Raking roots with a box blade

[wjmartins]

I already own a box blade, plus a few other attachments, so I am trying to do with what I have.

Anyone had luck raking pine tree roots with a box blade, keeping the blade off the ground, angling the box forward as far as possible and using 18" shanks to rip the roots up? My current shanks are a bit short to do this, so I am looking at a longer set and then try my luck. Anyone with success, input will be appreciated.

 

[nyone]

All your going to do is rip one end loose. Use a set of loppers and cut at ground level.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Unless these are fairly small trees/roots and/or partly rotted out, I think you might have better luck with a dedicated 3PH ripper tooth. A few years ago, I caught a root while dragging a woods trail and bent(twisted) two of my box blade ripper teeth.

 

[Halftrack]

I had a 5.5 ft King Kutter box and managed to rip the shanks out of the back of the cross beam when I caught some larger roots. I would go with a single shank ripper with a shear bolt protection. If you cut a couple of sides and then hook the stump, it should yield. I have seen a few of the solid shank (non-shear bolt) rippers bent catching large roots or rocks.

 

[Bronco82]

I picked up a cheap box blade and bent two of the shanks on tree roots. It worked well on another one though, but I suppose it's a matter of watching your speed and knowing where they are sure helps too!

 

[Thomas]

How big are the root would be my concern...might damage 3pt hitch.

 

[jeff9366]

I have years of experience removing subterranean roots. Like HALFTRACK and BRONCO82, i had scarifiers rip out of the Box Blade frame, failing at the attachment hardware. I speculate scarifiers and scarifier hardware is engineered to intentionally fail before stress damages the Three Point Hitch.

A spring-protected Field Cultivator, also known as an All Purpose Plow, works better, holds up and penetrates to 14". Six tractor horsepower required per shank in moist ground. What makes the Field Cultivator prime for ground penetration is the parabolic shape of the tines, so the replaceable tine points are penetrating the soil almost horizontally.

Field Cultivators for compact tractors are made with three to seventeen shanks.

MORE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/339095-dirt-dog-all-purpose-plow.html?highlight=


Were your LOCATION included as part of your T-B-N PROFILE I would have provided a vender.

 

[CADplans]

First, get a yellow machine,, that says CAT,,,,

THEN,,,,,

 

[bcp]

First, get a yellow machine,, that says CAT,,,,

THEN,,,,,

That will probably work. If not, there are larger models.

Bruce

 

[YLee Kioti]

would not use a BB for this.
I did use it as such for huisache roots but they may not be as tough as what your after.
Also, was grading a 3/4 acre area for ruts (felt like mowing over train tracks) and discovered it as used as a burial ground of oak trunks and stumps.
After work was all done week later, was drinking some tea and noticed a scarfier tooth was listing starboard!
Well sonofagun...actually bent one pulling up a stump from the ground.
So yes sir would not use a BB for ripping up roots. What's the ol' saying just cause yah can, don't mean yah should...lol...

 

[/pine]

removing roots for me is usually part of clearing a stump...
Without using a backhoe for exposed or cut (from the stump) roots...I've found lifting them up/out with a tooth bar on the loader bucket saves the issues of using something like a BB and rippers etc...
using the curl function with the teeth under the root and the bucket on the ground it has tremendous force and pops even large trunk roots...

 

[YLee Kioti]

Tooth bar is good way to go no doubt. Have uprooted some small hackberries (about2-3") that way.

 

[oosik]

I do not know what kind of operation you have, but here, I could not drive my M6040 around/between/among the small pines to do any root ripping.

BTW - why try ripping the roots. Just lop - tree limb loppers or chainsaw - the trees off at ground level. The root system will rot out very soon.

 

[redhooker]

Here in FL I have had decent results root raking with my box blade. I have a Land Pride 2572 BB, and have broken 1 scarifier on a larger root. BB root raking is not for anything heavy or particularly thick, but in the OP's size tractor it is less likely to cause damage if slowly raking lighter root mat than if attempted with the loader. These smaller loaders are NOT designed to be pushed and subjected to uneven shock forces such as you will experience root raking. I would much prefer pulling the BB slowly for this operation, and although I have a larger loader than the OP's, I would never consider root raking with my grapple on anything heavier than landscape hedges

 

[IndyIan]

How tough is your box blade? I've got some 7' gannon beast that I don't worry about in the slightest, but I do take it easy and go slow to keep the 3pt on the tractor... If you don't have a hydraulic top link yet, get one if you use your box blade much, it makes it so much better to use. Get a hyd side link too, as I always kick myself for not getting one halfway through any of my jobs.

 

[MitchellB]

A sub-soiler might slice or pull them the out stronger than box blade shanks, but be prepared to stop quickly for those that won't budge causing the tractor to rear up and point to the sky!