How to use a box blade?

[n92687]

I am quite frustrated. I cannot seem to get the handle of using the box blade. I currently have the tines all they way down, I am still pulling up some loose roots etc. I put the blade down until the sides are level on the ground and then go. Since the ground is bumpy, it seems like the blade digs in more of course going over a mound and then releases more when you come down the backside of the mound. I just cannot seem to smooth it out.
At thsi point I have never used the box blade without the tines extending below the blade, is that what I am doing wrong? Whenever I want to smooth should I raise the tines or remove them?
Can any one tell me what I should me doing in the order I should be doing them? I guess the blade is a floating blade because the aft blade has a hinge along the back end.
Thanks
J

 

[Bartcephus]

There are some good videos from "Everything Attachments" and others on you-tube about using the box blade. The adjustment of the top-link is really key on what particular task you are performing. Lenghthen the top link for smoothing, shorten the top-link for getting the scarifiers to dig/break up the soil. Another thing I have found is waiting until soil conditions are "just right." Too much mositure and you fill up your box with mud and too dry just turns everything to dust and won't pack well.

Practice makes perfect. Try various lengths of the top-link and see how the box blade reacts. The hinged back blade helps smooth out the soil but also will allow you to push dirt around if you go in reverse with the implement lowered. For final smoothing, you will want to raise the scarifiers, lengthen the top link and set the 3 point to a height that will leave some fill dirt in the box shaving the high spots and leaving it in the low spots.

Best of luck and enjoy the seat time.

 

[BethesdaEC]

It helps to have position control.

 

[Cacinok]

It's a lot about practice. When I got my first tractor and box blade, I had similar problems, seemed like I was making it worse instead of better. If I have pot holes or ruts to fill, what I do is drop the rippers all the way, shorten the top link and loosen the whole driveway up - don't want to dig any holes, but not too concerned about getting it all level. Then I raise the rippers up out of the way and lengthen the top link so that the box blade is more or less level and concentrate on leveling out the driveway. Try to remember where the larger bumps are and adjust your box blade accordingly. It's a PITA until you start to get the hang of it. Initially, you need to be adjusting your box blade constantly, especially if you have a bumpy driveway.

If you have a float control, then you can set that and the box blade will just follow the contour of the ground. I never think to do this for some reason.

 

[johnrex62]

Since the ground is bumpy, it seems like the blade digs in more of course going over a mound and then releases more when you come down the backside of the mound.

Maybe I am misunderstanding, but isn't that what you want? Grab more dirt from mounds and drop it in the valleys? May take a few runs, but eventually that will level things out, as the mounds are reduced and the valleys fill in, right?

 

[bcp]

Since the ground is bumpy, it seems like the blade digs in more of course going over a mound and then releases more when you come down the backside of the mound.

Maybe I am misunderstanding, but isn't that what you want? Grab more dirt from mounds and drop it in the valleys? May take a few runs, but eventually that will level things out, as the mounds are reduced and the valleys fill in, right?

(added to clarify)

Since the ground is bumpy, it seems like the blade digs in (before the mound) more of course (when the tractor is) going over (up) a mound and then releases more (on the mound) when you (the tractor) come down the backside of the mound.

 

[TripleR]

If you can, go out somewhere where making a mess won't matter and practice. As mentioned by Bartcephus and Cacinok, there are ways of operating a bb, but it still requires time.

The biggest improvement for me was when I got a hydraulic top link which allows me to adjust the angle of attack on the move.

My brother does an exceptional job without one though, it just takes time.

What tractor are you using?

 

[schmism]

you need to learn what the tilt (top link adjustment) means for the blade.

the more you tilt the box back the less aggressive cut it will have pulling it forward. In an extreme (rear) all you would do is move the "sand" around on the top of the ground unable to scratch up anything more. (pushing the blade backwards in this state however will result in it cutting very aggressively)

tilted all the way forward and expect it to dig extreamly aggressively to the point that your likely to quickly bring your tractor to a stop (in just a few inches) Great for digging material quickly, but hard to control.

Once you have loosened up the top of the dirt you may find it easyer to push backward to smooth things out as your rear tires are then driveing on a nice lvl surface (just created by the box) imparting less movement to the blade. (the blade is more free to cut high spots and fill low spots) It is not recommended you push un-cut dirt with the box blade as it can easly result in bent 3pt arms or worse. (there are some "fun" pics floating around the forums as examples)

 

[n92687]

I am using a light duty Massy. The bb is parallel to the ground when down.
I guess it just takes time. I just seem to take too much from one area and then put too much in others. I end up moving mounds around instead of blending them. If I take teh scarifers up, then maybe it will smooth things out.

Thanks for the comments
J

 

[Gordon Gould]

If the area you are trying to level is such that the tractor goes up and down like a roller coaster as you travel along you have two basic choices for leveling. Neither of them is very fast. First way is to take one mound at a time. Cut the top off and spread it into the low spots around that mound. Stay right there in the are of the one mound til it is what you want. Keep doing this mound by mound until the roller coaster effect is gone. Or the second way is to travel along slowly with your hand on the bb height control. Try to keep the bb on an imaginary level line with your height control as the tractor rises and dips. Don't let it dig where you don't want it to dig and don't let it dump where you don't want it to dump. You will be constantly moving the height control. Start high, take small bites so you are only cutting the tops of the mounds at the first pass along your imaginary line. Each pass move your bb height and imaginary line a little lower. keep repeating until you are flat. Takes time, patience, and practice. I like the first method when just learning because you are working a small area and you learn how to control and use your blade. You don't get over whelmed by the whole job. Probably the best way is a combination of the two methods. After some experience you will be able to tell which way is best attack a lumpy area.
Don't get frustrated you will learn as you go.

