Box blade - Who makes them?

[ICGREEN]

I am looking for a box blade with a hydraulic scarifier. Landpride makes a really nice one but its about $2200. I read on one of the threads that a company named Gannon? makes one but I can't find anything on the web about them. Can you guys provide me with some links? Surely there's more than two companys that make these. It needs to work on a 45 hp tractor. Thanks

 

[Kodiak]

I,ve read several threads here on TBN indicating that Gannon was bought out by Woods Equiptment Company. You might try there.

 

[BKColeman]

Yes, Gannon makes a hydraulic model. But it is probably about as expensive. They are owned by Monroe Tufline also makes a model with hydraulic scrapers. I called and got the price on the TB372 model. It was $2400 /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif.

I wish I knew of one a little more reasonable with hydraulics but I don't.

--Brad

 

[pieterv]

Gannon ( located in S-CA ) wrote the book on hydraulic retracts on the West Coast. Gill ( started in Charlotte ) sold most mechanical retracts on the east coast. Some of you may know the name "Skip-Loader": an industrial ( yellow ) tractor with a loader and a Retract Box-Scraper ( where normally one uses a backhoe ). I may stands correcting on this. Many were and are presumably also sold with hydraulic "Top-N-Tilt" to control leveling foward-rearward and left-right. Land Pride introduced a retract scraper later. BUT by now I believe they are about the same price as the others. Woods in the meantime has bought both Gannon and Gill. Now there is one made in OK, named Cammond. I consider it not quite as nice as the other three and quite a bit lighter.
Since you like to find a more affordable one, and if you allow us a few months at Firtst Choice, we will build one that will cost a lot less. We already build a very nice "regular" scraper.
Are you ready Jim McC with your Cadcam...? ( Jim engineers a lot of our First Choice stuff...)., We will even do it in your color and with powder paint for a long and happy life.

I hope this information helps you a bit.
Other may know a lot more about this.

Happy Hobby-Farming !

 

[JimMc]

I'm listening. Input, anyone?

 

[MarkV]

Pieterv and JimMc,

I wanted to welcome you to the forum. It is nice to see an equipment manufacture sharing and gathering information with us. I have always thought that the discussions here could be of great value to those developing equipment for compact tractors. I suspect that other manufactures monitor the site but I applaud you for coming to the surface and asking opinions from the end users. Equally your experience is a wonderful source of information for all of us. As you may have noticed we can be a rather analytical group as we evaluate our equipment wants.

Jim if you are interested in opinions and experiences members have had with boxblades there is a tremendous amount of information in the forum archives. A simple search will give you more than you want./w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

My summary of wants for a boxblade with hydraulic scarifiers would go something like this. First would be substantial weight. I would almost say the heavier the better for a boxblade when operating it on our lighter weight tractors. There is not a consensus as to whether a hinged rear cutting edge is good or bad among the members here. I have been happy with a hinged edge while others like a fixed edge and use it for final grading by extending their top link. I would like to see a hinged blade that can be locked in a fixed position when desired. There was a long discussion when a member bent the operating mechanism on his new hydraulic scarifiers. The manufacture did a repair, which they charged for, and the system bent again. At this point they changed their operating instructions and said that the scarifies could not be operated without raising the implement clear of the ground. If the mechanism could be operated on the go, as more difficult ground is encountered, this would be more desirable. Also being able to use scarifiers partially engaged, so that the depth of the cut was controllable, would be a selling point to me. If that kind of operation is unrealistic then clear operating instructions for proper use would be a must.

Thank you again for asking opinions as you develop additions to you line. Hopefully more members will take the opportunity to share their wants and all of use will end up with a better mousetrap. Do you have a web site featuring your present equipment line? Reviews I have read on forum have been very positive but I have not had the opportunity to see what you offer.

MarkV

 

[hazmat]

"Do you have a web site featuring your present equipment line? Reviews I have read on forum have been very positive but I have not had the opportunity to see what you offer."

I'd like to echo this comment. At the very least, how about an electronic brochure (adobe or word) that you could email to interested parties. Be sure to include "list price" if you have one.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for the very nice comments.
For more than three decades listening to owners ( I have likely met hundreds of you at shows ), and always looking at trade-ins and units being serviced at dealers have been my best help to fine-tune products. Frankly, I enjoy it very much.

We at First Choice have grown tremendous without advertising, going to shows, and mostly without a sales force. This spring we hardly could keep up.

As we settle down for the summer we better get on with preparing literature and a website.

Enjoy the farm !

 

[blurrybill]

Let me echo a desire for a Firstchoice brochure. Members on this forum do LOTS of research and that is why TBN is such a valuable tool for us novices. Manufacturers can only help themselves and us in that process by supplying information on products. Thanks for your receptiveness.

Bill

 

[shade2u2]

Peter,
Good to see you here. I wish that I could have come by Wilson to visit a couple of weeks ago... maybe the next time. Don't remember to login.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[JimMc]

Any interest in a hydraulic rear hinged edge to go with those scarifiers?

