Joining LS Club

[rScotty]

When looking, keep in mind how far the blade offsets. They do not all offset the same amount.
I would not consider anything under 1000lbs for your tractor.
I highly recommend skid shoes, they really help prevent gauging when you get down to the finish grade.
Learn how to use your draft control. It can make a HUGE difference with how easy the grading can be.

I have a Land Pride RBT45108. It offsets up to 35". I never found any other blade of this size that would offset any more than that. Actually when you get up to these sized rear blades most of them are all closer in capabilities than the 700-900lb blades.

I highly recommend that you get a land plane grading scraper (LPGS) for general road maintenance. It will cut your typical road maintenance time by about half.

I like that blade, too. That basic design for 100 hp tractors has been around for many years. It's been the standard for commercial work seems like forever. I've had have it's predecessor - the Servis "Big Rhino" for about 30 years.....and it was not new when I bought it. Mine is all manual, and can be a bear to adjust.

I would recommend that whatever blade you get you go for one that has a similar 3 way adjustable: tilt, angle, and pivoting offset. Being heavy counts. Stay over 750 lbs.
If you can, get the end caps as well. Some end caps flip down and latch into place. By using one or both end caps, the blade is basically turned into a sort of box scraper so you have more control over how you move and place the dirt.
I don't have a set of trailing wheels for mine - but if I ever see as set I am going to pick them up.

A nice finish tool to go with the blade is an 8 foot landscape rake with the flip-down scraper blade. It does have trailing wheels (2) and is for smoothing and dressing the top few inches. You can get a nice one of these rakes for a quarter of the price of the big blade.
rScotty

 

[TimberFarm]

When looking, keep in mind how far the blade offsets. They do not all offset the same amount.
I would not consider anything under 1000lbs for your tractor.
I highly recommend skid shoes, they really help prevent gauging when you get down to the finish grade.
Learn how to use your draft control. It can make a HUGE difference with how easy the grading can be.

I have a Land Pride RBT45108. It offsets up to 35". I never found any other blade of this size that would offset any more than that. Actually when you get up to these sized rear blades most of them are all closer in capabilities than the 700-900lb blades.

I highly recommend that you get a land plane grading scraper (LPGS) for general road maintenance. It will cut your typical road maintenance time by about half.

Do you use a hydraulic top link with your set up?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Do you use a hydraulic top link with your set up?

I do. I have a complete top & tilt set so that I have all the front-back, side-side tilting features available to me with all of my implements. I use the side tilt feature far more than the top link when using the rear blade.

I typically have the boom set parallel to the surface.

I do not have hydraulic blade tilt on the rear blade, only the manual ratchet adjuster which I have never needed to adjust in the past 16 years. I have found that for my conditions there has never been a reason to tilt the blade more than what was available to to me using the 3pt hitch adjustments which are hydraulic actuated.

I mainly use blade angle and occasionally the blade offset feature.

 

[charles todd]

Well, finally made my decision. Been looking at 75HP+/- for the past couple months. Looked and compared all the different brands.
Settled on the MT573. The one bummer is I can't get it with industrial tires. Everything else is nice, especially the three remotes since I plan on getting a hyd rear blade.
After contacting at least a dozen different dealers and nobody having it, turns out there are tractors, just no loaders for them. Local dealer told me get the tractor while I can because something might happen and then there would be loaders and no tractors the way things are so screwy right now. I agreed and actually a couple other dealers told me the same thing. Dealer said he will get the tractor and deliver to me and when the loaders come in (late July), he would come get the tractor and install the loader then bring it back to me again.
Can't beat that.
Going in Tues. to sign all the papers.

Congratulations!

Same story back in 2014 when I was shopping P7010C. Tractors, no loaders. Regional LS Rep found one in Biloxi or Gulfport MS and had it shipped to my dealer in Many, LA. It was the only P7010C available new in the country at the time with a loader.

CT

 

[TimberFarm]

I do. I have a complete top & tilt set so that I have all the front-back, side-side tilting features available to me with all of my implements. I use the side tilt feature far more than the top link when using the rear blade.

I typically have the boom set parallel to the surface.

I do not have hydraulic blade tilt on the rear blade, only the manual ratchet adjuster which I have never needed to adjust in the past 16 years. I have found that for my conditions there has never been a reason to tilt the blade more than what was available to to me using the 3pt hitch adjustments which are hydraulic actuated.

I mainly use blade angle and occasionally the blade offset feature.

I have been checking out the Land Pride blade. Since my initial work is going to be through some fairly rough ground I definitely want a cushion valve.
Bare with me here, you don't have hydraulic tilt because you can tilt 1)manually or 2) with a hydraulic side link(?).
I was thinking if I got the hydraulic top link and then got all three: angle, offset, and tilt, I would also need a selector valve since I would have 4 cyls and only three remotes. Am I seeing the big picture here correctly??

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have been checking out the Land Pride blade. Since my initial work is going to be through some fairly rough ground I definitely want a cushion valve.
Bare with me here, you don't have hydraulic tilt because you can tilt 1)manually or 2) with a hydraulic side link(?).
I was thinking if I got the hydraulic top link and then got all three: angle, offset, and tilt, I would also need a selector valve since I would have 4 cyls and only three remotes. Am I seeing the big picture here correctly??

Because I can tilt my 3pt hitch with my hydraulic side link, I have not had any reason or need to tilt the rear blade using the rear blade adjuster. Having the hydraulic side link allows side tilt for every 3pt implement used. Having the hydraulic side tilt on the rear blade allows you to tilt the rear blade and nothing else.
IMO, you are far better off having the-a top & tilt set for the 3pt hitch. This allows you to have all the different 3pt hitch adjustments at your finger tips. No need to stop and get off the tractor to make any 3pt adjustments.

I have 5 sets of rear remotes 2 additional sets because of diverters. It simply is not that big of a deal.

Also, double check the cushion valve scenario. I believe that it is recommended that you NEVER use any of the hydraulics to their fully extended or retracted positions. I believe that they always want a minimum of 10% leeway if not more.

Just my opinion, but the cushion valves for a rear blade are for people that operate their equipment at a faster than safe operating speed.

 

[charles todd]

Because I can tilt my 3pt hitch with my hydraulic side link, I have not had any reason or need to tilt the rear blade using the rear blade adjuster. Having the hydraulic side link allows side tilt for every 3pt implement used. Having the hydraulic side tilt on the rear blade allows you to tilt the rear blade and nothing else.
IMO, you are far better off having the-a top & tilt set for the 3pt hitch. This allows you to have all the different 3pt hitch adjustments at your finger tips. No need to stop and get off the tractor to make any 3pt adjustments.

I have 5 sets of rear remotes 2 additional sets because of diverters. It simply is not that big of a deal.

Also, double check the cushion valve scenario. I believe that it is recommended that you NEVER use any of the hydraulics to their fully extended or retracted positions. I believe that they always want a minimum of 10% leeway if not more.

Just my opinion, but the cushion valves for a rear blade are for people that operate their equipment at a faster than safe operating speed.

You need a few more remote valves back there!

Did you plumb this?

CT

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You need a few more remote valves back there!

Did you plumb this?

CT

I did, just one of the things I do.

The red tractor is my smaller tractor. Only one factory rear remote available. Added a triple diverter and now have 4 sets of rear remotes. 2 for the top & tilt set, 2 for blade or landscape rake angle and offset functions.

 

[TimberFarm]

That is a nice setup.
Do you have a photo of how your levers are set for those extra remotes?

You are giving me a LOT to think about and i really appreciate it!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

That is a nice setup.
Do you have a photo of how your levers are set for those extra remotes?

You are giving me a LOT to think about and i really appreciate it!

There are no additional levers, only a control grip that gets installed on the existing controlling rear remote valve.
The gray grip is installed on the factory control lever for the rear remote. You can see there are 2 buttons and a trigger switch for the controls of the 3 diverters. You hold the desired switch down and use the control exactly as you normally would.