Box Blade Width - Your Thoughts

[Creature Meadow]

First off I own a L4600DT with R4 tires.

I have a land plane, so the soon to be purchased box blade will not be used for road maintenance.

I intend to use it mostly for moving dirt, ripping up some roots in areas I have cleared and a ballast when doing loader work.

What width would you recommend buying? I live in NC and have a number of Everything Attachments implements and love the quality of them. The pick-up location about 45 minutes from my house. So brand is decided, now the width.

Should I get one slightly wider than the rear tires? I'm not concerned about covering my tracks so it looks nice. The areas when free of debris will be finished of with the land plane or tires I have bolted together to smooth.

Like the idea of it being slightly wider so I can get close to trees without rear tires scrubbing. But how wide?

Your thoughts on how wide to go and pros and cons to keep in mind.

My landscape rake and land plane have served well up to this point but upcoming project to grade and level an area where I'm moving a mobile home from I believe justifies the box blade. It will be used in near future grading other areas as well.

So what width do I order from EA Attachments?

My options are below.

Thanks for your time.

Jay


No code has to be inserted here.

 

[NHSleddog]

First off I own a L4600DT with R4 tires.

I have a land plane, so the soon to be purchased box blade will not be used for road maintenance.

I intend to use it mostly for moving dirt, ripping up some roots in areas I have cleared and a ballast when doing loader work.

What width would you recommend buying? I live in NC and have a number of Everything Attachments implements and love the quality of them. The pick-up location about 45 minutes from my house. So brand is decided, now the width.

Should I get one slightly wider than the rear tires? I'm not concerned about covering my tracks so it looks nice. The areas when free of debris will be finished of with the land plane or tires I have bolted together to smooth.

Like the idea of it being slightly wider so I can get close to trees without rear tires scrubbing. But how wide?

Your thoughts on how wide to go and pros and cons to keep in mind.

My landscape rake and land plane have served well up to this point but upcoming project to grade and level an area where I'm moving a mobile home from I believe justifies the box blade. It will be used in near future grading other areas as well.

So what width do I order from EA Attachments?

My options are below.

Thanks for your time.

Jay


No code has to be inserted here.

The box is a sweet building tool. I have used my EA boxblade for miles.

I would go with whatever dimension is just over your width. You DO want to cover your width. There will be "cut" jobs where you need the full width so you are not dropping one tire in and one tire out on consecutive passes.

I highly suggest the top and tilt cylinders with the box as well. It becomes a real grading machine. Slopes, crowns etc. I adjust mine all along the way for max cut or angle.

On my B2650 I have a 5' and it covers my tracks and I can still pull a box full of materials with it.

 

[Old_Paint]

First off I own a L4600DT with R4 tires.

Should I get one slightly wider than the rear tires? I'm not concerned about covering my tracks so it looks nice. The areas when free of debris will be finished of with the land plane or tires I have bolted together to smooth.

You're on the right channel. If you're going to be working in tight spaces, the last thing you need is for that blade to hang on something you are just passing by. You obviously don't mind swapping attachments, and you're probably correct that the land blade will do a good job with levelling, but a properly used box blade does a wonderful job as well. You'll be able to move more dirt, and can push it or pull it. The rippers are designed to only work going forward (pulling), but depending on your purpose (pulling roots or breaking up virgin soil) you can vary the depth up to about 4 inches below the blade level. If you're just levelling loose material, park (fully retract) the rippers. It'll behave very similarly to your land plane, and won't dig as much. If you're yanking out roots, set the rippers as deep as possible, but expect an occasional sudden stop when you find a root that wants to be in charge. If you're breaking up virgin soil, a mid-point with the rippers will serve well to help fill up the box. If you need to push a mount of dirt, easy peasy, the box blade makes a pretty nice pusher as well. Just remember you're not on a D-10 dozer and that the hydraulics to not hold the blade down.

I'd probably stick with one that wasn't any more than a foot wider (6" either side) than the widest points on the tractor. Then, just make sure you remember it's there. That will cover your tracks and give you the best efficiency at your task without creating maneuverability issues. My R-14's are slightly wider than my box, but I still leave no tracks, and on occasion, have still hooked it behind small saplings. Not so much a problem for the blade, but a little annoying when the sapling slaps me in the back of the head.

 

[old and tired]

My tractor is 62-ish" wide, I use a 6 footer... not sure I would want any more, I already bump into things.

 

[GeoHorn]

You’ve said what you intend to use it for.... Both jobs will perform better with MORE weight.... Wider is heavier... and can still be used for what it was built for if wider than your tires...in-addition to your stated tasks.

 

[Nicfin36]

I bought a used 6 foot box blade for my L2501. It sticks out and I have had no issues. Yes, you will need to pay attention when blading around anything. It can be advantageous though as you can blade near objects you normally could not with a blade the same width as the tractor.

As said, the heavier the better. I found my box blade could use more weight, especially on harder ground.

 

[armylifer]

Since your tractor is 62.4" wide in stock form, I would go with a 6 foot box blade. That would make the box blade 4.8 inches wider than you tractor, on each side. Also, that would give you some leeway if you decide at some point to put on wheel spacers. It would also give you significant weight to make the BB work for you.

 

[Creature Meadow]

I measured the width of the rear tires this weekend and they are 71 1/2" outside of tire to outside of tire. So we will say 72".

so I'm leaning towards the 78" weighing in at 545#'s. Give me about 3" outside the tires, not too much but yet a little so I can grade close to something. But not so far as to grap things if not paying attention.

Thanks for the feedback.

Any additional thought before I order this week?

Thanks Jay

 

[In Utopia]

Got a 7' wide box blade free from my son. Have no trouble pulling a full load of caliche up my uphill drive. Here's what can happen if you go to wide with one. Tread on my 640 Ford is about 5' and and a few inches, so we've got overhang. While trying to smooth out a neighbor's trail the blade got hung on a root and spun me around. Happened so fast I had no time to react. Couldn't back up, couldn't go down the steep hill in front. Had another neighbor come over with his dozer to lift and pull me out.
So yes going to wide can get you into trouble .

 

[Lil Foot]

Neighbor has a B2150 with the wheels set out as wide as possible, and bought a box blade about 10" wider than the wheels. (72"?)
Within the first hour, he cut between a tree and his brand new metal building, crunching the corner of the building. He had driven through there 100s of times.

The wider the box blade is, the easier it is to level large areas.
The narrower it is the better it will cut, as in cutting into banks, ditches, and cutting water courses.
And in general, the heavier, the better.