[KUBOTA B3200] Grader Blade / Box Blade Recommendation for Driveway Maintenance

[paulsharvey]

For the end plates; it 'looks' like you need item 3, 4, and 5. I can't tell if item 3 (the actual end plate) comes as a pair or if you need two? For $222.54; I would home that is both ends, but I would call and/or email to confirm if I were you.

 

[jyoutz]

You're welcome. Some call them 3-way blades and sometimes 6-way because they obviously move to both sides.

There are a few videos. Here is one:

His blade would work a lot better if he had an end caps on the ends of the blade. Without them he is losing too much material into the field.... and it won't do snow at all without end caps.

Another major difference is that our old RB3572 - and all the old blades - have a taller & thicker blade and are at least twice the weight & more heavily built. Pulling an offset 3pt implement can put a heavy load on the blade. You want something heavy built. When the end in the ground hits a rock or root, it might throw you sideways a moment, and you want it NOT to BEND. In the video, he gets away with a lighter blade in a manicured field. But your driveway looks like tougher going. Weight only helps. 30 hp is plenty.

Blow up the photos on the spreadsheet in message #99 and look at how heavy those little six foot long 3-way blades in that sheet are built and reinforced. That is what you want. Extra heavy built.
My bet is you will find one on the used market & may have to scrounge or fabricate the accessory caps and such. Some of the best 3-way back blades had replaceable bushings.
Luck,
rScotty

Agree with all points 100%

 

[paulsharvey]

Here is the end assembly detail. There is also a skid shoe assembly available, I believe for snow plowing? For the price of those skid shoes, I would only order if you find yourself needing them, they aren't cheap.

Anyways; once you pick up a hand full of hitch pins; play/practice with the new blade to get a feel for it. They do require patience...

 

[jyoutz]

I would 'guess' we are talking right around $40,000 to hire it done.

So, if we wanted to break this down as a bid job, I'm looking at approx $27,000 in Material; $6400 in a dozer/operator; $3000 mobilization; $1600 for a vibratory roller; or $38,000 cost; now, 18.75% profit; we end up at a contract price of $45,175. That's a Lot of money for a driveway that our OP has successfully used for years; when we can add some base material in areas, dress it up, do some water control, and all; for $4500 or so.

I think your costs are way high. About 3 years ago I had 1000’ of my road reconstructed. Several belly dump loads of rock, road grader, water truck, and rolled. A little over $7k. Distance to the rock pit is a variable cost factor for sure.

 

[paulsharvey]

"1. currently I have NO pins locking the RB to the quick hitch. Is this correct, just locked in place by its 450 lbs?"

Yes and no; you do need the pins I showed above to prevent it side shifting and falling out. If you haven't used any 3 point attachments; you'll need to play with your top link, right side adjustable link, and your side sway turn buckles. You want to start out with both bottom links equal length (you'll play with this later maybe); the main "beam" roughly parallel to the ground when lowered, which you get my playing with top link length; and some "flex" in the side to side swing; But not much. Maybe 1-2" of total play or so; not locked down solid; but not flopping in the breeze.

 

[paulsharvey]

I think your costs are way high. About 3 years ago I had 1000’ of my road reconstructed. Several belly dump loads of rock, road grader, water truck, and rolled. A little over $7k. Distance to the rock pit is a variable cost factor for sure.

Well, he's 3000 LF, x 10 ft wide, that gives you 660-680 tons of material, and at his quoted prices, that's $12,500 in just rock; then I figured 40 total operator hours, machine price, mobilization, ect. Maybe a bid price could get down to $25,000 at the absolute lowest, and that wouldn't include pipe. Any contractor who is going to bring out something in the D5 size dozer is going to need mobilzation built into his price. Profit; frankly, 18.75% on top of material and labor is fair. If you want to get technical, depending on how the rock mine writes their bills, you could have sales tax (7% locally) on top of that $12,500.

Honestly, if you can get 4" of roadbase hauled, placed, finished and rolled, 1000lf long,x10ft wide, for $7500; that's an amazing deal.

As an example; @Lineman North Florida not asking for a bid; but what sounds reasonable for a 3000 lf drive, 10 ft wide, haul, place and finish, 4" of limerock roadbase, including mobilization? I'm thinking $10/sy at the extreme low end; but probably closer to $12.50/sy or maybe more?

