How wide for rear blade

[animals45]

It don't take but 10 minutes to unbolt & slide the blade so one side or the other . I know that don't help much if using on snow but in dirt its no prob .
animals45

 

[jyoutz]

Say a guy could get a 7 footer that could easily be offset? I'm not seeing any 8-footers I like right now (too flimsy, too far away, or guys not responding their adds).

Would the ability to easily offset help make up for the missing foot? The one I'm looking at seems much beefier than the alternatives. Or I could just wait...

I bought the 8’ blade with offset because it was in stock and heavy duty. Given a choice, I would take a 7’ heavy blade with pin offset over a 8’ lighter blade without the easy offset. I always need a pass up each side of the road anyways, and the ability to quickly offset, rotate 180 degrees and have sufficient weight is what makes a good blade. I struggled for 20+ years with a light blade that was difficult to offset before finally getting the Bison blade for my new tractor. Best implement I own.

 

[BobInSD]

It depends on what you are trying to do with it.

Offset will help on one side of the tractor, but do nothing for the other side when angled for snow removal.

If you want to clean out ditches or make them, offset would be good for that since only the leading edge would be touching. Similarly, offset is good to push a snow pile on the side of the road farther off once the majority of snow is removed.

I would mainly use it to drag gravel back to the center of the driveway, slide sloppy April (May?) snow out of the barnyard to lessen mud season, and to push the snow farther out (like you said).

I have a box blade, but it's still easier for me to put the final crown on with an angled blade. The last pass is down the middle w/ no angle, so a 7-footer would work there. (offset and angle & off-level to drag stuff to the middle and build up a crown, then level & not angled for the final pass. I'd probably still use the box blade in the yard, the debris floats to the top and is easily disposed of

The Bison blade that Jyoutz linked does look nice, but I'm mainly looking at CraigsList and local used for $400-650 (just the range I'm seeing). It's hard to justify more when I'm still learning on the box blade. There is an 8-foot Bison, but it looks flimsier than the 7 footer (and Bison-guy hasn't responded). The bison tilts but must be unbolted to offset. The 7-footer is easy to offset, and does not tilt (the adjustable side link is sufficient for the driveway, but I couldn't dig ditches with this one). I'm leaning towards the heavier duty, offset-able 7 footer. Maybe just because I'm impatient?

 

[jyoutz]

I would mainly use it to drag gravel back to the center of the driveway, slide sloppy April (May?) snow out of the barnyard to lessen mud season, and to push the snow farther out (like you said).

I have a box blade, but it's still easier for me to put the final crown on with an angled blade. The last pass is down the middle w/ no angle, so a 7-footer would work there. (offset and angle & off-level to drag stuff to the middle and build up a crown, then level & not angled for the final pass. I'd probably still use the box blade in the yard, the debris floats to the top and is easily disposed of

The Bison blade that Jyoutz linked does look nice, but I'm mainly looking at CraigsList and local used for $400-650 (just the range I'm seeing). It's hard to justify more when I'm still learning on the box blade. There is an 8-foot Bison, but it looks flimsier than the 7 footer (and Bison-guy hasn't responded). The bison tilts but must be unbolted to offset. The 7-footer is easy to offset, and does not tilt (the adjustable side link is sufficient for the driveway, but I couldn't dig ditches with this one). I'm leaning towards the heavier duty, offset-able 7 footer. Maybe just because I'm impatient?

If you can get a heavy 7’ Bison blade with offset and can’t find a 8’ model I would go with the 7’. Offset kinda negates the shortcomings of a shorter blade. Mine is cat2, so very heavy built. Are these blades you’re seeing cat1 or 2? Also I don’t own a box bade and find that I don’t need one for road maintenance or anything else really. If you need to move materials, you can get side plates for the rear blade that help with that. But overall, two things that make a rear blade useful are: weight and offset capability. I had a light blade for years and found it near useless for anything but snow removal.

 

[BobInSD]

OK, I ended up with a Bison, 8 foot, but one of their lighter blades and one that needs unbolted to offset. I agreed to buy the much beefier 7 footer that offset over a month ago, but was met with excuses for why I couldn't pick it up for over a month. By then the Bison guy had returned my messages so I ran out and bought that one earlier this week when the 7 footer ghosted me yet again.

We have warmer weather forecast for next week and a lot of snow on the ground so it will be time to blade that slush off of the driveway soon (yesterday was snow blowing 3 foot drifts--not blade work).

I won't get a chance to try it on dirt for quite some time, I guess we'll see then if it's too light. I do have the box blade w/ scarifiers and think I see some ways to easily add weight to the blade I just bought.

Thanks for all of the advice, I learned a lot (but did have to settle for what I could find u$ed locally).

Bob