Box blade to grader?

[Conservation]

I have and use my box blade, but I also need to level a lot of dirt nicely and would also use it on my gravel lane too. Any simple examples of box blades made to work as a grader? Is adding adjustable wheels a good start? Need an additional blade? Any suggestions are of course appreciated.

 

[Conservation]

I just found some posts in customization. I think that wheel would help.

 

[JohninCT]

I've been thinking about the same thing. I think the gauge wheels would work, but I was also thinking of just bolting long skids to the side plates.

 

[Cacinok]

As John mentioned, guage wheels will go a long way to achieve what you're looking for. I know there's been a lot of threads on them, so do a search.

You might also want to look at this link.

 

[3238dpw]

Here is another good link

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/93026-show-tell-7-speed-mover.html

 

[David Devuono]

After I have moved the dirt with my box blade I do a few final Grading passes. I use a higher speed then when ripping or scraping. The higher speed (scarifiers up all the way) and set the 3PTH so that the blade just floats. It will pick up the highs and fill in the lows.

 

[clee4020]

Any one tried welding/bolting angle iron inside a BB to make a bionic grader blade? You would have to modify the back of the BB to allow material out.

 

[Rustyiron]

I saw a local landscape Co. that put in lawns for new home bldrs., they bolted a pair of 4x6? or so oak skid "shoes" on the sides of their box blade, they were about 6' long. It worked like a carpenters hand plane, it would cut on the high spots and the long "shoes" would let it fill the low spots. Basically with it's long "wheelbase" it would kinda average out the grade. Very simple and not permanant. He may have had a steel runner under the oak because they put in a lot of lawns!

 

[Conservation]

I saw a local landscape Co. that put in lawns for new home bldrs., they bolted a pair of 4x6? or so oak skid "shoes" on the sides of their box blade, they were about 6' long. It worked like a carpenters hand plane, it would cut on the high spots and the long "shoes" would let it fill the low spots. Basically with it's long "wheelbase" it would kinda average out the grade. Very simple and not permanant. He may have had a steel runner under the oak because they put in a lot of lawns!

I like that!

 

[2manyrocks]

That's probably as simple and cheap as anyone could think of.

 

[magicheater]

I saw a local landscape Co. that put in lawns for new home bldrs., they bolted a pair of 4x6? or so oak skid "shoes" on the sides of their box blade, they were about 6' long. It worked like a carpenters hand plane, it would cut on the high spots and the long "shoes" would let it fill the low spots. Basically with it's long "wheelbase" it would kinda average out the grade. Very simple and not permanant. He may have had a steel runner under the oak because they put in a lot of lawns!

Great idea, thanx!

I like that!

Me too!

That's probably as simple and cheap as anyone could think of.

I agree

 

[smiley]

I think I posted it on the old Machine Builders site but that's under renovation and the photos are on a floppy disc and the laptop I'm using now doesn't do floppies, so I'll try to describe it.

About 15 years ago I converted my back blade to use for leveling blacktop by adding bolt on sides about 2" higher than the blade, to make it into a box blade, then 2" x 6 ft angle iron skids were loosely bolted to the bottom front of the sides. Then another piece of angle iron was slotted and welded on the skids at 90 degrees back near the blade. This way I could run a bolt through the slot and a hole in the side to adjust the skid up or down. It acted like the asphalt/gravel spreaders (drag boxes) we used to hang on the back of trucks to pave driveways, except it was on the back of a tractor. It does a decent job of filling the hollows and trimming the humps. Longer skids would be better just like a long wheelbase grader but you're limited by the tractor tire clearance.

Just for ideas, here's photo's and a link to drag a box spreaders. They simply hook to the back of the truck, they dump the material into it and drag it forward. An adjustable screed strikes it off at the desired depth. Drag-A-Box Adjustable Material Spreaders by J-Pyott & Associates The principal is the same if it had a 3 pt hitch on it, the front plate removed and material dumped on the ground.

 

[dirt ditch]

Here is a commercial unit made to use as a speed mover and a box blade. Just pull the pins to remove the tongue and axle. The second one is a home made unit that the tongue could be modified to be removed. It could also be designed so the axle could swing up and be pined out of the way when used as a box blade.