looking for box blade advice

[camshawn]

We are looking fora box blade and the question is how wide? our tractor is a Mahindra 3616, 36. hp and 63"wide with R4 tires.
Logic would suggest a box blade wider than the tractor. Will I have the power and traction to pull a 72" box blade? The use will be driveway maintenance and some leveling/landscaping.
Awaiting your words of wisdom, Cam

 

[nvkubot]

I'm using a 72" box with a 29hp. I have no issues with drive way maintenance.

 

[scarhead26]

I have a 3616 myself and I pull a 6ft blade. Its just a blade but I figure a box blade wouldn't be much heavier. I think your tractor will do fine with a 72 inch box blade.

 

[RDrancher]

You shouldn't have any problem with a 72" BB. But...if you have a loader on the tractor, I would recommend going with one close to the same width as your bucket. Its pretty important when working against buildings and other objects. If your bucket clears, so will the box blade.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Camshawn, IMO a 66" BB is ideal for your tractor. While many say that they use a 6 footer, how heavy is that 6 footer? A 1000lb 6 foot box is to much for your tractor IMO. Do you have your tires filled with liquid? This greatly increases the capabilities of your tractor. A heavy box will produce better grading results, but if it is heavy and wide, it could end up being to wide. There is a narrow window for what truly works the best. Most anything will work, but to get that best implement for YOUR circumstances is a little harder to get figured out.

These make for a nice piece to have and what I often recommend.

Good luck with your search and final decision.

 

[camshawn]

Thanks RDrancher, nvkabot,and Scarhead26. I have touched the odd thing with my little yanmar and back blade when plowing snow with the front blade. Had to explain to the boss why the paint was missing on his work truck. The Mahindra is pulling a 72" brush cutter so I am getting better at judging the width. Just need to watch the overall length and stop creating work replacing fence posts.
The 3616 is going in for a little warrantee work on Monday and will probably come home with a new BB. Cam

 

[camshawn]

Camshawn, IMO a 66" BB is ideal for your tractor. While many say that they use a 6 footer, how heavy is that 6 footer? A 1000lb 6 foot box is to much for your tractor IMO. Do you have your tires filled with liquid? This greatly increases the capabilities of your tractor. A heavy box will produce better grading results, but if it is heavy and wide, it could end up being to wide. There is a narrow window for what truly works the best. Most anything will work, but to get that best implement for YOUR circumstances is a little harder to get figured out.

These make for a nice piece to have and what I often recommend.

Good luck with your search and final decision.

Thanks Brian.
The rollover BB looks easy to use. I will see what is available here on Monday as we have to pass 4 different dealers on the way to our Mahindra dealer. The specs on what I have looked at are all around
450 lbs. One smaller one we saw was made in China and a piece of crap.
The tines will never see our driveway as I have hand laid large stone for new base in all the sink holes and do not want to undo that. There is some leveling to do that the tines will be useful for(I think). We do have filled tires, the only way our dealer sells tractors with loaders.
Cam

 

[scarhead26]

What kinda problems are you having fixed under warranty? The reason I asked is because I had to replace the battery terminals, now the neutral safety switch does not work as well as the sending unit for the radiator needing replaced. Just rolled over 100 hours on the 3616!

 

[ovrszd]

This subject is often discussed with the same results. Everyone has their own opinion about what works. For me I want my BB to be a few inches wider than my tractor. Allows me to clean against vertical obstacles without hitting them with the tractor tire.

As for pulling/handling a certain size. If you load the BB to the point the tractor won't pull it, all that's required is a slight elevation of the BB with the 3pt. Might hafta make another pass but you'll get the work done. I use a 5' BB on my JD2210.

 

[camshawn]

What kinda problems are you having fixed under warranty? The reason I asked is because I had to replace the battery terminals, now the neutral safety switch does not work as well as the sending unit for the radiator needing replaced. Just rolled over 100 hours on the 3616!

