How to Select the Right Ground Engaging Tractor Implement
We want to help you understand which ground engaging tractor implement is best for your particular use.
And as a quick aside --- we are here to help you purchase a new tractor and implements when the time is right.
Let’s get to the details.
The Challenge
There is quite a selection of ground engaging tractor implements.
It can be a challenge to determine which tractor implement(s) to buy for your leveling, grading, earthmoving, and snow removal needs.
You want to avoid spending more than you need to. And you want to avoid tying up money in implements that you may only use once or twice a year.
The key is to get the tractor implements that will solve as many of your land care and grounds maintenance needs as possible.
There are four popular and widely-available ground engaging tractor implements that can help you get more work out of your machine.
They include:
Rear Blades
Landscape Rakes
Box Scrapers
Grading Scrapers
Rear Blades ---
Rear blades are considered the Swiss army knives of debris, soil, and landscape management tractor implements.
They are perhaps the most versatile 3-point-hitch mounted, ground-engaging implement. Performing rear blade tasks may require a little more attention and finesse from the operator.
Rear blades, when operated properly, can perform more tasks than other more specialized landscape equipment can accomplish.
Adding to the rear blade versatility, you can add optional end plates to morph the rear blade into more of an earthmover — something like a box blade.
Add an optional tail wheel to make it easier to keep the rear blade at a constant leveling height and you can make your tractor and rear blade combination into a type of road grader.
Tilt and angle a rear blade to create a ditch or swale for water run-off management.
Rear blades are very versatile and very popular for snow removal.
Landscape Rakes ---
Landscape rakes can speed up gathering rocks and roots when you are opening a new farm field, garden space, or a new lawn.
Some landscape rake users have success using them to rake heavy accumulations of Fall leaves off their lawns.
Most of the time landscape rakes take on tasks that are much more demanding than gathering up Fall’s leaves. They are built to handle rocks and roots.
You can rid a job site, pasture, or a field of large sticks and rocks.
Like rear blades --- most landscape rakes can be angled to create windrows of the unwanted debris. You can even add a tail wheel to keep your rake at a constant level until the job is completed. This is especially useful when performing a job in softer soil.
Box Scrapers ---
Box scrapers are not as versatile as a rear blade --- but they still have many applications.
They can accomplish some of the same tasks as rear blades, landscape rakes, or grading scrapers.
The box scraper height can be adjusted by the tractor operator using the 3-point hitch level control. And you can use the height-adjustable 3-point lift arm to tilt the box scraper.
With a little practice, using a box scraper can result in a smooth-leveled surface.
Where box scrapers shine is on jobs that require moving considerable amounts of dirt, gravel, or any other material from one location to another.
Box scrapers do this because their heavy-duty digging moldboard (at the rear of the implement) is fully enclosed on the ends. Therefore, box scrapers can carry the material until you choose the spot you want to unload. You then lift the box scraper with the 3-point hitch.
To add to their digging performance and versatility, box scrapers usually come with a set of scarifier shanks at the front of the box scraper that can be raised and lowered to break up and loosen hard and compacted surfaces.
Grading Scrapers ---
Grading scrapers are a specialized implement.
They enable you to smooth out or level off many types of ground.
If you have yards or miles of driveway, road, or trail to maintain --- a grading scraper needs to be seriously considered.
Typically they have a gang of scarifier shanks near the front of the implement (like on most box scrapers). These are useful to rip into the toughest, hardest-packed spots --- and provide loose material for the following scraping and leveling blades to spread, level, and firm.
A grading scraper can be the fastest route to a smooth path, field, or new lawn --- resembling that of a professional landscaper’s handiwork.
TIP: If you happen to be attacking a pesky pothole --- use your front shanks to dig down close to, or even below the bottom of the pothole. That will free up enough loose material to completely fill in the pothole and make the entire driveway area smooth and more uniform.
Hopefully, this brief article has helped you decide what ground engaging tractor implement is best for your use(s).
If you need any further help or have any questions about tractors, implements, or anything else equipment-related, please contact your dealer, local mechanic, or call us at 602-734-9944. Please ask about our current new and used tractor supply.
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