 

[Degolyerent]

The first thing to do if you are happy with the amount of roots you have removed is to either turn the teeth over or take them out completely, then adjust the top link until the box is 'flat' that way you can work forward or backward without digging up the whole world, then working forward across the cleared area starting on one side of clearing work the high spots into the low areas until you get it roughed in, then working from one side to the other in a grid fashion keep working it finer and finer, all one way one time and then turn 90 degrees and work across the grid working it finer and finer as you go the other way. Working a 'grid' gets everything on a even plane, of course driveways you can't work a grid system but practice makes perfect I have been grading for a living for 30 plus years, it does take time and practice
You have to adjust the box when you feel the front of the tractor move up or down, go slow and speed will come with time
I put in a few pics of some jobs
I call my system of grading using a grid or cross- hatching I used this system grading large areas for concrete for many years, it was necessary to get areas completely level to cut down on hand grading labor

 

[jenkinsph]

Some good pointers so far, most important imo, "go slow or stop if need be. You should move only as fast as you can adjust the boxblade's height in real time.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

It helps to have position control.

Can you explain how to use the position control.??

I sometimes struggle with my rear blade while working my gravel driveway.

Sometimes, patience is a good thang.

 

[stub]

I've had the same problems as you trying to smooth a driveway with a box blade, until I got the proper tool. Lay it down flat and pull it.

Land Pride Grading Scrapers

 

[ustmd]

In addition to the good advice here (especially going slow), something that I found helps with bumpy ground or with a lot of mounds is to work the BB in reverse-i.e. drive the tractor in reverse and use the BB to push the mounds. If you can start in a flat space and are driving in reverse, BB is encountering any ruts or mounds before the tractor, so the bounce is minimized.

Now my standard disclaimer--I am not an expert or a gifted amateur...just a Ph.D. trying to make his way in the sub-rural world :laughing:.

 

[teg]

Understand that pushing backwards can bend the 3ph, they are designed for pulling.

What I try and do first is loosen all the material of the top layer (peaks and valleys). Shorten the top link and drag the shanks back and forth for awhile. If they are not digging in, add weight!!! Do you have a front end loader? (profile is not filled in ) For the real bad peaks, I'll take some bites out of it and put the soil in low spots, valleys.

Back dragging with the heal of your bucket helps too... and the bucket in float mode. Once everything is loose, make the top link long so that you are riding on the back blade of the BB. It should start to level things out.

I very rarely have the box blade "level"... most of the time the top link is either all the way out or all the way in. That is where the Hydraulic top link is a "must have". I just leveled a hillside... although it doesn't go into details, link below:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/214670-created-flat-spot.html

 

[k0ua]

Well I see that Teg has mentioned what I was going to post already. And that was Backdragging with the heel of the bucket, I dont own a box blade, but If I were you I would try plowing up the ground with the rippers down, and get rid of any large rocks or roots by hand if need be. Then backdrag with you bucket. You need to be going pretty fast for best results, in reverse, I use either full pedal in low range or less hst pedal in Medium range in reverse,When I had a geared tractor I used Hi reverse gear. It only had 2 Reverse speeds, and the low one was too slow. Then change directions about every 10 passes so you do not get too much dirt piled up in one direction. Be sure you loader control is in the "float" position, you can use the cutting edge also instead of the heel of the bucket, but dont have it at too steep of an angle, it will tend to cut in too deep, and will give more shock to your hydraulic cylinders. Now it is not going to smooth out hard packed dirt very fast but if your soil is plowed up it will smooth it out pretty well. The soil has to be "about right" as too wet, will just make slicked down mud, and too dusty will make for a lung full of dirt! I have used this method on dirt and gravel for about 19 years and it has worked for me. give it a try, it doesn't cost anything!

Here is a video of backdragging gravel. Gravel is of course easier.

Kubota L3400HST back dragging - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

James K0UA

 

[NSBound]

Here's a link to an earlier primer on how to use a box blade.

 

[Zxyrthe]

I've had good luck with a homemade drag harrow made from chain link fence. It's about six feet of fence that I drag behind my box blade. It acts like a rasp, breaking down and smoothing out any debris, gravel, etc. that comes out of the box blade.

I'll second the floating FEL back drag maneuver. It takes practice but works really well for spreading gravel like icing on a cake.

The tractor is more hammer than scalpel so the more purpose-specific the attachment, the better. I still do the detail work by hand with a rake.

Good luck.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I don't have a box blade but, I would like to try one on my gravel driveway.

I do back drag some. It is a great way to smooth out gravel. I have a lot more control back dragging than using my rear blade. I can get good down pressure while back dragging and I am getting to the point where I can feather the bucket to get a good finished grade.

I find over short passes back dragging is great but, over the longer passes I prefer either the rake or the rear blade.

I always finish up by hand rakeing. I actually enjoy that.