What is a Box Blade Used for?

Box Blades: What Do They Do?

A box blade looks like a 3-sided metal box and features front and rear scraping blades that are located on the bottom of the rear panel. Box blades are typically attached to a tractor, skid steer, or compact track loader and are used for leveling, grading, backfilling, or spreading materials like soil or gravel. These implements use scarifiers – angled metal teeth – to dig into the ground and break up the soil or dirt so that it can be shaped to meet the operator’s needs.

Completing Tasks with a Box Blade

Before using their box blade, operators should first assess their knowledge of the implement and not only what it can help accomplish, but also how it can help accomplish these goals.

When taking on a scraping project, begin by adjusting the top link so that both the front and rear cutting blades are touching the ground – this will result in a basic smoothing action. For a more aggressive scraping action, shorten the top link so that the blade is angled forwards.

Need to flatten out a bumpy surface? Simply put the scarifiers in the locked position and angle the box blade forward just a bit. This will allow them to break the ground apart. Once this is done, pull the scarifiers back up and level the box blade on both sides and lengthen the top link so that the blades are slightly angled upwards. Next, set the 3-point to the “float” position and begin pulling the box blade along the ground – the rear blade will gently smooth the surface as the implement moves along.

For more information regarding box blades, John Deere construction equipment and attachments, contact your local John Deere dealer.

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