Recommended implement to grade road with BX24

[mswlogo]

I have a narrow "crushed bank" road to grade (I believe it's called crush bank, I'm in NH). It's sandy with small stones and maybe a little clay to hold it together. It packs well unless water flows over it heavy.

Road is only wide enough for one car to pass.

It has a steep incline.

It's cut into the side of a hill. Steep hill on one side and falls off fast on the other.

There is a gully along the road that I try to keep open to encourage water to flow down.

I'll generally be working with existing material and add on occasion.

I'm really pushing the budget getting the tractor. So would like to keep cost down. But the box blades and manual adjustable straight blades are not much money.

Also after reading it's not great to use the FEL to backward grade with I thought I'd be better off buying the proper implement now since one of the primary purposes of the tractor is to maintain this road. I have used tractor FEL to grade road and it wasn't fun.

I may want to experiment with the crown of the road and how it's pitched.

Should I just get a box blade?

If so what size and what brand (is Kubota brand box blade ok)?

Should I just get an adjustable straight blade?

If so what size and what brand (is Kubota brand straight blade ok)?

The manual adjust blade looks like it could be a PITA.

I've seen a hydraulicaly controlled angle blade on the big tractors. Do they make smaller ones for BX size.

How much we talking for these?

Also what implement would you recommend to keep the gully open. Lots of fist sized rocks in it.

I'm leaning towards a Kubota Box blade at the moment.

And I know every box blade needs added weight.

Thanks for any tips.

 

[asylum575]

Kubota does have a hydraulic front blade, you need the front quick hitch kit. Whole setup is about $1800-2000. Kubota and Landspride just hooked up on a joint venture. Not sure who makes Kubota's box blade, but most people go with Woods or Landspride. There are a few others. See if you can rent a box blade and test it out, if not TSC has one for under $400. 48 inch box blade is recommended for the BX24

 

[MtnViewRanch]

If you are going to have to continuously grade your road, take a look at these. Grademaster Blade Tractor 3 Point Hitch Scraper or one of these, Road Boss Grader - Road and Landscape Grading, Surfacing and Leveling, and Material Spreading and Reclamation. I have over 2 miles of roads to maintain and I use a Road Boss myself. There are many similar blades and they all vary in price quite a bit.

Good luck

 

[chrisjbell]

I'd recommend a box blade - great for roads, drainage culverts. Also useful for a number of other tasks. A nice, multi-purpose implement.

You can get all kinds of hydraulics to increase the functionality of your tractor but you'll be talking money. I'd love to add 'em to mine but can't justify the cost.

 

[KeithInSpace]

There have been threads in the past few months regarding adding hydrulic rams to operate the top link as well as the angle adjustment side of a lower link (the one with the adjustment bolt on it) on a 3PH. The cost of the parts is generally acceptable...the spooler is a bit expensive...but the fact that you have a BX24 takes some of the guesswork out of adding rear hydraulics since you already have some quick connects dangling back there.

If it were me, I'd plan out adding about $500 worth in hydraulics/spooler/lever to the back of the tractor, add a system that controls two rams...the top link (for attack angle) and the side link (to control lateral angle...or slope with respect to the tractor to help you cut down on one side more than the other) and get a simple box blade. It really is an exceptional all around implement.

If you get either of the items that Mr. MtnViewRanch suggests, I'd probably still work on the hydraulics if one of the primary purposes of the tractor was to maintain a particular road. It looks like a fun DIY project that I'd like to do sometime, in fact.

 

[Solo]

I have used a rear blade a box blade and a landscape rake. I like the blade and box blade for digging and regrading. The rake I like to use for occassional maintenance. My blade is a Woods the box blade is made by United and the rake is Lienbach. If I could only have one I would buy the rake it does a really good job in a short amount of time. My driveway is 1100' long.

Solo

 

[mswlogo]

Thanks guys, sounds like the box blade is the way to go.

The fact I can add the hydraulics later is great.

Anyone photos of hydraulics on a box blade welcome (especially a small one).

Thanks