Rear Blade or Box Blade - Which One?

[lantxinNETX]

I can only buy one of these this year - and I have to make the decision in the next 72 hours. (Has to do with delivery to my remote property . . . .)

I have a Mahindra 4035HST. I do have a second hand rear blade that I bought last year from a friend for $100. Snagged one corner of it on a stump and bent it! Straightened it against a tree a little, but it ain't perfect! Didn't do it any good when I hit it with the FEL Saturday evening at dusk either.

I have about 600 feet of gravel driveway to maintain. About 1500 feet of very slightly improved dirt trails (more like just double-tracks from 4-wheelers) that I want to level out and top with gravel at some point. And I have another 1000 feet or so of a trail that I cut through my woods last year with the tractor and a chain saw. Need to grade this a little better for use as a walking trail and a UTV trail. I have a virtually limitless supply of chips from my PTO chipper (thank you, December ice storm) that I want to spread on the trail thru the woods.

On the drawing board for future (like next year) is another 2000 feet or so of gravel road to prepare from scratch. And then further down the road is a house building project.

By that point I will probably own both, but for right now, if you could only buy one (rear blade or box blade) which would it be? (I'd get a 72" box or an 84" rear for my 72" wide tractor).

Thanks!

Martin

 

[wolftree]

As you already have a rear blade, even if it is not the best condition, I would suggest the box blade.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would buy or build a landplane first since you have a rear blade to get by with. Next buy a better rear blade as the next implement. Not sure you need a box blade for the work you described. A land plane grader scraper with rippers would be the best choice.

 

[/pine]

This debate could go on for months...That said...

Almost all will tell you that the learning curve for a rear blade is much more mellow than it is for a box blade...but that is because the box blade can do so many things...

IMO...the longer/more you use a box blade the more you will lean about its usefulness...same goes for the rear blade but you will keep learning about the box blade long after you have mastered the rear blade...

Regardless of the type blade...Top and Tilt will make either one 75% more efficient for even an inexperienced operator...the % increases with experience...

Good Luck...

 

[jimainiac]

I guess it's a personal choice and there are pro's and con's to each type blade, but after having a rear blade for years and having just got a box blade this fall, I'd vote for a box blade. I like the heavier weight, and the fact that it pulls the dirt (or snow) along without spillage to the sides.
My tires are about 72" and I had a 7' rear blade, but the box blade I got is 6', and that makes it easier to get around in the woods and in tight places. I think the fact that you can also grade, with care, in reverse, is a plus for the box blade.
But if you do go with a new rear blade, it's good to got with a good heavy duty one, as you already found out.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I guess it's a personal choice and there are pro's and con's to each type blade, but after having a rear blade for years and having just got a box blade this fall, I'd vote for a box blade. I like the heavier weight, and the fact that it pulls the dirt (or snow) along without spillage to the sides.
My tires are about 72" and I had a 7' rear blade, but the box blade I got is 6', and that makes it easier to get around in the woods and in tight places. I think the fact that you can also grade, with care, in reverse, is a plus for the box blade.
But if you do go with a new rear blade, it's good to got with a good heavy duty one, as you already found out.

I have a 1000lb roll over box blade (ROBB), my rear blade weighs about 1200lbs. It is very common to have rear blades weigh less than box blades, but it does not have to be that way. The dirt just spills over with ALL of my implements. So in the end I suppose it really comes down to what the capabilities of the operator, the implements and the machine working those implements is.

All I can say to the OP is that I have a ROBB, a rear blade, a land plane grading scraper (LPGS) and a landscape rake. All true heavy duty implements. When I start a new road, I use my dozer. :laughing: But if I didn't have the dozer, I would use my rear blade for the initial grading and shaping of the road. I would then use my ROBB if material needed to be cut out (high spot) or filled in (low spot) Once that was done, I would use the LPGS to get the road dialed in to where it would be smooth and even. Depending on conditions if the landscape rake would be used at all in the initial build.

Now understand that this is me with the circumstances that I have. This may not apply in your situation.

 

[diesel lover]

Controversial topic.... my dad and I have a worn back blade and a very sturdy heavy duty rear blade. A machine operates completely different with a loose rear blade that pivets all over vs a tight one... I feel your pain!

Short story here is box blades work wonders for gravel work. Never had one then all the sudden we did and wow!! What a series difference. Not the best for snow removal but they sure do work none the less. I prefer a box blade over the two for snow.

Question how repairable is your box blade? Please insert picture or video

 

[diesel lover]

Controversial topic.... my dad and I have a worn back blade and a very sturdy heavy duty rear blade. A machine operates completely different with a loose rear blade that pivets all over vs a tight one... I feel your pain!

Short story here is box blades work wonders for gravel work. Never had one then all the sudden we did and wow!! What a series difference. Not the best for snow removal but they sure do work none the less. I prefer a box blade over the two for snow.

Question how repairable is your box blade? Please insert picture or video

 

[TripleR]

There are pages of information and opinions on this as mentioned and I don't think there ever was a consensus as needs and conditions as well as operator skills vary. We haven't used our back blade in years, but my father in law used it all the time. We use a combination of box scraper and wheeled drag scraper. We often move large amounts of dirt in addition to road maintenance. If I was just going to be maintaining existing roads, I would seriously consider a land plane grader like the Land Pride GS25, several brands are available; just not familiar with them. GS25 Series Grading Scrapers | Land Pride

Sadly, I find the more implements I get and the more I learn, the more I seem to "need".

