Hi Tractor Mike, just wanted to say "thanks" for posting your videos. I am a newbie farmer doing my best to learn the ropes. Your videos are great and very informative, I am getting all of my questions answered. I don't think I will ever be able to afford a spiffy new tractor but the info you are sharing is helping me figure out which used tractors to consider. And now I don't feel like an idiot when I run into someone way more experienced then me because now at least I know the lingo and some of what to look for. Keep up the great work, I subscribed and I'm watching as much as I can so I hope that helps support your work somehow.
I wish I could find a video that also describes the proper use of intermix, position control and effort while doing these small jobs. Mike has the best videos so far that I've seen. Not long on the ears easy to listen too.
Hi Mike, I found your channel couple weeks ago. I just got a new Kubota B2601 with front loader and box grader last week. I wanted to get familiar with it before I took delivery so been watching your videos. Your channel has helped me get started to take care of my property. Thank you. Todd -Phelan, Ca.
That's all well and good for flatlanders, who don't have to deal with erosion. Here in the hills, that grass growing in the center of the lane helps hold the gravel in place.
Very good. It takes a little time to master the box blade and this gives folks a good start. I have a Dirt Dog 4ft box blade for my sub compact tractor. Dirt dog is a family owned small business who makes implements in Georgia. I recommend everyone check them out. Much cheaper than John Deere or Kubota dealer blades, and better than cheap made in china blades. Dirt Dog 💪🏻
Of all the videos, I really get more from yours than a lot of others that I have seen, especially these grading videos. I bought my kubota bx1880 new ladt year and the box blade, besides a loafer, as the first implement I got. They were still hard to get a hold of, but dealer just happened to have one. Its the BB 0548. A tadbig for my bx, but it can do it. I tried the find a land pride 42", but apparently, they dont make them anymore and I have yet to find 1 used. Thats why I got this one. I have since got a gs0548 land plane. I use them to help elderly and disaled around here. I'd love to have one of your orange subcompact plows to do even more, but I cant afford one, atm. If you'd ever sponcor the use of one of them, I'd gladly put it on my channel, which I am gettingv ready to start.i already have a few videos lined up to start. I have moded my tractor too, which will catch viewers attention. Thanks for all the great videos over the years. That Peanut sure is a great Sidekick. GOD Bless.
When it comes to box blades weight is #1 in my opinion. If you don't have enough weight in your box blade it won't be very effective. I run an Armstrong AG medium duty box blade and it does a great job leveling out our roads.
good video, but i would caution new users to push backward with their box blade. it is very easy to get too much bite and break your box blade top frame or even the tractors 3 point hitch arms. I generally pull for the heavy jobs and use backward for light spreading. Ive bent my box blade pushing backwarda like that.
That's a good idea, especially on smaller tractors, as well as some tractors that don't have a depth control on the 3 point, its hard to gauge how high or low the implement really is, like my Kubota BX2680, its up or down, its hard to really set it anywhere else as you have no guide as to where its set....and hard to repeat a depth as well due to the lack of 3 point height control.
That's what the cutting blade on the back end of the box blade is for. When u go in reverse the curved steel & the weight of the blade do a light cut to the surface 😎🚬
Make sure you match your box blade and tractor HP rating. Too light of a box blade versus a high HP tractor can damage the box blade, especially when getting too much material or weight when going backwards. The pile gets heavy, the tractor is still pushing and the box blade is between an immovable object and an irresistible force.
After hearing what you said, I got the cheaper box blade, but it was built with quality steel and is American made. I have found some uses for mine since it came as part of a package deal from the John Deere dealership when I got the tractor. I have to be careful around my place since there is roots in my yard from the trees I use for shade in Summer.
Nice video. Maybe you could do a complementary video of adding cylinders to the top link and maybe even the tilt link. I do not have them on my L35 Kubota so I'm constantly manually adjusting both links to get the results I want.
So, Mike, I did this with my box blade, but I think all I did was move the grass around, and now the only part of the driveway that's gravel is the part we drive on!
The biggest issue I have had with mine (other than it being too flimsy) is weight. On a really hard packed driveway, it just doesn't want to dig in. I added about 200lbs to mine and it works much better now.
I own a WOODS BSS72 box blade and love it. I actually prefer the thick steel the implement is made of and the way WOODS attached the rippers to the main beam. Pierced main beam makes it weak in my opinion. Keep the videos coming. :)
Very informative and enjoyable video! As a new tractor owner, there's a lot I don't know, so I have a question. When is it better to use a box blade vs a rear blade, and vice versa? The things I will likely do the most are removing ruts out of our grass driveway (no gravel), and possibly leveling out portions of the dirt road on which we live. Any insights will be appreciated - thanks!
Tim Sawyer Tim, I also am a new tractor owner. B2301. I bought a rear scraper blade for it. I’m trading it on a box. Personally, I found the scraper blade extremely difficult to use. I had a terrible time maintaining grade. Hope this helps.
Good information! I see that you still had some stone left on the driveway to work... it looked good when you finished. My box blade I bought off craigslist for $125 usd and has been great. It's an older unit and well used but, does whatever I ask it to do!
I have to use my box blade to do some leveling in my yard and also to do the same in my sister's yard. I have not used it in over a year and it has to be adjusted for both jobs since her yard has been gone over with a bulldozer and it has many spots which is uneven and the lawn have to be leveled and I don't know if the contractor have a box blade to level the lawn where it is level upon completion of her new house. After going over her lawn with the box blade I will use a landscaping blade to level her lawn even more and do the same to my lawn.
Yes I agree, in order to get rid of pot holes one has to dig them out with rippers because pot hole are compressed, therefor if one just re gravel and or grades, the pot holes will reappear. I'd like to know if the rippers on a tractor box blade can dig out the compressed pot holes something like a road grader equipped with rippers (of course on a smaller scale).
No, I don't think it would help. Draft control is designed to regulate the depth at which tillage tools travel in the ground. If the implement is on top of the ground it has negligible effectiveness.
Those were stock on the New Holland TC tractors. It's called a "Leveling Device" and the crank part #86402632 sells for $580 through New Holland, you'd also need the lift link #86400283 to make it work and it's $98. I thought I'd get one to go on the other side so I could easily adjust angles on attachments and then I saw the price and decided not to. There might be other brands that have them that would be cheaper, I've not seen aftermarket units.
Hey Mike, I was always told it wasn't a good idea to push too hard backwards with the 3-point. You did your entire driveway that way. Do you have any opinion on that? I bent my current 6' blade accidentally backing into it when grading around our house. I've been told you can break the lift arms or worse the housing on the tractor that they connect to. Is there any truth to that? This is the second time I have bent my blade where the frame connects to the 3-point linkage. I'll have to get it welded again to fix the hitch part of the frame. I am thinking of purchasing a stronger, heavier, wider (7') blade that better matches my current tractor so I was watching your video. Thanks for the tips.
It's definitely harder on the three point to push backward, they can be broken, I've done it, but I've never broken anything in the housing. If I was in an area where there might have been a stump, a root, or a huge rock I probably wouldn't have done that. A good, heavy box blade is a great tool to own.
Thanks Mike, great info for us newbies. Bought meA used 5.5 with 4 theeth tonight. Gonna go out tomorrow and see how much damage I can do while I M learning. :)Is it better on dry ground or wet?
