Box Blade for my SCUT?

[dragoneggs]

I have a SCUT (BX25D) which I love. Been using a back blade and a landscape rake for my grading and raking needs. Always wanted to try a box blade and still have the itch. We recently went in with neighbors and paved our joint access road so my need is less now, but I still have about 500ft of untamed dirt paths on my property.

Question: Will using a box blade to make 'roads' offer a big improvement over the two implements I have? The ground is glacial till meaning a lot of small to medium (cantaloupe) sized rocks in hard packed sandy loam soil. Not much clay at all. Opinions please.

 

[4570Man]

How heavy is the back blade? In my experience a box blade is much better than a back blade, but I only have a light duty back blade.

 

[dragoneggs]

How heavy is the back blade? In my experience a box blade is much better than a back blade, but I only have a light duty back blade.

Actually my Rankin back blade is 'heavy' and seems heavy duty, but I don't have any experience to be a good judge. I don't know the weight but I finally cut it down with my plasma cutter from 72in to 63in. Much more manageable now.

Obtained it used and I knew it was oversized for my tractor, but the deal was too good to refuse. Before I shortened it... it was like a tail wagging the dog... and also just stuck out too far. Would have like to take off a few more inches but I ran up against the cutting edge attachment bolts.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

I have a SCUT (BX25D) which I love. Been using a back blade and a landscape rake for my grading and raking needs. Always wanted to try a box blade and still have the itch. We recently went in with neighbors and paved our joint access road so my need is less now, but I still have about 500ft of untamed dirt paths on my property.

Question: Will using a box blade to make 'roads' offer a big improvement over the two implements I have? The ground is glacial till meaning a lot of small to medium (cantaloupe) sized rocks in hard packed sandy loam soil. Not much clay at all. Opinions please.

A back blade is good for digging, ditching, re-grading, and moving dirt around, i.e. from the edges to the center. A box blade is good for maintaining and smoothing driveways and paths. There is some overlap in what they can do but a box blade offers a 3-in-one effect--scarify, level, and smooth--in one pass. Note with glacial till, a box blade will tend to gather up the larger rocks, especially if you put the scarifiers down. This may be a plus or a minus for you.

The thing I don't like about a landscape rake on a driveway is it will "sort" the rocks.

 

[dragoneggs]

A back blade is good for digging, ditching, re-grading, and moving dirt around, i.e. from the edges to the center. A box blade is good for maintaining and smoothing driveways and paths. There is some overlap in what they can do but a box blade offers a 3-in-one effect--scarify, level, and smooth--in one pass. Note with glacial till, a box blade will tend to gather up the larger rocks, especially if you put the scarifiers down. This may be a plus or a minus for you.

The thing I don't like about a landscape rake on a driveway is it will "sort" the rocks.

Ideally, I would collect/sift the rocks and move them to make a dry creek bed or use as fill. I have carved some pretty decent paths on a steep side hill with a couple switch backs using my FEL with Piranha tooth bar and my back blade. My landscape rake seems to jump when I am trying to smooth out and remove rocks. This is why I am inquiring about the box blade. I think I would definitely need the scarifiers. Are these easily adjustable?

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Ideally, I would collect/sift the rocks and move them to make a dry creek bed or use as fill. I have carved some pretty decent paths on a steep side hill with a couple switch backs using my FEL with Piranha tooth bar and my back blade. My landscape rake seems to jump when I am trying to smooth out and remove rocks. This is why I am inquiring about the box blade. I think I would definitely need the scarifiers. Are these easily adjustable?

Mark, I have a box blade you are welcome to try out. If you like it you can probably make a deal to buy it. Plan to sell anyway as no longer have a need. I never used it enough to get the hang of it so virtually new.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

Mark, I have a box blade you are welcome to try out. If you like it you can probably make a deal to buy it. Plan to sell anyway as no longer have a need. I never used it enough to get the hang of it so virtually new.

Ron

Thanks Ron... sweet offer. What kind/size is it? Would love to try it out... this is how I acquired my back blade.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Ideally, I would collect/sift the rocks and move them to make a dry creek bed or use as fill. I have carved some pretty decent paths on a steep side hill with a couple switch backs using my FEL with Piranha tooth bar and my back blade. My landscape rake seems to jump when I am trying to smooth out and remove rocks. This is why I am inquiring about the box blade. I think I would definitely need the scarifiers. Are these easily adjustable?

Most scarifiers have at least 3 holes so you can adjust to different depths. Put your scarifiers down, adjust the box blade to just above soil level, and the scarifiers will pop all the larger rocks out and the BB will gather them so you can drag them somewhere else. I dragged mine to my creek beds too.

