yet another boxblade post

bellweather · Jan 31, 2003

I'm in western Mass and when I inquired about box blades with my dealer, and mind you he's an old timer, he told me he has never sold a boxblade. He said the soil has too many rocks for a box blade. What should I make of that?

theboman · Jan 31, 2003

Several things... If he's been in business a long time he'll know what he's talking about. I don't think he'd turn down a sale, so he seems pretty honest and straight foward. Respectable.
What are your soil conditions? Rocky? I'm sure the dealer meant the rocks are to big to box blade effectively,

buzst · Jan 31, 2003

The box blade works great in the rocky soil here in Southern New Hampshire. I just take two passes, the first with the tines in the soil and the blade out to remove the rocks. then a second with the tines up and blade down to finish. It's really a great tool to remove rocks from 8"-18" dia.

bellweather · Jan 31, 2003

thanks for the input. I think I will discuss it more with the dealer.

Rick Jay · Jan 31, 2003

I also live in Western Mass, and my dealer seems to always have a couple around his lot, new and used. Someone is buying them.

Actually, I bought one myself, although I haven't had a lot of opportunity to use it. It seemed to work pretty well in my hard pan clay and rock soil when I tried it out. I think our soil type makes it all the more important that the box blade be heavy and well built.

Now, if you've got very large rocks, I can see where it won't be all that useful. Most of ours are about grapefruit size or larger.

~Rick

TresCrows · Jan 31, 2003

I cannot see that rocky soil would prevent a boxblade from spreading gravel on your drive, working a load of purchased soil, smoothing/maintaing a roadway and all that. What does he suggest you get? J

tdenny · Feb 3, 2003

bellweather,

I have to completely disagree with your "old time" dealer. I live very near the mountains and my "soil" is really no more than a massive collection of different sized rocks (see glacial till). The box blade works exceptionally well. Sometimes it just takes an extra pass or two. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

beenthere · Feb 3, 2003

What I would make of it, is you have BIG rocks. Can you tell us how big they are? Biggest? Average? In general?

I have boulders, and I would have to work around them IF I had a box blade. I don't and have to use a crawler with a bulldozer blade to do any "yard" work. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

bellweather · Feb 3, 2003

Actually the soil does have some rocks, mostly grapefruit size or smaller...the big rocks are really big, and those are usually easy to avoid. I'm at a loss as to why he tried to steer me away from a box blade? I'll talk to him more about it and post his comments. Thanks guys.

tdenny · Feb 4, 2003

Sorry I should have said more specifically what size rocks I deal with.

The above mentioned rocks I have are anywhere from pebbles to watermelon sized ones. When you run up against a larger one I usually just spin the tractor around roll the rock into the loader and go put it in my pile of large rocks. Anybody want any???? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have caught a few of the larger ones in the box blade and this usually catches my attention pretty quickly. I have a First Choice Box and it has taken a pretty good beating and you couldn't tell by looking at it. Great implement.