Is there any way i can lock the position of my box blade?

I'm using a box blade to help me dig a trench, and when i try to sink it down into the ground, it always lifts up a good bit and doesnt really get down into the dirt as much as it could. Is there any way that I can lock it in place so that it doesn't float up so much?

Here are pictures of it:

http://i.imgur.com/0chj2wj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JDKoBHq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dp5RTUv.jpg

(working links

http://i.imgur.com/0chj2wj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JDKoBHq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dp5RTUv.jpg

per the design of a box blade they are meant to float
the primary use of them is to level out landscaping and driveways
which is why they have rails down both sides

a back blade would do a better job for trenching

better yet there is a V blade that is even more for ditch work

there is also a back bucket like affair that would scoop and dump

biggest problem with all of them is most 3 point tractors don't have down force

as the back blade you are using appears to have narrow rails on it about all you can do is add a lot
of weight onto it to aid it going in futher and taking multipal passes and drag ou little amounts of
dirt with each pass till you get what you need

do you have a tractor with a loader would be easier
skid steer even better
best might be a backhoe
if you can borrow one or rent one time saved maybe worth it

maybe someone else on here may have a suggestion

Put your ripper shanks back in!

Put your rippers back in and add some
weight to the blade. It shouldnt take
much weight before you notice you will
have to lift the blade to stop spinning
as you pull it. If you find anyway to
lock it down will just take away
traction.

That looks like an 8N Ford.
Have you tried using position control?

(quoted from post at 06:43:54 01/29/16) That looks like an 8N Ford.
Have you tried using position control?

Click to expand...

Since 3 pt & BB will float IE have no hyd down pressure may I ask how "position control" will help BB to penetrate?

I agree with others that stated add weight to BB.

In addition to adding weight like others have said you might also try shortening up your top link.
With the link set long the box blade rocks back with the rear cutting edge acting as a depth gauge
which is great for smoothing but it prevents the front edge from cutting aggressively.

Well,
He did say it was lifting up and didn't say
it wasnt digging in.

That is a box scrapper blade and I don't think it will work very well for digging a ditch.The wings on the sides will prevent it from digging into the ground like you want.You need a regular blade with out the side wings.Mark

Like others said use your scarifier teeth and it will stop you in your tracks if you let it. They will loosen the ground as well as keep your blade
down. A quick search showed them available at agrisupply for 17 bucks each.

Another trick is to shorten your top link but I think you will need the teeth to make that work. Lengthen the top link for you finish grading work.

Thanks everyone. I forgot to mention that i had already used the scarifiers to break up the topsoil, and go as deep as i could get them with my limited experience. Great idea on adding weight, i might try it.

So far, i ended up making a homemade trencher based off of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh_mYjWfJeY

I didn't make the notches, cause i think he said somewhere that they aren't really necessary... but dont quote me on that.

I went to home depot and got the thickest piece of angle iron they had... 4 feet long, 2" wide and 3/16" thick for $22. It works really good, and would be almost all you need if you were only laying a small pipe... but since i'm going to bury 4" pvc, i have to go back and forth over it a few times to widen it out. I suppose i could use 2 next to each other to make wider passes... but then it's $45 and at that point, i would probably better off trying to find something like this for for a little more:

http://imgur.com/IQACEZ1

Right now there is one of those on ebay for $60 with free shipping. If i hadn't already bought the angle iron, i might have went ahead and got it. It looks like i could just slide it in where my rippers go, and drag it like that.

Anyway, here is the homemade trencher on the tractor:

http://i.imgur.com/sEihXZD.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZrwQ8g6.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/BVh0PzC.jpg

Wider sides would scoop more dirt out, and thicker would be better as well... but again, it works really really well for what it's doing. You can see a bend in the iron... that was unintentional because at one point i tried going in reverse through the trench... i guess it was weaker in that direction, and it bent... but it actually turned out ok, because now when i drive forward i think it helps it dig down and scoop into the trench.

It breaks it up really good, then i scoop out the dirt with a shovel (of course there is still a bit of digging)... also roots are a pain, but i have a reciprocating saw with an old blade on it that i run down the side of the trench when i encounter one, and cut it out.

Thanks again for the input.

If you still want the box blade to dig in by preventing it from coming up all you need is to connect the tractors top link position with the blades lift arm pins. You can either do that with two pieces of flat iron with a hole in both ends or better with an adjustable top link but that would require some tinking on the blade of course. Needless to say you will have to disconnect it each time you want to lift the blade.

(quoted from post at 16:05:19 01/29/16) If you still want the box blade to dig in by preventing it from coming up all you need is to connect the tractors top link position with the blades lift arm pins. You can either do that with two pieces of flat iron with a hole in both ends or better with an adjustable top link but that would require some tinking on the blade of course. Needless to say you will have to disconnect it each time you want to lift the blade.

Click to expand...

That sounds interesting 4xMF, but i'm not quite visualizing it. Would it be possible for you to make a rough sketch of what you mean?