Moving dirt... box blade vs scraper

[IndyIan]

80' is a good maximum distance I want to pull dirt with a box blade. You do want one for digging and shaping your land though, a loader is a poor substitute and if you have rocks over a few inches or tough clay soil its slow going as you have to be careful not to break it.
I'd get a used boxblade from a skip loader and maybe rent a dump trailer and see how you like moving even 5-6 yards at a time. I am always amazed at how little 20 yards seems when I buy a load of gravel for my driveway as I can dig and move that much quite fast with the boxblade, but when you start wanting to raise or lower areas, the yardage gets big fast too.
I'm guessing you could dig move and smooth 150+ yards an hour with your tractor with a 2 yard boxblade as long as you have short pulls.

 

[roadhunter]

Big heavy box blade with hydraulic rippers is one of the most useful implements there is IMO. I rarely take mine off as it works so well for many things from counterweight to snow removal. Put a Top n Tilt kit on and it's' even better.

 

[Dadnatron]

These are all good points, and I've thought a lot about it.

I'm going to have to go look at all the areas I need to work on and think about it some more. I agree, I don't think even a big box blade would be able to realistically move the amount of dirt the distances I need them to go.

I'm still intrigued with the pull scraper however. I have a line on a 5yd scraper which is probably close to the limit of my tractor's ability. I don't have to dig deep, really, its more of a surface scraping and shaping that is needed.

But, I agree that another real option would be Box blade, FEL, and Dump trailer. That would be better than pulling the box blade that far, that is for sure.

I'll check in a week or so and see what the reality looks like with all the beans off and the property completely sprayed. I'll be able to have a better idea at that point.

 

[jeff9366]

I don't think even a big box blade would be able to realistically move the amount of dirt the distances I need them to do.

I'm still intrigued with the pull scraper however. I have a line on a 5yd scraper which is probably close to the limit of my tractor's ability. I don't have to dig deep, really, its more of a surface scraping and shaping that is needed.

Perhaps you need a Dirt Pan, rather than a Box Blade or Scraper:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/267703-dirt-scraper-dirt-pan-towed.html?highlight=


Iowa Farm Equipment -- Durabilt Landscrapers & Dirt Pan

 

[Dadnatron]

Jeff,

Actually... that is what I was calling (and have always heard called) a 'Scraper'.

Actually, I've never before heard it called a 'pan'. If I look up 'pull scrapers' I get variations on what you have posted.

One of the ones I am actually looking at is a Durabilt 3.5yd, "dirt pan" per that website. I am also looking at a 5yd Soilmover of similar design and build. Those 'type' are what I am calling a scraper. I don't want the ones with 'front dolly wheels' because they don't improve traction as they fill. The direct attach get heavier as they fill, thereby improving traction, at least to some degree. At least... that is what I hear.

 

[jenkinsph]

Jeff,

Actually... that is what I was calling (and have always heard called) a 'Scraper'.

Actually, I've never before heard it called a 'pan'. If I look up 'pull scrapers' I get variations on what you have posted.

One of the ones I am actually looking at is a Durabilt 3.5yd, "dirt pan" per that website. I am also looking at a 5yd Soilmover of similar design and build. Those 'type' are what I am calling a scraper. I don't want the ones with 'front dolly wheels' because they don't improve traction as they fill. The direct attach get heavier as they fill, thereby improving traction, at least to some degree. At least... that is what I hear.

The Durabilt scraper you are considering would help with moving the dirt a longer distance. The problems I see with this simple type are shallow cutting depth of 1 to 3 inches and using the 3 pt hitch for height adjustment. If you need to finish grade and move dirt it would be a poor choice.

The better scraper designs control the blade height with hydraulic cylinders so that you can cut to grade and carry the dirt a longer distance. These models do cost more though and you may not have enough work to justify it.

A six ft. wide terrace row that is 18 inches height would have roughly 4.5 cu. ft. of dirt per linear foot. That is about 4 or 5 trips /100 ft. of terrace row using a 3.5 to 4 yd scraper. A 5 yd wheel loader could do this particular job fast and cheap imo. The money saved hiring this out could be better used in other places on the farm as there are countless things to spend money on.

 

[RNeumann]

I would invest in the box scraper and get hydraulic top and tilt- you will love this set-up for years to come! The scraper seams like an expensive one trick pony and honestly with hydro TnT and some practice you will get as good or better results.
Try and find someone who uses one of those scrapers all the time and leaves it on the tractor all time. I don't think you will and if so it will be about 1000 to 1 versus folks with box scrapers.
As for moving dirt long distances. The box can drag dirt. But consider time and fuel when doing big production projects. If it was me I would make piles (as suggested above) and then go rent/hire out a little loader and possibly a dump trailer. You would probably only need it for 1/2 to 1 day.

Other option would be to apply the rental cost to a FEL. But it's easy for us to spend your money! That certainly is not the cheapest.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Get the heaviest biggest box blade you can afford. The EA blade surely fits the bill. There are other lower cost options out there that would serve you well. Other than a FEL I can't think of anther implement more useful than a box blade.

 

[Lgim]

The situation I was in a couple years ago was I needed 3-400 yds of dirt at one end of my acreage to build up the lawn. At the other end I needed drainage cut, which amounted to 3-400 yds of topsoil I had to get rid of. In between was a couple hundred yards of grass and driveway I had to cross. I ended up buying a 3 yd pull scraper to pull behind my early 60s Case 830. I worked for a couple hrs each evening, would go and get 20-30 yds of dirt with the case and then use my little Montana with the front end loader and a disc on the back to fine tune the placement of the dirt and get it ready for seeding.

I could have hired it out, but that would have cost a lot more then the $1500 I spent on the scraper, or bought a trailer and then driven back and forth with the loader which didn't seem appealing. So the scraper was the best option.

If you google "Crown pull scraper" you will see that it is a dolly type scraper. I don't have any pictures of mine. They call it a 3 yd, but I think it would be spilling over on all sides to get 3 yds of dirt in it. My case 830 is rated for about 70 hp and with the weights I have on it should be close to 8000 lbs. The scraper is all she wants to pull. When you are loading, the last 5 seconds are kind of a guess what will happen. Depending on the soil conditions it will fill, pop a wheelie, spin or power out. I think a 5 yd would be plenty for your 100 hp tractor. Keep in mind you have to be pulling at 7 or 8 mph for the pan to fill completely.

As for the dolly or 3pt type of scraper I can see good and bad with both. For what I have done with mine going through ditches etc I'm not sure I would want it attached to a 3pt, or if you are dragging 4 yds of dirt at 10 mph and you hit a rock, arms could bend real quick.

For the original posters situation, a big box blade might work, or if the dirt were to be left where it is a box could spread it out easy, but then again you could push it around with the front-end loader and disc it smooth ready for seeding. If you need the dirt somewhere else the scraper will work and is probably one of the cheaper options.

The other thought I just had was are you sure of what is under the berms, I mean it would be bad to cut all the topsoil and haul it away and then be left with something that won't grow grass.

g

 

[MinnesotaEric]

A hydraulic top link will allow you to get more miles out of your 3PT. you will not need a hydraulic side link. I've used my hydraulic side link exactly twice, both times for cutting in drainage swales.

EA's scraper is CAT2 quick hitch compatible and I suggest using a quick hitch as a quick hitch makes attaching and unattaching into child's play.

I also suggest a scraper that is a few inches wide than your tractor but not much wider as you'll run out of traction pulling a full load of material. 80' is nothing with a hydraulic top link.

My channel on YouTube is filled with examples of using a box scraper.