Box Scraper box blades...is bigger better?

[pdubdo]

I have an Kubota L3901 and a newbie at all things ag. A 5 ft box blade adequately (but barely) covers the tracks. But "I've read on the internet" that my 40 hp tractor can pull a 6 ft box. So do I go with a blade that's well within the comfort zone of my tractor or go for the bigger/heavier box. I'm using it to both maintain and cut new gravel and dirt roads. Thanks for advice!

 

[johncanfield]

I think the BB on my Kubota is five foot, heavy is good but I don't want my BB much wider than the tractor footprint. If it's much wider you have to really pay close attention to where the blade track is. I probably added 100 pounds of weight to the Land Pride BB on the Kubota. I'll be doing the same to my Frontier BB.

 

[jeff9366]

Go with the wider choice. When excavating a too narrow Box Blade will not clear a track wide enough for rear tires to enter aisle to make repeated pulls.

The key metric in Box Blades is weight per foot of width. It takes at least 100 pounds of weight per foot of Box Blade width to cut; 125 pounds per foot of width is better.

Construction grade Box Blades start at 200 pounds per foot of width.

Box Blades are the most common implement to do double duty as Three Point Hitch mounted counterbalance to a Front End Loader. So look up your FEL lift capacity and figure on buying a Box Blade 66% to 75% of FEL lift capacity. More than 66% is not necessary because Box Blade is cantilevered behind the tractor, increasing it EFFECTIVE weight as counterbalance.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have an Kubota L3901 and a newbie at all things ag. A 5 ft box blade adequately (but barely) covers the tracks. But "I've read on the internet" that my 40 hp tractor can pull a 6 ft box. So do I go with a blade that's well within the comfort zone of my tractor or go for the bigger/heavier box. I'm using it to both maintain and cut new gravel and dirt roads. Thanks for advice!

In my opinion, this 65" unit would be just about the perfect box blade for your tractor.

Just my :2cents:

 

[DieselBound]

Howdy!

As is the case with everything, it really comes down to what you're needing to do, what type of material/ground you're working.

For grading type of work something on the wider and heavier side is best (with the scarifiers raised) as 3pt hitches don't exert down pressure, the weight of the box blade is what's needed to provide the down force. The harder the surface the better a heavier box blade would be.

At a minimum you want to be able to cover your tracks. Going wider will give you some spacing between your tractor and an edge that you're working. Wider, however, is also a big tail wagging, so that is something to be mindful as it gives a bit more girth to catch on things.

A heavier box blade also provides for nice ballast.

I run a 5' Modern Ag box blade on my B7800 (30hp) and I can easily stop it dead in its tracks by getting too big of a bite.

I'm planning on getting a 7' box blade for my Kioti. This one, however, MUST have hydraulically operated scarifiers (makes for a lot quicker work- rip and then level). Weight here is around 1,200 lbs. For a good, heavy duty 6' one you'd be looking in the 800+ lbs range.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I run a 78 inch box blade on my Mx 5100, I think your 3901 will handle a 6 ft. I have found to really pull and cut it is best to use 4wd, and a lower range. Also, little by little is better than trying to gouge out 6 inches at a time. I got mine from Everything Attachments , very nice piece of equipment.View attachment 508949

 

[boggen]

--tooth bar for FEL to help dig with the FEL.
--box blade
--rear blade
--sacrifice teeth (normally comes with box blade, but some times comes with rear blades) generally required the teeth to break up hard pan (hard dry dirt on top as well)
--an off set rear blade (the blade swings off to either side further), might be nice.
--TNT (top and tilt) replace a top link on 3pt hitch with a hydraulic cylinder, and/or replacing at min 1 side link with a hydrualic cylinder. so you can adjust the 3pt hitch on the fly from seat of tractor.
--motor grader, (google it) the long distance between wheels. with blade / implement seating between the wheels. helps reduce high spots and low spots, that can be difficult to see from seat of tractor, until you get in a truck/car and start going 10 to 20MPH then you start feeling the ups and downs. there are DIY and bought pull behind graders out there as well.
--land plane / grader scraper, is more for rock, and sifting larger rock to the top and letting dirt and fines fall to the bottom. this is more of a maintenance attachment than building roads / maintaining dirt roads within reason.

google (forestry roads), there is a handful of descent sites that goes over various slopes, and like for both ditches, and crowns for roads.

with above said. for here on the farm. gravel drive way, to dirt roads, to grass lane through pasture. i have lots of hills and low spots and high spots. for me, having a rear blade or box blade or anything else run "level" with the tractor does me little good. i would need to adjust one of the 3pt hitch lift arm linkages. to angle it, to help maintain crown / slopes to help shed water. having an attachment that just barely covers tires. *meh* something a little bit wider would be nice. the time when a less width attachment would be better. is physically moving lots and lots of dirt and not just moving it a little bit here and there. but moving long distances. then a smaller width unit that you could fill up completely, might be better within reason. vs loosing your dirt little here and there due to attachment is to wide.

with above said. there is traction problem. and trying to take a bit of to much dirt at once. and bringing tractor to a stand still. either tires spinning, or just not enough umph to keep on going.

there other con's and pro's for each thing. box blade more for leveling and removing ruts. while other implements might be better wider? vs box blade? what do you plan to use for your total arsenal of attachments....

