Dirt Moving Tooth Bar Advice

[siman00]

Hello all. I am the new owner of a used Kubota B2410. It has a 352 FEL and I'm trying to figure out what type of tooth bar, if any to use. I need to maintain about 1200 feet of mostly dirt driveway. The soil is a very sandy loam that has been packed tight and hard by years of traffic. There are shallow "ruts" where the wheels travel with grass in the area between the ruts.

I'm considering a Piranha tooth bar vs a more typical tooth bar. From what I can see, it appears that the Piranha tooth bar is best suited to remove heavy vegetation (which I do not have), while the more traditional tooth bar is better suited to aid in digging. I'm thinking I may be able to use the FEL to cut down the median and backpull that material to fill the ruts.

OR--- Should I forget a tooth bar entirely and get a box blade to use on the driveway?

I'm new to tractoring and will appreciate any help, advice or experience you can provide.

 

[Mikefromcny]

I think you would be best off with a back blade.

 

[/pine]

Sounds to me from your description that a land plane may be the best option...
Also a thought on tooth bars...they are great for digging into whatever (something the regular bucket edge is not good at)...but in the same respect a tooth bar is not good if you want to use the FEL to back drag over a worked area (smoothing effect)...something that is easy and quick to learn...where learning to do a similar function with a box blade can take more time to acquire the skill

 

[atsah]

My vote goes to a box blade for your application. A tooth bar isn't going to do much for you.

 

[longjohn79]

Box blade with rippers, very versatile. I did exactly what you are talking about in semi rocky shale and sandstone for an old strip mine road recently and was amazed at how well it smoothed it out.

 

[altoonapillarrock]

Hello all. I am the new owner of a used Kubota B2410. It has a 352 FEL and I'm trying to figure out what type of tooth bar, if any to use. I need to maintain about 1200 feet of mostly dirt driveway. The soil is a very sandy loam that has been packed tight and hard by years of traffic. There are shallow "ruts" where the wheels travel with grass in the area between the ruts.

I'm considering a Piranha tooth bar vs a more typical tooth bar. From what I can see, it appears that the Piranha tooth bar is best suited to remove heavy vegetation (which I do not have), while the more traditional tooth bar is better suited to aid in digging. I'm thinking I may be able to use the FEL to cut down the median and backpull that material to fill the ruts.

OR--- Should I forget a tooth bar entirely and get a box blade to use on the driveway?

I'm new to tractoring and will appreciate any help, advice or experience you can provide.

I would recommend a Land Pride grading scraper. My BX24 pulls it up and down my 2200' gravel driveway and gives it a good crown. 20% grade in some places.

 

[Snobdds]

The poor guy, he's going to need 5 different attachments with all the suggestions.

Let me be clear, there is not one magic attachment for your needs. You need a box blade to fix and crown the road, then a Land plane to maintain the road. Then your set.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

My vote goes to a box blade for your application. A tooth bar isn't going to do much for you.

Box blade with rippers, very versatile. I did exactly what you are talking about in semi rocky shale and sandstone for an old strip mine road recently and was amazed at how well it smoothed it out.

Almost any use of a FEL needs a counter weight on the back of the tractor. I've found the Boxblade to be the perfect counter weight to leave on all the time other than when specifically using one of the other 3ph implements (Tiller, rotary mower. RFM). The boxblade will do what you need done on your road. I have about a mile of gravel road going up to the top of the mountain where a tower used to be and now glad "they, tower company" built it. Since I now own it and have to maintain it I started paying more attention to gravel road maintenance. Water off the mountain had started rutting across the road since water rolls downhill. I started just dropping my boxblade with ripper teeth up or off at a level plane when I'd go up and then the same when I came down. After about 4 to 6 trips doing that the road now has no ruts and is fairly smooth. Since I was making the trips up to the cabin anyway and coming back down it cost no extra time, effort and very little extra fuel to maintain the gravel road.
I personally hate rear grader blades since they tend to follow the going up or down of the tractor and never got the hang of using one to my satisfaction. I have a Ratchetrake but I wouldn't use it to do a mile of gravel road. It clears brush great and lower teeth level out ground great for seeding or just leveling.
The Pirniha is a digging/brush clearing implement.

 

[jeff9366]

6/09/2016​

This post concerns Ratchet Rakes Vs. light Box Blades, such as the 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

I searched for the weight of kubota L3301 bucket but could not find a number. I presume L3301 bucket weighs approximately 240 pounds, extrapolating from other kubota specs. 68" Ratchet Rake weighs 88 pounds. Adding 240 + 88 = 328 pounds, pretty close to 346 pounds of BB1260 Box Blade.

In addition, the (operator controlled) weight of the FEL frame bears on the Ratchet Rake. Likewise, weight of the Three Point Hitch bears on the Box Blade. FEL frames weigh much more than ( 3X? 4X?) Three Point Hitch components. So, including some FEL weight, I guesstimate that ground contact pressure on Ratchet Rake and BB1260 would be at least equal, perhaps greater pressure on the Ratchet Rake.