Cat 1/Cat 2 or combo?

3 point or pull?

Wear edges on sideboards?

We currently provide clevis style hitches on our boxes currently so naturally, we wouldn't want to go backwards to a lift pin setup.

Minimum and maximum available sizes?

Thanks for the input. I'm making notes!

 

[Will]

First Choice Brochure

I put a copy of their brochure <A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.mac.com/kazez/files/Equipment_Catalog.doc> here</A>. I'm in Japan now on an unfamiliar computer where I can't download files, so let me know if that link works. It is about a 1MB file.

 

[ICGREEN]

Re: First Choice Brochure

Thanks for the help guy's. wouldn't it be nice if TBN had a links page to the manufactures of all these attachments. So many times I just can't find a company web site because the name is different than what I would logically think it is. Do you think that would be something worth while?

 

[pieterv]

Will do ur best to get that website etc going. No choice, do we ?

TBN is indeed a great place to get input.

Noticed in your bio that you use an I-Match hitch on your green tractor. We are testing a prototype. Back in the winter I was working with a Deere prototype and after some work we added a hydraulic toplink. Really performed a lot better with that. Especially with a Pulverizer or other heavy unit that is rather immobile. Any backfeed from others reading this on the desirability to supply that IF it is made available at an affordable price ?

Enjoy your farm..!

 

[Kodiak]

Pieterv:

I for one would love to have some sort of 3PT quick hitch, especially if it can be purchased for a reasonable price.

 

[hazmat]

"Will do ur best to get that website etc going. No choice, do we ?"

I wish I were a web developer /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif. I'd offer to do your website in exchange for some implements /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif. Maybe somebody else here might want to swap services with you.

Another option would be to find a computer science student at the local college. Setting up a website is a great job for an intern. You'd be hard pressed to find cheaper labor. You could even set up permanant intern program (part time or full time as needed) to keep the web site updated (very important). The program would be great public relations with the community.

Things I like to see on a manufacturer's web site:

Detailed descriptions of product
List Prices
Dealer locator
Owners manual (pdf)
Parts manual (pdf)

And the cat's meow, online ordering of repair parts. I realize that this adds a level of complexity, so maybe add it in the future.

Good luck & we anxiously await "opening day"

PS. is the Catalog Will linked to above complete? I get the impression that your product line is more extensive (finish mowers and tillers for example)

 

[roger_scotty]

It looks like we are talking about special features for the box blade.
I keep hoping that some manufacturer will provide for the guy who wants a 4 foot box. Chances are that guy has a 25 hp or under 4wd tractor with FEL, and uses the box mainly as a combo weight box and handy tool. I've seen heavy 5 and 6 footers, but never have seen a 4 footer that was heavy enough by half.
On my little tractor and 4 foot box, the box doesn't get used so much for moving dirt as it does for pushing things. Another popular use is as a sort of portable tool caddy and work bench. A piece of plywood cut to fit the top makes this into a portable work surface....adjustable for height except that the darn thing sometimes slowly sinks to the ground...needs a leg or two, I think.
Even the upright teeth on the box get pressed into service when we are in "workbench mode" Those teeth become the perfect hooks on which to hang my canvas tool bags.

 

[MarkV]

Jim,

<font color=blue> Any interest in a hydraulic rear hinged edge to go with those scarifiers?</font color=blue>

Not in my case. Presently I use a hinged rear boxblade and the rear cutting edge does some smoothing of soil as it floats yet will allow the front edge to cut in aggressively not being restricted by a fixed rear edge. I can not see an advantage of hydraulically raising the rear edge.

<font color=blue> Cat 1/Cat 2 or combo?</font color=blue>

Most everyone on the forum is Cat 1.

<font color=blue> 3 point or pull?</font color=blue>

3 point

<font color=blue> Wear edges on sideboards?</font color=blue>

That is an interesting idea that I don’t recall seeing elsewhere. I can see the advantages on a heavy box that is used on gravel roads for years.

<font color=blue> We currently provide clevis style hitches on our boxes currently so naturally, we wouldn't want to go backwards to a lift pin setup.</font color=blue>

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say clevis style hitches. I assume you are talking about a pull style implement and I don’t have any experience with a pull type box blade.

<font color=blue> Minimum and maximum available sizes?</font color=blue>

I would think 5, 6 and 7 foot boxblades would meet the needs of compact tractors that have extra hydraulics.

<font color=blue> Thanks for the input. I'm making notes!</font color=blue>

Your welcome and thanks for asking.

MarkV

 

[Ozarker]

If you need some assistance to get a site up in a relatively short period of time I would be happy to work with you on that. A simple site with pictures and descriptions of your products, a way to contact you and a listing by state of your dealers could be put up in no time.

Ozarker@Ozarkmall.zzn.com

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Pieter, I tried to email you at the address you listed but it was returned./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Would you please contact me with some information on your equipment and on dealers in my area (NE Indiana)? Thank you very much./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif