Weight box or rear blade?

[wetstuff]

I could have attached this ? to my plow mount post, but thought it general enough to open a new inquiry.

Without chains ..running front/back Turf tires.. would it generally be better to add weight when pushing snow or add the scraper blade on the back.

The J-D weight box is full of concrete - weight unknown? ...the blade has some weight to it itself, eh?

I am sure many of you have already dealt with this. This is my first opportunity. Thanks.

Jim

 

[beenthere]

For me, the answer would be how useful the blade will be vs. the compactness of the ballast box.

That blade can restrict movement but can be handy to gather snow.

I suggest you decide how one or the other works for you. Hopefully you will get enough chances to try them both out.

 

[JDgreen227]

I could have attached this ? to my plow mount post, but thought it general enough to open a new inquiry.

Without chains ..running front/back Turf tires.. would it generally be better to add weight when pushing snow or add the scraper blade on the back.

The J-D weight box is full of concrete - weight unknown? ...the blade has some weight to it itself, eh?

I am sure many of you have already dealt with this. This is my first opportunity. Thanks.

Jim

I have a 4210 with the factory FEL and a 72 inch Frontier RB, tractor has FWD but no tire loading, turfs, I never use chains. Concrete weighs about 120 pounds per cubic foot, not sure how big your weight box is or how full though. My RB weighs about 280 pounds, hangs off the 3 point a lot further than a weight box would. I use the RB for about 80 percent of the snow removal I do. our 700 foot driveway and five of my neighbors driveways, prefer to push snow off at an angle rather than scoop and dump with the FEL.

A weight box is useless for moving snow except as a traction assist, the blade will be a much bigger aid than just weight in the back. Hope this helps.

 

[JDgreen227]

Should have included this pic with my reply, sorry...

 

[wetstuff]

Thanks JDG .. the box is about 7cuft - topped off with concrete, so about 800lbs. The blade I have is probably 200+- ..but the lever arm should increase its effective weight on the rear axle. The tires are reportedly filled with calcium. Yatta-Yatta...

I was trying to make a mental calculation of which may be more valuable in time-of-war: added traction or added scraping.. All speculation 'till the white stuff piles up.

We missed a small Nor'Easter this past weekend and XmasDay appears to be bringing rain/snow.. so who knows? Last year I had Ferguson with balding tires and a back blade; this year an Abrams Tank by comparison. Maybe it will scare the storms away.

Cheers all - have safe holidays.

Jim

 

[mars1952]

I would use the back blade or box blade and put weighs on the blade. Best of both worlds. I have enough weight added to my box blade so that the whole thing weighs about 1100lbs.
Marshall

 

[stlbill]

Hi folks:

I have a 2305 with FEL and 60" 3PH RB. Using both implements I clear snow AT LEAST twice as fast going forward and reverse. When I need to carry almost a yard of wet snow I'm sure loaded rear tires and the i-match help.

-Bill

 

[JDgreen227]

Thanks JDG .. the box is about 7cuft - topped off with concrete, so about 800lbs. The blade I have is probably 200+- ..but the lever arm should increase its effective weight on the rear axle. The tires are reportedly filled with calcium. Yatta-Yatta...

I was trying to make a mental calculation of which may be more valuable in time-of-war: added traction or added scraping.. All speculation 'till the white stuff piles up.

We missed a small Nor'Easter this past weekend and XmasDay appears to be bringing rain/snow.. so who knows? Last year I had Ferguson with balding tires and a back blade; this year an Abrams Tank by comparison. Maybe it will scare the storms away.

Cheers all - have safe holidays.

Jim

My tractor has a smaller engine than most of the mid-size 4000-Ten series so the only time I lose traction is when I am going forward and scraping snow with the RB and the wet stuff builds up enough to cause drag and ceases forward motion. Don't laugh at this idea, but the cheapest. most effective way to add weight to an implement is to go to a thrift store like Goodwill and buy used circular barbell weights, either all metal or plastic coated type. They usually sell for about 20 cents a pound and are easy to mount and stack. To mount them I use half inch carriage bolts run thru a section of grey PVC EMT pipe that fits the center hole of most weights.

 

[wetstuff]

JFG.. "Don't laugh at this.." You kidding; that's brilliant; ready made, easy on the hands and prep'd for mounting. Cool.

jim

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I see it this way....When you have light snows, 4 or 5 inches, by all means... use the blade to clear the snow.

When you need to move a lot of snow, 6+ inches, and when you have to pile up and move it back....by all means, use the weight box.

