Is this a proper blade for a box blade?

USMC2001PSD · Nov 6, 2019

MechanicalGuy said:
View attachment 627683

It looks proper to me, but I don't have the knowledge or experience to know. The price is good on this bb but I don't want a flat bar for a blade, like I'm told the less expensive ones come with.

It's a Lowery branded unit made in Boaz Alabama.

It looks great to me.

View attachment 627684

Is there anything to be concerned about?

I live in Athens and picked up one of the 4ft Lowery standard models with the reversible edges and 4 scarifiers from Frederick's in Priceville. That one looks like their MT model and it says two reversible cutting edges according to their website. Mine seems pretty well built and I'd imagine that one is even better. The cutting edges are both curved on mine FYI.

TripleR · Nov 6, 2019

You should be fine, I use an 1100 pound LP HR3584 on my L5740, very similar to your tractor. I also have a LP BB2584 I no longer use as it did not have the weight I needed, but for roads etc. it worked fine.

I have LMC I've bought in the past and they are of decent quality. Cheaper models to avoid do not have replaceable blades.

As mentioned, a hydraulic top link will be the best thing you can add. I have TnT, I could do fine without the adjustable side link but, not top link.

MechanicalGuy · Nov 6, 2019

USMC2001PSD said:
I live in Athens and picked up one of the 4ft Lowery standard models with the reversible edges and 4 scarifiers from Frederick's in Priceville. That one looks like their MT model and it says two reversible cutting edges according to their website. Mine seems pretty well built and I'd imagine that one is even better. The cutting edges are both curved on mine FYI.

Thanks for the confirmation.

MechanicalGuy · Nov 6, 2019

TripleR said:
You should be fine, I use an 1100 pound LP HR3584 on my L5740, very similar to your tractor. I also have a LP BB2584 I no longer use as it did not have the weight I needed, but for roads etc. it worked fine.

I have LMC I've bought in the past and they are of decent quality. Cheaper models to avoid do not have replaceable blades.

As mentioned, a hydraulic top link will be the best thing you can add. I have TnT, I could do fine without the adjustable side link but, not top link.

Not heavy enough huh? I want to do a lot of land smoothing in addition to some road maintenance. The land is pot holed up and too rough to walk on in spots. I want to smooth it out and plant grass. Do I need to have heavier?

oosik · Nov 6, 2019

My first rear blade was a Land Pride - 3596. 96" wide and around 575# - as I remember. It was OK for snow clearing. It WAS NOT heavy enough to clear the frozen berms along my mile long gravel driveway. My Rhino 950 @ 96" & 1050# does the trick. The Land Pride was not heavy enough to grade my driveway in the summer. My driveway is a combination of gravel, sand, silt & volcanic ash( Mt St Helens - 1980). It set up just like concrete in the summer.

If your driveway is "normal" - IE, gravel - then the box blade will work just fine. However - if your driveway is like mine - you will need a heavier box blade.

You might find that the rippers come in very handy. If you are grading something very hard - put the rippers down so they rip the top inch or so. "Breaking the crust". From that point on the box blade should dig just fine. My Bush Hog ROBB has rippers. This box blade weighs 715#. Even with the weight of the box blade - the rippers will not penetrate most sections of my driveway. When I say "hard as concrete" - I'm not really kidding.

The ROBB does just fine out anywhere on my property on virgin land. It's just that darn hard driveway.

MechanicalGuy · Nov 6, 2019

Right now my drive is hardened red clay Alabama style. I've not ever used a blade on it, but the neighbor has a hill he let's me chip out dirt from with my front loader, and it's usually a fight to get the dirt out, but it does seem to fill in holes well when I dump it in them. It's work but it's free dirt that's real close. It might be a smarter idea to get tri-axle trailers of dirt delivered. I don't know. Maybe it's too hard on my tractor to fight with digging the dirt out.

TripleR · Nov 6, 2019

MechanicalGuy said:
Not heavy enough huh? I want to do a lot of land smoothing in addition to some road maintenance. The land is pot holed up and too rough to walk on in spots. I want to smooth it out and plant grass. Do I need to have heavier?

My preference would be heavier, the one described will do it, it will just take longer, My BB2584 weighed 593 pounds and on our hard clay, when dry it just skipped along the top without scarifiers down. Conventional wisdom is weight is your friend with box scrapers, but there are always exceptions.

oosik · Nov 6, 2019

I found that in regards to my concrete hard driveway - the difference between 575# vs 1050# made a whole lot of difference. Actually, it was the difference between playing games vs getting the job done. Take a look at what a 750# to 900# box blade will cost and then decide. As soon as you move up to Class 2 implements - like my 950 Rhino - the cost skyrockets.

I bought the Rhino 950 - 96" wide - 1050# in 2017. Cost - $3965.

A good box blade will let you pull loads of Alabama red clay into piles. Then scoop with the FEL and transport. It CAN be hard on a tractor to do a lot of heavy digging. Remember its a tractor - not a front end loader or bull dozer.

This is the Rhino 950 on my Kubota M6040. View attachment 627828 View attachment 627829

When I move large amounts of dirt - I have two options. Use the roll over box blade OR pull the dirt up into large piles with the rear blade -scoop and transport with the bucket on the FEL. I most often use the rear blade and bucket.

It's just too easy to hit a large rock - if I'm digging with the bucket on the FEL and bend/break something. The box blade or rear blade will hit the rock and jump right over it. No damage.