Pull type box blades?

Rmart30 · Feb 15, 2018

Anyone using a pull type box blade? I have found a 8 and a 10 for a tempting price. Would be mainly for road repairs that never end (over 50 miles of road).
The back wheels can be manual or hyd. I know you couldnt berm roads with it. but with the guage wheels seems like it could be a good first passes implement to get everything smoothed and then use another tractor following it with implement for ditching and berming.

jeff9366 · Feb 15, 2018

There is no standard nomenclature for this implement.

Searching with alternative terms will produce more results from the TBN Archive.

Here are searches for SCRAPER BOX and PULL SCRAPER:

scraper box site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

pull scraper site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

I would consider a HEAVY Land Plane Grading Scraper with a hydraulic lift rear moldboard. before finalizing on a drag scraper. With fifty miles of road you need speed. A LPGS will level fast, is a simpler implement and easier to turn around. But, the price you are seeing may be irresistible.

bcp · Feb 15, 2018

Many do tilt. On some, the whole axle will tilt. Others tilt by having one trailing arm adjustable.

"Drag scraper" gets the most uncluttered Google image hits, where I found these photos.

drag scraper - Google Search

Bruce

oosik · Feb 15, 2018

If you need to move material from here to there or anything more serious than washboarding then the drag scraper is your tool. If you are dealing with smoothing and/or washboarding then a very heavy duty land plane grading scraper will do the job.

Honestly - if you are dealing with 50+ miles of gravel road that needs year-round repair. I'd be looking for an old non-motorized road grader or even a motor-driven one.

MtnViewRanch · Feb 15, 2018

At the Goodyear proving grounds in Texas, they have literally thousands of miles of dirt roads. They do their general maintenance with a Road Boss LPGS.

They have 4 motor graders. They sit idle unless there is a washout.

The Road Boss is used all day everyday.

This info was given to me by the guy ordering a hydraulic top link for the 6000 series John Deere that they use to pull the Road Boss.

No gimmicks, just a simple implement that does the job well.

fried1765 · Feb 15, 2018

Rmart30 said:
Anyone using a pull type box blade? I have found a 8 and a 10 for a tempting price. Would be mainly for road repairs that never end (over 50 miles of road).
The back wheels can be manual or hyd. I know you couldnt berm roads with it. but with the guage wheels seems like it could be a good first passes implement to get everything smoothed and then use another tractor following it with implement for ditching and berming.

The nearly perfect tool for your 50 mile grading needs would seem to be a Huber Maintainer.
There is currently one listed on E-Bay (item# 231894839529) that has been completely refurbished.
I believe the latest ones may have been built in the late 90's, or may even still be being built.
The Huber is essentially a stretched tractor (very long wheelbase) with a 9' all hydraulic belly blade.
Used Huber Maintainers are reasonably inexpensive.
They have been around since the late 40's.
They are a great machines.
There are several also listed on MachineryTrader.com | Backhoes for sale, skid steers, excavators, dozers.

countrybumpkin · Feb 15, 2018

I took a 3 point box blade and made into a killefer blade like your wanting, I’ve used several for grading and smoothing, work really good

kthompson · Feb 15, 2018

I have used a 3 pth box blade and found it very terrible for road work. I bought a 10 foot pull box blade and to use for grading pond sides and it had worked great on short dirt road across our property. It is hyd operated and the right wheel can also be raised or lowered by itself to allow either to cut less or more than the other. I was surprised how well it did to the crown road. No comparison to a 3 pth for leveling due to the pull box blade wheels are riding on graded ground while the tongue moves it away from the tractor and the rear wheels which mover with the rough ground being graded. Much like road grader design. I have used rear blade that rotates left to right and also the angle of the blade. Neither the 3 pth leave as smooth ground as the pull type does. Have never used a land plane. Do not seem to be very popular around here. Might have seen one on a implement lot.

bdog · Feb 16, 2018

I have a 10’ one. I really like it. It is kind of tricky to set so it doesn’t get too full. If it gets full you are going to need a lot of HP and weight to keep it moving. I pull mine with a 130hp 15,000 lb tractor with dual rear wheels. You don’t need that much grunt for light use if it is not full but load it up and you will want that much and more.

I can get better results with it than I can with my road boss but I use my road boss more because it is easier to connect to my skid steer and is a lot more mobile. If you have long straight always which it sounds like you do the. It may work for you. For small areas it is a pain to turn around.