Adding weight to Brushcutter

[UnionParish45]

I have a L2501 and a Landpride 1260 brush cutter. I need more weight on my rear end for some loader work. Rear tires are already filled. Would it hurt anything to put bags of concrete on the mower deck up towards the lift arms? Maybe five or six 50 lb bags?

Thanks!

 

[GeoHorn]

Shouldn’t hurt a thing.

But if you’re attempting to lift something THAT heavy…. KEEP that load on the loader LOW. VERY LOW.

 

[Roadworthy]

With all that weight be sure to shift into four wheel drive, and by all means keep the bucket as low as you possibly can.

 

[nbryan]

I have a L2501 and a Landpride 1260 brush cutter. I need more weight on my rear end for some loader work. Rear tires are already filled. Would it hurt anything to put bags of concrete on the mower deck up towards the lift arms? Maybe five or six 50 lb bags?

Thanks!

What is telling you that you need more weight than the brush cutter to ballast your fully loaded FEL? Do the rear wheels lift off the ground?

 

[jimh406]

Load your rear tires if you haven't. I usually have my grader scraper, loaded R4s, and with QH15 on mine. That works fine with a loaded bucket of arena sand, dirt, or gravel.

 

[woodman55]

If the ass is coming off the ground with loaded tires and a cutter on the back, I am wondering if someone jacked up the hyd relief ?

 

[UnionParish45]

What is telling you that you need more weight than the brush cutter to ballast your fully loaded FEL? Do the rear wheels lift off the ground?

I was digging out dirt along the edge of a new pond. Going straight down the grade into the pond to remove dirt (no water yet along the pond edges, but water out beyond this point so I could not come at it from the pond bottom).

 

[nbryan]

I was digging out dirt along the edge of a new pond. Going straight down the grade into the pond to remove dirt (no water yet along the pond edges, but water out beyond this point so I could not come at it from the pond bottom).

And?

 

[ken erickson]

I was digging out dirt along the edge of a new pond. Going straight down the grade into the pond to remove dirt (no water yet along the pond edges, but water out beyond this point so I could not come at it from the pond bottom).

I am in the middle of digging a pond with my L2501, loaded tires and small box blade for ballast. Imagining the OP's scenario I think the weight of the bucket load , and then backing up the pond embankment (if indeed he's backing up ) he is unloading a lot of the weight of the rear tires. Hence his need to add more ballast than what his filled tires and brush cutter provide.

As to adding weight to the brush cutter I think I would consider the weight of the brush cutter and how it compares to the maximum 770 lbs that Kubota recommends for a rotary brush cutter. My RCR1272 weighs about 568 lbs. That being the case I would feel comfortable with 4 50lb bags of concrete keeping them as close to the lift pins as possible. Your cutter comes in about 500 lbs so 5 bags would bring you up close to the 770 lbs.

 

[nbryan]

I am in the middle of digging a pond with my L2501, loaded tires and small box blade for ballast. Imagining the OP's scenario I think the weight of the bucket load , and then backing up the pond embankment (if indeed he's backing up ) he is unloading a lot of the weight of the rear tires. Hence his need to add more ballast than what his filled tires and brush cutter provide.

As to adding weight to the brush cutter I think I would consider the weight of the brush cutter and how it compares to the maximum 770 lbs that Kubota recommends for a rotary brush cutter. My RCR1272 weighs about 568 lbs. That being the case I would feel comfortable with 4 50lb bags of concrete keeping them as close to the lift pins as possible. Your cutter comes in about 500 lbs so 5 bags would bring you up close to the 770 lbs.

Why are all the suggestions of adding bags of sand or concrete suggest them being placed up as close as possible to the lift pins? That is where the half of the added weights have the LEAST effect on ballasting the FEL.
i suggest maybe you can get away with using less, maybe half, of the added weight bags by placing them near the rear of the mower deck.
The end result will be the same: the weight being further back will increase the ballasting effect of the same weights of ballast. So you can use less!
I really doubt having LESS weights near the mower's rear will cause any structural issues with the mower frame. The weight at the pins remain the same!

