Blades on a box blade

[downsizingnow48]

That is ugly. I would not be happy either.

 

[Code54]

Looks like the unit may have been tweaked while building, or perhaps shipping (harder to see it if there is no paint on the box - normally would see chipped/scratched paint Etc.. when it arrived if it happened in shipping)
I will say the Aerator I bought from EA is straight, everything seems to line up perfect and is very nicely made. I certainly wouldn't let one problem here and there worry me. There is a lot of things that can and do go wrong and it is sometimes very hard to tell what really happened. I personally believe EA is just trying to understand better what is exactly wrong and looking at different photos taken different ways can sometimes help determine an issue. Don't believe they are calling anyone out or trying to get out of anything. If it was my business I would want to look any photos I could get to see what happened. That really is the most effective way to find the problem and figure out how to correct it without putting anyone out too much.

 

[MossRoad]

The top link holes, while disturbing to a new owner, won't make a bit of difference. Why won't it make a difference? Because the 3pt top link has a ball end on it that will align on any angle, and adjustments can be made in the side links if needed. Most folks with box blades know this.

View attachment 497472

As for the curvature issue in the original post, it is extremely minor. Extremely! You could get worse results if one of your rear tires is a couple PSI different from the other. After you do your field or road leveling for the 5th or 6th time and you still have washboard results, and you come to the realization that the implement moves up and down with the hills and valleys and won't stay level, and the tractor goes over the undulation of the land adding another axis of movement to the mix, and you come to realize you can't operate a box blade for beans just like most of us can't either.... you won't be able to see the results of maybe 1/8" to 1/4" of offage in the blade over a 5' width. :laughing:

You're looking at the curvature at a 90 degree angle perpendicular to the cutting blade. It will be much less of a difference when the blades are mounted and is sitting on level ground.

I suggest you mount the blade (s), but not real tight. Set the box down on a flat surface to get them squared up between all four ends of the blades, then tighten them up. THEN measure the gaps from the flat surface to the blade and take some pictures. Any gaps will be smaller and quite acceptable, I would think.

That is a beautiful powder coating! :thumbsup: Get the blades mounted up, square to each other on a flat surface, tightened down and see how it goes. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

Thread was pruned of a couple comments.... please keep it civil, folks.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have a land pride boxblade that is a bit bent and it doesn't bother me because I bent it. Buying it prebent is a whole different deal.

 

[Catman8]

From reading a lot of people's post I can tell that they are not understanding the geometry involved, and I just thought of a way to explain it to you.

Take a piece of paper That will represent a blade, hold that paper 90 deg. To the top of a table and then curve the paper, the cutting edge remains flat to the table, now take that curved piece of paper and slant it back on an angle and now you see it's no longer flat to the table. That is what will happen to any blade that does not have a flat area to mount too. On this box blade the (V) portion is not mounted crooked, both sides of the (V) are dished, and the result will be each pass you make in the dirt will be dished. So putting the blades on and trying to adjust them straight would be impossible because as soon as you suck those bolts tight you curve the blade, and from my example with the sheet of paper it's very easy to understand.

The box blade was never damaged in shipping because there was not a mark on it.

 

[jenkinsph]

I totally agree, from a person who has never been on site with laser levels being used, just how is the blade on the machine with laser controlled? Is it control by hand on a 3pth lever? If so that operator has one great control. It is my "impression" those machines are controlled by computer directed by the laser. Could be totally wrong. I find it hard to believe a blade of ANY type or precision on a 3 pth hitch unless the device has it's own controls would ever be adjusted in real time to keep it level side to side and the correct height as the tractor tracks across un-level ground itself. I really find it hard to believe the rear tires on many tractors are that true to round to give such accuracy unless there is a computer controlling the blade. I know when I pull my tractors onto pave roads there is almost always a spot that goes bump. Then I am running ag tires on my two larger but would not trust the loader tires to be that accurate either on my small tractor.

That being said please understand I think it is very proper for the OP to ask the questions he has. He has done so very tastefully. At same time think Travis with EA has done the same and has impressed me with being so candid.

jenkinsph I see where you held the grade to plus or minus .50 inch what I do not see is that was for how long a distance? In the grading business is the a standard length to hold that grade?

The field in the pictures I posted is small about 3 acres total. I did that with a laser set up with a slope of .250% perpendicular to the irrigation valves. I did this work using a receiver mounted to the rear of the box blade. No automation involved, this work was done in 2014 and is considered an indicate system. I manually operated the rockshaft lever to get the results shown. Using the indicate system was better than constantly using a stick to check grade but is tedious, tiresome and slow.

Fast forward to the present I am currently setting up machine control now with two receivers and a dual hydraulic set up for control of the left and right side of the box. This will have two independently controlled hydraulic operated caster wheels. I will also have a drop down tongue for towing the box blade for fine finish grading. With Danfoss proportional hydraulic valves and Topcon laser, receivers and control box these systems react fast and accurately. In theory anyway, I will know soon enough.

