B2601 how much ballast? I need to make a ballast box for winter. What does Kubota recommend for weight?
B2601 how much ballast?
- Thread starter godtar
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The purpose of a ballast box is to take weight off of the front axle and create more stability when using front end loaders and accessories.
In other words....it depends on what you are doing. The owners manual would tell you what you need depending on the loader you are using, based on it's capacity.
In other words....it depends on what you are doing. The owners manual would tell you what you need depending on the loader you are using, based on it's capacity.
Here are the spec's for the 3 pt hitch
There are a couple of factors in deciding how much and what to use for ballast.
You want the ballast to be low to the ground for the roll stability it provides.
With this in mind, taking a 55 gal drum and filling it with concrete results in the weight being too high.
My suggestion is for you to aim for 80% of the 24" rated capacity of 1,400#. This equals 1,120#
Concrete weights 150# per cubic foot. To have this amount of weight you will need 7.4 cubic feet of concrete.
A block around 3' x 2' x 14" will get you into this weight range.
A 3 pt hitch has a relief valve which will prevent the operator from lifting too heavy a weight.
However, once the weight is lifted, the relief valve has no influence on matters. Driving on bumpy ground or pilling stuff on top of the concrete block once you have lifted it, will impose significantly higher forces on the lift system. Most Kubota's I have studied have another valve. A safety valve, and its job is to relief pressure before things break.
If you find the weight dropping while using the tractor you are possibly seeing the safety valve doing its job.
Dave
I also needed a ballist box, but after looking into it that’s all there good for. I ended picking up a rear box blade that weights about the same as a box and now I have something I can use also. If you don’t need any other attachments a box may be the way to go but down the road you may need a rear blade of some sort.
That makes a lot of sense. You really aren't lifting with a plow and putting any stress on the front axle. Even a bucket full of snow is relatively light compared to dirt or gravel. Traction is the biggest issue, not counterbalance.
A little off topic but a friend gave me an old rusted ballast container made out of a 55 gallon drum (cut down to about 20 inches +/-) filled with concrete and pieces of lead imbedded in the concrete. He does not know what it weighs. Any suggestions on how I can determine it's weight? I searched "crane scales" on google but can't see buying one only to use it one time. Thanks for any suggestions.
If you can get the drum to a metal recycler just go over the scale with and without the drum. Then you'll know the weight of it.
Do it the old way.
Get 4 bathroom type scales and build a simple wood platform that is supported on the 4 scales. The scales do not have to be the same.
Add more scales if they are all going to their max limit.
Place the drum on the platform and it's weight will be the sum of each scales's weight less the weight of the platform.
People racing Formula Fords use this method to be certain they will not be breaching the weight regulations when they get to the track on race day.
Dave
Get 4 bathroom type scales and build a simple wood platform that is supported on the 4 scales. The scales do not have to be the same.
Add more scales if they are all going to their max limit.
Place the drum on the platform and it's weight will be the sum of each scales's weight less the weight of the platform.
People racing Formula Fords use this method to be certain they will not be breaching the weight regulations when they get to the track on race day.
Dave
Assuming it's a standard mix, it will be right around 700# if filled to the top.
Those barrels are about 22.5 inches in diameter. If it's 22 inches tall it would hold right around 4.8 cubic feet. Standard concrete mix is right around 145# per cu. ft.
Lead however is a different story. It weighs about 3.5 times more than concrete. I'll guess your tractor can lift it. You should be able to get the specs for what your 3 point can lift and know how heavy it isn't.
Recycling center or even a gravel pit would have a scale that would work. The 4 scale idea would work too if the lead content isn't too much.
Last edited:
Jchonline
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Heavy rear blade is where I would spend my money. So many uses. In the winter, you can blade or back drag snow. I am planning on just the front bucket and the rear blade. We will see how it goes!
I have a 2601 also. I got one of the Titan Ballast Boxes and filled it with cement. I added a couple of 4" PVC pipes to use as tool carriers, and a few bolts to use for attaching other stuff (ie toolbox, cooler, etc.). All in all, it weighs 615 lbs and I'm pretty happy with it. My only gripe with the Titan box is that it doesn't work well with the harbor freight quick hitch -- it works, just not as easily as it should.
(picture attached)
Sometimes I might use a heavier implement as ballast, but implements tend to take up a lot of space --- meaning they are wide, long, or both. I work in the woods a lot and the Titan box is pretty small and close to the rear of the tractor so I can still maneuver in pretty tight spaces.
(picture attached)
Sometimes I might use a heavier implement as ballast, but implements tend to take up a lot of space --- meaning they are wide, long, or both. I work in the woods a lot and the Titan box is pretty small and close to the rear of the tractor so I can still maneuver in pretty tight spaces.
