Top O' the Line Box Blade????

MChalkley · Oct 1, 2001

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

I brought it out to you, but you weren't there, so I just left it. I left the keys on the rear tire under the right fender. Don't tell me it wasn't there when you got back... /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

MarkC

Harv · Oct 1, 2001

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

** DOH!!! **

RPM · Oct 1, 2001

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

Patrick (patrickg),

Depending on how life with your new box-blade progresses, you may have some patentable ideas here that you could (sweet justice) license to a box-blade manufacturer.

I see little reason why the scarifiers should not be able to be lowered on a box-blade with an appropriate design.

Patrick (RPM)

fractal · Jan 4, 2002

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

Harv, Cammond does make the Gearmores. I spoke to Gearmore, who told me they have no dealers outide of California, Arizona and one other western state. They gave me the name of a guy at Cammond, who confirmed that Cammond's 2C2 series is the same as Gearmore's 2G2 series.

<hr></blockquote>

I just bought a Gearmore post hole digger from a dealer near my in-laws. The dealer did not have the 9 inch auger I wanted but when I told him my route home he had me stop at Gearmore and pick it up. That gave me a chance to talk to the people there as well as stuff the auger in the mini-van along with 3 kids, wife, post hole digger and a whole bunch of xmas stuff

Anyway, Gearmore is a distributer plain and simple. They don't manufactuer anything. Some of what they sell is no more than branded products. The post hole digger I bought is made by Danuser and the cheap yellow Gearmore paint is scraping off and you can see the Danuser red under it. Other items are made by equipment manufacturers to Gearmore's specification. The people seemed honest and helpful.

JATO_RaT · Jan 10, 2002

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

Hey Patrick, I don't know how I missed this post as it is right up my ally. I have the 72" 2G2 Gearmore. I know of no hydraulic activated scarifier bar that activates under load, they all need to be locked into position, the ram does not hold the scarifier in place but simply swings and activates a locking pin or other device. They must be lowered while the box is up. The picture of the box blade you bent is quite frankly "a weenie" and looks like it is built for a 2 wd tractor. Your L4610 has far greater pulling power then that ripper bar could possibly handle. I have been such a strong advocate here of getting a HEAVY box blade as I have seen many light weight boxes on 4WD change shape. The L4610 could handle a 76" box, but that would be it, don't go wider then that unless your ripping paper bags and pulling dust.

P.S. the only way rippers could activate that I could see under load is if they lowered straight down rather then pivot as both Gearmore and Gannons do. I use the rippers and have boken many shanks but never bent the ripper bar, catch a solid rock with the light box and their gone with a tractor such as yours. If it were me, I would get the 4G2 in either the 72 or 76" width. The 4G2 for the extra weight and 5" pull and ripper square tubes. Anyway, this may all be moot as its been awhile since you posted alot of this stuff, Rat...

patrickg · Jan 12, 2002

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

Hey Rat, Is it better never than late or better late than never? Your response is welcome but too late to influence my upgrade decision. I upgraded to an extremely HD Gannon, not what I wanted to do but sort of an economic default position. The light duty Gannon, bent orange one in picture, worked really well and I liked it a lot. If they would have beefed up the raise lower parts I would have kept it but they repaired it "under waranty" back to stock condition the first time and charged me to repair it the second time before they would accept it back in a trade up deal. Gannon acted in a very unprofessional manner (AT THE TOP MANAGEMENT LEVEL). I have a very big bone to pick with their ethics (or lack thereof).

The light duty boxblade did raise and lower while in use and until its light duty underbuilt mechanism was overstressed and bent it was a dream to operate. Its scarifiers did not rotate but raised and lowered sort of rectilinearly which alowed you to adjust ripper depth independent of the box blade height and cutting angle. It was fantastic. If its construction was as robust as the unit I upgraded to it would probably last just fine, especially in my rock challenged acres (very few rocks and those in a very few locations). But alas, they would not compromise or even consider a customer advocate position. I was especially ticked when I had to pay them to fix it so they would accept it on trade. They do not prohibit operating the scarifiers whenever you want on the HD model but claim it is prohibited on the first one (light duty). Nothing in the operators manual for the lighter version prohibits operating while in use nor did the Gannon folks say anything negative about it until after I trashed it the second time. They just make it up as they go depending on what is in their favor. The only thing that has prohibited my demanding a showdown in small claims court is I have too much to do to take the time. I would really love dragging their top guy dowm to the courthouse and embarrassing him with public display of his actions.

Patrick

JATO_RaT · Jan 16, 2002

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

Patrick, thats great to hear, which Gannon did you get? A 72" . They make the best INDUSTRIAL boxes around. I see the 96" 4X4's on the industrial tractors at the rental yards exclusively. I find my 72" Gearmore 2G2 is about all my L48 can pull when filled and still cutting. The soil I have here is not very rocky, but is very abrasive, it is mostly decomposed granite. The traction I get even with R4's is so good that it will stall me even in low. Anyhow, I'm glad you went the best route, its hard to convince folks it is the best choice because of the cost, but that will be your last boxscraper you will ever need combined with the added ballast for loader and safety since dropping that box to the ground is better then throwing out the anchor, let'er rip, Rat...

patrickg · Jan 18, 2002

Re: Top O\' the Line Box Blade????

Rat, I think the Gearmore and Gannon are one and the same, like Johnson and Evinrude, identical in many models but perhaps something may only be available in one brand not both. This unit measures 72 inches ID and is about 21 1/2 tall at the back of the box. Yup, a box full is not a trivial quantity. My Kubota L4610HSTC has to go to full throttle in low range sometimes to stay at or above the peak torque RPM in 4wd with scarifiers engaged and the blade cutting (full HST pedal) and then have to feather the HST pedal to go uphill. Don't need a bigger box! Course you can either cut or rip but not always both depending on soil conlditions. Roger your DG. I have a lot of clay and few surface rocks (a few places with red sandstone at surface). Most of my sandstone is 10 ft under or more.

Whew dogies, it just started raining like a cow on a flat rock. Couple degrees cooler and it will be a heck of an ice storm.

Luckily I got my tractoring in this morning. Handling block 18 at a time strapped together with plastic strapping 40 lbs each or 720 lbs per stick. If I had the box blade on for ballast I could do two sticks at a time as the pallet forks are rated for 1300 lbs. and I have faith that they allowed for the load at the end of the blades (I got the longer of the two choices) but the blocks would be less than 32 inches for two rows with the CG at 16. Have the 3PH PTO cement mixer on the back now as I am building a safe room/storm shelter. Todays rain delays any box blading for a while. Got 40-50 or more mallards on the two nearest ponds but they don't seem bothered by this weather, especially since we put out some corn for them.

Like you said, this unit seems prety robust and short of something really dumb and or unusual it should last generations (with the possible exception of the hydraulic cylinder).

Patrick