+Ricky Choat Gosh that's a good question. My guess is that it would spread better if it was dry, but it might pack down better when wet.That's on a driveway, if you're doing dirt, better do it dry. If I remember from my soil science class in college, there's a chemical reaction that happens when soil is disturbed when wet that makes it clump together and it takes a lot of time to get it back to normal. My best advice, if you're doing your driveway, try it both ways and see which way works best, if you're leveling out dirt, do it dry only.
Damp would be best if you need to use the scarifier teeth to dig in and help break up really compacted ground. I waited till a good rain storm and did my driveway so I knew where the low spots were that needed filled in. This is for a gravel driveway....don't try it in dirt, you may find yourself stuck in the mud if its too wet.
About the only thing I'd use a regular grading blade for would be snow removal, or moving large amounts of gravel or dirt at once, then go back over it with the box blade to finish leveling it off. A grading blade depending on the model can sometimes not only be angled left to right, some can be angled up or down as well and be used as a ditcher, although you'd have to be extremely careful in areas with large rocks and roots.
I have a 3/4 mile private gravel driveway,what is the best one implement recommended to care for it? I have ATV's and a jd tractor. What is your recommendation?
Hello my friend I have a problem that maybe you could solve it. I have a double drum pto winch on my Ursus 1234 . I have a box 3 point. But when I pull a log the weight of the log pull me back. I am thinking to instal double acting ram so the blade will go inside the ground. How can I send you some pictures to see and understand my problem
Mike, I enjoy you channel. Thanks. I've got a problem with my Mahindra emax22 HST. When I'm pulling an implement and I go over a bump and the implement gets pushed up the implement stays up. I have to push down on the 3 point hitch lever to get it to go down. Am I doing something wrong?
Bought a HF quick attach yesterday,,top link fits perfect but my two lift arms wont fit inside two openings on bottom where pins are located,,,the knuckles in lift arms are keeping the arms from fitting inside,,can i just buy longer pins and attach it with lift arms on inside ,,any ideas or suggestions,,def want a quick attach ,,tired of fighting 3 pt hitch attaching box blade,,its a nightmare when i dont have a helper
I'd be a bit worried about putting the lift arms inside of the frame. I don't have a good alternative other than modifying the quick hitch so the arms fit inside or returning it and going with Pat's Easy Change: asktractormike.com/product/pats-easy-change-quick-hitch-category-1/. I like Pat's best, but I sell them so I'm biased. Here's a comparison: th-cam.com/video/rZb4TKRELus/w-d-xo.html.
@@TractorMike I took the hitch back to harbor freight and they said MANY people bring them back because of same issue,,in shopping online i see if i buy a actual cat 2 quick hitch the openings are 1 1/4 or larger but pats hitch looks like its the easiest way to go,,,have you ever addessed the issues of tractors with auto or hydro sticking in gear,,i have a new farmtrac 25 hp thats great BUT shifter wont shift into neutral unless trac is off,,,if it locks up i can also push wheels back and forth it will release,im under warranty but no dealers here in sc,,i bought from a ocala fl dealer online because he marked down the 25 hp with loader to 10999,,same size tym and ls were almost 20k,,knew it was a gamble but since im a decent mechanic i hoped i could do repairs,,maint etc,,cant find a repair manual anyhwere,,if you have any tips on the trans i would app it,,thanks for helping,,stay safe and PRAY for our country
You want to be in the lowest gear you can stand with the engine revved up and the pedal down as far as is comfortable for ground speed. The further you have the pedal pushed down, the more oil is flowing through the transmission, the more cooling you have. What you don't want to do is be in a higher range and barely push the pedal down. That's what can wear out a hydro. Good luck!
do you find value in a floating tailgate for box blading gravel driveway’s? i rented a box blade with a floating tailgate over the weekend, and it worked great, but i did not know enough to experiment both ways. i want to buy one now and the more expensive ones for higher tractor horsepower (eg woods bsm72 vs bss72). any input is appreciated. thanks!!
Great info sir. Thank You. When you move forward with the box blade at an angle to create the crown, do you have the teeth down at all to loosen the compacted gravel? Also, when going forward, will the loosened gravel fall to the ditch?
Thanks for the compliment! I didn't put the teeth down for anything I did. In my experience, the only time I drop them down is when I'm wanting to loosen up compacted soil and, in this area, you want to be real careful with that. Here in the Ozarks there could be huge rocks and/or roots just below the surface that can stop the tractor (or bend or break the scarifier). If you live in an area with deep topsoil and few rocks you won't have to worry as much. Good question about the loosened gravel going toward the ditch. No more tilt than I put on the blade that didn't seem to be an issue but you bring up a good point, gravity is going to try to push the gravel to the low side, so you sure don't want to overdo the angle. It doesn't take much to head the water toward the ditch.
Thank you for the informative video. I really enjoyed it. I have read/seen videos where operators say that pushing with a box blade can, and usually does, cause bending of arms, etc. Have you any experience or thoughts with that? Thanks for the advice. I have a tractor coming tomorrow and repairing a driveway is top priority.
It's possible if there's something down there that the blade catches that won't move, but if all that's down there is gravel I think the danger is really small. I'd take it easy and be in a lower gear and you should be O.K. If you hit an immovable object going fast, something has to give, usually it would be a pin or a weld in the box blade, but I've actually seen some broken three point arms, so its hard to predict where the failure would be.
I'm wondering how to take my loader off my tc35 not sure if you ever had made a video on that.they say there's a hidden grease fitting you have to take loader off.thanks,shawn
I haven't done a video on it, here's a video I helped a dealer produce, while it's a Massey, the process is very similar: th-cam.com/video/1OBcB86fnFY/w-d-xo.html. Getting it back on is actually the fun part: th-cam.com/video/cUbAQxkzB3U/w-d-xo.html. Better hope someone has greased the pins that hold the loader on, without grease those things can darn near weld themselves in.
I've never seen an aftermarket kit to do that, I doubt that mine would fit your tractor. The manufacturer's generally offer that on certain tractors and the turnbuckles on others and then don't offer a kit to change from one to the other. If it were me, I'd pull off the one you have now and run it down to the Kubota dealership and find the older gray haired parts person and see if they could order a replacement from a different model that would fit. They're a whole lot easier to adjust, the turnbuckles will give you muscles like Popeye :).
A problem I have whether using a box blade or a straight blade is that with at short wheel base tractor (JD3038e), when the front wheels go over a bump or a hole, the back blade moves up or down, leaving an uneven hole or bump. I've had better luck using a straight blade, turned backwards, and at an angle, on full float. That way, when the tractor bucks, the blade just keeps level. Am I missing something you're doing?
I don't think you're missing anything. That's a problem when the surface you're on is not fully level and you've found the best option of finding a level spot and going backwards. Running over a hump with the tractor has an impact on what's behind it.
That’s not an intentional crown, though. It looks like it’s only pooling water onto the tire tracks. In the video he explains angling the blade so there is a proper angle for water dissipation. It was broke so he did fix it.
I have high and low spots on my lawn,which is the best tool to use on a lawn to level out these areas? Box blade or a regular blade or York rake? Thanks
I'd probably use a box blade. It's going to tear up the turf pretty bad, if I were doing it here I'd do it in late September/early October and then seed it. The best time to seed cool season grasses is fall here, then they don't have to compete with weeds and they get established right before it turns cold and do well the following spring.
