Plow vs scraper blade for driveway maintenance

[AStanton]

I think that if you don't get a lot of snow, a rear blade would work fine. In addition, if you are plowing paths over lawns or gravel, you can reverse the blade and not do much damage. I used a rear blade for years, then one year we got so much snow, I had no place to put the snow. I now also have a rear-mounted blower for the big stuff. However, if I had to choose between a front blade or a rear blade, I would pick the front blade.

 

[crazyal]

If it was me and snow wasn't much of a concern I would be getting the right tool for the job, a grading scraper with ripping teeth. It's by far and away the easiest attachment for someone new to tractoring to get good results quickly. My driveway has some clay like material that once packed and dried is all but impossible to do anything with without first ripping it up. Sometimes I'll even shorten up the top link to change the angle of the ripping shanks. Usually I'll wait until after we get some rain to help soften things up but trust me you will look for excuses to get on your tractor and not want to wait.

 

[Komrade]

I am leaning towards a heavy rear blade. Such as this one. Looks like it can tilt, and turn, and offset.. Only issue is it's too far of a drive to pickup... That, and the fact is I cant remove the backhoe yet.

As others mentioned, I need something heavy. Driveways are compacted, and dirt here is a combination of shale and clay.

A box blade might be in the future for me as well.

I looked into top 'n tilt. I agree it would be nice to have. I am not sure I have the dollars for it yet.

As far as wanting to get into the tractor and "play", I completely agree. I've done something with it every day this week.

 

[Fallon]

I wouldn't call anything by King Kutter heavy. Don't get me wrong, its decent gear, i like my KK box blade. But its medium quality & weight. That blade wont be doing much digging at all. A blade is a little more than half the weight of a box blade & a King Kutter box blade struggles in a lot of dirt conditions with the scarifiers & extra weight.

 

[Baby Grand]

I am leaning towards a heavy rear blade. Such as this one. Looks like it can tilt, and turn, and offset.. Only issue is it's too far of a drive to pickup... That, and the fact is I cant remove the backhoe yet.

As others mentioned, I need something heavy. Driveways are compacted, and dirt here is a combination of shale and clay.

A box blade might be in the future for me as well.

I looked into top 'n tilt. I agree it would be nice to have. I am not sure I have the dollars for it yet.

As far as wanting to get into the tractor and "play", I completely agree. I've done something with it every day this week.

That looks like a King Kutter HD-RB-96 - about 750 pounds. Similar weight as an RBT3596.
I'd call that a heavy duty rear blade for an L3430. And at $400 that's a great price.

Lots of people think KK only makes wimpy rear blades because they've only seen the light duty blades at TSC or on CL or they've bent up a light duty themselves.
It's almost a sure thing that you'll break your tractor before you bend that blade.
I have their 340# 7' medium duty blade that I use behind my L3240 and it has taken lots of abuse.
Wish it weighed a little more so it would cut better, but it was on sale and I needed something in a hurry and it's worked great for me for 5 years. It's moved lots of soil and tons of wet snow and ice.

BTW - when you can scrape the cash together for TNT, get it.
Makes rear blade & box blade work so much more productive.

 

[Threepoint]

Agree that $400 is a good price for that blade if that's just surface rust in the pic. But 96" in a blade that heavy may be too much for your tractor in your hilly conditions. Suppose you could cut it down with a torch later, if so.

 

[skyhook]

Speaking of a "heavy" rear blade,,
would adding steel to a lighter blade be doable, for adding that extra weight? ( like maybe 200lbs or so)
Has anyone done this with good or better results from the blade?

 

[jeff9366]

If you do this, you will bend or distort the cutting edge before long; then the blade's cutting ability will be permanently impaired. You need the weight designed into the blade, not added on.

Buy an Angle Blade/Box Blade/Disc Harrow/Landscape Rake, etc., with sufficient weight from the beginning.

 

[Fallon]

If you do this, you will bend or distort the cutting edge before long; then the blade's cutting ability will be permanently impaired. You need the weight designed into the blade, not added on.

Buy an Angle Blade/Box Blade/Disc Harrow/Landscape Rake, etc., with sufficient weight from the beginning.

Yup, the weight for most implements should come from structural components. Adding extra weight means that you can push an impliments harder, but it might not gave the strength to stay together when doing that extra work.

 

[Komrade]

That looks like a King Kutter HD-RB-96 - about 750 pounds. Similar weight as an RBT3596.
I'd call that a heavy duty rear blade for an L3430.

I checked my tractor specifications, and while is wider than what my manual says I should get (72"), it would be under the 880lb limit that they have for a box blade.

Someone recommended earlier I get the wider than specified blade so that I could get to the edges easier. If this were mounted in the middle, it wouldn't stick out more than a foot out on each side.

The extra length should help with the rain ditches here. The driveways are steep and the ditches are deep.

But 96" in a blade that heavy may be too much for your tractor in your hilly conditions.

What is "too much"? As in getting stuck? There is pure bed-rock sticking out in places. I think I can get hung on it with any size blade, big or small.