 

[Michael Aos]

I recently used a 62" tiller on my BX2370 (~45"). I definitely had to be careful!

If it's much wider you have to really pay close attention to where the blade track is.

 

[not2old]

I bought a 6' box blade for my GC2610 because it was a bargain. I'm thinking I would be better off with a 5' blade. I use it to scarify my driveway and then smooth out the holes. It works but is easily able to stop the tractor digging in too much if I don't watch it carefully. I admit I don't use it very often so maybe I'm just not a good enough operator with it.

 

[FTG-05]

I bought the 6' BB that came with the tractor at the same auction where I bought my current house. This BB is pulled by my 40 hp (36 hp PTO) L4330.

Huge mistake.

I widened the rerar tires due the hills I live one and now the BB doesn't even go from one side to the other. Trying to get to old fencelines while working on my one mile gravel road is a major PIA.

I wish I had gone 7'. The 3ph implement recommendations by Kubota in their owner's manual is way too conservative. It should be used as a list of minimum-sized implement recommendations, not the maximum, IMO.

 

[nybirdman]

I have a six foot on that I use on a L4240 HSTC,under the right circumstances it's all it wants.One of the few times I have had to use low range on anything.I was in 4WD and have loaded R1's.Most times just lightly scraping(3-4") 2WD and medium will do.

 

[brown40]

Is bigger better:
To maintain roads--Yes, there will be filling, shaping and moving of clean material. You won't use the scarifiers deep and fetch up--the total weight of the box is your limit.
To cut roads--No. You can fetch a 200hp tractor up on a single point. Roots, rocks, and the trash that come will at times have your box standing on a point or resting over two. If you live where material is giving, then you're all set. I have more rock than anything.
I would still favor bigger.

 

[pdubdo]

Thanks for all the information! Bought a very slightly used heavy duty 6 ft Kingcutter for $500. Now time to learn how to use it .

 

[kthompson]

Weight is your friend unless you really over do it. I want a blade or mower wider than my wheels are outside to outside and as has been said not by an inch or two. If you end up with a bb or yes mower you have problem keeping up with how fare it extends past your wheels you can use pvc pipe mounted to front bumper or such to show where the edge or end of the implement is. Have done that with a disk when in a tight area. You could also use bike flags on the attachment to show where the end is much like they do on some big trucks to know where the end of the bumper is.

 

[FTG-05]

I think the BB on my Kubota is five foot, heavy is good but I don't want my BB much wider than the tractor footprint. If it's much wider you have to really pay close attention to where the blade track is. I probably added 100 pounds of weight to the Land Pride BB on the Kubota. I'll be doing the same to my Frontier BB.

Far better to have to watch the blade track and getting work done vs. having to watch the rear tires and getting squat-crap done because the tire is outside the blade and you can't reach what you're trying to work on.

The former works. The latter defeats the whole purpose. Focus on what's important.

 

[bobbymcphe77]

I have an Kubota L3901 and a newbie at all things ag. A 5 ft box blade adequately (but barely) covers the tracks. But "I've read on the internet" that my 40 hp tractor can pull a 6 ft box. So do I go with a blade that's well within the comfort zone of my tractor or go for the bigger/heavier box. I'm using it to both maintain and cut new gravel and dirt roads. Thanks for advice!

i have commercial box blade dragon made by modern in beaumont tx has hyd/cyl for the blades i do not need 2543961539 live in greenville tx

 

[ericm979]

There's a couple drawbacks to a wider box blade- if you're using it as ballast and work in tight areas it'll bump into stuff or limit your motion more. Of course you can get a ballast box which doesn't stick out as much but that's another implement to store, install and remove.
The larger blade that holds more material requires more effort to move it. You need both power and traction. Your tractor is relatively light for it's power. When trying to move a box blade full of dirt I can stop my 37hp Branson that weighs significantly more than a 3901 even before the loaded tires. I've got a 5.5' blade that just covers the tire treads.

OTOH if you're grading instead of moving dirt and work in open areas neither of these are a concern.

 

[Michael Aos]

I have the ~437lb Land Pride GS1548 land plane / grader scraper on a QH05 behind my BX2370.

Completely transformed the usefulness of the FEL / pallet forks.
--

Box Blades are the most common implement to do double duty as Three Point Hitch mounted counterbalance to a Front End Loader. So look up your FEL lift capacity and figure on buying a Box Blade 66% to 75% of FEL lift capacity. More than 66% is not necessary because Box Blade is cantilevered behind the tractor, increasing it EFFECTIVE weight as counterbalance.

 

[MoArk Willy]

if you're using it as ballast

OTOH if you're grading instead of moving dirt and work in open areas neither of these are a concern.

3 pt ballast boxes are so cheap there is no reason not to have or make one.

 

[Otgaugres]

I have a 60” Frontier that was all my JD 2720 wanted for anything but basic road grading and some lighter duty dirt moving. Very easy to lose traction with too big a bite. In contrast, same blade on my JD 4066R and I can do virtually anything I want without losing traction. May be a bit undersized for the 4066r and a bit oversized for the 2720. Based on my experience, better to be a bit undersized. JMHO