NRCS checked the grade of the field and found it to be within +/- .5 inch for the entire field. NRCS would have been satisfied with =/- 1/10 of a foot or about +/-1.25 inch. The length of the graded area is a consideration but payment is based on the amount of yards moved to change the contour to their specifications. The longest field I have graded so far was just under 1,300 ft. long but only about 90 ft wide.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I have called catman twice, emailed him and pm'ed him today. He has not returned anything. We will reimburse him for everything, including the paint. We sent out the box blade unpainted, so it skipped a few eyeballs. No excuse. He has asked nothing of us. NOTHING. I do not think he really wants anything, but he is really enjoying this beating of a dead horse.

 

[jenkinsph]

Catman8, why not just shim the blade with washers and call it good? Better to spend some seat time with the box blade than seat time at the computer.

I am sure Ted will pay for the washers.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

No washers necessary. We want to see an unshimmed box blade on the ground. I will watch it in lieu of the Super Bowl.

 

[MossRoad]

From reading a lot of people's post I can tell that they are not understanding the geometry involved, and I just thought of a way to explain it to you.

Take a piece of paper That will represent a blade, hold that paper 90 deg. To the top of a table and then curve the paper, the cutting edge remains flat to the table, now take that curved piece of paper and slant it back on an angle and now you see it's no longer flat to the table. That is what will happen to any blade that does not have a flat area to mount too. On this box blade the (V) portion is not mounted crooked, both sides of the (V) are dished, and the result will be each pass you make in the dirt will be dished. So putting the blades on and trying to adjust them straight would be impossible because as soon as you suck those bolts tight you curve the blade, and from my example with the sheet of paper it's very easy to understand.

The box blade was never damaged in shipping because there was not a mark on it.

I think we all understand that. Just put the blades on loose, set it on a flat slab of concrete, tighten them down (yes, they will bow because of what you have described), and then look at the space between the concrete and the blades. If its bowed as you describe, it should rock side-to-side like two rocking horse rockers. If it bowed the opposite as you describe, it will sit on all four blade ends and be high in the middle. Either way, you won't know until you do it and see just how far it is actually off.

 

[MossRoad]

The field in the pictures I posted is small about 3 acres total. I did that with a laser set up with a slope of .250% perpendicular to the irrigation valves. I did this work using a receiver mounted to the rear of the box blade. No automation involved, this work was done in 2014 and is considered an indicate system. I manually operated the rockshaft lever to get the results shown. Using the indicate system was better than constantly using a stick to check grade but is tedious, tiresome and slow.

Fast forward to the present I am currently setting up machine control now with two receivers and a dual hydraulic set up for control of the left and right side of the box. This will have two independently controlled hydraulic operated caster wheels. I will also have a drop down tongue for towing the box blade for fine finish grading. With Danfoss proportional hydraulic valves and Topcon laser, receivers and control box these systems react fast and accurately. In theory anyway, I will know soon enough.

NRCS checked the grade of the field and found it to be within +/- .5 inch for the entire field. NRCS would have been satisfied with =/- 1/10 of a foot or about +/-1.25 inch. The length of the graded area is a consideration but payment is based on the amount of yards moved to change the contour to their specifications. The longest field I have graded so far was just under 1,300 ft. long but only about 90 ft wide.

That was a nice looking field. :thumbsup:

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I did say out. I would be out if I didn't care. Isn't it usually the other way around? Customer calling with no response.

I admitted the A frame was a manufacturing error in an email he sent me in December, prior to his having it painted. I also admitted it in this thread. Again, he told me point blank. No big deal, just letting you know. He did not ask for anything whatsoever.

This entire thread is making a mountain out of a mole hill, but it's the American way as of late, right? Guess I'd rather be arguing about this topic instead of the alternative!
Travis

 

[ovrszd]

I did say out. I would be out if I didn't care. Isn't it usually the other way around? Customer calling with no response.

I admitted the A frame was a manufacturing error in an email he sent me in December, prior to his having it painted. I also admitted it in this thread. Again, he told me point blank. No big deal, just letting you know. He did not ask for anything whatsoever.

This entire thread is making a mountain out of a mole hill, but it's the American way as of late, right? Guess I'd rather be arguing about this topic instead of the alternative!
Travis

Travis, just kinda discredits someone when they say "out" and then come back.

I posted the pics I took of a BB at a dealer to show what a straight one would look like. You only commented on the lack of bracing. I actually posted those pics for you to use as an indicator and/or topic of discussion about how it can be done.

I agree that the blade issue is a mole hill. It is totally irrelevant to the quality of work that can be done with the BB.

Although I didn't see the posts that had to be deleted, I can imagine, could see it heading that way.

