Hey everyone. You guys have been a godsend as this tractor newbie has navigated purchasing his bx 2370 with box blade, fel, and bx 2767 straight blade/snow plow.
Frankly it took a while for my straight blade and quick attach to come in, so I hadn't even thought about the possibility of using it for summertime driveway maintenance after heavy rains. I have been using the box blade, and it has done ok, but has limitations when trying to develop crowns, etc. unless I adjust the angle. Just wondering if anyone else uses this blade for gravel driveway maintenance?
The box blade is tough to manage a driveway, it does "fill" and "cut" far better than a straight blade but it is hard to bring gravel from side to side. You find the straight blade more effective "moving" the gravels. Typically on a REAR BLADE I set the angle one or two "holes" over, and change the horz tilt with the adjustable arm on the three point. This will allow you to move gravel in two axis at once. Gravel on your driveway has been pushed to the outside and left in the middle by the car tires, when you tilt your blade, pull the gravel that has been pushed to the outside back to the inside going both directions, this can be down in a low gear and a good control on the lift handle, if the blade chatters - you are going to fast (or change the adj top link). This will be harder for you to push the gravel with the front blade - but I bet with a little practice you can get some of the gravel pushed back into the middle - once you finish pushing the gravels from the left and right, you should have a good pile right down the middle of the crown, and here the back blade method works well - front blade set down firm - but able to steer in reverse and knock the hump down and allow the gravel to go back to either side
On the front blade, you have control left and right , correct? DO you have an adjustment to raise only one side, I am gonna say you dont. You might have to continue to pull the gravel from the sides using the box and then "smooth" it out with the front blade.
In your situation - the cost of a rear blade would be a good investment, for pushing snow - the front will win hands down, and the rear will be a help too for ballast and will be worth the cost. For cleaning up your driveway - the rear with the combo of the front will be an easy task. You ought to be able to pick up a 5' rear in the Charlotte area without a problem, I would say you could get one as low as $200. You find that the front blade is the cats lick for pushing snow and the rear for pulling gravel
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