Depends on how uneven this is and the nature of you soil - I've found it's easier to just add more material on top than make a mess trying to dig it up, especially if you have heavier soils and dense sod
A roto tiller and start over LOL. Other than that there isn't much you can really do to fix it without tearing things up anyways. Where I live in Idaho the ground changes all the time anyways, with hot and cold weather changes you get low spots and high spots never in the same place HAHA!! You just learn to live with it. Only thing I've had to do was fill in some spots where a shed installation contractor got their truck stuck after I told them not to drive over that area several times.
Hi Mike. I have a good box blade but my driveway has spots with large rocks pressed into the gravel from the original job done by a grader. Every time I work the drive I end up with rocks 8 inches to a foot across in the wake. I then attach a rake ad sweep them to the side. Any suggestions or is this about the best I can do?
+Al Coroy You have the same problem we had at our last house. The aces that built the driveway put "shot rock" or big rough limestone rocks down to save space, then spread gravel on top. We fought the same thing you're fighting. Every time you graded you'd pull up big rocks and have to get rid of them. I wish I had an easy solution short of pulling up the driveway and hauling off the big rocks and starting over. Maybe a subscriber will have a better idea, but I think the best thing is to probably add a couple more layers of gravel on top of those big rocks and hope you never see them again. That's what I did. I feel your pain...
I'd try it first without the teeth, if you're pushing backward like I am in the video you won't want the teeth down anyway. If you get to where it won't dig any deeper then it's time to either A) pull down the teeth and try to dig it up B) call the quarry and line up delivery of more gravel. Having said that, the gravel driveway at our family farm always has a hole in the same place. We tried about everything to get rid of it and it still comes back every 3-5 years to this day, so I don't know that I've figured out the final answer to hole elimination. Maybe someone else will contribute an idea here that we can both try.
@@TractorMike For stubborn holes I get #10 gravel from our local limestone quarry. You can think of #10 as "big sand". I overfill the hole with it and pack it down tight, rolling my 15,000 lb. dually truck tires over it. This typically lasts a LONG time, more than filling it with other types of gravel or material.
Hi Tractor Mike! Thanks for all the videos. They're great! What would you use for snow removal; the box blade or a rear blade? Long gravel driveway. Thanks!!
Nick, box blades are not the best for snow removal. They're great for leveling ground, spreading dirt piles and taking the "crown" off that gravel driveway but they just wad up snow in the box and eventually it spills over. A straight blade that can angle will throw snow off to one side on the way down the driveway and the other side on the way back. This video shows it: th-cam.com/video/tAI6-7QoQxM/w-d-xo.html. I hate to tell you, but you probably need both tools. The box blade to keep the driveway fresh and the angle blade for snow removal. That's a little expensive, but stuff like that holds it's value. If you ever want to sell it you won't lose that much, as long as you take care of it.
What he's missing 1)try and buy a scraper wider than the outside wheels on the tractor. At least 4 inchs.(so your tractor sets down in the cut and isn't jumping around..) 2) the greatest wear on a scraper is where the material comes off tge cutting edges... That's were it's going to wear thru.. If you can weld a wear strip in that area.. 3) try to find a scraper with a ripper bar that hydraulically swings up out of the way... 3) spend the money and install hdraulic rams for the top link (pitch) and at least the right link (tilt) and if money is no object the left link also.. Also if you don't want to replace them very often On the draw bars Weld steel around the Heim joints.. Over time from pulling against the joints the front ends will wear out and break.. The steel strengthens them.. And if you can afford one Find a tractor with a 4/1 front bucket.. 4 wheel drives are nice... If you're wondering I ran a skiploader for 36 years helping build the Southern California area From highrises to malls to housing tracks,, any thing and every thing..
+Anthony Hart So much of that depends on who owned it before but, at 57 years old, if I were buying a tractor in good mechanical shape with 2000 hours or less I would expect it to last until I'm gone and the kids do my estate sale :). If I knew the person that owned it before and they took meticulous care of it, I wouldn't mind a tractor with 3000 hours. I personally wouldn't want a tractor with over 4000 hours. There are probably a lot of differing opinions on that topic but that's the best advice I have. Hobby farming, brush hogging, moving dirt and tree limbs around and doing my videos I put under 150 hours on a tractor a year which is really nothing, but pretty typical for rural lifestyle customers. Now, if you start farming full time all of those numbers will change.
Exactly. Real farm tractors hold up to more hours on the meter much better than the modern tinker-toy compact diesels that so many home-owners are buying now-a-days. Most compacts are not being built to last like real farm tractors have traditionally been built. Most smaller compact diesels should be considered "pretty-well whipped" between 4,000 and 6,000 hours. Farm tractors typically get taken better care of also when a good farmer owns them, because their livelihood depended on it. Of course there is always the exception to every "rule". Bottom line is to inspect its overall condition, condition, condition! If you look the machine over well, most of the care, or lack thereof, will be fairly evident. This includes abuse and mis-treatment. Always be sure to check all of it's fluids. Be sure there is no oil in the coolant, or coolant in the oil. Check for excessive engine blow-by at the crankcase breather and at the oil fill cap. Check for any abnormal amounts of exhaust smoke/soot/oil build-up on the tail-pipe. Listen to the engine for any abnormal or out of place noises. Listen for any misfiring or rough idle. You'll get a pretty good picture of the overall condition of the tractor's powerplant if you do those few quick checks. The average farm tractor is relatively trouble free to around the 7,000 hour mark. That is not always the case however. I've had several tractors go 10,000+ hours and only be a little tired due to lower compression from normal wear and tear. I've had one turbo diesel engine completely fail at around 6,500 hours. With that said, the 6,500 hr. diesel engine that failed had been known by the manufacturer and the dealership to have defective pistons that came apart prematurely. To prevent any arguments amongst the internet community, I won't disclose what major USA manufacturer said engine was originally built by. LOL Another thing about hours is that tractors often get repaired & rebuilt. A high hour tractor could potentially have a new engine, a new clutch, a new hydraulic pump, etc, etc... So just because a machine may show higher hours on the meter, you can't always go on that one thing alone in making a decision. For example, my tractor with the bad engine got a full out of frame overhaul at the 6,500 hr. mark. It also got a new clutch at the same time. It now has 8,000+ hours on it. It will undoubtedly outlast me, and I'll bet the meter (if it stays working) will show double that number by the time she's tired out the next time around. One final thought to also always take into consideration... Tractor hour meters sometimes LIE. They are often found to be inoperative altogether, replaced without noting when the meter the was replaced, or broken and repaired many hours later to show a working meter with a bogus number of lower than normal hours on the clock. Over the years, I've seen many a tractor at auction and on dealer lots with inaccurate hour meter readings. I've seen a good share with around a supposed 2,000 to 3,000 hours on the meter, that I know easily have actually double to triple those hours on them based on various wear signs all over a given tractor.
For me, it made no sense buying used because used tractor prices for the size of tractor I needed were just about the same as a new tractor...but lacking any warranty, so I just bought new, so at least for me I know what's been done to the tractor from the beginning with no guessing games as to what services a previous owner did or didn't do...and in my area it would be the didn't do as people love to skip routine maintenance on everything...hell people here can't seem to build a simple shed to keep their equipment in, it just sits in the field where they last used it then wonder come spring why it don't work and why there's water in places it shouldn't be. Knowing all that was one huge pointer for me to buy new only, and skip the mess of a used tractor that I'd end up with.
4' or 5'. Make sure it cuts a patch a little wider than the tractor tires. If you have fluid in the tires for extra weight you could go with a 5' blade, if not, I'd stay with 4'.
