Which Box Blade Should I Get?

[snmhanson]

I am picking up my B7800 Thursday morning and I will have an immediate need for a box blade. The dealer I am getting the tractor from sells Bush Hog implements and a 60" BB would cost me $617. The other local tractor dealer has a 60" Woods for about the same price. I'm not exactly sure which models they are from each manufacturer but based on the size I can narrow it down. I think the Woods is probably the Standard-Duty series and the Bush Hog is likely the SBX series. I am also going to the big city (Portland, OR) tommorow and I can get a King Kutter 66" while I'm there for $429. The box blade is going to be used for some pretty heavy ripping, leveling and grading on up to 2 acres to plant grass and to put additional gravel on and grade a 800' driveway occasionally. I will also use it for projects such as readying areas for a dog kennel and playground for my kid and making a mountain bike track that goes around our property. Should I pay the extra and get the Woods or Bush Hog or will the King Kutter suffice? I assume 60 or 66 inches isn't too large for a B7800, even in somewhat difficult terrain, right? Thanks for any input here.

Matt

 

[Bird]

Matt, my personal recommendation for that tractor would be a 60" box blade. In general, heavier box blades are better than lighter weight ones. But of course you can add weight to the top of light ones. I was quite satisfied with a cheap Howse with my B2710 although before that I had a 48" Monroe Tufline on my B7100 that was a really nice box blade. The other thing you might consider in comparing them is how difficult it is, or how much time it takes, to raise or lower the scarifiers or ripper teeth.

 

[Boone]

I have a Howse BB. The upper supports are heavy plate instead of strap, seems to be very solid. I see many BBs listed on auction bills and have seen these sold for a discount at auction. I paid $200 for my 48 inch brand new at an auction. Northern carries Howse and Howse also has a website.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/LLCategoryDisplayView?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&TEST=Y&productId=717464&categoryId=1510

 

[_RaT_]

I really think a high quality boxblade is an asset. With thicker steel all the way around, they don't hop, skip and jump nearly so easy and the added weight is a great stabilizer for the loader. To give you an idea, mine was about $1600 for a 72". A lot of money but it gets very hard use.

 

[Henro]

I really wanted a Woods or better box blade for my B2910.

My dealer tried to get the woods 60" for me, but later said they would delay production and I would have to wait several weeks. But I had already waited too long to make my decision, so I needed one RIGHT NOW, and ended up getting a 60" KK from TSC for $300.

It may be the Chevy (or Ford) of box blades, but it does work and I think for the money it was worth it. Still, I would recommend going with something better. Once you have one, you may not want to buy another. If you have to pay over $400 for a cheap one and can get the Woods for 50% more, get the Woods. It will be heavier and that is a plus.

This spring I will make a rack to hold concrete blocks on mine, similar to what is used on areators...with the heavier Woods you might not need concrete blocks... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I don't think I would go wider than 60" on the B7800. That width is enough to cover your tracks. That is all I need myself...

 

[BeeFarmer]

I have a landpride 66" and currently I am beating the heck out of it. I didn't realize how much lime stone I had under this Ohio clay.. 66" on a NH 33 works fine. Not sure I would go any bigger just because I have really found it nice to fit into some tight spots.

 

[19th_VA]

Why sacrifice quality to save $--get a Midwest and you get Woods quality at King Kutter prices--no kidding. Here's their site to see of you can find a dealer near you.

Midwest

 

[Theowegian]

Hi Jonathan.
Any idea what some of their prices are? THey look like nice machines.
thanks, dwight

 

[PineRidge]

Well I'm in the market for a new box blade myself. I was going to call Corriher until I saw Midwest. I didn't realize they were the same boxblade. I like the fact that the end plates are 1/2 steel. I tend to be a little rough on ground engaging implements. I'll now be calling Midwest on Monday to see if they have any local dealers that I can purchase one of these puppies from. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Bucky4]

60" KK from TSC are up to $327 now.

 

[Mackinaw]

I got my 48" shipped from Midwest....it's great. The quality is there and so is the price. Just no orange direct from Midwest only other dealers...