 

[IXLR8]

You might think about rental for some of these rarely used implements. My local dealer rents a Landplane with scarifiers for $50/day, for the 1-2 times a year I would need to use it, I will rent rather than paying $2000 for a new one.

 

[Ken45101]

I have a 1000lb roll over box blade (ROBB), my rear blade weighs about 1200lbs. It is very common to have rear blades weigh less than box blades, but it does not have to be that way. The dirt just spills over with ALL of my implements. So in the end I suppose it really comes down to what the capabilities of the operator, the implements and the machine working those implements is.

All I can say to the OP is that I have a ROBB, a rear blade, a land plane grading scraper (LPGS) and a landscape rake. All true heavy duty implements. When I start a new road, I use my dozer. :laughing: But if I didn't have the dozer, I would use my rear blade for the initial grading and shaping of the road. I would then use my ROBB if material needed to be cut out (high spot) or filled in (low spot) Once that was done, I would use the LPGS to get the road dialed in to where it would be smooth and even. Depending on conditions if the landscape rake would be used at all in the initial build.

Now understand that this is me with the circumstances that I have. This may not apply in your situation.

You got the right idea, start with a dozer (color me envious!)

That's the first time I've seen a rake used that way, it looks backwards to me.

I have a landscape rake with gage wheels. I highly recommend the wheels although mine will not operate like yours does, the wheels would hit the tines.

That's amazing dirt you have, nothing here like that, plus add in rocks. I've never gotten a box blade to do much initial groundbreaking in the heavy clay that we have here.

So my answer to the OP is "it depends" on exactly what you are doing, the soil you have, the amount of tilt in the land, etc. On the steep hillsides here, starting a trail requires either a backhoe or a mini excavator. No way to get a tractor out on a 30 degree hillside.

 

[Gordon Gould]

If I understand your post you have two things you want to do. 1) maintain gravel roads. 2) improve and build woods roads.
My choice for the gravel maintenance would be a LPGS seeing you have a blade.
The woods roads are tougher to figure in my mind. I am thinking of my VT woods so what I say here may be all wrong for your woods. If you are going to want to grade these woods roads with a tractor impliment you need to get all the stumps, roots, and rocks out or add enough material on top so they are not in the way. In my mind none of the impliments you mention are going to be good at pulling stumps, boulders, and roots unless they are very small, you have loose soil, and have lots of time. You have already bent your blade on a stump. Box blades bend too. So if you head into the woods with your tractor have heavy duty equipment. I build woods roads too. I either use a chain saw and cut close to the ground, like you have done, and make due with that with no grading maintenence except water bars if needed or, like Brian. I use a doser to rough in someting I can work with and maintain with the tractor.
If you are just going to use chips for a road/trail material you can level those with any thing. I would try using my blade turned backwards and angled. Go down each side pulling chips to the center. Then go down the center with the blade straight. You will have to add more chips as they decay and turn into muddy organic soil. But if you keep refreshing the chips they will look nice and be good to walk or gently ATV on.
If you just cover the woods roads with gravel with no road base under it soon your gravel will be gone. It will just sink/disappear into the woods soil. If you keep adding more gravel eventually (years) you will have a solid road. I have done that also and it works good if you can deal with a poor road for several years.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You got the right idea, start with a dozer (color me envious!)

That's the first time I've seen a rake used that way, it looks backwards to me.

I have a landscape rake with gage wheels. I highly recommend the wheels although mine will not operate like yours does, the wheels would hit the tines.

That's amazing dirt you have, nothing here like that, plus add in rocks. I've never gotten a box blade to do much initial groundbreaking in the heavy clay that we have here.

So my answer to the OP is "it depends" on exactly what you are doing, the soil you have, the amount of tilt in the land, etc. On the steep hillsides here, starting a trail requires either a backhoe or a mini excavator. No way to get a tractor out on a 30 degree hillside.

Dozer with a 6 way blade, no fun, but it can be done.

 

[ovrszd]

This debate could go on for months...That said...

Almost all will tell you that the learning curve for a rear blade is much more mellow than it is for a box blade...but that is because the box blade can do so many things...

IMO...the longer/more you use a box blade the more you will lean about its usefulness...same goes for the rear blade but you will keep learning about the box blade long after you have mastered the rear blade...

Regardless of the type blade...Top and Tilt will make either one 75% more efficient for even an inexperienced operator...the % increases with experience...

Good Luck...

Very good advice. I haven't hooked onto my rear blade since I got my box blade with hydraulic scarifiers and TnT on the tractor.

Secondly, buy used, especially in the box blade world. 10 seconds looking at a used box blade will tell you if it's in good shape or not. Unless abused, not much to go wrong. I paid $1000 for an 84" hydraulic scarifier box blade used. Probably $4K new.

Lastly, I maintain a LOT of timber trails. Don't scatter your wood chips on your trails. All you'll do is create soggy, soft trails that dry out slowly. Use your old bent up rear blade to landscape and create proper drainage on those trails. Then when you hook a tree root and bend it a little more, you won't feel so bad.

Keep us posted on your decision.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Use your old bent up rear blade to landscape and create proper drainage on those trails. Then when you hook a tree root and bend it a little more, you won't feel so bad.

Keep us posted on your decision.

That is good advise. You have nothing to loose and you will find out what you are up against working in your woods. That will help you decide where to go from there.