Need blade advice

[mva1958]

Hi, I just bought a cub with fast hitch and need some advice about which grader blade to buy.

I will soon have a 500+ gravel driveway to maintain. I can get a 54A grader blade plus the substitute drawbar for around $800 shipped. I can get a new fast-hitch rear blade from Agri Supply for around $320 plus the gas it will take to run down to NC and pick it up.

I'll be using the blade mostly to keep the driveway in shape. Every 5 or 10 years we have a winter like this one so I'll need to push snow every so often as well. Which is the better set-up, the 54A which I can belly mount with the substitute drawbar, or the rear blade? Cost is a consideration but not the deciding factor; if as I suspect the 54A is the superior grader and snow plow then I will go with that but if the rear blade will do just as good a job then I'll go with that.

Thanks in advance!

[Super A]

Hi, I just bought a cub with fast hitch and need some advice about which grader blade to buy.

I will soon have a 500+ gravel driveway to maintain. I can get a 54A grader blade plus the substitute drawbar for around $800 shipped. I can get a new fast-hitch rear blade from Agri Supply for around $320 plus the gas it will take to run down to NC and pick it up.

I'll be using the blade mostly to keep the driveway in shape. Every 5 or 10 years we have a winter like this one so I'll need to push snow every so often as well. Which is the better set-up, the 54A which I can belly mount with the substitute drawbar, or the rear blade? Cost is a consideration but not the deciding factor; if as I suspect the 54A is the superior grader and snow plow then I will go with that but if the rear blade will do just as good a job then I'll go with that.

Thanks in advance!

For maintaining a driveway I think I would prefer a box blade. http://www.agrisupply.com/Box-Blade-Poi ... sid=&eid=/

For snow removal I would think you'd need a "straight" blade. (I have never tried to move snow!!) The 54A is cool but will be a lot harder to attach and take off than the fast hitch blade.

Al

[mva1958]

For maintaining a driveway I think I would prefer a box blade. http://www.agrisupply.com/Box-Blade-Poi ... sid=&eid=/

For snow removal I would think you'd need a "straight" blade. (I have never tried to move snow!!) The 54A is cool but will be a lot harder to attach and take off than the fast hitch blade.

Al

I thought about that - I can get the box blade plus the rear blade for about what the 54A setup will cost me. Snow handling with the rear blade is what's got me scratching my head.

[Don McCombs]

In my opinion, $800 for a 54A blade is very, very pricey. I think you can do better than that if you are patient. Given the infrequent snow plowing duty you will be performing, I think the Fast Hitch blade is the way to go. Much easier to install and adjust. There is an Agri-Supply in Petersburg, so you may not need to drive to NC.

[mva1958]

In my opinion, $800 for a 54A blade is very, very pricey. I think you can do better than that if you are patient. Given the infrequent snow plowing duty you will be performing, I think the Fast Hitch blade is the way to go. Much easier to install and adjust. There is an Agri-Supply in Petersburg, so you may not need to drive to NC.

Neither is in stock at Petersburg, I'm going to call and see if they will move inventory in from another store for free or at least for less than the truck freight charge to my home.

The used 54A is $450, which I think is about right - the additional is for the substitute drawbar and the motor freight charge. It's coming from some distance away, else I'd go pick it up.

[Bob McCarty]

You might want to put a post in the "wanted" section of the Vine classified forum and see if you can find one for sale closer.

Bob

[Don McCombs]

Take this for what it's worth, but I think even $450 for the blade, less substitute drawbar, is on the expensive side unless it is pristine.

If you have your heart set on a 54A, place a want ad in the "Vine" forum. You never know what might turn up.

There is a Cubfest coming up in south-central VA in late April.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=81392

[mva1958]

Take this for what it's worth, but I think even $450 for the blade, less substitute drawbar, is on the expensive side unless it is pristine.

If you have your heart set on a 54A, place a want ad in the "Vine" forum. You never know what might turn up.

There is a Cubfest coming up in south-central VA in late April.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=81392

I've got a lot going on in April, building a new house, etc so probably won't make it out to Randolph this year. The 54A I'm looking at looks good, new cutting edges, fresh paint, but the freight charges are extreme I think.

Agri will move inventory into Petersburg for me at no addl cost so I may go with the rear blade plus a box scraper from them. The driveway will be in good shape when we move in so I won't need to do much to it for a while.

[Worksmart]

I'm not sure you will happy with a rear blade or box blade for grading. Both work very well for moving material and very rough grading but you more than likely will end up with humps. As the front wheels follow the existing grade they will go up and down and the blade in the rear will do the opposite. Digging in and leaving mounds as you go. That's why road graders have the blade mounted in the belly.

If you are looking to do a better i.e. finer job of grading, I think you'd be better off being patient and finding a 54A closer(cheaper) which can be mounted in the belly position. A complete set up to mount in the front for snow plowing too would be the best of both worlds. I've pushed and pulled snow over the years and pushing wins out for me. My neck and back are better off too!

[gitractorman]

Tell you what, I've done a LOT of grading and moving material with both a Cub and a sub compact tractor with a rear blade. If you truly want to be able to grade your driveway, the mid mounted Cub blade is the only way to go.



A front blade made for pushing snow is designed to ride on the shoes, where the blade loads up with snow, pushing down on the blade, riding on the shoes, and thus moving the snow. A rear mounted blade completely hangs from the hitch, so it is subject to pitching and bouncing like a front blade is, however, it's movement (up, down, side to side) is greatly exxagerated by the distance the blade is back behind the tractor.

The Cub blade mounted in the mid (belly) position, with the shoes off of it, is designed to hang from the tractor, using all 4 wheels and the hydraulics to maintain the grade. With this setup, the blade cannot pitch and bounce like a rear or front mounted blade, and because it's right below your feet, it is extremely easy to hold grade by feathering the touch control (hydraulic lift) lever. Nothing else can do this, other than a road grader, and it's precisely why you see road graders doing what they do..... they are designed exactly for creating and holding material at grade!



Plus, you would get the benefit of being able to use the blade to plow snow whenever you need.

Trust me on this. A Cub 54 blade is the only way to go! Put a want ad in the Classifides. Don't be afraid to get a blade that's a little rusted up and refurbish it. I've gone through several that I bought for $100, sand blasted or wire wheeled, redrill holes and use larger bolts or bushings, and prime/paint, and they look like new. Just look for twisted parts of the subframe, but basically, they are fairly indestructable.

[torchred89]

http://chambersburg.craigslist.org/grd/4354389687.html
A lot cheaper then what you were going to pay.

[Bill]

When you look at a blade make sure all the hardware is with it. TM parts shows pitcures of all parts and how to mount the blade. $350.00 is a fair price if complete. I have one complete with Aux. draw bar, but you would be better to buy closer to your area. Do not be in a hurry.
Bill

[mva1958]

Thanks, everybody. I'll bide my time and see what pops up near me. The used blades I'm finding on CL and other sources are all so far away that I'd be out 100 bucks or so in gas at minimum just to go and look at them.

[Bill Hudson]

... I'll bide my time and see what pops up near me...

Wise move. As others have stated, a 54 or 54A blade will meet your needs better than a rear mounted blade.

Bill

[Boss Hog]

Mike, I am 100% sure you can pick up a good one at a good price here at my fest. Watch what you buy. I bought one once and paid $450 for it and it was junk. this time of year $250 to $300 is a fair price.
Boss