Further in Ratchet Rake's favor you have articulation of bucket/RR combination in two planes from the operator's station and 1-1/2" serrated teeth on the Ratchet Rake.

Box Blade can be raised and lowered hydraulically from the operator's station. Box Blade angle of attack is adjustable via the Three Point Hitch Top Link, but not from the operator's station. Standard Box Blade does not have rippers, standard is a smooth cutting edge.

Ratchet Rake is capable of tearing up sod with its serrated teeth, the initial operation in much grading. The Ratchet Rake will not pull as large a load as a Box Blade but it may pull 35% of capacity of BB1260 per pass, with faster cycles. Ratchet Rake is more intuitive in operation than a Box Blade, which requires considerable experience to operate efficiently.

This is why I feel the Ratchet Rake is superior to light Box Blades for LIGHT grading.

I own both a Ratchet Rake and a Rollover Box Blade.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.


MORE: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/375397-ratchet-rake-today.html

 

[Snobdds]

6/09/2016​

This post concerns Ratchet Rakes Vs. light Box Blades, such as the 60" Land Pride BB1260/346 pounds/69 pounds per foot.

I searched for the weight of kubota L3301 bucket but could not find a number. I presume L3301 bucket weighs approximately 240 pounds, extrapolating from other kubota specs. 68" Ratchet Rake weighs 88 pounds. Adding 240 + 88 = 328 pounds, pretty close to 346 pounds of BB1260 Box Blade.

In addition, the (operator controlled) weight of the FEL frame bears on the Ratchet Rake. Likewise, weight of the Three Point Hitch bears on the Box Blade. FEL frames weigh much more than ( 3X? 4X?) Three Point Hitch components. So, including some FEL weight, I guesstimate that ground contact pressure on Ratchet Rake and BB1260 would be at least equal, perhaps greater pressure on the Ratchet Rake.

Further in Ratchet Rake's favor you have articulation of bucket/RR combination in two planes from the operator's station and 1-1/2" serrated teeth on the Ratchet Rake.

Box Blade can be raised and lowered hydraulically from the operator's station. Box Blade angle of attack is adjustable via the Three Point Hitch Top Link, but not from the operator's station. Standard Box Blade does not have rippers, standard is a smooth cutting edge.

Ratchet Rake is capable of tearing up sod with its serrated teeth, the initial operation in much grading. The Ratchet Rake will not pull as large a load as a Box Blade but it may pull 35% of capacity of BB1260 per pass, with faster cycles. Ratchet Rake is more intuitive in operation than a Box Blade, which requires considerable experience to operate efficiently.

This is why I feel the Ratchet Rake is superior to light Box Blades for LIGHT grading.

I own both a Ratchet Rake and a Rollover Box Blade.

When I have heavy grading to do, I mount my 60"/625 pound (125 pounds per foot) Bush Hog (brand) Rollover Box Blade on the tractor's Three Point Hitch AND the Ratchet Rake on my FEL bucket.


MORE: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/375397-ratchet-rake-today.html

I have to ask, do you get paid to promote the ratchet rake? It seems every post about a road or clearing brush, you always make a long winded promotion of the ratchet rake. Now I understand you may just be a big fan, but with the volume of promotion it has to be venturing into paid endorsement territory. It reminds me of the old saying, when your favorite tool is a hammer, every problem requires a nail.

However, this is not a slight against you, you have some good advice, just want to have some perspective from where you're coming from.

 

[jeff9366]

No. I am a seventy year old Florida retiree, who tractors several days per week on 200 acres. I have more time than most to contribute here.

T-B-N is an information site.
The OP is new; he has seven (7) posts. His first post was July 2, 2017. OP is seeking info on grading with a bucket attachment. The Ratchet Rake is a good grader and it is a bucket attachment.

I have had a number of tractors, attachments and implements pass through my stable over the years. The Ratchet Rake remains one of my most used; RR is good many tasks and unequalled for tearing out brush attached to <6,000 pound tractors.

The OP has a light tractor. While the RR is fine on my heavy chassis L3560, it is proportionally more effective on lighter tractors like the OP's B2410.

Now you know.

Have you ever used a Ratchet Rake?

Check this out: ratchet rake - YouTube

 

[/pine]

The big problem I see with trying to use a loader bucket to do any type of grading work is...you can't see what is happening...also there is no way to change the lateral angle of the bucket...where with a hydraulic (3PH) tilt cylinder you can easily change the angle of a pull behind grading implement...

 

[siman00]

Thank each of you for your advice. I understand that experts often don't agree, so I didn't expect a slam dunk answer.

It seems that the FEL is not going to do what I need, and a rear attachment will do the job better. I am not a rich man, so I will be pushing it to get even a decent box blade.

Given that, what advice do you have on box blades? New vs used? Ripper bars vs no Ripper bars? A land plane would be nice, but one is over my budget, and I'm not sure I have the power or weight to pull it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Snobdds]

No. I am a seventy year old Florida retiree, who tractors several days per week on 200 acres. I have more time than most to contribute here.