I run a 54" BB on my 26 hp, Kubota B2620 - this seems to be the right size - you'll find the 5" wide that you may be underpowered for some applications, when the BB is full of material and dragging it's a lot of force on the machine
A 4 foot would be ideal, but for light duty stuff you could get away with a 5 foot. I can stop my tractor in its tracks in 4WD with my 4 foot box blade if I don't pay attention.
The gravel when you first started looks and appears to be a smaller size and color they are to different types of gravel at the end how much did you have to add.
Hi Mike love your videos. I learnt quite a bit from watching them. Now I saw your winter snow removal video. I was hoping that this coming winter you could explore this area more. Next summer I will seriously be in the market for a tractor to use for snow removal, and I would love to have your opinion in this area. Thing like attachments. I was looking at a rear mounted forward facing blower. Pronovost makes these in Quebec Canada. They are supposed to be one of the best. I plan on clearing driveways. The idea is to back in drop the blower and drive out. Do this twice and on to the next client. Thanks -John
The Plow Guys John, I'd love to help but where I'm at in southwest Missouri, we usually don't have that much snow. Consequently, dealers don't stock or sell much snow removal equipment, so I've had pretty limited experience there. I've heard that snow blowers are the preferred method of snow removal in northern areas but in this area a blade is about the only tool anyone uses for that purpose. There's a website that I like with a lot of discussion about tractors and implements called TractorByNet.com. You might check there to see what discussion there's been about snow removal there. Good luck and thanks for watching.
Yes. Any gear drive transmission that has one or more gears in neutral can be towed without damage. Now, if it's a power shuttle, better check the owner's manual. You may want the gear, or range lever in neutral, then you'd be okay. CVT's and hydro's don't like to be towed.
I have a new Kubota BX23S and got the box blade attachment. Your video helped a lot! Thanks tractor Mike. I do have a question regarding what my dealer said; he mentioned that using a box blade is hard on the tractor and so its not advisable to go "crazy with it" and box blade the neighbour's main gravel road (1 mile long) just because I can. Is it hard on a tractor? It's a compact tractor yes and the box blade is the right size but..not sure if the info was accurate.
Your dealer has probably had someone buy a box blade and try to level a forest with it. After about the third or fourth sudden impact with a tree root or a stump, the three point arms on the tractor broke or a weld on the box blade came loose and the dealer got yelled at. Believe me, I've been there. If you take it easy with a box blade you're not putting any more strain on the tractor than moving dirt or brush hogging, but if you try to make it into a bulldozer, something will fail. You could get in trouble on a driveway if there were large rocks down below and gravel on top and erosion meant some of the big rocks were sticking up. Your big danger is sudden impact at high speed. Take it slow the first few times to see if there are any obstructions and when you get the gravel worked up to the surface you should be fine. Most of the people who have concern about doing damage and take care of their stuff never have a problem, it's the guys that think you can't tear up a tractor that cause the dealer to tell you to be overly cautious.
@steal threaded Tree roots are what have got me as well. Though I feel like they should be designed to take all.the loads a properly sized tractor can give them. I have had to reinforce mine in several places to make that true.
Having all that fine expensive crushed rock makes it look easy. Now try that with a driveway made with pit-run gravel and assorted rocks and boulders. Not that's a video I'd like to see!
Wrong! Counterintuitively, driveways which are not sealed should be graded flat as possible (ie no crown.) to allow water to drain off as slowly as possible. As such, they are then also far easier to maintain as one only needs drag a currying frame over them to keep pristine.
A flat gravel road allows water to pool and soften the dirt leading to pot holes and ruts. All dirt and gravel roads should have a small crown to aid in water run off. This keeps the underlying dirt dry and hard. I know first hand as I have a long gravel driveway. Before I purchased my tractor it was constantly needing repairs because it was flat. Since I placed a crown, the road only needs to be scraped once a year. www.ehow.com/how_8216689_crown-existing-gravel-road.html
Lack of crown (flat) for a gravel driveway during the wet seasons combined with traffic leads to pot holes where as a slight crown somewhat prevents pot holes. During the dry season or if the drive sees little traffic this is less of an issue. Quality gravel roads also need shoulders & ditches.
I have to be honest, I never knew how to pronounce that. "Scar" makes more sense than "scare". If I do another video on the subject I'll get it right. Thanks!
Hi Tractor Mike, just wanted to say "thanks" for posting your videos. I am a newbie farmer doing my best to learn the ropes. Your videos are great and very informative, I am getting all of my questions answered. I don't think I will ever be able to afford a spiffy new tractor but the info you are sharing is helping me figure out which used tractors to consider. And now I don't feel like an idiot when I run into someone way more experienced then me because now at least I know the lingo and some of what to look for. Keep up the great work, I subscribed and I'm watching as much as I can so I hope that helps support your work somehow.
You're welcome John, thanks for the kind words.
that sure is "nice" of you to say "thanks"
Love the box blade.... made the driveway look perfect. I like how the grass disappeared once the blade hit it! Great Video!
Very helpful, and insightful (for ME). I'm buying a farm, so I'll need a tractor, bush hog, and box blade. Now, I'll know how to use it.
I think dollar per pound the box blade is one of the most useful attachments you can buy. Great video Mike.
I always wondered what people used box blades for. Thanks to you I now know what to look for in buying one and how to use it. Thank you.
Glad I could help! Thanks for the support!
I wish I could find a video that also describes the proper use of intermix, position control and effort while doing these small jobs. Mike has the best videos so far that I've seen. Not long on the ears easy to listen too.
+MyNameIs Nobody .. found it !
Hi Mike,
I found your channel couple weeks ago. I just got a new Kubota B2601 with front loader and box grader last week. I wanted to get familiar with it before I took delivery so been watching your videos. Your channel has helped me get started to take care of my property. Thank you. Todd -Phelan, Ca.
So glad I could help, Todd! Hope you have fun with that new tractor.
That's all well and good for flatlanders, who don't have to deal with erosion. Here in the hills, that grass growing in the center of the lane helps hold the gravel in place.
Very good. It takes a little time to master the box blade and this gives folks a good start. I have a Dirt Dog 4ft box blade for my sub compact tractor. Dirt dog is a family owned small business who makes implements in Georgia. I recommend everyone check them out. Much cheaper than John Deere or Kubota dealer blades, and better than cheap made in china blades. Dirt Dog 💪🏻
Another great video Mike! Thanks for this informative video!
Of all the videos, I really get more from yours than a lot of others that I have seen, especially these grading videos. I bought my kubota bx1880 new ladt year and the box blade, besides a loafer, as the first implement I got. They were still hard to get a hold of, but dealer just happened to have one. Its the BB 0548. A tadbig for my bx, but it can do it. I tried the find a land pride 42", but apparently, they dont make them anymore and I have yet to find 1 used. Thats why I got this one. I have since got a gs0548 land plane. I use them to help elderly and disaled around here. I'd love to have one of your orange subcompact plows to do even more, but I cant afford one, atm. If you'd ever sponcor the use of one of them, I'd gladly put it on my channel, which I am gettingv ready to start.i already have a few videos lined up to start. I have moded my tractor too, which will catch viewers attention. Thanks for all the great videos over the years. That Peanut sure is a great Sidekick. GOD Bless.
When it comes to box blades weight is #1 in my opinion. If you don't have enough weight in your box blade it won't be very effective. I run an Armstrong AG medium duty box blade and it does a great job leveling out our roads.
this is very helpful. I appreciate it. well done.