I love me some ballast in a box. And the tractor does, too.:thumbsup:

The ballast box is one of my favorite attachments because when I got it on I am doing some heavy work, for one. And, it increases the performance of the tractor soo much that it impresses me.:thumbsup:

 

[CorporateOffRoader]

We just had 22" here in WI, I used my both my FEL and my boxblade to push the snow and then the FEL to pile it up. Worked well enough for me.

 

[captplaid]

If it possible to have too much rear weight in the weight box?

 

[JDgreen227]

JFG.. "Don't laugh at this.." You kidding; that's brilliant; ready made, easy on the hands and prep'd for mounting. Cool.

jim

Here is a pic of the pair of barbell weights mounted on the auger housing of my snowblower...they help keep the front end from climbing hard pack snow.

 

[RoyJackson]

If it possible to have too much rear weight in the weight box?

Yes, although unlikely (IMHO).
Your steering will be lighter and the front end may be skipping along rather then planted firmly on the ground.
I've never done this, and I've never heard of this on TBN, but it is possible with any weight on the 3PH and no counterbalancing weight on the front end.
As an example, I once rigged my ballast box (600-700 lbs, estimated) on my old 790 before installing the loader. When I lifted the 3PH, the front of that 790 rose rather quickly. No panic...just lowered the 3PH, dropped the ballast box and installed the loader (then the ballast box).
"No panic"...well, I must admit, the butt did tighten up momentarilly...

 

[JD755]

Yes, although unlikely (IMHO).
Your steering will be lighter and the front end may be skipping along rather then planted firmly on the ground.
I've never done this, and I've never heard of this on TBN, but it is possible with any weight on the 3PH and no counterbalancing weight on the front end.
As an example, I once rigged my ballast box (600-700 lbs, estimated) on my old 790 before installing the loader. When I lifted the 3PH, the front of that 790 rose rather quickly. No panic...just lowered the 3PH, dropped the ballast box and installed the loader (then the ballast box).
"No panic"...well, I must admit, the butt did tighten up momentarilly...

In kind of an opposite experience one time I had the back end of my tractor raise up. I was lifting one end of a heavy radio tower, at a bit of an angle, with the FEL to place it into position on its concrete base. I had been off the tractor attaching the tower to the bucket while my 500 pound box blade was sitting lowered to the ground. When I raised the bucket the tractor back end on one side quickly lifted to where the 3PH hit its bottom limit and was held back by the box blade. No danger this time, but was quite a startle. However it was a good way to learn the lesson of always raising the 3PH first when using the loader. As I have since.

 

[Runner]

60 inch rear blade (plus 360 lbs of wheel weights) wasn't enough weight for my 2520 pushing 12 inches of snow. Weight box with 800+ lbs solved the problem.

 

[JDgreen227]

60 inch rear blade (plus 360 lbs of wheel weights) wasn't enough weight for my 2520 pushing 12 inches of snow. Weight box with 800+ lbs solved the problem.

I have never seen a rear blade, or any other type of 3 point attachment fitted with a pair of trailer tongue jacks and wheels...would you please tell us the purpose of those? Thanks.

 

[Runner]

"I have never seen a rear blade, or any other type of 3 point attachment fitted with a pair of trailer tongue jacks and wheels...would you please tell us the purpose of those? Thanks. "

They are gauge wheels used to hold the blade off the gravel so it doesn't dig in when plowing snow. Also good for grading dirt/gravel when you want to keep a constant level without digging in.

If you search "gauge wheels" on this site, you'll find lots of people have built them for rear blades, rakes and box blades.

 

[JDgreen227]

"I have never seen a rear blade, or any other type of 3 point attachment fitted with a pair of trailer tongue jacks and wheels...would you please tell us the purpose of those? Thanks. "

They are gauge wheels used to hold the blade off the gravel so it doesn't dig in when plowing snow. Also good for grading dirt/gravel when you want to keep a constant level without digging in.

If you search "gauge wheels" on this site, you'll find lots of people have built them for rear blades, rakes and box blades.

Thanks...I use my RB on a lot of gravel driveways but I installed a length of truck tire recap the width of the blade to prevent gouging or digging in, it was really cheap compared to the first class assemblies you installed. The road gator was free, the six bolts to install it were $3.

 

[Jim in ICT]

I like that work with the recap. I've always wondered how well a guy could use some flat rubber belting on a blade. I saw a tread on the side of the road the other day and almost stopped to retrieve it. I might have to go back that way again and look for that cap.
Was it difficult to take the curl out of the tread to get it bolted on the blade? How well does it wear?