New box blade!

[joshuabardwell]

Woo hoo! I'm super excited. Now that I sold off some of my firearms stuff, I can go buy this box blade!
**Implements box blade,plow etc...



It'll also help a little with ballast, until I can get the ballast barrel project completed. Really looking forward to what it'll do on my driveway, as well as restoring some of the area that the pigs have torn to bits.

 

[Bob77064]

Looks good.

 

[roman]

I could use one but wont sell my guns. Looks like you will find plenty to do with it. I just dug out my driveway 12-16 inches and filled with hardpack. I spreaded the eight 10 wheeler loads with a 5' blade and my bucket. The job would have been much easier with a box blade.

 

[creekbend]

A Box Blade is definitely an asset in regards to many different projects. Best wishes.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Well, I got it home and got a little time in with it. It's definitely going to take some practice, but that's expected. I went down to my driveway and took a pass at it, and it immediately dug in way too deep and started to fill up. I backed off and fixed things up by backdragging with the FEL, which, as inefficient as it is, at least I have some experience using it.

One thing I noticed after I got the implement home is that the lower link pins are loose/floppy in their sockets. Visually, they appear to be threaded all the way down, they just don't seem to have enough threads on them to fully clamp down against the metal of the frame. Seems to me like this is a bad thing, and they are going to oval out eventually. Should I just put some washers on them, or what?

 

[kebo]

You need to get that "loose/floppy" issue resolved before using it again! As you pointed out, it will probably wallow out the holes they are sitting in. You could add some washers (7/8"?) and pad it so they take up the slack, or you could go to TSC and get some new pins but..... is this a new BB from a dealer?? If so, I would call him about it and ask him to make it right. Good luck with the new BB!

 

[joshuabardwell]

is this a new BB from a dealer?? If so, I would call him about it and ask him to make it right. Good luck with the new BB!

No, no. Used. I just didn't notice until after I got it home.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

The shoulder on your hitch bolts are to long. Just use a few washers to take up that shoulder length and all will be well.

 

[DKCDKC]

Love my box blade for driveway work, tilling the garden, and ballast. My only problem is that I have a 6 foot BB but downsized my JD 2030 to a JD 3038e and I really need a 5 foot BB. The smaller tractor does fine on the flat and downhill, even with a full box. But it can't go up these steep hills on the drive like my old and larger tractor would. I am looking to simply trade my 6 footer for a 5 footer in as good shape... Hopefully someone in the Valley here might be looking to upsize their blade.

 

[s219]

Well, I got it home and got a little time in with it. It's definitely going to take some practice, but that's expected. I went down to my driveway and took a pass at it, and it immediately dug in way too deep and started to fill up. I backed off and fixed things up by backdragging with the FEL, which, as inefficient as it is, at least I have some experience using it.

Since that box blade has a rear cutting edge, you can also use it in reverse to push and level material. In my opinion, it works better than back dragging with the FEL, since the the dual edges on the box blade distribute and "dress" the material much more nicely. Just don't push heavy loads or dig in reverse, as the 3-pt is not really setup for that. But for light material and top dressing, it works fantastic.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Since that box blade has a rear cutting edge, you can also use it in reverse to push and level material. In my opinion, it works better than back dragging with the FEL, since the the dual edges on the box blade distribute and "dress" the material much more nicely. Just don't push heavy loads or dig in reverse, as the 3-pt is not really setup for that. But for light material and top dressing, it works fantastic.

Currently, my main task for the box is light dressing of my gravel driveway. I want to extend the top link more, so that mostly the back blade drags, and the front blade doesn't dig in very much. I hope this will accomplish what I'm looking for. Gotta get these new link pins first, though.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Oh, and incidentally, the moral of this story is that I shouldn't underestimate my little 18v Black and Decker reciprocating saw. I always underestimate that thing, because it just sucks down the battery in a very short time. So when I decided to cut off the bolt, I started at it with my Dremel tool and a cut-off wheel. (I know an angle grinder would be the preferred tool, but I don't have one, and and I also wanted to be careful to only cut off the bolt, not grind up the frame of the implement.) Anyway, I got in there as far as I could withe Dremel, burning up two wheels in the process, but it didn't have enough reach to finish the cut. So I got out the reciprocating saw and it easily finished the job in ten seconds. I probably could have saved a lot of time going to that thing in the first place. And the reciprocating blade was perfect to slip between the nut and the lock washer to neatly make the cut without scratching the frame of the implement at all.

 

[sandman2234]

Oh, and incidentally, the moral of this story is that I shouldn't underestimate my little 18v Black and Decker reciprocating saw. I always underestimate that thing, because it just sucks down the battery in a very short time. So when I decided to cut off the bolt, I started at it with my Dremel tool and a cut-off wheel. (I know an angle grinder would be the preferred tool, but I don't have one, and and I also wanted to be careful to only cut off the bolt, not grind up the frame of the implement.) Anyway, I got in there as far as I could withe Dremel, burning up two wheels in the process, but it didn't have enough reach to finish the cut. So I got out the reciprocating saw and it easily finished the job in ten seconds. I probably could have saved a lot of time going to that thing in the first place. And the reciprocating blade was perfect to slip between the nut and the lock washer to neatly make the cut without scratching the frame of the implement at all.

Actually the preferred tool "might" be a torch, but we use what we have handy
Read carefully and pay attention to the post of S219, because he speaks wisely, and those lift arms aren't cheap

David from jax






















David from jax

 

[joshuabardwell]

Actually the preferred tool "might" be a torch, but we use what we have handy
Read carefully and pay attention to the post of S219, because he speaks wisely, and those lift arms aren't cheap

Any time you feel like buying me a cutting torch, I will be glad to send you my address. But I think I'd rather have a stick welder first, so if you're feeling generous, that's the direction I'd go.

Seriously, though--would a torch have enough precise control to not damage the frame of the blade, and just cut the bolt off? Not ever having used one, I don't know.

 

[joshuabardwell]

What did you do at midnight on a Saturday? Put a trailer ball on the back of my new box blade, that's what! Now I can move my trailer without having to hook it up to my truck, and much more easily maneuver it to where it needs to go.

 

[Sackett2]

the one piece that took my box blade from a good to to a great tool was the hyd top link....

 

[jenkinsph]

Seriously, though--would a torch have enough precise control to not damage the frame of the blade, and just cut the bolt off? Not ever having used one, I don't know.

The precision with a torch is highly dependent on the operator. I could see using a torch, sawsall, portaband or cutoff tools but would problably use which ever one was handy.

Congratulations on the new implement, now start saving for the topntilt hitch if you want maximum benefit using your boxblade. Brian has some good stuff.