Rear Blade Rear blade with tilt feature

[JMER817]

I'm looking to purchase a used 7' rear blade this week. I have two that I'm trying to decide on. One is a rustier Land Pride for $200 and the other is a cleaner looking Woods for $400. The Woods has the tilt adjustment where as the Land Pride doesn't. I had a Frontier blade years ago with this tilt feature and never used it. What have you guys used this featue for? I figure I can just adjust the 3pt arm if I need to tilt one way or another. Even the first hole on the tilt adjustment seemed extreme for any type of driveway crowning. Thoughts?

 

[smstonypoint]

I have used the tilt feature on my Bush Hog blade to make a waterbar across a trail that was suffering from wash out.

Steve

 

[milkman636]

Tilt and offset can come in handy. If you are interested in a 3rd option that would include both features I'm selling the one in the attached picture for $600. I'm about an hour north of you.

 

[JMER817]

Milkman. That's a nice HD blade! I'm mainly going to use the blade for snow removal. Will also be getting a box blade and landscape rake for my other projects / maintenance. I found the lighter blades work best for my gravel driveway. I think yours will dig down too much for me.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

The severe tilting is good for ditching and or cleaning out ditches. For road work, waaaaaay to steep of an angle. As far as a heavy blade, you can use the position control of the 3pt hitch to keep the blade from digging in. You do not have to put the hitch all the way down so that the implement just digs in.

 

[94BULLITT]

Do you know what model the blades are or do you have any pictures of them? I'd rather have heavy duty blade without tilt than have a light duty one with tilt.

I use my tilt for cleaning out ditches.

 

[jgayman]

I read comments from folks who have the tilting blades where for winter they remove the tilt-lock pin which allows the blade to pivot freely on its axis and better follow the slopes and contours of the driveway without the corners digging in. I have a Land pride blade that does not tilt and it sounds like a nice option for snow. You also then have the ability to lock it in a tilt position for ditch cleaning, etc.

The lighter blade makes sense but it can be a double edged sword. I've had lightweight blades in the past and they ended up bending eventually if subjected to any abuse. I bought the Land Pride blade 15 years ago and it is built like a tank. While the weight can cause it to be agressive in the gravel, it also makes it pretty much indestructible as my 30 HP tractor does not have the power to bend it.

 

[Baby Grand]

I read comments from folks who have the tilting blades where for winter they remove the tilt-lock pin which allows the blade to pivot freely on its axis and better follow the slopes and contours of the driveway without the corners digging in. I have a Land pride blade that does not tilt and it sounds like a nice option for snow. You also then have the ability to lock it in a tilt position for ditch cleaning, etc.

<<<snip>>>

That's exactly how I have used the tilt on mine:
Pull the pin for snow removal and contour blending in soil.
Pin it for ditching or crowning.

 

[arrow]

Milkman. That's a nice HD blade! I'm mainly going to use the blade for snow removal. Will also be getting a box blade and landscape rake for my other projects / maintenance. I found the lighter blades work best for my gravel driveway. I think yours will dig down too much for me.

What decides on how far down a blade will dig is more indicative of its angle than its weight. I have a blade that weights only 290 ponunds but if it is set it a certain way, I can scrape up my entire gravel drive. The tilt I've found for my needs is to use it to dig shallow trenches. If you are not using it for crowning ofr trenching, it may be a useless feature for you. As far as the design of the blade itself, most of the lighter weight blades have a 13-15" moldboard height. Many times I have found this insufficient for removing snow as the snow simply tumbles over the blade. I like a 17-18" blade for snow work and if you are concerned with "digging in" you can get shoes or skid plates for almost any of them.

 

[adolphbell]

I have a heavy Monroe Tufline 4 foot blade that tilts. I used the tilt to dig large (about 10 x 25 or 30 ft) pits to fill with top soil for gardens. Used fel to haul the rocky dirt off ( very rocky soil in the Ozarks). When the blade is tilted it woks much like a plow. Did it with my little 20hp JD 4100 compact tractor.

 

[oosik]

I have a heavy duty Land Pride RB3596 which will tilt, angle & offset. I've tried the tilt but as has been said by MtViewRanch - its too steep for road work. And I do not clean any ditches I might have along my driveway. Actually, come to think about it, there is only one place on my mile long driveway where I actually have a "ditch". Its a small ditch I've jackhammered out of the basaltic lava underlying all my property. It channels snow meltwater away from running across the driveway and making a sloped ice rink. I've never heard of removing the "tilt pin" when plowing snow on the driveway. I do not plow the driveway until its frozen good and hard. At that point even the Lord himself could not get the back blade to dig in at any place along the driveway. This is what I want because when I plow I do not ***** foot around - I drop the bb down all the way and HERE WE GO!! The last thing I want to be concerned about is the bb digging in - my plowing speed is usually around 6-7 mph so that I will get a good curl and throw on the snow. Even at that it will take - normally - 2.5-3.0 hours to adequately plow the driveway & mail box area.

 

[newt92]

I read comments from folks who have the tilting blades where for winter they remove the tilt-lock pin which allows the blade to pivot freely on its axis and better follow the slopes and contours of the driveway without the corners digging in. I have a Land pride blade that does not tilt and it sounds like a nice option for snow. You also then have the ability to lock it in a tilt position for ditch cleaning, etc.

That's exactly how I have used the tilt on mine:
Pull the pin for snow removal and contour blending in soil.
Pin it for ditching or crowning.

I do the same with my Frontier.. Just make sure when raised that the blade is level and not tilted so you dont snag a end into the ground.

 

[PILOON]

For tilt when grading I simply use my adjustments on the 3 pt arms.
For snow removal I would not like free moving BB as that would allow a crown to form which could cause a vehicle to slide to the downside of a crowned drive. That, on a hill, could be a problem.
In fact I rather like to eliminate crowning by packing in frozen snow in those dips.

On our county road winter is always best as the city plow packs ice and snow in all of natures many pot holes.

 

[PILOON]

Go cheaper blade and use $$ for other purposes.
Snow is not hard on a blade and paint is cheap.
The non tilt should also prove to be a sturdier build as that is one less wear point.

I'm looking to purchase a used 7' rear blade this week. I have two that I'm trying to decide on. One is a rustier Land Pride for $200 and the other is a cleaner looking Woods for $400. The Woods has the tilt adjustment where as the Land Pride doesn't. I had a Frontier blade years ago with this tilt feature and never used it. What have you guys used this featue for? I figure I can just adjust the 3pt arm if I need to tilt one way or another. Even the first hole on the tilt adjustment seemed extreme for any type of driveway crowning. Thoughts?