Box Blade or Rear Blade

[Lockport]

I have to level and clear an area of flat land to install a new raised chamber septic field. I would prefer to buy a rear blade and use it in the winter for snow removal and counterweight for the front mount snow blower, but am fearful that I may be overestimating the capability of a rear blade and may end up finding myself buying a box blade, anyway. Can a rear blade dig or it its cutting edge limited to spreading gravel and perhaps an already "worked" area of dirt? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> Can a rear blade dig or it its cutting edge limited to spreading gravel and perhaps an already "worked" area of dirt? </font>
A blade doesn't do a very good job of digging. I have made a few ditches, but it takes a while and if the soil is hard or there are rock, you will have problems. They do work much much better in already worked dirt.

 

[HomeBrew2]

A back blade will certainly work. Many guys swear by them for your type of work.
Things to keep in mind about a rear blade:
It's not all that heavy.
It has no rippers, unless you get add-on ones (I think Woods makes one). Thge blade will cut solid dirt but it has to be under the right conditions.
It can't carry a load of dirt across the field, unless you get sideboards for it (I think Woods makes them).
They are, IMO, very aggressive and, for me with my short BX, very hard to control.

I have both type of blades and like them both.

I have put gauge wheels on both as well as my rake and I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH how great the wheels are for doing a smooth job in a short time with no screw-ups.

Cheers! BTW, really nice trucks on your website!

 

[FamilyFarm]

The rear blade will probably not provide much ballast as they are very light - same with landscape rake. Both are very useful for leveling prepared soil, especially with guage wheels as has been mentioned. But, for ballast and digging to level out areas, the box blade is far superior.
Terry

 

[Ob1kubota]

We have a little 42" box blade on our BX2230 and it works great for just about any leveling, light digging and stone box for our driveway. My wife follows with our L-Series keeps me supplied with stone from the FEL. It's a little tedius but we play around with our toys for some constructive fun. We really don't need a blade but would like to have a rake for the pasture that floods in the spring and fall and deposits driftwood. I feel you would be better off with a Box, it will blade too.

 

[Stef]

I had a rear blade on my BX23 (a... B2005 I think) the 60" one from Kubota. It wasn't heavy enough to be very efficient (300lbs). I think the key for an implement of that kind is: weight. The heavier it is the easier the job will be. So for a BX2230 be sure to choose an implement heavy enough but adjusted for a BX. In a BX23 owner's manual it says: rear blade (max cutting width 60" and max weight 350lbs); box blade (max cut 42" and max weight 375lbs). IMHO, a 60" rear blade would do a good job but choose one heavier than 300lbs. The weight of the rear snowblower mounted on my former BX23 was around 450 lbs and the tractor did great even if the weight of the implement was a bit more than what Kubota recommends.

 

[flusher]

I have a B7510HST/LA302 FEL and a 4-ft KK box blade. You need to add lotsa weight to get the BB work even halfway efficiently for a leveling job like yours. I made three 120-lb concrete weights for my BB and that helped a lot.

 

[Lockport]

Thanks all. It sounds like the way to go here is going to be a heavy BB. This is dense clay soil, but I only really have to scrap the surface and not go to any depth. The Woods Estate Series 48" BB is near 550 lbs. Their brochure shows it connected to a BX. There certainly is 650lbs of lift 24" aft of the ball ends on, I believe, all the BX's. I also believe the recomended restrictions in the manual are matters of control vs. weight IMHO!

 

[HomeBrew2]

Flusher, Like your weights!

A couple other things that help the BB are letting the rear cutting edge swing if it is so capable, or, if it's fixed, taking it off. And, taking a torch and cutting a taper on the sideboads from 1+" in front to 0+" at the back.

 

[flusher]

Flusher, Like your weights!

A couple other things that help the BB are letting the rear cutting edge swing if it is so capable, or, if it's fixed, taking it off. And, taking a torch and cutting a taper on the sideboads from 1+" in front to 0+" at the back.

Agree with you. I removed the rear blade on the BB and need to cut the sideboards to expose more of the front blade cutting edge for turf removal jobs.

 

[knute_m]

This thread has some additional good information:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81770

 

[Lockport]

The best explanation I have seen on how to use a box blade is in the manuals. For exmple, take a look at the Operation section for the Woods medium duty BB manual
http://www.woodsequipment.com/manuals/manuals/turf_land/55123.pdf

 

[JamesT]

Woods estate series 48" box blade is closer to 300lbs than 550.