Box Scraper Rear Blade AND Box Blade - one or both

[canoetrpr]

I originally ordered a rear blade for driveway work and some light grading around the property. I've since changed my mind and put a box blade on order.

Trying to figure out if I should pick up the rear blade also. I use a snow blower for snow and am quite happy with that. Figure that the extra money is better spent on remotes and TnT rather than having both a rear blade and a box blade.

What do you think?

 

[Gittyup]

It depends. Do you need to ditch, crown, or cut in level? If yes, then get both. Else, get the box.

 

[canoetrpr]

Gittyup... thats more like a question I need to as you guys.

I have a 300 ft driveway. In an ideal world I would crown it but even the ditches stick out a bit higher than the driveway on one side.

Other than driveway maintenance and extending the driveway another 30 feet to my shop I have no other planned uses for it.

So do I need to ditch and crown?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I originally ordered a rear blade for driveway work and some light grading around the property. I've since changed my mind and put a box blade on order.

Trying to figure out if I should pick up the rear blade also. I use a snow blower for snow and am quite happy with that. Figure that the extra money is better spent on remotes and TnT rather than having both a rear blade and a box blade.

What do you think?

If you can swing it get the rear blade, the box blade and the top & tilt. You will be very happy that you did. There are times when a rear blade just works better than a box blade when working on a road. I maintain over 2 miles of dirt roads and I have a rear blade, roll over box blade, landscape rake and a Road Boss road scraper. I use each one for certain requirements and you can get by with only one of the previously mentioned implements to maintain a road. But each one has its strong points.

Just my experience, others will vary, hope that this helps some.

 

[davitk]

The real question is, canoetrpr, where the heck do you keep all your stuff??!!

 

[JB4310]

I find I use my box for more for dirt/gravel work and only use my rear blade for snow, so if your happy with the blower, I would say you would be ok without the rear blade. tried the RB in the dirt trying to make a drain swale and just made a big mess, then I put the box on and fixed everything.

 

[greg_g]

I originally had a rear blade, for no particular reason at the time other than I had never used a boxblade. I soon found the RB lacking, and invested in a BB. Once I discovered the comparative versatility of the BB, I gave away the RB and never looked back. I don't miss it.

//greg//

 

[wedge40]

I have over 500' of driveway to keep up. It has about 4 or 5 curves and I use the BB to maintain the driveway then the RB to put the gravel back where it belongs. You tend to push gravel to the edge or beyond where ever you have curves. Or maybe I just drive to fast in the driveway..

Wedge

 

[canoetrpr]

The real question is, canoetrpr, where the heck do you keep all your stuff??!!

David - the brown building on the left is my workshop. Not a bad size for a guy who is not even handy!. I store my tractor and all my implements there. The chain harrow is stored outside.

 

[RFB]

MtnViewRanch,

Sir,

If you have the time, how about a run-down on what you use each (rear blade, roll over box blade, landscape rake and a Road Boss road scraper) for, and what your experience has been with them?

 

[davitk]

David - the brown building on the left is my workshop. Not a bad size for a guy who is not even handy!. I store my tractor and all my implements there. The chain harrow is stored outside.

Nice

I have a slider door like that on my barn, with all the snow and ice the bottom has been freezing. I am hoping to make it through til spring w/o doing emergency sawsall surgery

 

[Bob_Young]

I've got both and wouldn't want to be without either. But, like JB4310, the RB is primarily used for snow removal. If your blower is doing the job, you may not need one.

Still, I had a couple of dirt jobs where the Box Blade just wasn't hacking it. Needed something more aggressive to peel back a turf layer while keeping the soil beneath firm and solid. The Rear Blade came to the rescue. The side plates on the BB kept it from digging in enough....or maybe I wasn't using it right.

Another time I was grading a very rocky area and trying to push the rocks to the outside edge while leveling things out. The RB helped a lot with that one.
Bob

 

[MtnViewRanch]

MtnViewRanch,

Sir,

If you have the time, how about a run-down on what you use each (rear blade, roll over box blade, landscape rake and a Road Boss road scraper) for, and what your experience has been with them?

My rear blade (96") which is the biggest one that Mid West made is a manual adjust blade. Off set, angle and tilt. It is actually a pretty good implement, but should be used on a tractor no bigger than 55hp in my opinion. I bent it the first time that I used it, but have been able to continue to use it even though it is damaged. I use the RB to cut in new roads,(works very good) and to maintain the edges of the existing roads. Works good to keep water ways clear and to crown the road if needed. Although my roads have what I consider minimal crown. The RB is also very good at smoothing surfaces with the blade turned around backwards and is good at controlling windrows when angled.

