Box Scraper Changing angle to use rippers only

[MtnViewRanch]

What you did in determining the working length of your hydraulic top link to be purchased is very typical and also is very typically wrong. You do not want to base the hydraulic unit from the manual unit. It is very common for manufacturers to use the same top link on different models to cut down on manufacturing costs and they figure "it works" and is all they care about.

I have seen factory 3pts with top links that allow 1" or less and in one case ZERO forward tilt.

Look at this link, get the asked for dimension and that should be close to what you want for a hydraulic top link when half way extended.

 

[JohnnyMX]

That dirt in the video was rototilled before he did the demo. I don't have a hydraulic top link so I set my top link and then adjust my rippers. I have tilted my box to allow me to just rip by shortening the top link and extending them all the way out. I tried to do a "first" till on a new field and realized that if I hooked something really big I may have issues and moved to a field cultivator with trip springs to accomplish that goal. It is probably safe since they do sell just ripper shank attachments, but I didn't want to take the chance.

 

[Vigo327]

Add me to the list of people who can tilt the box blade forward enough to use only the rippers, and have good success doing so.

This pic shows the 'depth' of the rippers pretty well.

For the record, this is as far as i can tilt it the other way:

About the easiest thing i could suggest is if you have multiple holes for your top link on the tractor, use the lowest hole on the tractor. That makes the top link effectively 'shorter' than having it in the highest hole.

 

[Xfaxman]

Well if we are going to show ripper tilt, here is ripper tilt:

I use it tilted this way to scrape dirt off of the roots on pushed over trees:

 

[FERLING]

Off hand I'd say try a shorter top link; not sure how short your existing one retracts to.

you can also lengthen the lower links as you describe. Won't hurt anything.

Purchase a “Pats” quick hitch for lift arms. That extends box blade about a couple or more inches out from tractor. If that doesn’t do what you are after then you need a shorter hydraulic upper link.

https://www.ruralking.com/pats-easy-change-cat-2-with-bar?rkgfblink=no&gclid=Cj0KCQiAr5iQBhCsARIsAPcwROM3j8g9Xqm2QVlFmCAkoEzfLRohyiXwYZzj7clkXqjpKE5E4OlBpIcaAl4yEALw_wcB

Zoom in on picture and you can barely make out “Pats” quick hitch. Also you can see rippers touching ground before blade sides do. Hydraulic mid link has it tilted. This is on a Workmaster 50 that has a category 1/2 hitch. If tractor can’t pull, it just spins. Box blade and “Pats” quick hitch is strong enough it doesn’t break.
Do not try this with the one piece quick hitch you see advertised. Purchased a HD cat. 2 one and tore it all to hell pushing backwards using this 8 ft boxblade.

 

[FERLING]

That guy is using that blade in perfectly prepared soil with nothing that needs to be ripped. You get those angles and hook a good root with that small tractor and something is gonna break. Probably won't be anything on the blade. The other thing is the soil has to be loose enough for the sides of the box to go down below the surface. That won't happen in the places I use it.

Notice he has “Pats” quick hitch. Tires will spin if using quality equipment in roots or rocks.

 

[JohnnyMX]

If the implement is sized for the tractor you shouldn't have issues using just the rippers when hitting a root/rock. In my case, my box blade was sized to a 20hp tractor and now I have a 50hp tractor. I did not point that out in my post about going to a field cultivator. It definitely works, even if it takes a bit longer to rip things up. Sometimes it is better than the implement you don't have

 

[FERLING]

If the implement is sized for the tractor you shouldn't have issues using just the rippers when hitting a root/rock. In my case, my box blade was sized to a 20hp tractor and now I have a 50hp tractor. I did not point that out in my post about going to a field cultivator. It definitely works, even if it takes a bit longer to rip things up. Sometimes it is better than the implement you don't have

How to determine if tractor and equipment match. Hook it up and use it the normal way. If the tractor moves forward and reverse with equipment engaged and is still hooked up when you arrive at the barn then implement and tractor work good together. Owned a MF1130 two wheel drive and had a HD used 8ft box blade I used with it. Sold MF and purchased a new Workmaster 50 four wheel drive. Hooked same box blade to Workmaster with having “Pats” quick hitch (gave me a little more clearance between box blade and rear tires on tractor) and a hydraulic mid-link. Works like a charm. If I find a root or large rock 4 wheels spin. On MF1130 the front end would raise off the ground making a quick clutch release neccessary.

