Do you have holes, uneven ground, or lumps in your soil that needs to be levelled out? Chances are, it's probably a little too much to do by hand, so you're going to want a machine that can even out the land in a matter of minutes. Fortunately box blades are designed for this specific purpose, and you can attach these simple devices to your John Deere tractor and get a level field without breaking a sweat.
What is a Box Blade?
Used for shaping soil, a box blade is a 3-sided rectangular metal device that attaches to your tractor. It has front and rear scraping blades on the bottom of the rear panel, and it breaks up and shapes the soil with scarifiers. These useful attachments have a variety of applications, including leveling ground for farming, gardening, or even your lawn.
Using Box Blades
So, if you would like to use a box blade, it's going to make your job a lot easier. However, like with any new tool, you're going to need to learn how to use it properly first. A box blade is really simple to use, but improper use is unproductive, and since it's attached to a tractor, unsafe operation could lead to personal injury.
Prepare Yourself
Just like you should do with any new piece of heavy equipment or tool, study your Operator's Manual carefully. John Deere products come with easy-to-read manuals that offer useful information for setting up your devices and using them safely, so make sure you take the time to read over the manual first. If anything is unclear in the manual, you can also ask one of our knowledgeable representatives at Everglades Equipment, and we'll steer you in the right direction.
Top Link Adjustments
Now that you've done the necessary homework, it's time to adjust your box blade for your specific project. Start by adjusting the top link bo make the front and rear cutting blades touch the ground. This is an easy way to simply smooth out the ground. If you need to scrape tougher ground, just shorten the top link to angle the blades forward. This will scrape the soil more aggressively, allowing you to smooth out a rougher field.
Position the Scarifiers
Everyone runs into annoying bumps in their garden, field, or lawn, so you can flatten this out by adjusting the scarifiers on your box blade. Lock the scarifiers in position, then angle the box blade forward. At this angle, the scarifiers will break up the bumps in the ground, making it easy to smooth out the soil.
Level
Once you've removed all the bumps in your path, pull the scarifiers back up and level the box blade on both sides. Also, extend the top link to angle both rear and front blades upwards, and set your blade to the float position. Once this is adjusted, you can pull your box blade over the ground to continue smoothing out the surface again.
Padding Holes
When you level out the surface you're working on with a box blade, small and large holes will be filled with the loose material. Make sure you drive over these filled-in holes a few times to pack the material down, and if there's still any dip, bring some more soil or gravel to even it out with the rest of the surface. Following these tips, you'll be able to smooth out your garden, lawn, or field with a new box blade. You can cover a large area in a short amount of time, and the result is a field that's much more workable and contoured properly for farming.