What sized rear grader blade?

[MtnViewRanch]

Here are some measurements for you. Plus or minus an inch. All for an 84" blade.

22 1/2* = 78" wide.

30* = 74" wide

35* = 66" wide

45* = 60" wide


I typically run at 35*-45* with mine.

Offset is a GREAT feature, you just need to learn when and where to make use of it. :thumbsup:

 

[Oldoak]

I had heavy duty tractor chains, all the way around, for my first tractor(Ford 1710 4WD). Did not like the way the chains made the tractor ride - like sliding down a giant ear of corn with every other row of kernels missing. Traction with the chains was FANTASTIC. Could climb right up the wall of a barn.

One of the bennies of the Kubota - 4X heavier than the Ford and with its R1 tires there is never a need for chains.

Um?

I've had the rear tires side slip occasionally when blading snow.

If you had used chains that wouldn't have happened.

Some manufactures do produce chains in special configurations that are designed for smoother riding than others.

Now if you want to really feel a rough ride try using double ring chains like used on my JD 2350 and my neighboring farmer uses on his JD 4020 years ago. But they did get us through the deepest snows in the Winter and mud in the Spring with our non 4 wheel wheel drive tractors.

 

[FTG-05]

Can't help with the snow part, but when I decided to get a rear grader blade for L4330 (nominal 6' rear width), I decided to get a 8' (96") rear blade. I also wanted the ability to offset so I could reach out and clear to the right or left well away from the tractor.

Those decisions led me to the EA Extreme Duty 8' Grader Blade. One of the best 3ph implements I have for my tractor.

Good luck!

 

[oosik]

FTG-05 A good rear blade is a real pleasure to use. One of the MAIN reasons I got the 96" Rhino was so I could offset and plow snow. There are two - 150 foot sections on my mile long driveway that are elevated about ten to twelve feet above normal ground level. Being able to offset even the 12" to 14", that I can, is added safety when I plow snow thru those two areas.

 

[fried1765]

Hello,

As many of may already know, I just can't shut up about my new JD2038r. At the moment, the only attachments are the loader and a 6' rotary cutter. However, one of the jobs of the tractor (and the 2305 that preceded it) is some driveway maintenance and especially clearing snow. Our driveway is almost 500' long and is gravel for all but 30'. Given that I have used a grader blade for both light gravel maintenance and as my main snow clearing tool, I am wondering what size blade I need for my new tractor. My old 2305 pulled a 5' cheapo blade with no problems and despite being rusty & ugly, it did do a good job at angling and rolling the snow off the the side. I have my eyes set on an everything attachments grader blade for my new 2038r. I intend for this to be the last grader blade I ever buy so I am deliberately getting one that has tilt and offset options as well as being sturdy built. What I don't know is what size I should get. While a 5' option is available I am ruling this out as being too small--once angled it won't even clear the tires of my new tractor (about 5' themselves measured outside to outside). I think the six footer would work, but again, once angled I am afraid that I will just cut out my own tires and no more. EA does have a 7' available and that is attractive as I should be able to angle and still clear a little further beyond my tires. Also, the offset is attractive as I can clear some patches of snow without actually having to drive over it. As for gravel maintenance, I mostly used my old blade turned around backwards to help collect gravel that worked its way to the edge and nudge/smooth it back into the center of the driveway and leave it looking attractive. I am NOT planning on using this blade as a way of cutting new, broad paths in the driveway or really digging much at all into either gravel or the clay soil beneath it. This is NOT a box blade replacement. The only thing I intend to both dig and move is snow, up to about 1' thick. That being said, I would not completely rule out angling the blade severely (maybe offsetting as well), using it nearly edge on as a way of adding just a bit more of a ditch to the driveway (by ditch, think a couple of inches deep & wide, not feet deep and wide).

So, given my needs, is it generally safe to assume that a jd2038r (37hp) would be enough tractor to operate a 7' blade in the snow? I am pretty sure my old 2305 could have handled a 6' blade, but I never actually tried that.

Thanks so much in advance for those who know more about rear blades than me.

SI2305 (Old handle, new tractor)
2018 jd2038r, loader, 6' rotary cutter and hopefully soon to be new EA rear grader blade

Two years ago I bought a King Kutter 7' tilt and offset capable rear blade.
MISTAKE!
The KK tilt and offset functions require REAL gut work (and a wrench) to adjust.
This year I decided to sell my KK blade.....I hated it!

Now I have a new Everything Attachments ..... "6 Way Deluxe Scrape Blade".
What a dream it is to use!
Probably the best $856 you can spend on a 7' blade, though there is no primer, and the paint is painfully thin.

 

[SI2305]

fried 1765,

nice to hear from someone who actually has the very model I am looking at. Thanks for your observations. BTW, the EA blade may not have great paint, but it can't possibly be worse than my older made-in-China cheapo blade. I only paid $150 for that blade new and it only looked new for a few days. After 1 year it was a piece of rust, but it did clear snow. I certainly would never try to use that thing to actually engage the ground, but it worked just fine in snow.

SI2305

 

[bigtiller]

I have a 7' blade on my 2720. It works good for the first pass but a second pass widening a wet snow is a chore for the tractor. The tractor has a glass cab, 2 weights on each tire, a loader or a snowblower on front and a hard surface driveway.

On the gravel portion of the driveway I use the blade backwards trying to level the drifts to make a hard base after freezing.

I have a 6' blade for heavy soil and rock work because the 7 footer is too big when paired up with the 2 series tractors.

 

[beenthere]

For widening, just add a wing plow when needed (which isn't often) and knock the snow berm back a ways.

 

[JD 4520]

Have you considered a front blade? I have a 96” front blade (Frontier) and it works like a beauty on snow. I use it on my 4520.

 

[kevinwak]

I have the 72” frontier rear blade for my 2520. I mostly use the snowblower though. I find the blade is two aggressive and likes to cut into the frozen ground. I really want a set of skid shoes for it.