Making a rear ballast for my BX1870. Weight opinion?

[Baymee]

I am making a rear weight ballast on my BX1870 for FEL use, mostly for snow.

At this point, I can still reduce the form to make it lighter. With the weight of the quick hitch, the steel framework for the pins and 2.5 cubic feet of concrete, it will come in around 450#.

Is this too much weight? It would be removed when the FEL is removed. Will this amount of weight damage the tractor?

 

[Crummy]

500# on a BX2380 worked good for me.

 

[Dave_eng]

The answer to your question is very dependent upon this material from your owners' manual

In addition to the weight the 3 pt can lift you need to realize the further back from the center of the rear axle the ballast weight is supported the more it will lift the front of the tractor.

The other factor often overlooked is the ability to prevent roll overs if the ballast is properly located.

The ballast weight will have the greatest benefit for roll overs if when raised the weight is lower than the center of the rear axle.

Your ballast form may place the weight too high to add roll stability.

If your 450# ballast is kept as close to the rear of the tractor as possible the weight should be OK.

Dave

 

[Baymee]

Dave, your explanation helped me get a better grasp of the manual’s mumbo jumbo.

I’m not too concerned about rollover because everything is flat, but the resulting front end weight issue is valid.

The concrete box is 19” tall, so in the lowest position of my 3 PH, the top height is higher than the center line of the rear wheels. I can make the box more of a cube but then the steel will be exposed for the top link. The box is currently 33W x 19 H x 6.

To clarify a bit, the lowest part of the concrete block would be 7.5 inches off the ground and the rear axle is 11 inches above the ground. That would put 81# of weight below the axle and 369# above the axle, but the narrow profile would put the weight close to the rear of the tractor.

What do you think?

 

[Carnut]

View attachment 65547 500# on a BX2380 worked good for me..

Crummy, I like what you did and thinking about doing something similar. Would you post a few more pics and a brief explanation of what you did? Thanks

 

[Crummy]

Crummy, I like what you did and thinking about doing something similar. Would you post a few more pics and a brief explanation of what you did? Thanks

It's a side counterweight off a 966 Cat loader with a custom frame built out of 2"x2" tubing.

 

[Baymee]

I rebuilt my form, above, to make it 37” wide, 10” tall and 13” deep. This will give a lower center of gravity and a bit longer out the back. It‘s meant to hook up to my Quick Hitch. It looks like Crummy keeps his on for ballast for the forks.

I’ll post pictures of my project.

Crummy, what attachment (brand name and model) do you have for the forks? I’d like to switch back and forth from the bucket to the forks. I’ve seen some negative comments on the forum about the quick hitch type of bucket, but I’m still interested.

 

[Dave_eng]

Steel or Iron have a distinct weight advantage for ballasts.

Concrete weights approx 150# per cubic foot.

Steel more than 3 x more at 489# per cubic foot.

Dave

 

[Crummy]

Crummy, what attachment (brand name and model) do you have for the forks? I’d like to switch back and forth from the bucket to the forks. I’ve seen some negative comments on the forum about the quick hitch type of bucket, but I’m still interested.

SSQA Bucket is the only way to go if you want more than a Bucket. I run
Forks - Kubota BX2415 32", Snow Pusher - Land Pride SPL1060, Grapple - Land Pride SGC0554, modified 72" Curtis snowplow and two different buckets.

 

[Baymee]

Steel or Iron have a distinct weight advantage for ballasts.

Concrete weights approx 150# per cubic foot.

Steel more than 3 x more at 489# per cubic foot.

There’s no doubt that Crummy built a ballast worthy of an art museum. That piece of iron is the perfect size. I’m coming along pretty well with my steel frame and the concrete block is fairly small and should easily hook up to my Quick Hitch.

 

[Baymee]

I am using scrap structural steel for a frame

It's size will be 37 x 13 deep x 10 high. A local mill put out pallet of scrap 3/4" PB with Formica on one side, so I grabbed one. The C channel Mark's were cut out.

All edges are cut for biscuits and glued together. Tomorrow I'll fill the form with concrete.

 

[Ping]

I am using scrap structural steel for a frame

View attachment 65736

It's size will be 37 x 13 deep x 10 high. A local mill put out pallet of scrap 3/4" PB with Formica on one side, so I grabbed one. The C channel Mark's were cut out.

View attachment 65737

All edges are cut for biscuits and glued together. Tomorrow I'll fill the form with concrete.

View attachment 65738 View attachment 65739

you might want to include a few pcs of PVC set in vertical. Would give you an easy way to carry shovels, rakes and implements of destruction.

 

[DustyRusty]

On my old BX22, I used the Kubota weight bucket with 600+ pounds in it.. Never had a problem with the tractor lifting it, nor any adverse effects on the tractor itself. This weight might be the reason that I can snow blow or plow snow with turf tires on black top without chains. My weights , about 1 1/4 pounds each were made up from lead wheel weights by the owner of a tractor that I purchased over 30 years ago. It was a Bolens with a loader on the front, and a steel box on the back that held all these weights.

 

[Baymee]

you might want to include a few pcs of PVC set in vertical. Would give you an easy way to carry shovels, rakes and implements of destruction.

I saw the tubes on the commercial boxes but I don't think I would ever use it. Good idea, though.

 

[Matt Ellerbee]

Just toss all the clamps in there, that’s gotta be a few hundred pounds!

I dig it. I would definitely put some pvc in, you may never use it, but if you need it and it’s not there....

 

[FTG-05]

My two rules for 3ph weight ballast are as follows:

- If the 3ph can lift it, it's not heavy enough.*

- If the 3ph and tractor don't seriously grunt when lifting the weight, it's definitely not heavy enough.


* Tongue in cheek for the humor-challenged.

 

[Baymee]

I took the advice of the tool carriers. It used 340# dry weight of concrete plus the steel, 80#

Now to keep it sealed up in plastic for 30 days and get some custom mixed Orange paint.

 

[DustyRusty]

Cover it with burlap, and keep it wet. You shouldn't keep it enclosed in plastic. Concrete needs to breath to cure properly. Wetting it down once a day, and keeping it out of the sun will be best.

 

[Baymee]

Cover it with burlap, and keep it wet. You shouldn't keep it enclosed in plastic. Concrete needs to breath to cure properly. Wetting it down once a day, and keeping it out of the sun will be best.

Good tip. It’s sitting in the woods. I recently made a refractory slab for the top of my wood stove. I kept it in the form for a week, keeping it wet, and then I submerged it in water for a month. Ponding is another way to cure concrete.

 

[mcmxi]

@Baymee, that's a neat solution you have there. I can imagine some folks standing around it 50 years from now wondering who made it and why. Very cool. It'll be interesting to see if it cracks, but hopefully not.

When I worked in construction, we used to spray a diesel-like liquid over our concrete pours to retard evaporation. This was in Hawaii back in the late '80s and early '90s.