Box Scraper Repair of a Damaged 3-point hitch on Box Blade

[stevewm]

I bought a 6' box blade, Agri- something brand 15 years ago and have been using it to maintain the rocky mile long private road to my house ever since. About a year ago while using the blade as a dozer with the tractor in reverse, the brace from the top of the blade to the top of the center link popped a weld and the blade rotated itself 180 degrees and ended up under the tractor, bending the center and the lower lift arm pin mounts. I got it pulled somewhat back into position with an engine hoist, come-alongs, and a 20 ton porta-power and rewelded. Happened a second time and I again rewelded it but with a more robust weld. Two weeks ago one of the lift arm pin mounts that I had gotten mostly straightened broke somewhat catastrophically. Needed sledge hammers and prybars to get it off the tractor. Was thinking I would go buy a new one as the road needed a lot of work even though the cost for a King Kutter at Tractor Supply was $900. I did notice the King Kutter was not a 100% welded up implement - parts of the hitch were bolted, especially the ones I had bent/broken on mine.
I saw a post on another board that a company called Broken Tractor.com actually carried implement parts and found they actually had King Kutter box blade parts. So I ordered the bent up top link parts. They came two days ago. Prior to that I had cut the old hitch completely off including the lift arm pin mounts. The old mounts/braces were 3"x3"x1/4" angles that were welded to the actual blade and to the cross arms that held the rippers and to the front cross brace. I cut them off at the front cross brace. I then found some 3"x24"x1/2" in the shop. I will bolt them to the existing angle and extend them out 5" so I can connect the top link braces and install the lift pins. I am essentially duplicating the design of the King Kutter. I also replaced the welded brace that goes from the blade to the top link with 2 ea 2"x30"x3/8" 3-pt hitch braces that bolt to the top of the blade and top link.
Everything is clamped together now waiting new bolt holes and maybe a tough of welding to stiffen things. Should be able to finish today. Tried to post photos but doesn't seem to work for me.

 

[LD1]

Curious to see pics if you can get it working.

What tractor do you have? Sounds like your blade isnt matched for the weight/power of your machine

 

[old and tired]

Keep trying with the photos... if it doesn't work, just ask for help here... I use this Icon to load photos...



Also, "...using the blade as a dozer with the tractor in reverse,..." is not how it's made to work. (You are lucky that the box blade failed vs. your 3ph arms). That rear blade is there to smooth dirt out while driving forward (extend the top link so only the rear blade connects with the ground). Now, have I used that blade to push light / loose material where I want, sure I have but have NOT used it as a bull dozer.

 

[nybirdman]

Keep trying with the photos... if it doesn't work, just ask for help here... I use this Icon to load photos...

View attachment 679533

Also, "...using the blade as a dozer with the tractor in reverse,..." is not how it's made to work. (You are lucky that the box blade failed vs. your 3ph arms). That rear blade is there to smooth dirt out while driving forward (extend the top link so only the rear blade connects with the ground). Now, have I used that blade to push light / loose material where I want, sure I have but have NOT used it as a bull dozer.

Correct,beef up the box blade and the tractor is going to break something..........no good.

 

[stevewm]

Bull dozer might have been too strong. I use it as you mentioned. Problem is as I mentioned in an earlier post, the ground here is mostly hilly hard limestone shelf with little soil. I keep the road covered with decomposed granite gravel but occasionally the blade grabs a protruding rock. If I snag the rock on one side of the blade it racks because the single top link support lacks diagonal bracing. Most likely was a major cause for the weld failure. New blades have two diagonal support braces rather than a single one, and are bolted rather than welded.

 

[stevewm]

King Kutter Box Blade | King Kutter Blade | BrokenTractor.com

Here is the URL for the King Kutter blade parts list.

I am both replacing both #6 Lift Arms and #7 Lift Arm Brace. The original design has one lift arm brace brace welded in at both ends. The lift arms are welded together at the top and also where the lift pins #1 are located. Had the single lift arm welds not failed, the rest of the damage to the lift arms and the structural member running from the top front of the blade itself to the lift arms would not have failed. The King Kutter design is much stronger, twice the metal, 3/4" bolts rather than a single weld in quarter inch material, and diagonal support to keep the blade from twisting.

Have tried several times to post diagrams and photos from the icon you suggested and it simply won't work. It allows me to select the image but won't upload and post. I will keep trying.

 

[old and tired]

...It allows me to select the image but won't upload and post...

After selecting the photo, did you click on "Upload File(s)"?

 

[MF243RedTop]

If you keep having problems with the bolt on pins bending/breaking you may need to convert to slide hitch pins.

Something like this.



I've tried to break it, not happening.

Which would also mean redoing the top and bottom 3pt areas ..

 

[stevewm]

I did click upload file. everything was good to that point but nothing happened after that.

 

[MF243RedTop]

It can be really slow especially depending on your service. Sometimes I'll close tht screen and click on preview post... And it will still attach to the post.