Travis, I applaud you staying with this. The BB in question, in my opinion, is sub-standard for your products in general. It happens.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Travis, just kinda discredits someone when they say "out" and then come back.

I posted the pics I took of a BB at a dealer to show what a straight one would look like. You only commented on the lack of bracing. I actually posted those pics for you to use as an indicator and/or topic of discussion about how it can be done.

I agree that the blade issue is a mole hill. It is totally irrelevant to the quality of work that can be done with the BB.

Although I didn't see the posts that had to be deleted, I can imagine, could see it heading that way.

Travis, I applaud you staying with this. The BB in question, in my opinion, is sub-standard for your products in general. It happens.

Some things/people can't be helped. My caring for my company, products, customers and the manner in which they're depicted is one of those things.

I didn't see the deleted posts either and do not know if they were against us or said mole hill.

Yes, in addition to pointing out the lack of bracing shown on the King Kutter(my guess) in your pictures, I also went into detail concerning the stronger structural makeup of ours which does leave some room for the greater chance of otherwise irrelevant error, such as a slight bow which will not change the box blade performance in the slightest bit.

I will continue to try and enjoy my weekend. A weekend that should be a celebration of EA's best January ever. Tons of incredibly satisfied box blade customers!
Travis

 

[RNeumann]

I have called catman twice, emailed him and pm'ed him today. He has not returned anything. We will reimburse him for everything, including the paint. We sent out the box blade unpainted, so it skipped a few eyeballs. No excuse. He has asked nothing of us. NOTHING. I do not think he really wants anything, but he is really enjoying this beating of a dead horse.

I started reading this and said "awesome, exactly what should be said." Then I read the end and realize it's more about criticism. It's as if you guys are willing to give him $1000 just so you can say something negative about him on a public forum.
As a note, OP said multiple times he didn't want to say or even show photos for fear of brand bashing.
If the snarky comments are an effort to create discussion and interest- brilliant. If the frustration with the OP (and some others) is genuine- know it isn't flattering.
I've watched a lot of the videos on your site. I was most impressed with the video the owner did of the shop. He went out of his way to talk about his employees and how how important they are to him, the business and the customer. I want to like the brand.....in fact I think I like the brand! I just debate if I want to deal with some of the comments.

Btw- what was deleted was your post and the quote of your post in my post. It looks like everything I wrote is still there.

Imagine how this thread goes if EARLY on you write what you wrote above MINUS the last 3 sentiences. This post would be this long...except everyone would be saying how awesome EA is! It's your choice.

 

[ovrszd]

Threads like this often cause Bruised Egos. When mine gets bruised I have to select my responses carefully. Problem is the bruising gets in the way of careful selection. But as you said, it's my choice.

I think catman8 has handled this very well. If my memory serves me correctly it wasn't he that divulged the brand of the BB. But I might be wrong. And I've not heard him expect any type of contribution for his thread.

 

[Catman8]

Some things/people can't be helped. My caring for my company, products, customers and the manner in which they're depicted is one of those things.

I didn't see the deleted posts either and do not know if they were against us or said mole hill.

Yes, in addition to pointing out the lack of bracing shown on the King Kutter(my guess) in your pictures, I also went into detail concerning the stronger structural makeup of ours which does leave some room for the greater chance of otherwise irrelevant error, such as a slight bow which will not change the box blade performance in the slightest bit.

I will continue to try and enjoy my weekend. A weekend that should be a celebration of EA's best January ever. Tons of incredibly satisfied box blade customers!
Travis

Let's make one thing crystal clear, I refused to mention the manufacturer of this box blade because I did not take the time to inspect it before I had it powder coated, (my fault) and after altering with paint I have no intention of sending it back, my thread was to talk about what you expect from a box blade in term of quality and blade straightness, and we can see lots of different opinions.

Let's make this crystal clear, Travis from Everything Attachment came on to my thread and said hey everyone we built that box blade! For the life of me I don't know why he would want to do that, but he did.:confused3:

 

[EverythingAttachments]

Sorry, I do not always have my filter installed and the passion for our business takes the upper hand. Please, everyone have a great weekend. I'm a phone call away on Monday. No answering machines. Just good ole country boys on the first or second ring unless all of the lines are lit up! God bless you all and may God continue to bless our company and the wonderful country we live in. Amen.
Travis

 

[ovrszd]

Let's make one thing crystal clear, I refused to mention the manufacturer of this box blade because I did not take the time to inspect it before I had it powder coated, (my fault) and after altering with paint I have no intention of sending it back, my thread was to talk about what you expect from a box blade in term of quality and blade straightness, and we can see lots of different opinions.

Let's make this crystal clear, Travis from Everything Attachment came on to my thread and said hey everyone we built that box blade! For the life of me I don't know why he would want to do that, but he did.:confused3:

See my post #98, i.e., "Bruised Ego". It's all good.