 

[California]

I don't use linch pins in those lower implement pins, because the quick hitch spacing between its lower hooks is just wide enough to match the implement and the implement can't shift sideways.

There are sleeves available to bring the implement pins up to the diameter that fits snugly in the quick hitch hooks. I don't use them.

That's 2 less categories of things to fuss with.

 

[jyoutz]

Well, he's 3000 LF, x 10 ft wide, that gives you 660-680 tons of material, and at his quoted prices, that's $12,500 in just rock; then I figured 40 total operator hours, machine price, mobilization, ect. Maybe a bid price could get down to $25,000 at the absolute lowest, and that wouldn't include pipe. Any contractor who is going to bring out something in the D5 size dozer is going to need mobilzation built into his price. Profit; frankly, 18.75% on top of material and labor is fair. If you want to get technical, depending on how the rock mine writes their bills, you could have sales tax (7% locally) on top of that $12,500.

Honestly, if you can get 4" of roadbase hauled, placed, finished and rolled, 1000lf long,x10ft wide, for $7500; that's an amazing deal.

As an example; @Lineman North Florida not asking for a bid; but what sounds reasonable for a 3000 lf drive, 10 ft wide, haul, place and finish, 4" of limerock roadbase, including mobilization? I'm thinking $10/sy at the extreme low end; but probably closer to $12.50/sy or maybe more?

Well, I had 4” of road base 15’ wide x 1000’. But two factors: no dozer was used, just a grader, roller, and water truck. It only took about 10 hours. And the the rock pit was only 7 miles away. I’m guessing a lot depends on how much road reconstruction and shaping is needed. In my case, that section of road needed to be elevated, but the grader operator was able to pull enough dirt from the ditches so no soil material was needed. We did install one 20” steel culvert.

 

[rScotty]

Congratulations on the back blade.

The two end caps are weirdly expensive. For blading I often only use one.
But having two end caps is nice because they turn your back blade into a very versatile box blade for moving bulk material. Looked at that way, the end caps become a lot more reasonable.

I found the rake option doesn't work all that well without adding a tailwheel. Maybe save that for the future.

That 3pt quick hitch looks like someone put a category 2 size quick hitch onto your category 1 tractor. Is that possible or are all quick hitches that way? I njust use the original 3pt on the tractor, myself.
Anyway, our big tractor is Cat 2. That size is made for larger tractors and implements. I guess the one you have will work ok if the quick hitch isn't too wide for the sway adjustments on your tractor.
However, a Cat 2 size will definitely put the top link too high. Read up on how the Ferguson 3pt geometey is supposed to work, and you will see that the whole point is that the implement and arms stay close to parallel when it is operating. That allows changes in depth to be made without making changes in angle of attack. Ol Harry Ferguson really was a genius
It looks like the top link connection on your quick hitch is adjustable, so put it closer to correct.

You can buy 3pt bushings at any tractor store to make those category 1 pins on the blade to properly fit the oversize caegory 2 hooks on the quick hitch. 3pt bushings are cheap and you need them to fit much better than they are now. Check if the top link bushing is the same as the lower arms. Often it is not.

Oh...and that RED HANDLE?? Glad you got one. Mine is missing. Put it in the tractor tool box. You'll see what it's for when you adjust the blade.

Go slow. Using a 3 way blade has a longer learning curve and more subtle adjustments than you think. The first few days you will likely just make a mess. Stick with it.
At the least, get the right pins & bushings for that quick hitch so that the blade doesn't slop around. The blade needs to be tight to the tractor because that way you are using tractor weight to hold the blade in cutting position instead of just the implement weight. I wonder if it will work at all if sloppy....

Here's an idea: If you have problems, try running the blade without that intermediate quick hitch; I bet it's easier to learn how to control it that way. Yours is not a big heavy category 2 ag field tractor, and mounting the blade closer closer to your tractor increases the leverage that the tractor has available to hold then blade without being pushed sideways. You can always add the quick hitch once you get it working right. The weight might even be an advantage once you get it fit up right.

Enjoy,
rScotty

 

[California]

The oversize hooks at the bottom of that quickhitch are the same as my HF QH, an early one I bought as soon as HF offered it. I agree that a sloppy fit there makes operating the implement less precise, not a concern for me, I'm not blading snow on a driveway.

My post #88 above shows the ballast I added to the downhill corner of this light blade to help it dig. Before that it just hopped along.

Many people had to widen those early HF QH's with a HiLift jack before it would fit their implements.