 

[ken erickson]

My thoughts are that if the extra weight , bringing the total static weight close to that 770 lbs, is toward the front its less likely to impose as high dynamic forces compared to the weight being at the rear.

 

[nbryan]

My thoughts are that if the extra weight , bringing the total static weight close to that 770 lbs, is toward the front its less likely to impose as high dynamic forces compared to the weight being at the rear.

True, less load leverage if closer to fulcrum. Could get away with a lighter ballast add-on in a pinch though, if placed at the furthest from tractor location for max effect.

 

[UnionParish45]

I am in the middle of digging a pond with my L2501, loaded tires and small box blade for ballast. Imagining the OP's scenario I think the weight of the bucket load , and then backing up the pond embankment (if indeed he's backing up ) he is unloading a lot of the weight of the rear tires. Hence his need to add more ballast than what his filled tires and brush cutter provide.

As to adding weight to the brush cutter I think I would consider the weight of the brush cutter and how it compares to the maximum 770 lbs that Kubota recommends for a rotary brush cutter. My RCR1272 weighs about 568 lbs. That being the case I would feel comfortable with 4 50lb bags of concrete keeping them as close to the lift pins as possible. Your cutter comes in about 500 lbs so 5 bags would bring you up close to the 770 lbs.

This is exactly the problem I was experiencing.

 

[UnionParish45]

And?

As I am backing up the embankment it feels like the back tires are not firmly planted due to all the weight in the bucket of the tractor. Just thought the extra weight would help.

 

[UnionParish45]

Why are all the suggestions of adding bags of sand or concrete suggest them being placed up as close as possible to the lift pins? That is where the half of the added weights have the LEAST effect on ballasting the FEL.
i suggest maybe you can get away with using less, maybe half, of the added weight bags by placing them near the rear of the mower deck.
The end result will be the same: the weight being further back will increase the ballasting effect of the same weights of ballast. So you can use less!
I really doubt having LESS weights near the mower's rear will cause any structural issues with the mower frame. The weight at the pins remain the same!

I suggested putting the weight up close to the lift arms as I would be worried about the stress on the Landpride cutter deck. The side walls of the cutter have been less than stellar and have bent very easily. It probably doesn’t matter and I agree with what you posted.

 

[UnionParish45]

With all that weight be sure to shift into four wheel drive, and by all means keep the bucket as low as you possibly can.

In 4 wheel drive and low gear.

 

[Chanceywd]

I was backing up a slope last year with the backhoe on and full loader digging my pond. I found the best thing was using the dif lock as soon as I started back. It really made the difference and felt more secure balance wise.

Bill

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Had a look at TD for the specs... the 770# is for a brush cutter NOT what the 3PT can lift ,which is 1300 to 1900#.
Possible, easy solution is to drop the BC, add a carry all or ballast box, add weight until the unit performs properly

 

[Vigo]

the 770# is for a brush cutter NOT what the 3PT can lift ,which is 1300 to 1900#.

Usually the weight rating is given in terms like 'at the pins' or '24" behind the pins' and the thing about a brush cutter is that MOST of its weight is past even the 24" mark, so it 'acts' heavier than it is, especially 'dynamically' when you hit bumps etc.

Technically speaking there is no reason you couldn't just add weight to the front of the brush cutter until the 'effective weight' is the same as something like a 1300-1900# ballast box. In terms of simply lifting it up with the 3pt, they would act the same. But in other ways, they would differ. For example, the reason i would not add weight to the rear of the brush cutter even if could get away with less weight that way, is because the amount of tension you put the top link bracketry under might actually hurt/deform something if you start hitting bumps like that. Maybe that stuff is near invincible on his equipment, but since im not standing next to his tractor or his brush cutter to look, i'm inclined to err on the side of caution on that one.

 

[UnionParish45]

I was backing up a slope last year with the backhoe on and full loader digging my pond. I found the best thing was using the dif lock as soon as I started back. It really made the difference and felt more secure balance wise.

Bill

Thanks for the tip on the differential lock - it made a huge difference!