New boxblade...going to attack the driveway!

Slacker · Jun 4, 2007

I've learned alot about BB use on tbn so I figured it's time I bought one and leveled out some hight spots in my hunting cabin driveway. This is a medium duty unit, 6'. The price was $400, bought from a local individual. I've already found that it needs more weight to scrape the sandrock/hard clay that I have so much of. The width covers the rear tires well and it seems well built. I've not had it stop the machine yet, so I haven't really tested its strength. Its made by a local company so if it does bend I can get it fixed easily.

jacobweaver32 · Jun 4, 2007

Grats on the new toy... have fun!!!

You have now graduated to hands on training... good luck!

dtd24 · Jun 4, 2007

Go get it. I'm did the same thing not to long ago, except I didn't have a driveway to start with, just a 4x4 trail. Expect lots of adjustments in the begining.

My moto "One step by one step"

tommu56 · Jun 4, 2007

Slacker

Just use caution when using blade in reverse! I was up at my hunting cabin ad got mine hung up in reverse bent one lower link and both arms on box blade.

It took me 3 hours in the back woods to straighten every thing out.
Its amazing what you can do with nothing, I used a girder and enterpac to flatten links back out!

tom

BTDT · Jun 5, 2007

Good looking BB you have there. If it's not cutting, drop your scarifiers down to tear up ground, that should help. Then consider adding weight. Lots of folks here have used different things to weigh down the blade for a better cut. The top link may need to be adjusted to change the angle of cut. Good luck.

dtd24 · Jun 5, 2007

Roger that tommu, I tried using the blade on the back once and bent up the arm on the box blade. Still have to bend it back and support it better. I want to take that blade right off. I read a bunch of posts about using it in reverse before I didi it too....

dweitzel · Jun 5, 2007

dtd24 said:
Roger that tommu, I tried using the blade on the back once and bent up the arm on the box blade. Still have to bend it back and support it better. I want to take that blade right off. I read a bunch of posts about using it in reverse before I didi it too....

Me too. not only bent the lower lift arm, but ripped the lift arm pin clear off the bracket on the axle of my little cub when I pulled too hard on a BIG rock. Took me 2 tries to weld the pin back in as Cub wanted $331 for a new bracket. It's holding for now.

Be extremely careful when you grab onto a big object with the scarifiers and especially when backing up with the BB on the ground.

john_bud · Jun 5, 2007

Slacker,

Sounds like you will be enjoying your new attachment. Maybe even more once you get it weighted down. The top looks like you could fabricate a bolt on tray and fill with rock or pour full with concrete.

Was that box realy sold as "medium duty"? I guess it does have more gussetting and that extra angle iron going across, but the basic construction looks to be of fairly thin gage metal. May be just the lack of scale in the picture. What's it weigh? (Oh boy, maybe I shouldn't have asked that loaded question!)

As the others have said, backing up should be done with care. AND a shortened top link so that the back of the box is slightly higher than the front. Backing is for smoothing, not dozing. The box may take it, but your 3pt won't. The arms will bend up pretty easily. There was a thread by 3RRL on what he had to do to straighten and strengthen his 3pt after finding that out.

Last tip, If you hook a root, don't just try and lift with the 3pt. The 3pt arm may bend. I found that one out on my own! Thankfully, it only takes an 8# sledge and a O/A torch to fix it. Un-do the scarifier, lift the box and then clear the issue. That's what I do (now).

Enjoy the toy!
jb

dweitzel · Jun 5, 2007

john_bud said:
Slacker,

Last tip, If you hook a root, don't just try and lift with the 3pt. The 3pt arm may bend. I found that one out on my own! Thankfully, it only takes an 8# sledge and a O/A torch to fix it. Un-do the scarifier, lift the box and then clear the issue. That's what I do (now).

jb

John that's exactly how I snapped the lower lift arm pin on my cub, by lifting the 3-point when I snagged a rock with the out most scarifier on my BB. I think the backing up in dozer mode finally was the last straw and ripped it off completely. If you get into any big field stone like rocks, dig em out with the FEL and not the BB.

After looking at this pin, I can't believe all the stress of every implement are put on these little bitty pins! This is the 7/8" pin that holds the lift arms at the tractor.

Dave

Slacker · Jun 6, 2007

Hmmmm...lots of folks breaking stuff when using the BB. Thanks for the tips guys, I do appriciate it. I hope I can avoid damaging my machine.
Now ya'll got me wondering...should my next machine be CAT II? I've got a neighbor who has a David Brown 990 w/woods Heavy duty BB. He has bulldozed with it, and beat it all to ****..never breaking anything. Seriously, the man has used that tractor and box blade harder than I would ever consider and didn't break a thing. (except his pto output shaft broke in half).
Are the Utility tractors normally CAT II? ie, Farmtac 555 etc?