Buying Advice Anyone had expeirence with a pull type box blade?

[kthompson]

Understand that but really was thinking about a door more so than a floor.

 

[jenkinsph]

OK now my mind is probably off it's rocker, if you made a front plate hinged from the top of the frame in front of a pull type box blade box with cylinders to raise and lower it, could you pull it to load and then lower the gate to lock the dirt in to haul it?

I would buy or build from scratch rather than try to modify a pull type drag box. The cutting blade needs to be at the front with the floor as Richard mentions and needs to tilt to dump. Just a completely different design when you look at it.

CompleteLawnCare above provides a link to his drag box which also shows their scraper. Another clamshell type that is another possibility if you are interested.

Presently I am trying to decide whether to buy or build a new drag box with two separate wheel sets. Most of the drag boxes I have looked at offer tilt as an option where one cylinder raises the whole box and one cylinder adjusts one side of the wheels. My design would accomplish tilt by having separate control of each wheel set and would have caster type wheels. Using machine control this would allow you to follow the laser and maintain the correct blade height on both sides of the blade. The reason to use caster wheels is for using with a 3ph set up and allowing to back into corners more easily.

With that said above I am trying to decide whether to convert my Gannon type box blade to this set up and have a fold down tongue. This would allow me to use as a pull type drag box or as a 3 point with the wheels pinned on or left off. I started out with this plan two years ago and have most of the steel I need to complete it now. Just need wheels tires and cylinders to complete.

Hope to have this worked out in the next two months just need time to build it and gather the remaining parts.

If you are buying a drag box straight up I recommend you get one with tilt to start with. For most applications you could get by without it, but if you need to tilt the box it is way cheaper to pay a little extra when making the purchase. There are a lot of them listed on Tractorhouse and it would be a good idea to browse the site to see the different brands and prices.

 

[ovrszd]

Your concept of converting you BB is what Countrybumpkin did. His tongue doesn't fold but is pinned onto the 3pt brackets. Pretty sure his rear wheels can easily be removed as well. I don't think any of his modifications prevent it from being converted back to a 3pt BB by pulling a few pins.

When you get started on yours please post a thread. Very interested to see what you come up with!!!

 

[jenkinsph]

Richard I will post a thread on this project and will take plenty of pictures.

 

[Piston]

Richard I will post a thread on this project and will take plenty of pictures.

I'm interested in how the laser leveling setup works, and controls the cylinders. I think that is pretty fascinating to be able to perfectly level a field or yard.

 

[kthompson]

Countrybumpkin did do a good looking design. I have seen pull type box blade where the tongue slipped into a receiver much like trailer hitch and allowed for quick removal. That either of those designs would work to allow the blade to still be used with 3 pth.

Did make long run and picked up new pull type Lowery box blade with tilt. Disappointed did not have time today to use it. Have to get hoses and fittings. Will give feedback. I thank each one for the input.

I am surprised how little video there is of anyone really using one. kt

 

[ovrszd]

I think it would be hard to video use because of subtle adjustments made by the operator that wouldn't be noticed. Maybe a lengthy video changing the slope on an area?

 

[kthompson]

I think it would be hard to video use because of subtle adjustments made by the operator that wouldn't be noticed. Maybe a lengthy video changing the slope on an area?

Agree with that but the companies who make and sell them don't have much I can find. There is one on youtube by a farmer who stands in field lot or such and with his tractor running talking about how well it works for him for a few minutes.

Back to your idea, do you mean a full length video or just short time periods put together?

 

[BHD]

I have a an old John Deere, Killefer 8' soil mover, ;like (one can tilt it manually a turn buckle type thing),

never use the tilt feature,

have used it to move a lot of dirt and level things, If one has huge pile to move back it up on the pile and drag it down,

It can work my old John Deere 4020 (90 hp) for all it worth, at times, most of the time not, unless I am cutting and dragging a full load,

very similar to the one in the picture, I repainted mine some years back

 

[ovrszd]

I think to produce a worthy video would require editing skills. I lack those skills for sure....