My Box blade is a Gannon rollover box blade, fairly heavy duty (about 1000lbs at 81" wide) It manually adjusts to 3 different positions and has 4 purposes. Cutting and moving dirt forwards, backwards, ripping the ground with the scarifiers and smoothing dirt, (using backwards position , but moving forward)I use this implement to dig and move dirt. Great for cutting high areas and filling in low ones. If you need to drag dirt from one area to the next and leave a nice surface in between, this will do it. It is good to work on a new road after being roughed in and to fill in wash outs, gullies in the roads.

My landscape rake is a modified beefed up Mid West rake, 96" wide. I use the landscape rake for manicuring my roads and grounds. Not really grading, but just raking. Sort of like the final clean-up, makes the ground look real nice and even, no wind rows.

My Road Boss road grader is my main road maintenance implement. 84" wide and about 1600lbs. It removes wash boarding, fills small ruts and can be used to re-shape the road surface if needed. This is my preferred all around road maintenance implement. If there is a lot of work that needs to be done with another implement, then I will use that particular implement, but for general all around road maintenance, the Road Boss is the implement for me.

I hope that this helps you in some way, any questions feel free to ask.

 

[RFB]

Brian,

Thank you sir. I was wondering about the Road Boss type of grader, from all reports they work well. Your reports confirms the same. I just wish they were not made from unobtanium. ($$$)

 

[canoetrpr]

davitk - I spend about 5 to 10 min each time I have to get the tractor digging out that sliding door.

We've been having a freeze/thaw cycle around here every 3 weeks or so which has made it terrible - but a little ice isn't going to stop me from getting to my tractor!

Not to bad as I the dogs get an extra 10 min or so running around while I mess with the sliding door.

 

[RedDirt]

I originally ordered a rear blade for driveway work and some light grading around the property. I've since changed my mind and put a box blade on order.

Trying to figure out if I should pick up the rear blade also. I use a snow blower for snow and am quite happy with that. Figure that the extra money is better spent on remotes and TnT rather than having both a rear blade and a box blade.

What do you think?

My solution was to fabricate removable scarifier rippers and side plates for my rear blade and have one implement that could preform both tasks. I've just completed the project so I haven't had to opportunity to test how well the pseudo box blade works but I am hopeful it will accomplish the light box blading I need it to do.

An added feature to this set-up is something neither a box blade or a rear blade can do individually: rip and angle bladed simultaneously.

I posted my fabrication w/photos here:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/116235-r-blade-upgrade-x4.html

 

[Northland]

Now that I have a snowblower I have no use for my 6 foot rear blade. However I am going to buy a box blade in the spring as I need to tear and move some earth in many places.

Unless you have nothing else to spend money on I would pass on that Woods rear blade and buy the Woods box blade to match your "economy tractor".
Sorry, but I couldn't resist that comment based on your past posts about Kubota Canada's suggestion that your expensive L is an "economy"

 

[canoetrpr]

I think I'll wander over to the dealer I ordered the box blade from to see if it is in yet.

I found out in a recent Kubota Canada flyer that they actually do call them Economy tractors in Canada in print! On the website they are listed as "L Series Basic"

 

[Northland]

I found out in a recent Kubota Canada flyer that they actually do call them Economy tractors in Canada in print! On the website they are listed as "L Series Basic"

Yes, but that doesn't excuse the faulty valve on the 3 point hitch as they were trying sggest to you huh?

Let us know how you like the back blade

 

[Engine66]

There are a lot of good options noted on this thread. Seems everyone finds a way to get their jobs done according to their type of land, tractor, and attachments, etc. I had both a Woods Boxblade and a Woods 84" rear grader blade. The boxblade for my land just did not work out as the scarifiers would find ledgestone or rocks and hang up and/or the box would clog with moist soil and would not empty to the low spots. Bottom line, it was not like the Woods website pictures of dry equestrian soil being pulled up and paying out neatly. Got rid of the BB and ordered side plates for my rear grader blade. I'm one happy camper now...works great for me clearing snow, moving soil, and grading my crushed rock driveway. I find my rear blade is on my 3PH 80% of the time ready to do some type of chore. If you don't know what the side plates are, they mount on the ends of the blade and look like snow pushers. Anyway, hope all these ideas from the other posters help you. Take care.

PS...anyone else interested in the side plates for the Woods grader blade, give me an email and I'll send you a pic of what they look like. They cost $104 total for the set and bolted on in a few minutes...they work very well and made my blade much more versitile.