to check your links often. The vibrations tend to loosen the lock nuts on some setups. Others have locks that won't move.

Don't overcompensate your grade when trying to crown a road. each pass will do that much difference, so say you want to improve the crown, I try to adjust my blade about 2" higher on one side for a 6' blade, but after the crown is there, you want level with the tractor, or just barely higher. This helps bring the material back to center.

Might not be 100% correct, but this is what is working for me, and I have to say, my new blade is stinking amazing! I bought a titan 6' standard duty and have actually gotten it stuck in material and had to lift the 3 point to relieve it LOL. My other blade would have never dug in that much. Rippers down in soil was almost too much to pull