Grading box blade or scraper/grader blade?

TractorLegend · Aug 14, 2005

I had a guy with huge excavator remove stumps, a big rock, and drag a container I bought to a spot where I needed it on my 5 acre lot. I haven't seen his results yet but knowing I have the CK30HST/ fel ----he left the "finish" work for me, since he's overloaded with work prepping homesites. Likely smoothing holes and moving some dirt around.
The dirt there is not compacted much anywhere.
I also have about 1-1500 feet of steepish gravel driveway to maintain.
The tractor guy thinks I should get the rear 72" grader blade and turn the blade around on its mounting so its not cutting but just fluffing.
But I wonder about a box blade considering all??
Havent used either on a CUT before.
Whats your input??

DK35vince · Aug 14, 2005

Just my opinion, but for that type of work I would prefer a boxblade.
For driveway maintainance and grade work I use my boxblade far more than I do my backblade/scraper blade.

Donnyj · Aug 15, 2005

I have both. I have not used the scraper blade in years. The boxblade gets used for everything. Landscaping, leveling stone for the driveway.

deereman63 · Aug 15, 2005

I have both. These implements are not easy to use, especially on a drive way. For the box blade its necessary to get the angle right or else you will pick up to much material. Even then you have to constantly monitor and lift the blade or else you will add to the holes rather than getting the desired finish. For the rear blade it will rise as you go over a bump therefore doesnt do too much unless you are really prepared to let it dig in. Probably pushing is better but then you have to consider the strain on the hook up etc. In other words it takes a lot of practice to get the results.

Bob_Skurka · Aug 15, 2005

You may want to ask the moderators to move this into the ATTACHMENTS forum, you will get a much wider response as this is not specific to any brand of tractor.

I have 2 box blades and 1 scraper blade and find they are best used for different tasks. But for smoothing the ground and filling in the holes on already loose soil, you might find a Landscape Rake better suited for the task. I use a LR after the box blade and it really does a nice job of leveling out the bumps into a smooth surface.

TForan · Aug 15, 2005

I'm with Bob on the LR. When I bought my tractor,I thought I would need a BB to level my pot holed driveway (1300 ft.) but the LR really did the job. It helps to have several inches of crushed stone on top. I'll post some pics.

Tony

Dickey · Aug 15, 2005

I orderd a Woods HB 84 Box Blade and a Landpride eight foot Rake with dual wheels today. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif My pocket book is much lighter but I'm looking forward to some quilty seat time /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

KiotiJohn · Aug 16, 2005

I have to say that I've read many posts where the poster stated that he/she had not used his/her rear blade much at all after buying a boxblade. The boxblade is so much more versatile, capable of doing many other jobs.
For fixing potholes, which normally should be ripped out completely before reforming, the boxblade's rippers are great. Yes, it takes some experimenting for most folks to get the hang of it, learning just how to adjust the top link (multiple times usually) to get things all level, but it's worth it in the finished jobs.
John

TForan · Aug 16, 2005

I know if I ran a BB down my driveway,I'd have many of the foundation rocks at the surface. It really depends on the material. My drive has a top layer of 1-1/2 " of crushed stone and that's all I want to move around to fill in potholes.I've done enough rock picking in my life. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

wanasrx · Aug 16, 2005

Can the box blade be used to make a ditch along the driveway? It seems to me that the blade would work better. What I need to do is dig these ditches out and take down the high spots at the edge of the roadway. Which would be better to to this? sorry for highjacking your thread.
Rich

KiotiJohn · Aug 16, 2005

( What I need to do is dig these ditches out and take down the high spots at the edge of the roadway. Which would be better to to this? )
A rear blade probably would work best for the ditches, but it can be done with a boxblade by dropping the right adjustable hitch arm down lower than the left side, but it would be harder than using a grader blade. I have a backhoe to do any ditching, so I haven't tried the boxblade for that. Having a top and tilt hydraulic system running a boxblade would sure make all that easier.
John

JerryG · Aug 16, 2005

If you are ditching with the box, as you are dragging a box of dirt, it will speed things up if you will take a load in your loader also. That way you are taking about twice the amount of dirt with each pass.

HODAK · Aug 17, 2005

Tforan, I'm with you on the BB and digging up rocks. My driveway has about 2" of stone max and if I went over it with rippers, I'd have a lot of taters on the surface. Like a lot of attachments, I guess it depends on your intended use. I borrowed a landscape rake and it worked great for my drive. Probably buy one next year, hate borrowing stuff. I have a rear blade also and rarely use it, although it could be handy for light snowfalls.

TForan · Aug 17, 2005

It really depends on the way the road was constructed. If I had solid clay,I'm sure I'd have better luck with a BB. What I do is wait for a rain and then hit it with the LR. I was really suprised at how well it worked. I leave my rake on almost all the time. Very handy!

TractorLegend · Aug 17, 2005

OK so Im gonna get a landscape rake--likely a Howse from Northern tool---local dealer doesn't have Kioti product /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif and Im not driving out of my way for it.
im thinking at least 6 foot to be wider than tires--
what about 7 foot---too wide???
Whats a wheel kit do on a rake??

HomeBrew2 · Aug 18, 2005

Seems as though the rake should be big enough to cover your tracks even when it's rotated to max, maybe 30° (rake has a leading and trailing edge like a motor grader). This setting allows you to windrow material.
The wheels create a land plane effect so hills can be drug into vallies and mostly eliminating the washboard effect.
Cheers!

KiotiJohn · Aug 18, 2005

( im thinking at least 6 foot to be wider than tires--
what about 7 foot---too wide??? )
You have to be able to turn the rake around at times, and I don't think a 7' will turn on the CK30. I'm not even sure you can turn a 6' for that matter.

I have only a 4' on my CK20, and I can just turn it all the way around without hitting.
John

HomeBrew2 · Aug 18, 2005

Fair enough, if you have to turn it around while it's on the tractor. I have a 6'er on a BX23 ... if I need it turned around, I just unmount it, turn it around and mount again ... probably just a matter of preference and at this point I prefer to have the widest rake possible. Good thought for a prospective buyer to consider though.
Cheers!

TractorLegend · Aug 18, 2005

whats the function of turning the rake around??

KiotiJohn · Aug 18, 2005

( whats the function of turning the rake around?? )
The way the tines are angled when it's turned around gives you a whole different aggressiviness. In the normal mode, you have aggressive tines digging in in a forward movement. Turned around, the tines sort of ride over the ground more than dig in. This is handy for leveling dirt when you don't want to have aggressive digging in. I also find it useful for dragging debris around as the debris builds up under the tines and begins to drag other debris along without tearing up the soil/grass.
Of course the top link still needs to be adjusted to have the angle you desire.
John