to buy or to make?

[P.Services]

i need some kind of a box blade to use for grading on my ct332, what do you guys think of these two ideas.

im thinking about getting a used 3pt box scraper for a tractor ($200) and cutting the ears for the three point off and welding on a quick attach plate for a skid and then using one of those hydraulic plates that tilt side to side. i know it sounds crude and hillbillyish but i think it would work good and i will put a nice paint job on it so it wont look home made. and it would be cheap.

or i could buy one of these from john deere but i bet it will be 6 or 7 grand and it doesn't adjust horizontally.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/cfd/construction/deere_const/skidsteers/skidsteer_attachments/skidsteer_rollerlevels.html

does any one know what im talking about when i say that hydro plate that goes up and down horizontally? who makes it? i have seen it a hundred times but cant remember what its called or who makes it.

[bobcat_ron]

Make it yourself, save the money and you might be able to make it better than Deere's.

[P.Services]

Make it yourself, save the money and you might be able to make it better than Deere's.

dang man that was a quick reply!!! check out the video on the link i like how it has two cutting edges and one is hinged. i also like the roller

[bobcat_ron]

It's more fun building that buying something you can make over a few weekends with 6 packs.

[P.Services]

i only have two problems with that.... i cant weld for a shat (i can but they break 50% or the time) and im not 21 yet dang it :laugh:

[bobcat_ron]

Oh you are so screwed.

[P.Services]

Oh you are so screwed.

hahaha. i know a few real good welders that have a fab shop in their garge.

[AWJ Services]

http://www.landpride.com/products/prod_bb/prod_mr35.html

Those cheap box blades are easy too bend up with a skid.

I have a Gill that is similar too this and it is ample strong enough for a skid.

[stuvecorp]

i only have two problems with that.... i cant weld for a shat (i can but they break 50% or the time) and im not 21 yet dang it :laugh:

One way to look at it is to build it and if you do a bad job and it breaks, you get to do it again. That way your fab skills will get better, right?

[P.Services]

i would rather just pay a few bucks and have it done once and right.

[J. Peterson Grading]

That Deere roller gadjet doesn't work quite the way that deere claims it does.

The roller is a pipe with mesh wrapped around it. So it doesn't do a good job of breaking up clods. It also doesn't clean itself out well at all. So if you are in any wet type of soil. The soil will stick and cause the the operator to half to get out and clean it off only to do it again in a few minutes..

The roller also gets into the way of the tools soil carrying ability.
I think you are on the right track witht the box-blade with tilt-tatch idea.

Another I dea you might think about is a land plane. I have one and love it. Use it all the time and i would love to add a tilt-tatch to it.

plus I to can't weld for shiat. But lucky for me I know a super welder/fabricator. Hes saved my azz many times.

J

[P.Services]

i guess the reason that roller would be nice is because you could put the weight of the machine on it and then the blade wouldnt be avle to bit and dig in, but it would also make grading hard because it would raise the box when you went over a bump 4' ahead of it.

[J. Peterson Grading]

I think a single or double caster wheel out front would take care of that problem.

Seriously I never have that problem with my landplane and i do everything from grading drives to blue topping parkinglots with it.

J.

[P.Services]

a land plane is just one of those flat real low to the ground kind of knife things right? i want some thing that can hold some dirt and be able to travel with it to fill the low spots and what have you.

[J. Peterson Grading]

Low and flat. Thas right. But land planes do the same thing but in a different way.

But it still carries dirt and fills in low spots. Just used it today on a gravel drive repair. and it did excatally that carried and filled. Plus the low, long and flat gives you great tool vision therefore better tool control.

[stuvecorp]

Look at the Roadrunner attachment. www.roadrunnerblade.com

[J. Peterson Grading]

Btw. Nice equipment. we seem to have the same start-up story. nice to see its going good for you as well

[J. Peterson Grading]

those road runner things are sweet.

the company I used to work for has a custom 16' unit that mounts to a D6k. Real cool

[stuvecorp]

Low and flat. Thas right. But land planes do the same thing but in a different way.

But it still carries dirt and fills in low spots. Just used it today on a gravel drive repair. and it did excatally that carried and filled. Plus the low, long and flat gives you great tool vision therefore better tool control.

We have a landplane for our 30, it does work real good. If I ever find one for a good price, will pick one up.

[stuvecorp]

those road runner things are sweet.

the company I used to work for has a custom 16' unit that mounts to a D6k. Real cool

Thanks. I would love to see a picture of that thing.

[tbi]

We use an EZ grader. Similar to a land plane. You can spread and carry soil very efficiently with this tool. And it doesn't compact it like a dozer will.