 

[Baby Grand]

Threepoint's observation that a 96 inch blade may be too much for your tractor in your hilly conditions is worth considering. I think what he means is that the amount of material that you can drag is enough to overcome the traction available to your tractor, causing your wheels to spin. There's also a good chance that the width of the blade drives the length of the frame longer so that it can be rotated 180 degrees without hitting the rear tires. Because the blade's pivot is mounted farther aft of the rear axle, it will have more ability to steer the tractor. The increased blade length also creates a longer lever to amplify loads at the blade tip. This becomes very apparent on a slippery surface with the blade turned at a high angle, moving lots of material to the side. The front tires loose grip and steering becomes very iffy. Something to think about.

 

[Threepoint]

Threepoint's observation that a 96 inch blade may be too much for your tractor in your hilly conditions is worth considering. I think what he means is that the amount of material that you can drag is enough to overcome the traction available to your tractor, causing your wheels to spin. There's also a good chance that the width of the blade drives the length of the frame longer so that it can be rotated 180 degrees without hitting the rear tires. Because the blade's pivot is mounted farther aft of the rear axle, it will have more ability to steer the tractor. The increased blade length also creates a longer lever to amplify loads at the blade tip. This becomes very apparent on a slippery surface with the blade turned at a high angle, moving lots of material to the side. The front tires loose grip and steering becomes very iffy. Something to think about.

Yep, exactly. It's not the weight of the blade alone, nor the horsepower of your tractor that concerns me. Your tractor's 3pt system can lift several times that weight, no problem at all. And you have plenty of hp. It's the weight of the tractor relative to the (1) distance of the blade from the center of mass of the tractor (that distance being the lever arm), and (2) the rotational force that a 96" blade will produce once it picks up a load of material. With the blade square to the tractor, I think you'd lose traction so quickly you'd be frustrated trying to get much done. With it angled, I think it would scoot your rear end sideways, as Baby Grand says, steer the tractor. Your driveway is steep, so trying to work uphill would accentuate those forces. Like I say, you could cut that blade down if you find it's too long and have access to a torch or plasma cutter. If Kubota specs 72" for a rear blade with the L3430, I don't think I'd exceed 84".

 

[Komrade]

I picked up a 3-way 7foot Ford tractor blade today.

Something like this.., only 7 ft. will post pic tomorrow.

It's a little rusty, but all surface rust. Doubt that blade will ever need replacement, especially once I recondition it to Kubota colors. "They don't make them like this anymore"

BTW, is there a good way to paint something "kubota" colors? (not my top priority right now)

 

[Baby Grand]

Nice looking blade - I see it offsets, which will come in handy for your driveway work.
I bought Valspar Kubota orange & primer via Amazon. This was based on advice from other TBN DIYers posting their positive experiences. Not cheap, and I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, so I can't give you an endorsement, yet.

 

[Komrade]

There are a few options on amazon as far as "Kubota Orange" goes.

I guess I'll just search the forums.. Thanks.

Some pics



Not sure the "offset" was ever used. In fact I struggle to understand how it works, the bolt inside is rather short, and probably would have to be sawed off.

 

[Komrade]

With the blade square to the tractor, I think you'd lose traction so quickly you'd be frustrated trying to get much done. With it angled, I think it would scoot your rear end sideways, as Baby Grand says, steer the tractor. Your driveway is steep, so trying to work uphill would accentuate those forces.

BTW. I thought about it. And I don't see why i would be doing uphill anything on my driveway. I have 20+% grades, and I drive up in reverse. So most of the work would have to be done moving forward, and flipping the tilt for each side. Guess I need to figure out how to get that offset to work..

Speaking of tilt. What's the benefit of using blade tilt mechanism vs 3-point hitch tilting mechanism?

 

[bcp]

Three point hitch tilt will let you do small tilt adjustments. Most blade tilt positions are large increments.

Bruce

 

[crazyal]

Rain and gravity will move your gravel down your driveway. Dragging it back up to the top will help conserve it. You could use your loader and bring it up in bucket loads.

 

[Baby Grand]

It looks like the blade offsets in increments equal to the distance between the ribs on the blade. Notice the holes in the bottom of those ribs? I believe they are where you would reattach the lower ends of the stays that control the attack angle of the cutting edge. Looks like it would be a pain to change on a frequent basis, but could still be useful if you need the blade offset to one side for a long time.

I ordered Valspar (4432-24-4PK) Kubota Orange Tractor and Implement, which is the "old Kubota" color. I have 2 older machines that are going to need some TLC in the near future. The "new Kubota" color is Valspar (5339-27-6PK) New Kubota Orange Tractor and Implement.

 

[Threepoint]

Komrade, looks like a well-made piece of equipment. You've got some surface rust to deal with, for sure, before the paint goes on. I say never pass up an opportunity to justify a new tool. If you don't already have one, here's a pretty good little sand blaster that's served me well for years: 40 lb. Pressurized Abrasive Blaster A 25% coupon puts it under $83.