Each has's it's own advantage and disadvantage, you can't angle with a box blade and a rear blade does do a nice finish job when turned around and set not to cut. That said, if I had a landscape rake to go with my box blade I wouldn't bother buying a back blade.

 

I have never used a box blade. I have used a borrowed landscape rake though, and I have a 60" back blade. My back blade is only used for snow removal. I was impressed with the job the landscape rake did on the area disturbed when the septic was replaced. You could get good results by playing with the top link length. A lot of my dirt work is smoothed out with my FEL bucket. So, if you can't accomplish want you need with what you have and think the back blade would be a good addition, then go for it. In the end it's your money, and you could always resell it if it doesn't work out.

 

Thanks for your input guys. All taken well. :thumbup1gif:

 

I have a 6' Buhler back blade. Purchased used, cheap. It is maybe 7/8 wore out. Angle adjustment holes are all egg shaped. The blade wiggles and bobbles on the end of the arm, it has a used grader blade welded to the bottom for a cutting edge.

For the things I use it for, moving snow and an occasional use on the driveway gravel, it works just fine.

If I did more with it. Needed nicer looking results quicker, I would consider spending more on a nicer blade. But I don't need more than this is capable of doing.

Did I mention it was cheap ??
Your needs may vary.

 

I have a 6' Frontier (Woods) back blade that I like. Most of the time I use it with the blade reversed (non cutting) to smooth things out, and I take out the tilt pin so it floats with the ground contours.

A top-n-tilt, or at least a 'top' cylinder makes it more useful. If you can get end plates for it, get them as they make directing spoils easier when cutting with the blade angled.