 

[Vigo327]

Used my box blade tilted all the way forward to pull up some roots today (no pics..). When im intentionally trying to pull up something (not just running into something i didn't know was there) i'm usually going at it with the center ripper only, maybe 2 rippers if the thing is that wide. On my little tractor it's no issue to pull as hard as i can on even just one ripper as ill spin 3 tires (4wd + diff lock) or maybe even 4 and nothing bends or breaks. I definitely don't make a habit of 'running starts' with the box blade, although I will do that when pulling off the rear 'drawbar' to yank up bushes/shrubs etc.

One person mentioned it already but another great benefit of being able to angle the box blade is being able to angle it back and just drag material without doing much damage to what you're driving over. With the box blade tipped all the way back and lifted maybe ~1/2" off the ground, you can keep 99% of the material from falling out of the box and not even scrape off the grass you're dragging it over. Lay it over real bad, sure.. It also helps when pushing backwards with the rear blade in about the same way. Shave flat, cut down, or just float while pushing a pile.

I like the idea of adding another hole to the top of the implement to change how the existing top link can angle it. Cheap and semi-easy. The PATS is not cheap, but definitely easy!

 

[FERLING]

Used my box blade tilted all the way forward to pull up some roots today (no pics..). When im intentionally trying to pull up something (not just running into something i didn't know was there) i'm usually going at it with the center ripper only, maybe 2 rippers if the thing is that wide. On my little tractor it's no issue to pull as hard as i can on even just one ripper as ill spin 3 tires (4wd + diff lock) or maybe even 4 and nothing bends or breaks. I definitely don't make a habit of 'running starts' with the box blade, although I will do that when pulling off the rear 'drawbar' to yank up bushes/shrubs etc.

One person mentioned it already but another great benefit of being able to angle the box blade is being able to angle it back and just drag material without doing much damage to what you're driving over. With the box blade tipped all the way back and lifted maybe ~1/2" off the ground, you can keep 99% of the material from falling out of the box and not even scrape off the grass you're dragging it over. Lay it over real bad, sure.. It also helps when pushing backwards with the rear blade in about the same way. Shave flat, cut down, or just float while pushing a pile.

I like the idea of adding another hole to the top of the implement to change how the existing top link can angle it. Cheap and semi-easy. The PATS is not cheap, but definitely easy!

Invest in hydraulic top link and Pats quick hitch - you will never regret it. Makes unhook / hooking equipment so much easier. Hydraulic top link gives you a lot of adjustment just by pulling a lever. Hooking up equipment that may not be level is so easy with Pats quick hitch. If for some reason tractor gets in a bind and you need to unhitch equipment the quick hitch makes it simple.
First big snow with mine I had a scrape on front loader and a 8 ft box blade on back as a counter weight. On a hilly driveway an icy spot caused rear of tractor to slide sideways. One foot from a tree with box blade. Could not go forward and tree would not allow moving backwards. Got neighbor to pull me out after icy patch melted. We had to unhook box blade and tractor / box blade wasn’t close to being on level ground. No problem - throwed two levers and lower lift arms. One side unhook and 4 inches more other side unhooked. Moved hydraulic top link and removed pin on top link. Neighbor pulled me out. Pats quick hitch and that hydraulic top link paid for theirselves that day.

 

[Bob Rooks]

Tilting a standard box blade forward enough to use the scarifiers like the OP wants changes the angle of engagement and actually defeats the down pressure effect of the scarifiers so they have the tendency to just bounce when they should be digging. What the OP really needs is a hydraulic box blade, otherwise just get used to resetting the scarifiers as needed.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Well if we are going to show ripper tilt, here is ripper tilt:
View attachment 733125

I use it tilted this way to scrape dirt off of the roots on pushed over trees:
View attachment 733126

Thats just cheating

 

[jimglassford]

A box blade combines two functions in one. It breaks up the soil to a SHALLOW depth in front of a leveling blade. If you really want to just rip to any real depth, you need different tools. My neighbor keeps wanting to borrow my tractor to till his garden before planting. I keep telling him a box blade is not a tiller.

 

[Vigo327]

Tilting a standard box blade forward enough to use the scarifiers like the OP wants changes the angle of engagement and actually defeats the down pressure effect of the scarifiers so they have the tendency to just bounce when they should be digging.