Tractor Mike, nice explaination of what to look for and basics on use.
Beautiful job Mike!
I love my rusty old box blade. It’s much easier to hide in the weeds than the bright orange ones.
good video, but i would caution new users to push backward with their box blade. it is very easy to get too much bite and break your box blade top frame or even the tractors 3 point hitch arms. I generally pull for the heavy jobs and use backward for light spreading. Ive bent my box blade pushing backwarda like that.
That's a good idea, especially on smaller tractors, as well as some tractors that don't have a depth control on the 3 point, its hard to gauge how high or low the implement really is, like my Kubota BX2680, its up or down, its hard to really set it anywhere else as you have no guide as to where its set....and hard to repeat a depth as well due to the lack of 3 point height control.
Good info. I've never heard of going in reverse to take off the ridge.
That's what the cutting blade on the back end of the box blade is for. When u go in reverse the curved steel & the weight of the blade do a light cut to the surface 😎🚬
Great info thanks mike.
Thanks for watching!
Just about to buy my first box blade. Excellent advice thanks Tractor Mike!.
Thanks Mike. Good tips.
Fantastic! Thank you!
Scoring another LIKE on your video Mike! Watching and Supporting!
Need more focused "how-to" videos like the last part of this video. Thanks Mike.
Make sure you match your box blade and tractor HP rating. Too light of a box blade versus a high HP tractor can damage the box blade, especially when getting too much material or weight when going backwards. The pile gets heavy, the tractor is still pushing and the box blade is between an immovable object and an irresistible force.
yes they are,I have a 2003 tc35 with loader like new condition with 280 hours beautiful tractors.thanks for the videos there great!
my left ear enjoyed the video
LoloL
Very helpful. Thank you.
Great video, I as a welder put wing boards on mine
Another good video. I didn't know about the first step but after seeing it made good sense.
Great video thanks!
Interesting, thanks.
great information, very helpful....thanks
good explanation! Thanks for your sharing, Mike!
After hearing what you said, I got the cheaper box blade, but it was built with quality steel and is American made. I have found some uses for mine since it came as part of a package deal from the John Deere dealership when I got the tractor. I have to be careful around my place since there is roots in my yard from the trees I use for shade in Summer.
Could you demo why roots are an issue with box blades?
Nice video. Maybe you could do a complementary video of adding cylinders to the top link and maybe even the tilt link. I do not have them on my L35 Kubota so I'm constantly manually adjusting both links to get the results I want.
Great vid. Thanks Mike. When you were pushing the crown down did you have the rippers down as well?
Nope. Did just fine without the rippers.
So, Mike, I did this with my box blade, but I think all I did was move the grass around, and now the only part of the driveway that's gravel is the part we drive on!
The biggest issue I have had with mine (other than it being too flimsy) is weight. On a really hard packed driveway, it just doesn't want to dig in. I added about 200lbs to mine and it works much better now.
adding weight helps, ive got 2 4 inch plates welded on my blade that adds about 100lbs or more
One thing you probably haven't thought of using a box blade for his snow removal, thought you never thought about that!
He doesn't recommend it according to one other comment...
I guess if that's all you had
I own a WOODS BSS72 box blade and love it. I actually prefer the thick steel the implement is made of and the way WOODS attached the rippers to the main beam. Pierced main beam makes it weak in my opinion. Keep the videos coming. :)
Very informative and enjoyable video! As a new tractor owner, there's a lot I don't know, so I have a question. When is it better to use a box blade vs a rear blade, and vice versa? The things I will likely do the most are removing ruts out of our grass driveway (no gravel), and possibly leveling out portions of the dirt road on which we live. Any insights will be appreciated - thanks!
Tim Sawyer Tim, I also am a new tractor owner. B2301. I bought a rear scraper blade for it. I’m trading it on a box. Personally, I found the scraper blade extremely difficult to use. I had a terrible time maintaining grade. Hope this helps.
excellent video. thanks
Over four years later and this video is still helping others. Thanks Mike!
Good job
Nice video tractor mike!! Very informative.
Good information!
I see that you still had some stone left on the driveway to work... it looked good when you finished.
My box blade I bought off craigslist for $125 usd and has been great. It's an older unit and well used but, does whatever I ask it to do!
great stuff, as usual from you. so appreciate your videos!
GREAT VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING
I have to use my box blade to do some leveling in my yard and also to do the same in my sister's yard. I have not used it in over a year and it has to be adjusted for both jobs since her yard has been gone over with a bulldozer and it has many spots which is uneven and the lawn have to be leveled and I don't know if the contractor have a box blade to level the lawn where it is level upon completion of her new house. After going over her lawn with the box blade I will use a landscaping blade to level her lawn even more and do the same to my lawn.
Good vid. Thank you for that. I’d like you to explain and show what the teeth are doing.
Yes I agree, in order to get rid of pot holes one has to dig them out with rippers because pot hole are compressed, therefor if one just re gravel and or grades, the pot holes will reappear. I'd like to know if the rippers on a tractor box blade can dig out the compressed pot holes something like a road grader equipped with rippers (of course on a smaller scale).
Do you use the Draft Control for this operation?
No, I don't think it would help. Draft control is designed to regulate the depth at which tillage tools travel in the ground. If the implement is on top of the ground it has negligible effectiveness.
I would like to know some info on the hand crank u got on ur pivot Jack on the side looks like it makes life.easy
Those were stock on the New Holland TC tractors. It's called a "Leveling Device" and the crank part #86402632 sells for $580 through New Holland, you'd also need the lift link #86400283 to make it work and it's $98. I thought I'd get one to go on the other side so I could easily adjust angles on attachments and then I saw the price and decided not to. There might be other brands that have them that would be cheaper, I've not seen aftermarket units.
That's definitely a lot but they are nice I'll look them up might be able to make one thanks very much for the reply back
Hey Mike, I was always told it wasn't a good idea to push too hard backwards with the 3-point. You did your entire driveway that way. Do you have any opinion on that? I bent my current 6' blade accidentally backing into it when grading around our house. I've been told you can break the lift arms or worse the housing on the tractor that they connect to. Is there any truth to that?
This is the second time I have bent my blade where the frame connects to the 3-point linkage. I'll have to get it welded again to fix the hitch part of the frame. I am thinking of purchasing a stronger, heavier, wider (7') blade that better matches my current tractor so I was watching your video. Thanks for the tips.
It's definitely harder on the three point to push backward, they can be broken, I've done it, but I've never broken anything in the housing. If I was in an area where there might have been a stump, a root, or a huge rock I probably wouldn't have done that. A good, heavy box blade is a great tool to own.
Thanks Mike, great info for us newbies. Bought meA used 5.5 with 4 theeth tonight. Gonna go out tomorrow and see how much damage I can do while I M learning. :)Is it better on dry ground or wet?
+Ricky Choat Gosh that's a good question. My guess is that it would spread better if it was dry, but it might pack down better when wet.That's on a driveway, if you're doing dirt, better do it dry. If I remember from my soil science class in college, there's a chemical reaction that happens when soil is disturbed when wet that makes it clump together and it takes a lot of time to get it back to normal. My best advice, if you're doing your driveway, try it both ways and see which way works best, if you're leveling out dirt, do it dry only.
