Blades on a box blade
- Thread starter Catman8
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ovrszd
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Hard to set a standard for rejection.... Everyone's tolerances are different.
What you are describing, while being a bit annoying to look at, will have no impact on your ability to properly use the implement.
Out of curiosity I might find myself stopping by the dealer again and checking out the other BBs sitting on the lot.
For me, I wouldn't be concerned at all if it was 1/8". I wouldn't be surprised if I set my current blades on a flat surface and saw they were 1/4" or more from either the build or from wear. 1/2" would be annoying on a blade, especially a new one. But even then it would be ok in my opinion. If using on hard surfaces it would wear flat.
RNeumann
Elite Member
So you are claiming to be able to cut a grade within 1/4" with your tractor and BB??? That's a standard that rough-in carpenters use. Are you sure you can do that???
You can get new tractors for under $10k. You can use loaders that are crooked or have warn pivot points. You can run a motor that burns oil as well. But if bought a NEW tool and found it to be bent I'd return it.
With regards to dirt work. For years we have been using lasers to establish grade. Much less than 1/4". As for me personally- I need all the help I can get.
Some of us would be fine making cabinets with a Skil saw- maybe even do a great job! Some would be OK with a wobble in their drill press or a crooked fence on the table saw. That stuff would drive me nuts though. I also want to use quality tools and equipment when doing a task- I find joy in that.
If an OP started a post and said "hay I can get a great deal on a BB because it's bent a little" I'd have a different answer. But new- no way!BBs last decades- a good one will long outlast the tractor. Why start with one that is bent?
Suggesting the cutting blade will wear flat in a few hours is an interesting idea- let me know how that works. 1/32" an hour- so that's 1" every 32 hours of use. So a new blade every 50 hours or so? I haven't seen the brass cutting blades you are suggesting but I'm betting they are a little more money than the ones made with hardened steel. I guess in this application it would be worth the extra expense.
That ain't right. The "bowing" tolerance on that piece of angle iron when it was manufactured should be within a few thousandths. Regardless of whether it was extruded, cold-rolled or forged. I can't imagine the blade manufacturer getting in a batch of steel stock that was all warped and bowed and accepting it. 2x4s at Lowes, maybe. Something bad happened to it at the box blade manufacturer while the blade was being fabricated. Bent, heat-warped? Maybe even bent after it was fabricated. Is there any evidence of an impact on the iron that the blades mount to?
It is a grading device and I would not accept it with anything more than a measurable bow, maybe 1/16" MAX.
It is a grading device and I would not accept it with anything more than a measurable bow, maybe 1/16" MAX.
IH782
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I agree. If you can see the bow with your naked eye then their is something wrong. We box blade anywhere from 50 to 75 gravel driveways a year, if one of our boxes had a bow in it you would most certainly be able to tell by the finished product.
RNeumann
Elite Member
The EA, Woods, LP etc run a bit more- maybe 20%. Was it a special order or something that can be returned/exchanged? The brand may be fine- do they know about the bow?
I bought a box blade years ago that was for a cat 0 three point. It is on the light side. I was using it with a JD318, now I use it behind my BX24. Over the years I have hooked various stumps and things and the blade and angle stiffener are bent. For my purposes it doesn't matter.
Doug in SW IA
Doug in SW IA
I would "guesstimate" for a new 60"... below $700, economical and above $900, as top of the line. You are in the middle... I don't think any of us are saying to are bashing anything. You've pointed out 1/4" bend and asked if that's acceptable.
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EverythingAttachments
Elite Member
I would "guessimate" for a new 60"... below $700, economical and above $900, as top of the line. You are in the middle... I don't think any of us are saying to are bashing anything. You've pointed out 1/4" bend and asked if that's acceptable.
For me, "new" should be no bends. At that price AND if I'm within their recommended HP, it should never bend. I would assume that the company would want to know if it was their welding or their shipping company's fault...
{Edit} did anyone else see EA's post that disappeared?
I saw the post. I deleted the post and decided to PM catman to see if he has told anyone here about the concern with the cutting edge.
Here is the PM I sent to him:
"Did you inform the mfg(us) about the issue with your box blade?
We certainly do not hide from issues and would rather them be out in the open so they can be handled.
Thanks
Travis"
EverythingAttachments
Elite Member
And when I ask if he has told anyone here, I mean anyone here at EA.
He did email me back in late December about a slight misalignment of his hitch in the top link area.
He said it wasn't a big deal and wouldn't affect the operation, so i apologized, told him to let me know if he needed anything and that was it.
I do not have any further email correspondence since then, nor has anyone else heard of the possible cutting edge issue.
What rang the bell is when he talked about bolting on the cutting edges. Don't all new box blades come with the edges installed?
We shipped his box blade unpainted because he wanted to get it painted himself.
We mailed the decals separately.
EA can, will, and have made mistakes. We try to keep those mistakes to a minimum, but we are human.
We pride ourselves in quality and customer service and always go above and beyond if there is an issue.
With all that being said.... can we see what it looks like? Is it visible to the naked eye? Was the 1/8" in the cutting edge or the box blade?
It is rare for a cutting edge to lie perfectly flat. Most mfgs use their attachment point to hold the cutting edge in line and 1/8" wouldn't really be out of tolerance for a box blade cutting edge.
Travis
He did email me back in late December about a slight misalignment of his hitch in the top link area.
He said it wasn't a big deal and wouldn't affect the operation, so i apologized, told him to let me know if he needed anything and that was it.
I do not have any further email correspondence since then, nor has anyone else heard of the possible cutting edge issue.
What rang the bell is when he talked about bolting on the cutting edges. Don't all new box blades come with the edges installed?
We shipped his box blade unpainted because he wanted to get it painted himself.
We mailed the decals separately.
EA can, will, and have made mistakes. We try to keep those mistakes to a minimum, but we are human.
We pride ourselves in quality and customer service and always go above and beyond if there is an issue.
With all that being said.... can we see what it looks like? Is it visible to the naked eye? Was the 1/8" in the cutting edge or the box blade?
It is rare for a cutting edge to lie perfectly flat. Most mfgs use their attachment point to hold the cutting edge in line and 1/8" wouldn't really be out of tolerance for a box blade cutting edge.
Travis
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