Mini Excavator Blade Use

[Snobdds]

The blade is used a lot for stability. It can make the machine level in an level position.

If you use an mini and don't know how to use the blade, your only using 60% of the machines potential for getting work done.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

The blade is used a lot for stability. It can make the machine level in an level position.

If you use an mini and don't know how to use the blade, your only using 60% of the machines potential for getting work done.

Exactly... think of the blade as a three point stance vs standing on two legs.

 

[Snobdds]

Exactly... think of the blade as a three point stance vs standing on two legs.

IWALY

 

[art]

A contractor that I deal with told me he didn't need a 6 way blade on an excavator! He had three excavators already and knew how to run them. He has two dozers one smaller and one large one. Told me on a job of tree removal and planting he had figured there hours with the dozer and two hours trucking to the site and back, took 35 minutes to grade with the KX-40 Kubota. Nice payback! His latest thoughts are 6 ways should be on every excavator. Many dealers do rent!

 

[PILOON]

Well I have used many small excavators that had blades mounted.
In fact I prepped my home site with a Nissan 450 mini and moved many rocks, made retaining walls and leveled everything ready for grass seeding.
That was 20 years ago and everything is still great.
As I worked I separated top soil from the dig in order to prep the site for grass seeding.
Having that blade sure made grading a snap.

 

[finn1]

Another vote for using the bucket to remove rocks and vegetation with the teeth, then back drag with the blade to smooth the path out.

Not as easy as a CTL, skid steer, or even a tractor with a box blade, but it will work fine for a 75 yard walking path.

If you are looking for a putting green smooth path, you will want different equipment, though for the final grading.

 

[dfkrug]

Exactly... think of the blade as a three point stance vs standing on two legs.

Now that I have over 70 hours on my ultra-mini (2K lb.), I suspect that the blade is more important the lighter the machine is.

If I try to to put down-pressure with the boom and the blade is in front, I am extremely limited: at maybe 500# down-pressure, the front of the mini just lifts up. Conversely, if I do the same thing with the blade behind, I probably more than double the down-force before the machine lifts.

 

[Code54]

I also own a mini and agree with this. A 50-75 yd long trail would be a breeze.

Same here - have built some trails and small roads - I rip down big stuff and small trees with the bucket then use my blade to level and push the scrub out of the way. Works great and the mini will break traction long before anything bad happens with the tracks/final drive.

 

[Boondox]

I own and have enjoyed my mini-ex for the past decade. It's a remarkable piece of equipment but not the one tool to rule them all. As for the front blade, its usefulness depends a lot on conditions. It's a tremendous time saver spreading gravel on my quarter mile driveway, back dragging to smooth things out etc as long as the terrain is level and dry. On the sections of my property that are uneven it rides up and over whatever I'm trying to push, or if the ground is sodden it augers in. When creating a smooth path I generally have better luck spreading material with a 42" cleanout bucket, then backdragging with the blade and making several passes so the tracks can compress the material

 

[NH TRACTOR GUY]

I have a Kubota KX040-4 with an angle blade, while not a dozer it will push an impressive amount of dirt.

 

[dfkrug]

I have a Kubota KX040-4 with an angle blade, while not a dozer it will push an impressive amount of dirt.

At over 9000# and an angle blade, you DO have a dozer. Nice looking Kub.

 

[JerryK]

My excavator has an 8' front blade, 18" steel tracks, and weights about 17,000 pounds. She pushes dirt way better than than my 8500 pound backhoe. The blade has a lot of pluses, but it does stick way out and annoys you when doing some tasks. With the blade, you can not bring the bucket in close and lower the stick down to collapse the unit for transport or storage unless you put the blade out back. That adds to the length of the unit. It sure is handy to plant yourself level when digging. swinging around with a 4' bucket full of dirt. It also anchors you well for digging/pulling out stumps. So for me, the plus's win. Here is a picture of how far my blade sticks out front... [ I had just put the right track back on in this picture. Part running the track too loose, part idiot operator ]

 

[Sodo]

Using a KX040 now and I want one.
6-way blade is an AWESOME tool.

 

[PILOON]

Over the years doing renovations and general stuff I've used a fair number of blade equipped excavators.
Even excavated my own house foundation with one.
The blades are great to backfill the trenches that you just dug for water pipes or whatever.

I have moved boulders that the excavator could not fit in the bucket. I'd simply tuck the boulder into the blade and lift the blade and bucket and walk that boulder to where ever I wanted to place it. In fact excavating for my house I created a retaining wall with all the on site boulders that I dug up.
I had segregated the dug up material so that as I finished I had buried the trashy stuff behind the retaining wall and topped it all off ready to seed grass.
The mini dozer blade did a fantastic leveling job with a mere light raking B4 seeding grass.