Note, as with *all rear implements* if your ground is uneven you will have to constantly adjust the height of the rear implement. So definitely agree, if your ground is uneven, the FEL + PTB is really the only way to get a fairly level starting point. That has surprised me about the tractor. I thought the rear implements would have more float. But once you have your basic grade, or if you can do the different slopes individually, the BB is great.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Thanks Ron... sweet offer. What kind/size is it? Would love to try it out... this is how I acquired my back blade.

It is a Land Pride 42".

 

[dragoneggs]

It is a Land Pride 42".

Might be the ticket, eh? We need to talk.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Might be the ticket, eh? We need to talk.

Send a private for my address and phone#.

Ron

 

[diesel85]

I use a Tractor Supply 48" SCUT box blade on my BX. Works like a charm and the color matches my tractor. Can't complain!

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks for the data point, diesel.

And thanks to TractorSeabee, I now am the proud owner of a Landpride 48in Box Blade... and it is even the right color! Can't wait to give it a try!

 

[diesel85]

Nice!

Hint of advice: If the box blade is having a tough time digging into the soil, place a sandbag or two on the box blade. Just that little bit a weight makes a huge difference.

 

[dragoneggs]

Nice!

Hint of advice: If the box blade is having a tough time digging into the soil, place a sandbag or two on the box blade. Just that little bit a weight makes a huge difference.

Yeah thinking similarly, after reading a few posts on another box blade thread, I learned that 100lb per ft width might be ideal. I think mine is about 300lb or 75lb/ft. I will try it out and maybe play with sandbags before committing to deadweight that is maybe more permanent if needed.

My soil is very rocky and hard (not much clay at all but) glacial till... I am guessing the extra weight will help keep it from 'jumping' over softball sized rocks that are my best crop next to baseball and golf ball rocks.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Congratulations! I love to see a plan come together.:thumbsup::cool2:
In my opinion if one wants to do more than just mow with a tractor they need a FEL and with that extra weight on the front end they need weight on the rear (Those that don't have a BH back there). To me the most sensible, logical, usable and reasonable priced implement/attachment is a BOXBLADE!!!! I've had/have tried almost all attachments and still recommend a boxblade to most tractor users. I keep mine on my L3901 all the time unless I'm using the tiller or other job specific implement. When I go up or down my gravel mountain top road and on the dirt trails on my L3901 I just drop the BB without teeth and it keeps my gravel road and trails fairly smooth and fills in rain wash outs. I took the teeth off when I got this last BB and haven't put them back on, haven't needed the digging aspect, mostly use it for weight and leveling land areas and roads.

 

[check]

Yeah thinking similarly, after reading a few posts on another box blade thread, I learned that 100lb per ft width might be ideal. I think mine is about 300lb or 75lb/ft. I will try it out and maybe play with sandbags before committing to deadweight that is maybe more permanent if needed.

My soil is very rocky and hard (not much clay at all but) glacial till... I am guessing the extra weight will help keep it from 'jumping' over softball sized rocks that are my best crop next to baseball and golf ball rocks.

Good luck with that, Mark I have a heck of a time trying to grade my driveway with the box blade when there are rocks. The box blade keeps bumping over of them, and I have to have someone go and remove them.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Dragon, I have a Titan Implements #3105 that is a 60" wide and only 323 lbs, so 65 lbs per foot. The only way to really make it work into the ground is to have a person stand on it.

It works perfectly as is for spreading driveway #2 and light tasks, but when I want to go into my logging trails and do rain water repairs I have my father get on the tractor and I get on the box blade and then it does do great things. At 65 lbs per foot.... if I am alone.... it's pretty useless in the woods on trails.

I keep saying that I'm going to weld a couple hundred lbs of steel to the thing. I never got to it this year. Maybe I'll do it next year. If not, the year after that..... or the one after that....

 

[newbury]

Dragon, I have a Titan Implements #3105 that is a 60" wide and only 323 lbs, so 65 lbs per foot. The only way to really make it work into the ground is to have a person stand on it.

It works perfectly as is for spreading driveway #2 and light tasks, but when I want to go into my logging trails and do rain water repairs I have my father get on the tractor and I get on the box blade and then it does do great things. At 65 lbs per foot.... if I am alone.... it's pretty useless in the woods on trails.

I keep saying that I'm going to weld a couple hundred lbs of steel to the thing. I never got to it this year. Maybe I'll do it next year. If not, the year after that..... or the one after that....

Are you just fishing for the safety police?

 

[Rock Crawler]

Are you just fishing for the safety police?

No, I don't give two steaming craps for the safety police. They can post away if they feel that that it is the thing that they are on earth to do. But regardless, I will ignore them.

I just wanted to share my experience with a light weight box blade doing road/trail work as the OP described so that he knows what to expect. And to reiterate, adding my 200 lbs makes the box into a whole new animal. It is the king of destruction with an extra 200 lbs on it.