Box scraper usage

[Derrinx]

Hi,

I've been lurking for a while doing research on the capabilities of CUTs. My brother in law has a nice BX and it got my thinking of getting something for my family's country house. We have 45 acres of woods and 10 acres of cleared fields. A 5 acre section of field below the house is really hard to maintain, the other ~5 acres are wild tick infested wastes of space. We have an ATV with a tow behind brush hogger that we use once or twice a year. It is full of water runoff due to a poorly constructed ditch and all the water from the melts and rains pours into the pond. The field is full of huge rocks and ditches.

Enter now my plan. I want to invest in a mid sized B series, either a 2601 or a 2650 with a FEL. I want to use a box scraper to plow a ditch on both sides to allow drainage, and then I want to level the field to make it mowable instead of having to brush hog. How much work is this? All the videos i see of box scrapers, theyre digging through clean dirt, not full of weeds and bush roots. Would it clog up constantly? Would the tractor have the power/traction (assuming dry ground) to pull a 54" scraper through all the rocks and roots in the field? I would want to be scraping at least a few inches of dirt off the high points and dropping it into the lows. Where do I start, by asking my dealer?

 

[Diydave]

Do yourself a favor, and spray the proposed ditch area with roundup, first. This will allow you to see what the soil and rock situation looks like. If it's rocky, try a subsoiler, down the middle of the ditch, then successive passes beside the middle. This will root out any big rocks. Then, take a moldboard plow, and plow out your ditch, by plowing a deadfurrow (start plowing from the outside edge of the ditch, throwing the dirt towards the outside of the ditch) If there are trees around, this approach may not work real well, as plows and tree roots are enemies...

 

[RCW]

A "B" will pull a 54" box. A BX works well with a 48".

Not knowing the slope, geology, etc., it is difficult to say if it will work or not to fulfill your purpose.

A BX or B will pull roots and rocks within reason. Unless you're trying to pull sugar maple roots of 2 or 3", the box will break them up with the scarifiers. Since its a swampy spot you brush hog, guessing tree roots are not an issue.

Rocks could be a different story. If Upstate New York dealing with shale stones that run a 50 pounds each tops - good to go, but you're going to have the work around them big ones to get them out. If in White or Adirondack Mountains and dealing with BIG granite "goonies," might be an issue. Bedrock is out altogether.

 

[RCW]

Follow DIYDave's ideas - they are good ones!

 

[coachgeo]

Saw somewhere a fellow had added a single plow on the outside edge of a box blade. It stuck out well below the box blade. He used it to dig ditches. Could see a receiver hitch tube pointed downward welded to outside of a box blade. Put plow blade in for ditch maintenance. Take it out for regular Box blading.

But.... some equipment places you can rent implements... nothing beats that cost unless you rent them often. Rented a box blade for my road. Will take years of renting once a year or two to equal cost of a box blade. Guess you might can find the other implements to rent as mentioned above. Not sure.

Side note: I do like the Box Blades that have a flap you can let open in back that turns the box blade into more of a land plane.

 

[Derrinx]

Thanks for the input. This is the field. The road runs down the right side. I want to cut ditches on both sides, but a bigger one on the right since all the road drainage runs into there. The field is full of vegetation, and I never saw a box blade used on that. Lots of good ideas so far. The way I envisioned it, I would spend a few weeks breaking it up with the scarifiers, allow the vegetation to die to some extent, then begin clearing any rocks bigger than a softball. There are some big ones but all I've ever seen is shale. Once this was complete I could begin moving dirt around and cutting the ditches. I would buy the blade because I'd be needing it for many hours as I want to do the back fields one day. Maybe I'll even rent a small backoe to do the ditch on the right side.

There's a bit of a pitch to the property. How much harder does the uphill make it? Can't see it so much in the pic but there are some darn big holes.

 

[MagKarl]

With that much land to maintain, and the description of the jobs you want to start with, I'm going to suggest you go a little larger and look for an L series with R1 ag tires.