Damp would be best if you need to use the scarifier teeth to dig in and help break up really compacted ground. I waited till a good rain storm and did my driveway so I knew where the low spots were that needed filled in. This is for a gravel driveway....don't try it in dirt, you may find yourself stuck in the mud if its too wet.
Mike can you tell us when you would use a BOX Blade vs. a Blade?
About the only thing I'd use a regular grading blade for would be snow removal, or moving large amounts of gravel or dirt at once, then go back over it with the box blade to finish leveling it off. A grading blade depending on the model can sometimes not only be angled left to right, some can be angled up or down as well and be used as a ditcher, although you'd have to be extremely careful in areas with large rocks and roots.
I have a 3/4 mile private gravel driveway,what is the best one implement recommended to care for it?
I have ATV's and a jd tractor. What is your recommendation?
My choice would be a three point box blade for the Deere.
Is Tractor Mike also Billy Bob Thornton?
Hi Mike, I was wondering if you used the box blade scarifiers on that driveway, and if so how do you determine how deep to set them. Thanks
Hello my friend I have a problem that maybe you could solve it.
I have a double drum pto winch on my Ursus 1234 . I have a box 3 point. But when I pull a log the weight of the log pull me back.
I am thinking to instal double acting ram so the blade will go inside the ground.
How can I send you some pictures to see and understand my problem
I've had no experience with equipment of that type, so I'm no help there. Anything I told you would be a pure guess. Sorry!
Mike, I enjoy you channel. Thanks. I've got a problem with my Mahindra emax22 HST. When I'm pulling an implement and I go over a bump and the implement gets pushed up the implement stays up. I have to push down on the 3 point hitch lever to get it to go down. Am I doing something wrong?
Bought a HF quick attach yesterday,,top link fits perfect but my two lift arms wont fit inside two openings on bottom where pins are located,,,the knuckles in lift arms are keeping the arms from fitting inside,,can i just buy longer pins and attach it with lift arms on inside ,,any ideas or suggestions,,def want a quick attach ,,tired of fighting 3 pt hitch attaching box blade,,its a nightmare when i dont have a helper
I'd be a bit worried about putting the lift arms inside of the frame. I don't have a good alternative other than modifying the quick hitch so the arms fit inside or returning it and going with Pat's Easy Change: asktractormike.com/product/pats-easy-change-quick-hitch-category-1/.
I like Pat's best, but I sell them so I'm biased. Here's a comparison: th-cam.com/video/rZb4TKRELus/w-d-xo.html.
@@TractorMike I took the hitch back to harbor freight and they said MANY people bring them back because of same issue,,in shopping online i see if i buy a actual cat 2 quick hitch the openings are 1 1/4 or larger but pats hitch looks like its the easiest way to go,,,have you ever addessed the issues of tractors with auto or hydro sticking in gear,,i have a new farmtrac 25 hp thats great BUT shifter wont shift into neutral unless trac is off,,,if it locks up i can also push wheels back and forth it will release,im under warranty but no dealers here in sc,,i bought from a ocala fl dealer online because he marked down the 25 hp with loader to 10999,,same size tym and ls were almost 20k,,knew it was a gamble but since im a decent mechanic i hoped i could do repairs,,maint etc,,cant find a repair manual anyhwere,,if you have any tips on the trans i would app it,,thanks for helping,,stay safe and PRAY for our country
Were you simply using the box blade in the down float position?
Yes.
GOOD VIDEO . WHICH LOW RANGE GEAR SHOULD I USE FOR THIS ? IS FIRST GOING TO OVERWORK MY TRANSMISSION ? THANX ...
You want to be in the lowest gear you can stand with the engine revved up and the pedal down as far as is comfortable for ground speed. The further you have the pedal pushed down, the more oil is flowing through the transmission, the more cooling you have. What you don't want to do is be in a higher range and barely push the pedal down. That's what can wear out a hydro. Good luck!
Nice inf
do you find value in a floating tailgate for box blading gravel driveway’s? i rented a box blade with a floating tailgate over the weekend, and it worked great, but i did not know enough to experiment both ways. i want to buy one now and the more expensive ones for higher tractor horsepower (eg woods bsm72 vs bss72). any input is appreciated. thanks!!
You didnt mention a roll over box blade?
Great info sir. Thank You. When you move forward with the box blade at an angle to create the crown, do you have the teeth down at all to loosen the compacted gravel? Also, when going forward, will the loosened gravel fall to the ditch?
Thanks for the compliment! I didn't put the teeth down for anything I did. In my experience, the only time I drop them down is when I'm wanting to loosen up compacted soil and, in this area, you want to be real careful with that. Here in the Ozarks there could be huge rocks and/or roots just below the surface that can stop the tractor (or bend or break the scarifier). If you live in an area with deep topsoil and few rocks you won't have to worry as much.
Good question about the loosened gravel going toward the ditch. No more tilt than I put on the blade that didn't seem to be an issue but you bring up a good point, gravity is going to try to push the gravel to the low side, so you sure don't want to overdo the angle. It doesn't take much to head the water toward the ditch.
Thank you for the informative video. I really enjoyed it. I have read/seen videos where operators say that pushing with a box blade can, and usually does, cause bending of arms, etc. Have you any experience or thoughts with that? Thanks for the advice. I have a tractor coming tomorrow and repairing a driveway is top priority.
It's possible if there's something down there that the blade catches that won't move, but if all that's down there is gravel I think the danger is really small. I'd take it easy and be in a lower gear and you should be O.K. If you hit an immovable object going fast, something has to give, usually it would be a pin or a weld in the box blade, but I've actually seen some broken three point arms, so its hard to predict where the failure would be.
I'm wondering how to take my loader off my tc35 not sure if you ever had made a video on that.they say there's a hidden grease fitting you have to take loader off.thanks,shawn
I haven't done a video on it, here's a video I helped a dealer produce, while it's a Massey, the process is very similar: th-cam.com/video/1OBcB86fnFY/w-d-xo.html. Getting it back on is actually the fun part: th-cam.com/video/cUbAQxkzB3U/w-d-xo.html. Better hope someone has greased the pins that hold the loader on, without grease those things can darn near weld themselves in.
Tractor Mike awesome thank you
Hi mike,is that a tc35 you have there
TC40...I sold them when they were new and they're pretty good little tractors.
Who makes the crank adjustable side link on your tractor? Is that something one could add to say a Kubota L series?
I've never seen an aftermarket kit to do that, I doubt that mine would fit your tractor. The manufacturer's generally offer that on certain tractors and the turnbuckles on others and then don't offer a kit to change from one to the other. If it were me, I'd pull off the one you have now and run it down to the Kubota dealership and find the older gray haired parts person and see if they could order a replacement from a different model that would fit. They're a whole lot easier to adjust, the turnbuckles will give you muscles like Popeye :).
A problem I have whether using a box blade or a straight blade is that with at short wheel base tractor (JD3038e), when the front wheels go over a bump or a hole, the back blade moves up or down, leaving an uneven hole or bump. I've had better luck using a straight blade, turned backwards, and at an angle, on full float. That way, when the tractor bucks, the blade just keeps level. Am I missing something you're doing?
I don't think you're missing anything. That's a problem when the surface you're on is not fully level and you've found the best option of finding a level spot and going backwards. Running over a hump with the tractor has an impact on what's behind it.
Search Dave knows show
The box blade on utube.
4 videos.
You will find "the ripple affect secrets revealed part 2"
3:42
The crown is what disperses the rain water; that driveway appeared to be in good shape. If it isn't broke don't screw it up Mike.
