Grading Scarifyiers needed on Box Blade?

[tarious]

I recently purchased a BB and the dealer mentioned that scarifiers were optional and the BB did not come equiped with them.

How exactly do they work? I plan to use the BB to level a couple of uneven acres and scrape out some gravel to be replaced by dirt and lawn.

thanks

 

[familyman]

Get them.
Scarifiers break up the dirt ahead of the horizontal blade(s) which keeps it from riding up on top of the high spots. They also make the BB easier for the tractor to pull, and speed up the job, much like a toothbar does on an FEL. Although they may not seem heavy individually, collectively they add a bit of weight to the box, which also helps keep it cutting. I'm no boxblade expert, these are just my observations. Hope this helps.

Charley

 

[RedRocker]

I've never seen one without them.

 

[DmansPadge]

I've never seen one without them either. Which ever way... get them! You will put them to use. You can point them up when you don't need them and they stay out of the way.

 

[aloha]

In addition to breaking up the soil, an equally important function of the scarifiers on a box scraper is to pull the box scraper down so the rear blade can do its work effectively. By adjusting the top link you change the angle at which the scarifiers attack the ground, and thus can affect the amount of downward force.

 

[AndyM]

I didn't know they were an option. Even my $250 Chinese made box blade came with them, though I have taken them off for doing tasks such as spreading gravel.

 

[cisco]

Most of the time, you don't need them, but per prior posts they do add some weight to the box (which is good), and are a "poor man's" root rake, plow (as in breaking up the surface so a disc has a chance of working), and, if you can get 1 blade extended (only one I've seen was custom built), also a subsoiler.

 

[normde2001]

Every boxblade comes standard with scarifiers. Ask your dealer if he will have to special order them, or does he just happen to have a set in stock that will fit your blade? I would find another dealer.

 

[JerryG]

I can't remember which company that it was but there was one that you had to order them separate. It was one of the high dollar models. There are some farm boxes that aren't even made for scarifers.

 

[tarious]

This one is a frontier, 2272. Its a beefy thing! It does have holes for the shanks, just didn't come with them. I would include a picture, but I can't seem to get them reduced enough to post clearly.

I used to briefly to "grade" some fresh dirt in a yard after spreading a large pile of black dirt with the FEL. Soft dirt was certainly no challenge. I imagine the scarifiers will be benefical for hardened packed surfaces?

Thanks