Conceptually you might be right but that has not been my experience at all. I was doing this exact thing two days ago and the rippers were pulling down into the ground. I had to take the 3pt out of float because the rippers would pull down until the blade was touching and if i didn't want to be digging a 60" wide hole i had to stop the 3pt with blade at or a little above the ground to keep the rippers from pulling it in further.

I'm not trying to be argumentative but i see this as one of the major benefits of having a power top link on a box blade and it's working great for me. I would encourage anyone who already has the equipment to just give it a try sometime and see how it goes.

 

[Xfaxman]

Well if we are going to show ripper tilt, here is ripper tilt:
View attachment 733125

I use it tilted this way to scrape dirt off of the roots on pushed over trees:
View attachment 733126

Thats just cheating

But it works and no 3 point hitch!

 

[s219]

Tilting a standard box blade forward enough to use the scarifiers like the OP wants changes the angle of engagement and actually defeats the down pressure effect of the scarifiers so they have the tendency to just bounce when they should be digging. What the OP really needs is a hydraulic box blade, otherwise just get used to resetting the scarifiers as needed.

Finally someone said the right thing. Yes, you can try to use tilt to engage the rippers but at best it’s a shortcut hack. If you want the most benefit from the rippers, lower them and set the angle so that the main shanks are vertical.

I do a lot of box blade work and have hydraulic top and tilt with a huge range of motion. Even though I can set the angle to engage the rippers, I rarely ever do that. If I need the rippers they get lowered.

if you happen to be in soil that is amenable to ripping and you angle the box to engage the rippers, pretty soon the box will want to collect material. If that’s your goal, fine, but it will make for much less efficient ripping and waste a good bit of power/traction that could be going towards ripping.

The primary purpose of angle on a box blade should be to control the angle of attack and engagement of your rear cutting edges. That’s how a box blad was designed to operate.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

This is the model of box blade I have and because the sides taper up from the lower back corner I can get the scarifiers to dig a few inches in without engaging the blade. However, with square cut sides it may me close to impossible. The OP can modify his box blade so that the bottom edge tapers up a few inches and achieve what he wants. It may cause the blade to leak a little dirt out the sides when moving it, but I never found it to be a significant problem

 

[jimglassford]

This is the model of box blade I have and because the sides taper up from the lower back corner I can get the scarifiers to dig a few inches in without engaging the blade. However, with square cut sides it may me close to impossible. The OP can modify his box blade so that the bottom edge tapers up a few inches and achieve what he wants. It may cause the blade to leak a little dirt out the sides when moving it, but I never found it to be a significant problem

Take a look at pictures of new Rhino BX60 box blades and you will see that the sides are square. What you have is a very worn box blade that has been used for too long tilted forward.

 

[Vigo327]

Finally someone said the right thing. Yes, you can try to use tilt to engage the rippers but at best it’s a shortcut hack. If you want the most benefit from the rippers, lower them and set the angle so that the main shanks are vertical.

Yall are making me want to rip two passes with the shanks angled and straight and see if there is actually any difference i would care about. Maybe im missing out on ripper shank action so good it's worth getting off the tractor and resetting 5 shanks every single time.

Makes me wonder if box blades that have hydraulically rotating ripper shank bars have some kind of physical stop or maybe limit on the cylinder that makes the shanks stop at vertical. Would be a shame if they stopped before or after and resulted in some kind of.. ripping inefficiency. All the effort saved by moving them hydraulically instead of manually would be wasted.. by.. something. Somehow. I just want my rippers to rotate hydraulically so they can knock clumpy stuff out of the box for me. So i dont have to.. get off the tractor. I guess i'm more on the lazy side than the picky side when it comes to hucking dirt, which might even be the whole reason i bought a tractor.

 

[Bob Rooks]

Yall are making me want to rip two passes with the shanks angled and straight and see if there is actually any difference i would care about. Maybe im missing out on ripper shank action so good it's worth getting off the tractor and resetting 5 shanks every single time.

Makes me wonder if box blades that have hydraulically rotating ripper shank bars have some kind of physical stop or maybe limit on the cylinder that makes the shanks stop at vertical. Would be a shame if they stopped before or after and resulted in some kind of.. ripping inefficiency. All the effort saved by moving them hydraulically instead of manually would be wasted.. by.. something. Somehow. I just want my rippers to rotate hydraulically so they can knock clumpy stuff out of the box for me. So i dont have to.. get off the tractor. I guess i'm more on the lazy side than the picky side when it comes to hucking dirt, which might even be the whole reason i bought a tractor.

If you want to find an easy way to do a job, you hire a lazy man............