How to choose a box blade

Arkansasdawg

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Equipment
MX5400, grapple, Bad Boy Rotary Mower
Oct 7, 2020
40
2
8
72047
I apologize if this has been beaten to death but I could not find this specific answer. I have just purchased an MX5400 and have some pretty rocky uneven land. How do you pick the best box blade to match the tractor?

is there a best weight, what about width And does brand matter?
thanks for the help
 

BigG

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l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,951
770
113
West Central,FL
You want the box blade to be as wide as the outside of your tires for most applications. The heavier the better for most jobs. If you can find one that has the U-shaped hitch where the ball of the 3 point is supported on both sides it would be better but not a deal braker. There are some other things to look at but they are not important. Look for a used one on Facebook or Craigslist. If you have rear remotes then a hydraulic top link will make your job much easier. The ability to adjust the angle of the box blade on the go is a good thing. If you have t-n-t you are all set.

The 5 foot box blade I pull with my L2501 has an extra 150 pounds of steel hooked on to it to make it cut better.
 

Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
7,516
2,547
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Peoria, AZ
In general, the heavier the blade, the better. Wider blades make spreading & leveling large areas easier, (better "averaging") and narrower blades cut better when cutting into banks, cutting water courses, ditching, etc. (less "surface area")

My neighbor's 60" blade spreads and levels far better than my 41", but when he needs a ditch or water course cut, he calls me.
When trying to cut a water course to route monsoon water away from his buildings, he had made about 6 or 8 passes, and only removed an inch of soil. (hardpacked AZ dirt)
I got 3" on the first pass, and 5"-6" depth by the third pass.
 
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Lil Foot

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1979 B7100DT Gear, Nissan Hanix N150-2 Excavator
May 19, 2011
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Peoria, AZ
I should qualify the above post by saying that my old Gannon box blade weighs as much or more than his new Country Line box blade.
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NHSleddog

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B2650
Dec 19, 2019
2,149
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Southern, NH
Are you going to use it for a couple of hours once a year? Are you going to be using it regularly?

I use mine a lot and actually wore out an old one. It is ground engaging so they get beat up pretty good. On my B2650 for my replacement I went with the EA,
It is built much stronger than the box store units. I have been very happy with it and it is wearing well.

I will say on the box blade the best feature is usually on the tractor and optional. A TOP & TILT kit.

With the "top" you can adjust the "cut" on the fly. So going over a sharp hill where you would usually leave material in the valley, scalp material off the peak, and again leave material in the valley on the other side, you can adjust that on the fly.

With "tilt", you can "cut" a crown into a road, create slope, pull material from ditches etc.

With the T&T, I pick and go with any of the 3pt implements using my QH. It doesn't really matter what ground they are on, you can adjust the angles from the seat. I never leave the seat changing implements unless a PTO shaft needs coupling.

And for the ti-fecta, get a 3rd rear remote for power angle on rakes and things like that.
 
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swpflipper

Active member

Equipment
MX5400 HST, LA1065 FEL, HR2572 box blade - S30 flip Screen
Nov 3, 2020
100
53
28
Arizona
I hope to pick up my MX5400 in the next few days. I decided on the land pride HR2572. I looked at manufacturer applications, read stuff here, I wanted hydraulic tip n tilt and hydraulic ripper's. As stated, wider than the tractor footprint. I looked at what others in my area were using, looked at those specs too.
I hope it was the best choice, time will tell. I'm working on construction sites with it
 
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Arkansasdawg

Member

Equipment
MX5400, grapple, Bad Boy Rotary Mower
Oct 7, 2020
40
2
8
72047
Thanks for the feedback. Do you mind giving me an idea of the price of the LandPride HR2572. Hard to find prices of LandPride implements online and I prefer to shop around before going in person
 

swpflipper

Active member

Equipment
MX5400 HST, LA1065 FEL, HR2572 box blade - S30 flip Screen
Nov 3, 2020
100
53
28
Arizona
Thanks for the feedback. Do you mind giving me an idea of the price of the LandPride HR2572. Hard to find prices of LandPride implements online and I prefer to shop around before going in person
From my dealer $3400. I am getting it rolled into the purchase.
 
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MFFI422

Member

Equipment
BX2380 -Drive Over Mower Deck- LP Tiller - FEL - LP Box Blade - LP QH - Canopy
Jun 10, 2020
81
35
18
Arkansas
I apologize if this has been beaten to death but I could not find this specific answer. I have just purchased an MX5400 and have some pretty rocky uneven land. How do you pick the best box blade to match the tractor?

is there a best weight, what about width And does brand matter?
thanks for the help
Don't think I'm to far from you. In Vilonia.
 

Captain13

Active member

Equipment
M7040 4WD ROPS, ZD28, Woods (84” box blade, 72” harrow, 48” pallet forks)
Feb 27, 2019
516
169
43
Kathleen, GA
Be sure and read your owners manual before buying the box blade. It gives you the weight and width the tractor will handle specifically regarding the box blade.

I bought a Woods 84” (BSM 84) last month to use on my M7040. The Woods uses 1/2 inch plate steel, has replaceable tip scarifiers and replaceable blades. It was cheaper than the LP and is quick hitch capable in case that matters to you. If you are going to be using it a lot in rough terrain, consider the fact that 1/2 steel plate construction is pretty stout And not likely to get tweaked to easily. I just used mine to cut in drainage swales on 5 acres and it was cutting through topsoil down to clay with no problems. I have no commercial interest in Woods. I do like their equipment and all of my implements are made by them.
 
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UpNorthMI

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L3200, L3901, MX5800, SVL75-2, KX040
May 12, 2020
850
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Up North, MI
I purchased a used Woods HB84 from Craigslist to use on the back of my MX5800, I really like it and use it a lot for leveling out trails and rough ground. A hydraulic top link is a great accessory to use with the box blade. Depending on what you are doing weight and width are important.

Everything Attachments makes a nice 84" for about $1,200 delivered or about $1,750 for a heavier model, good luck in your search.