Advice on Use of Box Blade

wsmm · Apr 9, 2011

Just finished a prototype to convert my back blade into a box blade minus scarfing teeth. The soil I have is a sand base so I don"t really need the teeth. I"m using it to level and maintain my drive way which is over 1600" in length, it has long straight and short straight sections with curved sections in the mix. Any advice on using my box blade would be greatly appreciated. It is 6" wide and on a Ford 2N tractor. 1st pass didn"t look too bad, but still not where I"d like it. Need to get the sides pulled down as they get built up from snow plowing in the winter.

Thanks,
Bill

flying belgian · Apr 9, 2011

If you can catch it at just the right time after a rain you will be able to work it much easier. After rain set it at an angle and you will be able to pull them sides right back in.

wsmm · Apr 9, 2011

If you set the box blade on an angle won't the leading edge of the box blade cause problems? I have brought some of the dirt down using the back blade before mounting the box attachment to the blade.

bo · Apr 9, 2011

Only way to pull the sides back is to angle the box blade so one side cuts and feeds the material out of the higher side. Run up one way and then the other. Then...I back blade it level or you can drag a RR tie or I beam to level it. My box blade has a blade on the back whick levels but you wouldn't have that on a scraper blade and you probably can do that. I'd drag a I beam or a RR tie.

flying belgian · Apr 9, 2011

Well this is not what you want to hear but for maintaining your drive you should have left the blade as it was.

flying belgian · Apr 9, 2011

I should add. Did you ever see how your township maintains their gravel roads? Do it just like they do. Do it when they do it and do it how they do it.

Crem · Apr 9, 2011

Maybe you could minimise the leading edge problem by lengthening the top link and also using the leveling arm adjuster.

I have had pretty good success using a landscape rake and angling it. It depends on how loose your material is and if you add weight to the rake.

Eldon (WA) · Apr 9, 2011

I would keep the sides of the box resting on the ground, that way the dirt/gravel can't escape except when there is a rut. When it gets to the point where it runs out in front of the side I would pull into the road and let it empty out in the ruts, then back up to where you pulled over and start again. Box blades work even better with a hydraulic top link, tilting it forward on its sides to spread the material evenly.

showcrop · Apr 10, 2011

Sand generally makes a poor driveway simply because it won't compact and stay where you want it. If your driveway is loose enough that you can easily move the material, you will probably need to blade it every week, or add a mix of 3/8 and 3/4 stone to bind up the sand. If the native material is firm, you should put the scarifier back on to loosen the material to enable cutting the ruts and pot holes. Most scarifiers that I have seen will readily pivot up out of the way when not needed. You will want an aggressive crown in your driveway so that the water runs off to the edges, greatly slowing formation of ruts and potholes.

Blackhole 49 · Apr 10, 2011

Flying Belgian is right. A box blade is great for leveling, but you need to have an angle blade to pull the sides in and set the crown. Box blades are useless for snow plowing also. If it were me, I would have both. In fact, I do.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 10, 2011

You will want to extend the right lift arm so box blade is on the ground on right side. Leave the other side up high. Run right side on shoulder letting material feed out of the high (left) side. You may have to make several passes to ge material to top of driving surface. Take your time and do not let material feed farther off road. With material in the center of road level box and go down center allowing material to feed out the sides. If your box is 6 foot one pass down center the next pass should be one half the width of the box the side not on the first pass will be lower giving you road a crown.
Doing this both ways will give you a 12 foot road
Many a road has been built with a sraight dozer and many ditches been cut with straight non angle blades. Play with it and you will learn

Advice on Use of Box Blade

wsmm

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flying belgian

Well-known Member

wsmm

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bo

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flying belgian

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flying belgian

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Crem

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Eldon (WA)

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showcrop

Well-known Member

Blackhole 49

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

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