bucket vs box blade vs blade

[johnjk]

I have a relatively long drive (1000'+) and when it was put in the excavator left a continuous mound of dirt along the drive. Some was used to cover the septic field but I still have a raised strip anywhere from 10" to 2'+ and 8' wide down the entire length.

I would like to grade it out and here is my question. Do I just use the bucket and scrape backwards, invest in a box blade or just use 3point blade? What will work best in your opinion.

I have a B3200 and would need to get ahold of a box blade or a conventional blade.

Thanks

 

[white cloud]

I would go with the box blade. I would read some and watch some youtube before getting started. Remember to go easy with the box blade.

 

[85Hokie]

Box blade is a great leveling tool.......knocks off highs and fills lows.....

a scraper blade will rise and fall on high and lows - hard to control the "cutting"

A fel will work well backwards for leveling.....but it better be fairly level to begin with too!!!

Box blade is the best tool for what you want to do!

 

[johnjk]

Appreciate the responses. My first thought when I saw it last night was I need to get a box blade. Figure I'd post it here to see what people are saying. I have a bunch of grading around the house and property in general that I need to get on once I get the tractor up there. May need to do some shopping this weekend. Thanks again

 

[edwardsonmark]

I would suggest a land plane. I hate my box blade but maybe I can't figure out how to use it correctly the 15 times I have tried it

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[TripleR]

A land plane/grading scrapper works great: http://www.landpride.com/products/82/gs15-series-grading-scrapers

But I can't afford both, so I use a box.

 

[Ike]

I have over a mile of trails thru my woods and in wet weather it gets rutted bad. 2 years ago when I got my tractor I bought a box blade with it. I use to work several days getting the ruts out now with the box blade I make one trip each way and it is done and it is much better job that I did with the back blade

 

[johnjk]

A land plane/grading scrapper works great: http://www.landpride.com/products/82/gs15-series-grading-scrapers

But I can't afford both, so I use a box.

My dealer suggested the land plane for maintaining the driveway. Since my drive is new, I think I will be making many offerings to the gravel gods as I build up the base over the next few years. Due to the volume, taking out over a foot of soil in some areas, the plane might require more passes for minimal material movement. I will be looking at the used implement market for many of the 3-point attachments in order to keep costs under control.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

A 5 foot box blade, as heavy as you can afford to buy will be the ticket for what you need to do now.

For future drive maintenance, a land plane grading scraper (LPGS) is hard to beat.

 

[Redtoorange]

I like to use my box blade for when it is really messed up then a landscape rake (rock rake) for when it is less messed up and to pull the gravel back off the lawn from winter.


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[Benhameen]

All appropriate responses.

Guess my question would be what to do with the dirt? It's been my experience working with my box blade that it's made to move the dirt. As in, it collects in the "box". That's seems like a lot of dirt to move, 10"-2' high x 8' wide x 1000' length, and to move it where? Maybe I'm over thinking it, which I have a tendency too do. Usaully best for me to just get on my tractor and start working rather thinking so much. Haha

I have used my 6' blade at an angle for leveling out smaller mounds of dirt. Not sure that would apply here but...

One thing for sure, you can never have enough implements.

 

[D2Cat]

Benhameen, the volume of dirt you get in your box blade is simply being relocated on your lane. Your goal is to level out the low and high spots and end up with a crown on your lane (the center will be a couple of inches higher then the edges). This allows the water to run off and not puddle causing wash outs, and bigger holes.

It will get out of the box just about as fast as you put it in there!!

Yep, you better go play with it a while.

 

[TripleR]

If you can, add a hydraulic top link then you can easily adjust to dig or smooth. I have TnT similar to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3bOCFXeLec

 

[Ike]

I like that tilt as I try and pull all the loose dirt to the center so the water runs off. It is kind of a pain now

 

[Lencho]

There are lots of used box blades avaible- maybe because folks are moving to land planes - but maybe because they are just a classic implement. I found a used one and it works great for leveling the gravel drive, moving dirt, and as a counterweight for the FEL.

 

[Benhameen]

Benhameen, the volume of dirt you get in your box blade is simply being relocated on your lane. Your goal is to level out the low and high spots and end up with a crown on your lane (the center will be a couple of inches higher then the edges). This allows the water to run off and not puddle causing wash outs, and bigger holes.

It will get out of the box just about as fast as you put it in there!!

Yep, you better go play with it a while.

***128077; Sound reasonable

 

[johnjk]

There are low spots between this mound of dirt and the driveway as well as off to the other side. I mainly want to fill those low spots in between the drive and the dirt area. The center of this pile is about 10 - 12' off the driveway or the distance the excavator rotated to dump while digging the drive. I will be looking used and new to see what I can find.