# A Noob's adventure



## Willem Martins (Sep 19, 2018)

My tractor is being delivered today, with a few attachments. Confession here, I have never driven a tractor before, so I am both scared and exited.

First question and challenge.

I am in the process of building a house and a big shop on a heavily wooded lot. About 1 1/2 acres were cleared in March this year. A big part of the cleared area is graded and has remained clean due to all the building activity traffic. But, I have about 1/8th of an acre where the brush has taken control. I did not buy a brush cutter/mower as it will have limited use, other than this little piece.

So, the first training session will be to try and clear the roots and brush using my loader, grapple bucket and box blade.

Think I will start raking with the grapple, or am I going about this the wrong way?


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Well, it's up to you, but I would put the rippers down on the box blade and rip the area to pull roots and small brush, then use the grapple to pick the carnage out of the dirt. Use the box blade with the rippers up to level and distribute the dirt afterwards. You could start with the grapple, but you may not want to be putting undue stress on your FEL and take it a bit easy with the box blade until you get a bit of practice to see how things work.
Good luck Willem, and enjoy your new tractor, and don't forget to put it in our registry so we can all enjoy it!


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Bill's spot on. Biggest thing is to go slow to avoid damage until you learn the tractors capability. Don't know the size of your box scraper but if it's big enough, enough dirt in it will start bogging down the tractor, especially if you snag a large enough rock or root. Just take your time and enjoy it! Seat time is happy time no matter.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2018)

Welcome Willem.... looking forward to updates and pics.... what kind of tractor did you get?


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Be real careful about getting aggressive with the loader. They are not a dozer, and it is easy to blow cylinder and valve seals from too much stress.


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## Hoodoo Valley (Nov 14, 2006)

Highlighting RC, I'm certain that your manual will highlight this, but generally no more than a 5 degree angle on the bucket going forward and something on the order of 15 degree's bucket angle pulling backward or you can bend the bottom edge of the bucket, bucket linkage, cylinders and as RC mentions, ruin cylinder and valve seals.


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## Willem Martins (Sep 19, 2018)

First day, cleared brush and reasonably leveled about an acre in approximately 2 hours.

Thanks for all the advice.

The picture shows the kind of terrain we have here in the Sandhills NC, the ground is soft sand and I found the box-blade rippers are not needed to fill the box fast. The area I graded is OK, but not smooth enough to sow grass and use a finish mower later. 

It appears to level sand sufficiently, one has to go slow and work the height of the box blade up and down all the time. Perhaps I am expecting too much from a box-blade? Or is it possible if I go over this again carefully, I should be able to take out all the bumps and dips, to get a nice level area?


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2018)

Some people might be able to smooth it out enough to sow with a box blade but I sure couldnt... I'd be dragging around some harrows next.

Nice LS


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

If you get to the point where you are now, you should be able to set the box blade at a level that you want, then then start grading. The box blade should cut the humps out and fill up, then let the collected dirt out in the hollow spots without adjusting the blade at all. Takes practice but you will see what I mean.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2018)

I can level pretty good by back dragging a front blade or bucket.... but Ive never been able to get the same results with a box blade behind a tractor... thats why I own harrows


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## Willem Martins (Sep 19, 2018)

pogobill said:


> If you get to the point where you are now, you should be able to set the box blade at a level that you want, then then start grading. The box blade should cut the humps out and fill up, then let the collected dirt out in the hollow spots without adjusting the blade at all. Takes practice but you will see what I mean.


I think I figured out what I did wrong. My hitch link is set too high, so both front and back box blades touch the ground when the box is down. Looks like the front blade needs to be higher than the rear, allowing the dirt to pass through to the rear.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

There are You Tube videos on how to set up the box blade for leveling. In soft soil I would flip the grousers upside down out of the way, set the box so the front blade is touching on a level surface, and the rear blade about an inch above the surface. 

You want the front blade to fill the box, and the rear blade to level the fill into the low spots as you knock the high spots down. Set the overall height from the three point so you are only taking about a half inch cut on the high points. Keep making passes until the you have achieved flat and level. It will take many passes, but eventually you will have a table top smooth surface. 

I have never used a box blade to prepare a seed bed, but for parking areas, equipment staging areas, around foundations to level the ground, and road maintenance.

I am with Lance on seed bed preparation, and would use a disc to loosen the soil and then a frame harrow to level. Much quicker and allows you to achieve the fine bed needed for grass seed.


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