That’s not an intentional crown, though. It looks like it’s only pooling water onto the tire tracks. In the video he explains angling the blade so there is a proper angle for water dissipation. It was broke so he did fix it.
I have high and low spots on my lawn,which is the best tool to use on a lawn to level out these areas? Box blade or a regular blade or York rake? Thanks
I'd probably use a box blade. It's going to tear up the turf pretty bad, if I were doing it here I'd do it in late September/early October and then seed it. The best time to seed cool season grasses is fall here, then they don't have to compete with weeds and they get established right before it turns cold and do well the following spring.
Depends on how uneven this is and the nature of you soil - I've found it's easier to just add more material on top than make a mess trying to dig it up, especially if you have heavier soils and dense sod
A roto tiller and start over LOL. Other than that there isn't much you can really do to fix it without tearing things up anyways. Where I live in Idaho the ground changes all the time anyways, with hot and cold weather changes you get low spots and high spots never in the same place HAHA!! You just learn to live with it. Only thing I've had to do was fill in some spots where a shed installation contractor got their truck stuck after I told them not to drive over that area several times.
I know this an old video, but if you're still responding to comments on it, can I use a box blade to rip up kudzu roots?
Absolutely...I've never been around Kudzu, I'm not sure that'll kill it. My southern friends tell me it's fairly hardy.
@@TractorMike It is very persistent and it grows incredibly fast. The only way to get rid of it is to dig it up.
Goats, When there done use Brushkill. Then dig it up. Most difficult thing ever to get rid of
Hi Mike. I have a good box blade but my driveway has spots with large rocks pressed into the gravel from the original job done by a grader. Every time I work the drive I end up with rocks 8 inches to a foot across in the wake. I then attach a rake ad sweep them to the side. Any suggestions or is this about the best I can do?
+Al Coroy You have the same problem we had at our last house. The aces that built the driveway put "shot rock" or big rough limestone rocks down to save space, then spread gravel on top. We fought the same thing you're fighting. Every time you graded you'd pull up big rocks and have to get rid of them. I wish I had an easy solution short of pulling up the driveway and hauling off the big rocks and starting over. Maybe a subscriber will have a better idea, but I think the best thing is to probably add a couple more layers of gravel on top of those big rocks and hope you never see them again. That's what I did. I feel your pain...
Thanks for the quick response Mike.
How does my box scraper work for digging? Has a bucket on it?
Mike I have big holes in my driveway would I need to use the teeth to bust the soil up?
I'd try it first without the teeth, if you're pushing backward like I am in the video you won't want the teeth down anyway. If you get to where it won't dig any deeper then it's time to either A) pull down the teeth and try to dig it up B) call the quarry and line up delivery of more gravel. Having said that, the gravel driveway at our family farm always has a hole in the same place. We tried about everything to get rid of it and it still comes back every 3-5 years to this day, so I don't know that I've figured out the final answer to hole elimination. Maybe someone else will contribute an idea here that we can both try.
@@TractorMike c
@@TractorMike sounds like a bigass hole...I hate to say it but I got one of those too! In my driveway that is. Can't never fill the dang thing up
@@TractorMike For stubborn holes I get #10 gravel from our local limestone quarry. You can think of #10 as "big sand". I overfill the hole with it and pack it down tight, rolling my 15,000 lb. dually truck tires over it. This typically lasts a LONG time, more than filling it with other types of gravel or material.
Hi Tractor Mike! Thanks for all the videos. They're great! What would you use for snow removal; the box blade or a rear blade? Long gravel driveway. Thanks!!
Nick, box blades are not the best for snow removal. They're great for leveling ground, spreading dirt piles and taking the "crown" off that gravel driveway but they just wad up snow in the box and eventually it spills over. A straight blade that can angle will throw snow off to one side on the way down the driveway and the other side on the way back. This video shows it: th-cam.com/video/tAI6-7QoQxM/w-d-xo.html. I hate to tell you, but you probably need both tools. The box blade to keep the driveway fresh and the angle blade for snow removal. That's a little expensive, but stuff like that holds it's value. If you ever want to sell it you won't lose that much, as long as you take care of it.
That's what I will do then. Makes sense. Thank you for the advice!
What he's missing
1)try and buy a scraper wider than the outside wheels on the tractor. At least 4 inchs.(so your tractor sets down in the cut and isn't jumping around..)
2) the greatest wear on a scraper is where the material comes off tge cutting edges... That's were it's going to wear thru.. If you can weld a wear strip in that area..
3) try to find a scraper with a ripper bar that hydraulically swings up out of the way...
3) spend the money and install hdraulic rams for the top link (pitch)
and at least the right link (tilt)
and if money is no object the left link also..
Also if you don't want to replace them very often
On the draw bars
Weld steel around the Heim joints.. Over time from pulling against the joints the front ends will wear out and break..
The steel strengthens them..
And if you can afford one
Find a tractor with a 4/1 front bucket..
4 wheel drives are nice...
If you're wondering
I ran a skiploader for 36 years helping build the Southern California area
From highrises to malls to housing tracks,, any thing and every thing..
hey mike I was wondering what's your opinion on, what's too many hours on a compact tractor?
+Anthony Hart So much of that depends on who owned it before but, at 57 years old, if I were buying a tractor in good mechanical shape with 2000 hours or less I would expect it to last until I'm gone and the kids do my estate sale :). If I knew the person that owned it before and they took meticulous care of it, I wouldn't mind a tractor with 3000 hours. I personally wouldn't want a tractor with over 4000 hours. There are probably a lot of differing opinions on that topic but that's the best advice I have. Hobby farming, brush hogging, moving dirt and tree limbs around and doing my videos I put under 150 hours on a tractor a year which is really nothing, but pretty typical for rural lifestyle customers. Now, if you start farming full time all of those numbers will change.
Exactly. Real farm tractors hold up to more hours on the meter much better than the modern tinker-toy compact diesels that so many home-owners are buying now-a-days. Most compacts are not being built to last like real farm tractors have traditionally been built. Most smaller compact diesels should be considered "pretty-well whipped" between 4,000 and 6,000 hours. Farm tractors typically get taken better care of also when a good farmer owns them, because their livelihood depended on it. Of course there is always the exception to every "rule". Bottom line is to inspect its overall condition, condition, condition! If you look the machine over well, most of the care, or lack thereof, will be fairly evident. This includes abuse and mis-treatment. Always be sure to check all of it's fluids. Be sure there is no oil in the coolant, or coolant in the oil. Check for excessive engine blow-by at the crankcase breather and at the oil fill cap. Check for any abnormal amounts of exhaust smoke/soot/oil build-up on the tail-pipe. Listen to the engine for any abnormal or out of place noises. Listen for any misfiring or rough idle. You'll get a pretty good picture of the overall condition of the tractor's powerplant if you do those few quick checks. The average farm tractor is relatively trouble free to around the 7,000 hour mark. That is not always the case however. I've had several tractors go 10,000+ hours and only be a little tired due to lower compression from normal wear and tear. I've had one turbo diesel engine completely fail at around 6,500 hours. With that said, the 6,500 hr. diesel engine that failed had been known by the manufacturer and the dealership to have defective pistons that came apart prematurely. To prevent any arguments amongst the internet community, I won't disclose what major USA manufacturer said engine was originally built by. LOL Another thing about hours is that tractors often get repaired & rebuilt. A high hour tractor could potentially have a new engine, a new clutch, a new hydraulic pump, etc, etc... So just because a machine may show higher hours on the meter, you can't always go on that one thing alone in making a decision. For example, my tractor with the bad engine got a full out of frame overhaul at the 6,500 hr. mark. It also got a new clutch at the same time. It now has 8,000+ hours on it. It will undoubtedly outlast me, and I'll bet the meter (if it stays working) will show double that number by the time she's tired out the next time around. One final thought to also always take into consideration... Tractor hour meters sometimes LIE. They are often found to be inoperative altogether, replaced without noting when the meter the was replaced, or broken and repaired many hours later to show a working meter with a bogus number of lower than normal hours on the clock. Over the years, I've seen many a tractor at auction and on dealer lots with inaccurate hour meter readings. I've seen a good share with around a supposed 2,000 to 3,000 hours on the meter, that I know easily have actually double to triple those hours on them based on various wear signs all over a given tractor.