I had the alternator power nut disappear at 15 hrs. The stud has arced most of the way through. Sent a picture to my dealer and Mihindra has a new alternator on the way. The long weekend meant the part did not arrive until Thursday afternoon so the repair ia set for Monday/ Tuesday. The clutch interlock has not worked from day one and. there is a drip in one of the bucket cylinders that is also going to be fixed. (a pinched/nicked O ring from new). The Dealer service has been great on the phone so far.
I do not care for the type of battery clamps they use and will probably change them in the future.
If the dealer and Mihindra continue to handle these issues in this way, I will be very pleased. So far, everything else on our tractor has worked as expected.
Cam

 

[PhysAssist]

Camshawn, IMO a 66" BB is ideal for your tractor. While many say that they use a 6 footer, how heavy is that 6 footer? A 1000lb 6 foot box is to much for your tractor IMO. Do you have your tires filled with liquid? This greatly increases the capabilities of your tractor. A heavy box will produce better grading results, but if it is heavy and wide, it could end up being to wide. There is a narrow window for what truly works the best. Most anything will work, but to get that best implement for YOUR circumstances is a little harder to get figured out.

These make for a nice piece to have and what I often recommend.

Good luck with your search and final decision.

Hi Cam,

While your tractor is waaay outa my league power and size-wise, I may have something to add.
We have a Kubota B2320, with a 48" wheel width and we bought an old, but unused Gannon Earthcavator 48" Rollover Boxblade, based partly on advice from a variety of sources, but particularly on the writings of MtnViewRanch and Ken Sweet, because by my extensive retroactive reading of the old TBN threads, they never seem to have been contradicted by facts, or by the eventual real experiences reported by the members who took their advice or even by those who didn't.

The rollover he suggested is a larger but otherwise carbon copy of the bb we have, and it is not just well-built, it is bomb proof. We could've stood to get a little bit bigger width model in the covering our tracks better mindset, but if we had, we'd be bogging down as much as we were pulling it. Ours weighs about 450-500#, and we're already thinking about making it heavier . But with the control you have by virtue of doing one action a at time- ripping/scarifying with the teeth, digging/grading/moving substrate with the front facing blade, and/or smoothing/finishing/carefully dozing backwards with the rear facing blade, we are happy beyond words with its performance.

The other reason we stayed with the narrower blade was to fit more easily between the trees on the heavily wooded portions of our property.

JMHO and YMMV, because I'm no highenduser like the names I mentioned above, but I do continue to read, listen, practice, and learn from EVERYone on TBN.

Thomas- thrilled to see clear signs of spring-our wood duck tenants have returned and are making babies in the pond, and we have purple crocus flowers in the lawn!

 

[MrChris]

I use a Bush Hog SBX650, 65", 510lb box blade behind my 3215. Works great. I like the double lug bottom hitch design. Much sturdier than the single pins. With a full load of dirt, scarifiers down and any moisture in the ground I can get the loaded tires to spin. The SBX720 is only 40# heavier but with the extra volume and an additional scarifier I'm glad I went with the 650. Good luck.

 

[camshawn]

Thanks for all the response. I will go with the 72" wide unit. Monday will be the day to see who has what in stock.
Cam

 

[6011Artist]

cam, I don't think the 72' will be a bad choice. It will be just slightly wider than your tractor on both sides. You want it wider than your tire tracks to remove all tire tracks and to let you work close up by a wall or fence without your wheels/lugs hitting wall or fence. 72" would be my choice..

As far as horsepower, learn what it will do and fill the box accordingly.

 

[PhysAssist]

I use a Bush Hog SBX650, 65", 510lb box blade behind my 3215. Works great. I like the double lug bottom hitch design. Much sturdier than the single pins. With a full load of dirt, scarifiers down and any moisture in the ground I can get the loaded tires to spin. The SBX720 is only 40# heavier but with the extra volume and an additional scarifier I'm glad I went with the 650. Good luck.

If you look closely, the rollover BB has doubled mounts as well.

Thomas- happily tap tap tapping on my repaired Galaxy Tab

 

[PhysAssist]

If you look closely, the rollover BB has doubled mounts as well.

Thomas[/QUOTEi]

Thomas- happily tap tap tapping on my repaired Galaxy Tab