T-B-N is an information site.
The OP is new; he has seven (7) posts. His first post was July 2, 2017. OP is seeking info on grading with a bucket attachment. The Ratchet Rake is a good grader and it is a bucket attachment.

I have had a number of tractors, attachments and implements pass through my stable over the years. The Ratchet Rake remains one of my most used; RR is good many tasks and unequalled for tearing out brush attached to <6,000 pound tractors.

The OP has a light tractor. While the RR is fine on my heavy chassis L3560, it is proportionally more effective on lighter tractors like the OP's B2410.

Now you know.

Have you ever used a Ratchet Rake?

Check this out: ratchet rake - YouTube

Fair enough. Just was wondering. Just a big fan...

 

[jeff9366]

Here is a search of the TBN archive using the term "BOX BLADE FOR KUBOTA B":
Google

 

[KennyV]

Since it is 'near' impossible to ware-out a good BoxBlade look for for the best used one you can find, it will save you some $ and you will have a life long attachment..
If you are limited to one attachment for road work, a boxblade is your best single choice. KennyV

 

[/pine]

Box blades can have a steep learning curve to successfully accomplish tasks at a satisfying level...especially without the benefit of hydraulic top and tilt...

You see more box blades for sale used than you do other grading attachments...mainly because operators that don't put in the time to conquer the learning curve get frustrated and give up on them...rakes and planes etc. tend to be much more forgiving for an inexperienced operator...

On the other hand a tractor with hydraulic top and tilt and a box blade...even a novice can master the learning curve and do just about anything when it comes to grading and moving earth etc...

Definitely get a box blade with scarifiers/rippers...they are paramount for certain applications (like fixing potholes so they don't come back)...especially in hard packed earth or gravel...

first rule of a box blades is "the heavier the better"...smaller lighter box blades can do most anything a big heavy blade can do it just takes longer and more passes etc...

Good Luck...

 

[ProjectKing]

Hello all. I am the new owner of a used Kubota B2410. It has a 352 FEL and I'm trying to figure out what type of tooth bar, if any to use. I need to maintain about 1200 feet of mostly dirt driveway. The soil is a very sandy loam that has been packed tight and hard by years of traffic. There are shallow "ruts" where the wheels travel with grass in the area between the ruts.

I'm considering a Piranha tooth bar vs a more typical tooth bar. From what I can see, it appears that the Piranha tooth bar is best suited to remove heavy vegetation (which I do not have), while the more traditional tooth bar is better suited to aid in digging. I'm thinking I may be able to use the FEL to cut down the median and backpull that material to fill the ruts.

OR--- Should I forget a tooth bar entirely and get a box blade to use on the driveway?

I'm new to tractoring and will appreciate any help, advice or experience you can provide.

Is your driveway flat? Or is it crowned or have other odd shape?

The best attachment for making a smooth drive is a land plane. However a box blade will do an acceptable job too.

If you have a gravel drive, a ratchet rake does a fantastic job loosening up and refreshing the gravel. It will also rip out the pesky grass that grows in the driveway. Then you can use a box blade to get it nice a smooth.

A tooth bar is not of much use on drive way work. However I prefer the Piranha over a traditional tooth bar. They are excellent for digging with small tractor loaders.

 

[jeff9366]

Fair enough. Just was wondering.

Have you ever used a Ratchet Rake?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

No. I am a seventy year old Florida retiree, who tractors several days per week on 200 acres. I have more time than most to contribute here.

T-B-N is an information site.
The OP is new; he has seven (7) posts. His first post was July 2, 2017. OP is seeking info on grading with a bucket attachment. The Ratchet Rake is a good grader and it is a bucket attachment.

I have had a number of tractors, attachments and implements pass through my stable over the years. The Ratchet Rake remains one of my most used; RR is good many tasks and unequalled for tearing out brush attached to <6,000 pound tractors.

The OP has a light tractor. While the RR is fine on my heavy chassis L3560, it is proportionally more effective on lighter tractors like the OP's B2410.

Now you know.

Have you ever used a Ratchet Rake?

Check this out: ratchet rake - YouTube

Just turned 70 myself and agree with value of RR and I sing it's praises also. I sing the praises of anything and anyone that is of a bit more than ordinary value and often times also get accused of working for vendors but I don't care. I don't get paid to tell who and what I appreciate and wonder why it bothers some people. Maybe they don't have anything or anyone they value enough to sing their praises.

Since it is 'near' impossible to ware-out a good BoxBlade look for for the best used one you can find, it will save you some $ and you will have a life long attachment..
If you are limited to one attachment for road work, a boxblade is your best single choice. KennyV

I agree even though I think the RR is a great implement for what it does. I believe almost anyone can learn to use the BB effectively with a bit of adjusting of the top link and considered a powered top link but my dealer laughed and said he saw no real value in it and I've not had one for about 14 years so guess I can live without one. I know some people swear by the top n tilt but I believe that is a personal preference. It just makes it easier than adjusting by hand. :2cents: ad that's from never owning one to clarify my experience with tnt which I have none..