 

[DaGoatMan]

Don't discount Land Pride box blades. They are extremely well built. Some say they are a little more expensive that Woods, or Befco... But I found that the dealer has a lot of room to negotiate on prices. I was quoted $625 for Land Pride BB1548 Box Blade by my dealer but when I told him I could get it cheaper from another dealer he was able to drop down to $465 for my Land Pride 48"

 

[snmhanson]

I just picked up the Bush Hog box blade from my dealer for a demo. Only thing is he didn't have the 60" in stock so I got the 65" (SBX-650). Will this work well with my B7800? The dealer thought it might be a good fit because I am getting turfs to go on it which he thought might add a few inches to the width. He has no problem ordering the 60" though, I just need to let him know. I know a 60" would probably be ideal but then I have to wait for it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif and I need it now. I haven't tried it yet but after I post this I am going to unload it, put my kid down for a nap and give it a go. Any input from you experienced folks would be very appreciated though. BTY, the woods I was looking at was actually the HB60 and the Woods website recommends tractors in the 40-70 HP range so I would need to order the woods blade also. Thanks for the help.

Matt

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( dealer thought it might be a good fit because I am getting turfs to go on it which he thought might add a few inches to the width )</font>

I suspect he's right. After you try it on your ground, you'll know better than we do whether it's the right width for your use. The type of terrain, hardness of the ground, number of rocks, etc. make a big difference. Have fun, and while I'm only guessing, I'll guess you'll keep that 65" box blade.

 

[snmhanson]

Good guess Bird. I used it for about three hours today and although it was my first time ever using a box blade I think my tractor handled it no problem. There were actually times when I would have preferred a little more weight. There were also times when I thought I should have broke or at least bent a scarifier or the cutting edge but when I was finished everything still looked as good as new. I'm starting to realize how tough all this stuff is. The only time I got hung up was when a pretty large rock got in the way. Otherwise, even when the BB was completely full the tractor just kept on pulling. I definately need to make my way up the learning curve though. I cleared out and (tried to) level an area of about 30'x40' and it looks ok but it has waves of bumps in it and I couldn't seem to get it completely level (one corner is higher than the rest and one is lower than the rest). I'm also now discovering just how many rocks are in my yard. I have sections of big rocks and also areas of smaller rocks. I'm going to have a rock pickin' party if anyone wants to come. I'll supply all the beer you can drink /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

Matt

 

[greg_g]

If it's in the budget, a landscape rake (often referred to as a landscape rake) should help a lot; RAKE

 

[Oliver550]

My MidWest is just fine and I see no reason to get a $600 land pride. Although, as I posted on another discussion, my buddy tore the thing up this week when it got caught up on a root. But, considering it was $350, I reckon that I can buy a new one in a few years with the difference.

 

[snmhanson]

I don't want to beat this subjest to death but I have another box blade questions. The 65" Bush Hog box blade has been working pretty well for me so far, although I've only used it for about five or so hours. However, when I looked in the owners manual for my B7800 it said that the largest size box blade I should use on it is 54" and 500 lbs. Weight-wise I think I'm ok at 510 lbs but width-wise I'm almost a foot wider than what the manual specs. Still, my tractor seems to pull it ok and it only stops me when I either hit something big like a large rock or sometimes when I've got a full load and keep trying to dig in with the ripping teeth and the 3PH all the way down. Do you guys think I'm ok with this box blade or should I go for something a little smaller? It seems like most people with a 7800 or 2910 are running 60" box blades which is still bigger than Kubota wants. I haven't seen too many 54" box blades except from Kubota (conveniently) and a few other companies which don't have any local dealers. What should I do? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Matt

 

[bigpete]

I'm in a similar, but smaller-scale dillema. My 4110 seems to work well with a 60" United/Leinbach box, but It should be too big by all credible accounts. I'm working in sandy loam and not dragging tons of materials, so I cannot write about finding my machine limits, let alone the boxblade. I have my eye on a Woods/Gannon 54" for when I want to keep my weight up, but lose a few inches in width. I won't go smaller than my wheel width, though.

Good luck.

 

[Rip]

I would say if your tractor is handling it, don't worry about it. You are unlikely to actually hurt anything on the tractor with this larger BB, it just may lose traction or bog down if you are taking too much of a bite with it.

"Easy Does It" will usually get the job done just fine, especially in somewhat mismatched tractor/implement situations.

Rip