Box Scraper School me on box blades and rakes

[DELInstallations]

Just got my Kubota 2620 a little while ago, already racked up 25 hours in 2 weeks on it.

I'm pulling stumps to make the yard larger and also regrading sections as well as setting up a garden or two.

I have a lower yard that is pretty wet all the time, tractor tears it up, so I'm going to do a french drain at some point.

In the meantime, I've got mounds of dirt and field stones around, as well as the remnants from pulling stumps, mainly pine.

I've been looking at a 5' King Kutter BB with the hinged back, but not sure if that's overkill vs. a rake with possibly guide wheels.

The yard is rutted in sections, high and low spots, etc.

So what implement would be the best for the $ and getting usage and past the CFO.

Also not sure if I can use the BB to help with the snow or not.

 

[RWolf]

Sometimes it will take more than one implement to achieve your goals. Box blades and rakes are the screwdrivers of the tractor world. In other words you can do amazing things with both of them. But for your first (or nearly first) implement I'd go with the boxblade.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Assuming you already have an FEL and bucket, if I could only get one of the two I would have to go for a nice heavy-duty rake first. You really need both, of course. No getting around that if you have serious work to do. But in general, not knowing your land or personal priorities, I'd say landscape rake first.

Rusty

 

[newbury]

Read
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/116316-various-boxblade-uses.html

 

[Reg]

If you already have the loader, at least learn to use that first.
Watch skid steer operators some time; they do a lot of basic dirt work, grading, smoothing, back-filling with just the bucket.

A tooth bar can be used to back rake, the heel of the bucket to back drag and level.
Can be done, is worth developing the skills to do.
By then you will probably know what you want to buy next.

 

[DELInstallations]

Since I've had the TLB I've been using the loader to back drag and attempt to smooth and even with the heel and edge of the blade as best as I can with them.

I guess I'm looking for a more level and consistent finish from pass to pass as well as continuity across the property.

I've got 3 acres of either sloped or gently rolling and a fair patch of level/slight slope lawn. I've been clearing and expanding into the sloped woods and need to ease that down as well as blend into the rolling lawn area. The loader back dragging, while not bad, doesn't seem to cut it.

With all the stump removal, I've run across good sized rocks, enough to easily fill my 16" hoe bucket. I've been moving the larger ones, but still have some baseball sized ones around.

I'd say I'm looking to have a finished grade as well as clean up and somewhat take the dips out of the lawn and blend the woods down into the lawn as well. I've also got a very wet spot down there, possibly a spring draining from the mountain/hill, so drainage is going to be done as well, budget allowing.

 

[IslandTractor]

I'd use a rake for that work myself. You could use either implement but a BB is much harder to learn than a rake and a rake is less likely to do further damage to a lawn.

 

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

Box Blade first...much better at controlling the flow of material you are moving...much much better at grading....I rarely use my rake...use the BB a lot

 

[DELInstallations]

Am I crazy for wanting a hinged back on my BB vs a fixed unit? Is there a huge difference besides cutting? I'm looking to level and grade my land and think the hinged section will help finish off the cut.

Also thinking of using as a pusher in the winter to help with some minor snow.

Crazy thinking

 

[IslandTractor]

Am I crazy for wanting a hinged back on my BB vs a fixed unit?

Nice feature but pricy and not needed for basic BB activities.

 

[FrogLick]

Anyone have experience with the Woods medium duty rake with optional gauge wheels and flip down grader blade? I'm thinking of getting one instead of a box blade. I'd be using it to maintain a gravel driveway and general clean up. I like the ability to angle the rake both forward and rear facing as well as the flip down blade for more agressive scraping. I know a rake won't do the agressive ripping of a box blade, but it seems like a more useful implement for my purposes.

 

[DELInstallations]

Nice feature but pricy and not needed for basic BB activities.

Since I've never operated a hinged unit, are my assumptions as far as smoothing and helping the blade work better correct? Also heard it helps keep the dirt from getting too stuck.

I'm going to be pulling dirt from a hill by the house, basically almost a mountain, down and smoothing the area, once it ever stops raining here

 

[pitt_md]

If you already have the loader, at least learn to use that first.
Watch skid steer operators some time; they do a lot of basic dirt work, grading, smoothing, back-filling with just the bucket.

A tooth bar can be used to back rake, the heel of the bucket to back drag and level.
Can be done, is worth developing the skills to do.
By then you will probably know what you want to buy next.

I agree with developing the skills to get the most out of your FEL. Don't be fooled by watching a skidsteer work with dirt and don't even try to do what they can do. Tractors with loaders get ULTRA tippy when you have a full bucket of wet dirt. A small depression that you can run over without weight in the FEL with no problem can put you on your side if you try to go to quick.