For me, it made no sense buying used because used tractor prices for the size of tractor I needed were just about the same as a new tractor...but lacking any warranty, so I just bought new, so at least for me I know what's been done to the tractor from the beginning with no guessing games as to what services a previous owner did or didn't do...and in my area it would be the didn't do as people love to skip routine maintenance on everything...hell people here can't seem to build a simple shed to keep their equipment in, it just sits in the field where they last used it then wonder come spring why it don't work and why there's water in places it shouldn't be. Knowing all that was one huge pointer for me to buy new only, and skip the mess of a used tractor that I'd end up with.
Why are you talking in my left ear? No stereo mike?
Why does all of your videos not play sound on right speaker??
Ricky, took me a while to figure out that my remote microphone was doing that. Sorry about that, the new videos all have sound on both channels.
@@TractorMike ok cool. I thought it wasn't playing at all at first because I only had one headphone in. Glad you got it resolved in newer videos
I have a BX25d and curious if or what size of box blade you might recommend?
4' or 5'. Make sure it cuts a patch a little wider than the tractor tires. If you have fluid in the tires for extra weight you could go with a 5' blade, if not, I'd stay with 4'.
I run a 54" BB on my 26 hp, Kubota B2620 - this seems to be the right size - you'll find the 5" wide that you may be underpowered for some applications, when the BB is full of material and dragging it's a lot of force on the machine
A 4 foot would be ideal, but for light duty stuff you could get away with a 5 foot. I can stop my tractor in its tracks in 4WD with my 4 foot box blade if I don't pay attention.
The gravel when you first started looks and appears to be a smaller size and color they are to different types of gravel at the end how much did you have to add.
Hi Mike love your videos. I learnt quite a bit from watching them. Now I saw your winter snow removal video. I was hoping that this coming winter you could explore this area more. Next summer I will seriously be in the market for a tractor to use for snow removal, and I would love to have your opinion in this area. Thing like attachments. I was looking at a rear mounted forward facing blower. Pronovost makes these in Quebec Canada. They are supposed to be one of the best. I plan on clearing driveways. The idea is to back in drop the blower and drive out. Do this twice and on to the next client. Thanks -John
The Plow Guys John, I'd love to help but where I'm at in southwest Missouri, we usually don't have that much snow. Consequently, dealers don't stock or sell much snow removal equipment, so I've had pretty limited experience there. I've heard that snow blowers are the preferred method of snow removal in northern areas but in this area a blade is about the only tool anyone uses for that purpose. There's a website that I like with a lot of discussion about tractors and implements called TractorByNet.com. You might check there to see what discussion there's been about snow removal there. Good luck and thanks for watching.
OK great thank you.
a thought that came to mind,can a shuttle shift be towed in neutral? I know they say its not good for a hydro.but I never seen any info for a shuttle
Yes. Any gear drive transmission that has one or more gears in neutral can be towed without damage. Now, if it's a power shuttle, better check the owner's manual. You may want the gear, or range lever in neutral, then you'd be okay. CVT's and hydro's don't like to be towed.
I have a new Kubota BX23S and got the box blade attachment. Your video helped a lot! Thanks tractor Mike. I do have a question regarding what my dealer said; he mentioned that using a box blade is hard on the tractor and so its not advisable to go "crazy with it" and box blade the neighbour's main gravel road (1 mile long) just because I can. Is it hard on a tractor? It's a compact tractor yes and the box blade is the right size but..not sure if the info was accurate.
Your dealer has probably had someone buy a box blade and try to level a forest with it. After about the third or fourth sudden impact with a tree root or a stump, the three point arms on the tractor broke or a weld on the box blade came loose and the dealer got yelled at. Believe me, I've been there. If you take it easy with a box blade you're not putting any more strain on the tractor than moving dirt or brush hogging, but if you try to make it into a bulldozer, something will fail. You could get in trouble on a driveway if there were large rocks down below and gravel on top and erosion meant some of the big rocks were sticking up. Your big danger is sudden impact at high speed. Take it slow the first few times to see if there are any obstructions and when you get the gravel worked up to the surface you should be fine. Most of the people who have concern about doing damage and take care of their stuff never have a problem, it's the guys that think you can't tear up a tractor that cause the dealer to tell you to be overly cautious.
That makes all the sense in the world. Thanks again :)
@steal threaded
Tree roots are what have got me as well. Though I feel like they should be designed to take all.the loads a properly sized tractor can give them. I have had to reinforce mine in several places to make that true.
Grading,plowing, subsoiling all need to be done at a slow speed. Hardly anything is tougher on a tractor than a rototiller or bush hog
What do you do with the excess material? I had a ton when I was done and found myself using the loader to remove it.
Lift the blade gradually and spread it over a large area
Doesn’t look like a lot of gravel… mostly sand
Having all that fine expensive crushed rock makes it look easy. Now try that with a driveway made with pit-run gravel and assorted rocks and boulders. Not that's a video I'd like to see!
Kelly Burnham 9o9
M
The audio on this video is terrible. Hard to hear anything.
ass tractor mike?
CA B: Don't be so GRUM..
N
Wrong! Counterintuitively, driveways which are not sealed should be graded flat as possible (ie no crown.) to allow water to drain off as slowly as possible. As such, they are then also far easier to maintain as one only needs drag a currying frame over them to keep pristine.
A flat gravel road allows water to pool and soften the dirt leading to pot holes and ruts. All dirt and gravel roads should have a small crown to aid in water run off. This keeps the underlying dirt dry and hard. I know first hand as I have a long gravel driveway. Before I purchased my tractor it was constantly needing repairs because it was flat. Since I placed a crown, the road only needs to be scraped once a year. www.ehow.com/how_8216689_crown-existing-gravel-road.html
Does anybody have an opinion on how important it is that the soil
subgrade, that the stone is on, is also crowned?
@@caliguy1500 agreed, my driveway is 1/2 mile and a 100' of elevation in two flowing hills. Crown and ditching is a must.
Lack of crown (flat) for a gravel driveway during the wet seasons combined with traffic leads to pot holes where as a slight crown somewhat prevents pot holes. During the dry season or if the drive sees little traffic this is less of an issue. Quality gravel roads also need shoulders & ditches.
We call them chissles
Did you have the "chissels" in in the video? Lol
The teeth are SCAR-ifiers, not SCARE-ifiers. Fyi
I have to be honest, I never knew how to pronounce that. "Scar" makes more sense than "scare". If I do another video on the subject I'll get it right. Thanks!
Hey no problem. I can't wait to get my box blade!