Box Scraper Beginners guide to using a box blade

LazyHRanch · Apr 27, 2014

Great post full of good information. Thank you Rob 3RRL. After all this time this post just thought me something.

3RRL · Apr 29, 2014

LazyHRanch said:
Great post full of good information. Thank you Rob 3RRL. After all this time this post just thought me something.

Wow, it's great that this old thread is still helpful, and comes alive now and then.
Rob-

MtnViewRanch · Apr 29, 2014

3RRL said:
Wow, it's great that this old thread is still helpful, and comes alive now and then.
Rob-

Rob, great to see that you still check in once in awhile. Most all of us have benefited in some way from all of your contributions over the years. :thumbsup:

edkemper · May 2, 2014

This thread ought to be in a special place for Everything Newby. In fact, there ought to be plenty of newly questions that could be in a newly section. This is a great resource with the now expected helpful people looking out for us.

I recently bought my first tractor. It's a JD210LE. L for landscape. This thing will do far more than I know how to do, so far. All hydraulic for an old man. I used it a week ago to clear a small area to drop about 60 cu yds of seasoned manure. Haven't even had a chance to do a little maintenance on my roads that have a middle hump. I have 160 acres and need to cut/clear the fence lines and a few roads. Now I'm a lot more informed. Have plenty of small diameter trees (non-address overgrowth) to clear at the edges of the present roads.

I am lucky to be a bit **** about trying to do research before heading off to do my work. This thread is now 11 pages and I've read every page. Now I have to learn to level the box and make it all work the way it was intended. Getting the equipment level from the seat is a challenge I have to learn. That includes the FEL. So far, it's a challenge to learn how to get the bottom level with the ground. But as is normally the case, we learn. Thinking of adding a piece of 2" receiver at level to help me determine when the bottom of level and I can add features like trailer balls to move various trailers around.

I have a lot of clean-up work to do. Thank you all for this great resource.

jenkinsph · May 2, 2014

edkemper,
My thought is that a 210 is the best thing to use for box blade work. I would reiterate that moving slow enough to have time to adjust the box position is very important.

streamin · May 8, 2014

edkemper, I would recognize the avatar anywhere, now you have a tractor to help with the log home, great choice.

edkemper · May 8, 2014

You have me at a disadvantage. But you are correct. It will help get the place ready to build. My "heart" travels with me.

streamin · May 9, 2014

disadvantage??your way ahead on the other forum, lol.
I was reading through this thread and it is really good, great info, thanks to all who took the time to explain. My old tractor was a Kubota L5030 with no draft control, I didn't even know what it was. Now the Mahindra has it and I paid no attention to it but thanks to this thread I can't wait to try it out!

edkemper · May 9, 2014

Is this my friend streaming Eagle?

jenkinsph · May 9, 2014

streamin said:
disadvantage??your way ahead on the other forum, lol.
I was reading through this thread and it is really good, great info, thanks to all who took the time to explain. My old tractor was a Kubota L5030 with no draft control, I didn't even know what it was. Now the Mahindra has it and I paid no attention to it but thanks to this thread I can't wait to try it out!

I used draft control for plowing but wouldn't use it if I were grading with a box blade.

streamin · May 9, 2014

edkemper said:
Is this my friend streaming Eagle?

Yes, I chose a different user name"eagle" for the log home. I was here many years before the log stuff came about.

MtnViewRanch · May 9, 2014

jenkinsph said:
I used draft control for plowing but wouldn't use it if I were grading with a box blade.

Why? It eliminates the box from stopping the tractor. :confused3:

edkemper · May 10, 2014

streamin said:
Yes, I chose a different user name"eagle" for the log home. I was here many years before the log stuff came about.

Always nice be around family.

Jisgren · May 10, 2014

Just a quick thanks for this informative thread! Had my first go at a box blade yesterday

Putting in a barn/shed. Can't see from is picture, but about 8-10in elevations change.

After running box blade. Rippers down top link short, ripper up but top link short, finally lengthen top link to smooth.

When I laid out foundation beams, site was within 1-2 inched from to back.

Did bend three rippers on roots though

jenkinsph · May 10, 2014

MtnViewRanch said:
Why? It eliminates the box from stopping the tractor. :confused3:

If the hitch is raised when grading I wan't to be the one making that decision. I wan't to know exactly where that is so I can correct it.

I did pick up my first receiver and new laser for machine control Friday and when I get all of this hooked I guess it will be making these decisions for me.

MtnViewRanch · May 11, 2014

jenkinsph said:
If the hitch is raised when grading I wan't to be the one making that decision. I wan't to know exactly where that is so I can correct it.

I did pick up my first receiver and new laser for machine control Friday and when I get all of this hooked I guess it will be making these decisions for me.

My experience with this is that the hitch raises less than 1/4" to allow the tractor to keep moving. For me, that is more than close enough.

edkemper · May 26, 2014

Yesterday was the first time I was able to do a little work improving and widening a couple of roads on my property. Looking forward to starting to clear a place for my house and outbuildings. Thanks to this thread, I feel I'm getting the hang of it.

Thanks to all contributors.

Also bought a monster Ratchet Rake for my front bucket. It'll help tremendously in removing a lot of small trees and brush. Now the real work and real fun starts.

jenkinsph · May 26, 2014

edkemper said:
Yesterday was the first time I was able to do a little work improving and widening a couple of roads on my property. Looking forward to starting to clear a place for my house and outbuildings. Thanks to this thread, I feel I'm getting the hang of it.

Thanks to all contributors.

View attachment 376937

Also bought a monster Ratchet Rake for my front bucket. It'll help tremendously in removing a lot of small trees and brush. Now the real work and real fun starts.

That is quite a bit of wear on the sides of your box blade. Might wan't to add some more metal there when you have time. Nice rig though.

Poopdeck Pappy · May 26, 2014

I was having trouble using my Gannon box blade. It was "washboarding" a lot. Mine has the hinged rear blade.

I followed the advice in this thread and extended my top link quite a bit and locked the hinged rear blade down, and now it's working a lot better to give me a smooth finish without most of the washboarding.

jenkinsph · May 26, 2014

edkemper said:
Yesterday was the first time I was able to do a little work improving and widening a couple of roads on my property. Looking forward to starting to clear a place for my house and outbuildings. Thanks to this thread, I feel I'm getting the hang of it.

Thanks to all contributors.

View attachment 376937

Also bought a monster Ratchet Rake for my front bucket. It'll help tremendously in removing a lot of small trees and brush. Now the real work and real fun starts.

That is quite a bit of wear on the sides of your box blade. Might wan't to add some more metal there when you have time. If you have to pitch the blade forward to hold the dirt in the box it makes the blade angle very steep. I think you could add the steel plate to your remaining sides rather easily. Nice rig though.

Notice in the picture below how much longer the front leading edge is on the sides.