 

[sawmill]

This would probably handle a 72" box blade.

 

[RCW]

Nice spot -

Do what DIYDave said - you'll be good to go to around the road.

A box blade may be useful for hummocks and hollows in the areas away from the road.

 

[Derrinx]

This would probably handle a 72" box blade.

Ha I prefer quad jet turbines.

Thanks all for the input and good ideas. A lot of maybes right now but once the work starts I'll provide updates

 

[Derrinx]

With that much land to maintain, and the description of the jobs you want to start with, I'm going to suggest you go a little larger and look for an L series with R1 ag tires.

The thing pulling me away from an L is the fact that L's don't run belly mowers and I want one. Unless a rear PTO powered finish mower does an equally good job and is equally durable.

 

[D2Cat]

I agree with MagKarl, Go with an "L", based on the area you own. I would also go with a 3pt (pull behind) mower. Much easier to hook up and remove for other implements.

A belly mower puts limitations/restrictions on your tractor. You need a machine to do the field work, and an L will do that. A smaller tractor will get it done, but much slower and frustrating.

If you just "gotta have" a belly mower, save up and get a real belly mower. A zeroturn with hydraulic lift deck.

We've got a Grasshopper. Literature says it will mow 6 ac. per/hour. Max mowing speed is 10mph. It will do it!! Once you mow with one, you'll never consider a "tractor' mower again.

 

[bmblank]

Yeah, that's alot of work for anything smaller than an L. It's probably alot of work for an L, too, but we I understand you gotta draw the line somewhere.

 

[Daren Todd]

The thing pulling me away from an L is the fact that L's don't run belly mowers and I want one. Unless a rear PTO powered finish mower does an equally good job and is equally durable.

Rear finish mowers do a fantastic job mowing. Just keep the blades sharp i used to get low spots from a three blade 48" cut mower when turning or mowing along a slight slope or when a tire hits a low spot. The mower would lean a little bit. The finish mower I have runs on four wheels to set the depth. Gives it a nice even cut and floats over any low spots. Even when turning or dropping a tire in a hole

 

[lakebota]

With that nice spot have you considered not cutting ditches, and rather, regrade the road to a simple out-slope so as to not concentrate flows?. Doing so would avoid ruining the "wetland" and would allow you to maintain the road with a smaller tractor.
If you definitely want to ditch, consider renting the larger unit, or better perhaps a mini excavator with a belly blade. Being prudent with side casting ditch spoils into stock-piles and windrows you could use a smaller tractor to move spoils into holes and the box scraper to level and blend.
Also try to create outlet ditches the follow coutours. Tearing up to much might result in silt problems in the pond that may persist as straight ditches tend to scour when built on sloping ground.

 

[Ezlife45]

I have a B2650 and I only have 5 acres. If I had 10 or more I would have gone L. Weight is your friend. If DPF particulate filter is a concern to you, there is a baby L that weighs 700 lbs more than my B and it's a boon if you ever want to drag/haul anything.

My B has plenty of power but gets traction limited, especially when doing loader work. An additional 700 lbs makes a big difference. Also consider getting the tires filled.

 

[illiceman11]

I do love mybox blade and have one at each of my locations.In you situation a rear adiustable blade might also be a answer. I agree in the vegetation a box blade would only plug up a maybe make the area rougher than it was.
A rear blade can be used to work your ditches out to your specs on both sides as well as keeping them shaped and cleaned out in the future.

 

[illiceman11]

As far as mowers go look hard at the Great Plains made rear mowers.They are called Land Pride.Woods also make a good mower.
A mid mounted unit would have to br removed when using the tractor for most dirt work.

 

[blank102]

With that much land to maintain, and the description of the jobs you want to start with, I'm going to suggest you go a little larger and look for an L series with R1 ag tires.

^^^ What he said!

 

[blank102]

This would probably handle a 72" box blade.

Oh yeah? I'll go ya one better!