New First Choice Box Blade

[JimMc]

So Gary, have you gotten any pics of your box blade being used yet? I always like to see how people use our stuff.

 

[bmac]

Gary in Indiana, Thank for the info and caution.

Ozarker, thanks for the suggestion.

Just trying to learn as much as I can here. I'm impressed everyday with how much you folks know and how willing everyone is to share their experience with yahoos like me. Thanks again.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

OK, Jim... I guess I'll have to fess up now. I had a bit of a time getting it assembled. Nothing to do with the box blade. More of an issue of my not having the proper tools for the task.

So, after I went and bought wrenches large enough (1 1/4") to do the job it went a lot more smoothly. More smoothly but maybe not perfectly. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif When I approached to start on it I realized (in hindsight) that I had taken it off the trailer from the wrong side for where I set it in my barn. I needed to turn it around to be able to roll it from it's back to it's bottom to assemble it.

No big deal with my tractor to just lift it up so I can spin it around and set it down again. No big deal if you have air in all of your tractor tires, that is. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif After I got that handled it was the piece of cake I originally anticipated. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The actual assembly (dealer prep, we call it in my business) only took a few minutes so I was still feeling smug about having it drop shipped here. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif Just today, however, I was looking at your site and enlarged your pic of the blue box blade and it hit me that I don't think I put the main supports on properly. I'll have to look tomorrow when I go out there but if memory serves me correctly /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif I think I mounted those inside the vertical attachment pieces instead of on the outside of them as the photo shows. I know I did the arms correctly on the inside.

All I could think of was that I'd joked about putting it together wrong earlier then actually did it (I think). Harv responded to my comment then and said I had to fess up and show a pic if I did mess up and I intend to take a pic of it tomorrow to post. I may have to take two- one of how I did it and another of how I REdid it correctly. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

In the grand scheme of things I doubt it would matter as it went together just fine, but I would like to have it "right" anyhow. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif As with most goofs like this, I have no one to blame but myself. I didn't even think about checking on how it should go before I went out there to do it. I didn't even give a thought to it when I was there. I just put it together. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons you have dealers- to avoid people like me doing a bad assembly job. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I'm sure had I not worked my deal to have the unit drop shipped to me rather than going to the dealer first it would have been assembled properly when I got it. The flip side is, I would have had a separate freight bill, too. I guess I'll take the teasing to save the shipping. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Harv responded to my comment then and said I had to fess up</font color=blue>

Wow! I'm not used to having my suggestions taken seriously.

BTW -- might I suggest that every Thursday at 2:15 pm you wire a thousand dollars into my personal account? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

Looking forward to the picts.

 

[bnixon]

bmac,

I just ordered a 84" RFM and a BB3072 Box blade from First Choice today. I don't even have my tractor yet but with all I have been hearing and the money I could save vs buying from my dealer (Landpride attachment) I couldn't pass it up. Hopefully will sign the papers on my TC40D with supersteer mid July!!!!!

Am I nuts or what?

 

[Inspector507]

bnixon,
Actually I picked up my boom pole before I got my tractor so I would have a way to get the tiller out of the back of the truck. But while I was there, it made sense to pick up the grader blade and the carry-all, didn't it??/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

OK, Harv... Here's the pic's of how I assembled my box blade when I had a choice of which side to bolt something. Here you see both upright pieces bolted inside the attachment points.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Harv, here's the other place where I had a choice and again you can see I went inside. Right? Wrong? Doesn't matter??

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"Gary, you know we want to hear the good things about our stuff, but if you have any constructive comments, please include them as well."</font color=blue>

Jim,

Here's the only thing I found thus far that I wish were a little different. Unfortunately, I don't see a real simple way to change it.

As you can see from the attached pic, there is a pretty tight space in which I need to reach to pull the clip from the hitch pin to allow me to adjust the depth of two or the five scarifiers on the 60" model I have. For me to get the clip out of the hitch pin I had to use a tool because I could only get the very tips of my forefinger and thumb in there and didn't have much gripping strength at that point.

Now, To be fair, I don't have the tiniest of hands (or feet, for that matter /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif ), but I wanted to mention this in case there's a way to redesign it so that even those of us with big hands can have an easier time of it. Thanks for taking a look at this.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Right? Wrong? Doesn't matter??</font color=blue>

You asking me? Offhand I don't see what difference it would make to the general structural integrity of the thing. Seems like you'd want to leave the area where the top link attaches to the mast as free from obstructions as you can, but as long as there's no interference, I can't see the harm.

Then again, I'm waiting for one the TBN smart guys to tell us the real story.

 

[MikePA]

Perhaps a different pin could be used, i.e., one that has a little ball at the end to keep is from sliding out, then there would be no need to have to get in there.

 

[JimMc]

Congratulations, Gary!! You got it right the first time. We could use a few guys like you in our assembly department. Looking for a job?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Whew! Thanks, Jim. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Maybe I could replace the guy who assembled the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://home.midwest.net/~jimmc/_uimages/Series30BoxBladeBlue.jpg>blue one</A> pictured on your temporary web site. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Seeing that picture was what had my questioning how I'd done mine. I'd never even thought about where to attach those before that. It's nice to know I got it right Oh, well... I've always said I'd rather be lucky than good. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>Maybe I could replace the guy who assembled the blue one pictured on your temporary web site</font color=blue>

That 'picture' looks like it came from a CAD program and not a photograph. No reflections, no shadows from a lighting source, etc.

 

[JimMc]

That is a difficulty on the 60" models. Unfortunately, with the tine spacing as it is, most manufacturers compromise on the hitch spacing or reduce the number of scarifiers to avoid this. We didn't want to compromise on either point, so we ended up with a rather tight quarters on the 60" and 84". The 48, 72, and 96 inch models don't present that problem.

The ball detent pen is a good idea, though. Maybe we can do some testing to see if they stay clean enough to not gum up the detent ball and still work.

 

[MikePA]

The pins at the base of my FEL supports are cotterless hitch pins, but it this area doesn't get as dirty as a box blade would. The only thing worse than a pin that's hard to get out is one that you can't get out. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"That is a difficulty on the 60" models... with the tine spacing as it is"</font color=blue>

I understand completely. And I'd rather have five tines than four. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Besides, I'll always have a pair of pliers with the tractor, anyhow. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Heck, it'll be easier to pull the other three with pliers, too. I hate being forced to do something the easier way. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[kokopelli2]

gary
have you thought of making a small hook? when i was little and couldnt pull pins off on my own my dad let me use and old metal boot lacing hook. it really did the job. you can use five fingers instead of two and can reach into tight spaces.

 

[bnixon]

Hey JimMc,

What is the possibility of getting a longer pin that would go all of the way through the bracing for the hitch. Then you could pin it from inside the hitch yoke. Just a thought.

 

[Kodiak]

Todd:
Have you received you're new FC box blade yet? Also thought I noted somewhere that you weir including a new FC finish mower in that deal also. I guess my little sales speil must have worked. I wonder if I could talk Pieter into some sort of commission.
By the way I cut 2 to 3 ft high pasture grass out of the drainage swale last Sunday with it. I just tightened the toplink to eliminate the float, lifted it with the 3pt backed in and lowered it down on top of the grass. I left it about 5" high so I wouldn't have to lower it into the water. Boy that thing works great. Talk at you later