L3800 blade and hydraulic questions

[Solar07]

Hello all,

I read and read some on this forum daily for a year or so. I finally decided to join

I purchased a new l3800 this year and I absolutely love it. Big step up from my 83 Massey 220-4. I got it with a loader, R4 tires, cruise, and added two hydro remotes to the rear. Sometimes I wonder if I will regret not adding a third.

To my question. I got rid of my 5 foot blade as it was way small for this tractor. I have about 6 acres. I use the blade to grade dirt here and there , for a small garden, landscaping, etc. My primary use is snow removal on about 150 yards of blacktop driveway and a big concrete court sized area behind the house.

I'm wanting to pull the trigger on a new blade in the next week or so and am torn on a 72" or an 84" I will likely go with a land pride rb37 series so I can add the hydraulics for tilt and offset swing. My other option is a Tennessee river blade the dealer has that is pretty heavy duty. Any suggestions or folks with experience with either of these size blades? Thoughts?

I have read a lot of threads asking this but never feedback from the OP after their choice is made. I know it will take the 84 (I think) to cover my tracks when angled in the snow however will that be too much blade for other projects? With the offset swing option of these nicer blades, that's what has me wondering if I should sick with 72.

Thanks for any advice.

On a side note, I read a lot about the remotes in the back being detent, float, top and tilt, and some others. Any good site I can read to learn what all that means and does and what all options I have back there? Thanks again,

 

[Sammy3700]

Depending on your soil type might play a part in it. In NC where I am I have a 6' and 7' box blade and the tractors handle either one great. Just did a driveway today 60 yards of dirt spread with the 6' on Dad's L3800 HST.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Hello all,

I read and read some on this forum daily for a year or so. I finally decided to join

I purchased a new l3800 this year and I absolutely love it. Big step up from my 83 Massey 220-4. I got it with a loader, R4 tires, cruise, and added two hydro remotes to the rear. Sometimes I wonder if I will regret not adding a third.

To my question. I got rid of my 5 foot blade as it was way small for this tractor. I have about 6 acres. I use the blade to grade dirt here and there , for a small garden, landscaping, etc. My primary use is snow removal on about 150 yards of blacktop driveway and a big concrete court sized area behind the house.

I'm wanting to pull the trigger on a new blade in the next week or so and am torn on a 72" or an 84" I will likely go with a land pride rb37 series so I can add the hydraulics for tilt and offset swing. My other option is a Tennessee river blade the dealer has that is pretty heavy duty. Any suggestions or folks with experience with either of these size blades? Thoughts?

I have read a lot of threads asking this but never feedback from the OP after their choice is made. I know it will take the 84 (I think) to cover my tracks when angled in the snow however will that be too much blade for other projects? With the offset swing option of these nicer blades, that's what has me wondering if I should sick with 72.

Thanks for any advice.

On a side note, I read a lot about the remotes in the back being detent, float, top and tilt, and some others. Any good site I can read to learn what all that means and does and what all options I have back there? Thanks again,

Get the RB3784, perfect size for your tractor. Be sure to get it with the skid shoes, they make a HUGE difference in pretty much every condition. You are going to have to fab something up as far as hydraulic offset. That is not an option with that blade that I know of. Hydraulic blade angling, yes, but that's it for hydraulics on the RB37 series blades. Have to jump up to the RBT series blades to get more hydraulic options available.

As far as your hydraulic controls, detent valve is usually used to supply a constant flow for a log splitter or even a back hoe, but an implement that needs a constant flow and has it's own controls on the implement.

A float function valve works just as your loader valve, forward and reverse and the lever springs back to the center, all the way forward with a click, (the detent to hold into the float mode) and you have the float function to make use of. Different people use this function for different needs. I personally am big on the float function with top & tilt cylinders for different requirements.

A std spring return to center valve, works just like the float function valve, but without the float function, so no detent or float function with this valve.

Picture shows a top & tilt set of hydraulics on a tractor of similar size.

Let us know what you end up with.

 

[Solar07]

Thank you for all the info so far. You don't think the rb3784 would be too much blade at 700 pounds and 7 feet? The dealer seems to think so.

Does anyone know if a 6 footer Would cover my r4 tracks when tilted for snow?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Thank you for all the info so far. You don't think the rb3784 would be too much blade at 700 pounds and 7 feet? The dealer seems to think so.

Does anyone know if a 6 footer Would cover my r4 tracks when tilted for snow?

The RB3784 is about perfect for your L3800. A 7 foot blade at a 35* angle is only making about a 66" cut. At 45*, about 60". A 6' blade is 58" at 35* and 50" at 45*.

Do you have or are you going to have your rear tires filled? That will make a HUGE improvement with how your tractor handles that blade.

A 6' rear blade is not wide enough for your size tractor IMO.

Just out of curiosity, is it the weight, or the width that your dealer is most concerned about?

 

[Solar07]

He claimed the weight...

 

[MtnViewRanch]

He claimed the weight...

Well, based on that comment, I would no longer take any advice from him. You want weight, if the implement digs in to much, you have a 3pt hitch lever just to your right and it can raise up and take that weight off the ground, some or all. You still want the weight so that bumps are cut off, not just ridden up and over like a light weight implement would do.

Your tractor will handle a 700lb implement even with a load up against it easily. Go with the heaver blade at the 7' width, I doubt that you will be sorry.