How much rear ballast

[Stomper]

I have a L2501 with LA525 FEL and today I was lifting a pallet if vinyl siding off the ground to move it and I was surprised at how easy it was to lift the rear tires off the ground. Clearly I will need some rear ballast because I will be doing a fair bit of loader work. I searched in the tractor manual as well as the loader manual for a weight but it didn't really give any. I don't want to add fluids to the tire because there are instances where I don't want the extra weight and the only implement I have that would work is a 450lbs mower but it sticks out way to much for close quarters. I want to build a concrete weight with low centre of gravity but really only want enough weight to counter balance the weight capacity of the loader. Is there a rule of thumb for figuring this out and what is a good weight for this loader. I was thinking somewhere around the 600-700 lbs mark. Would this be ok or should I make it heavier. The 3 point has a capacity of 1389lbs 24" behind the lift points.

 

[Tunaslayer]

I hear ya on the loaded tires, but it really has a lot of benefits. The pic with the pallet of firewood is with nothing on the back. Just loaded tires. There are other posts praising the rim guard, but as far a 3 point weight, I have never been able to tap out the loader with a box blade(800lbs), and loaded tires. Gets tippy.. The only combo that really loads the tractor for me to the point where the loader is almost maxed out is

rimguard and a bh77 backhoe. Sorry for the bad news, but these tractors are a little light, and some heavy compensations are needed. A ballast box is a great idea, but I am not sure that alone it will provide the stability you are looking for.


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[redmaher]

Your lift capacity would be about 1150#'s

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[Missouribound]

I bought a ballast box for my B2320 for about $140. I filled it with solid concrete blocks and it works perfect for my loader (LA304). It reaches capacity before the wheels come off the ground. I suspect it's around 350 - 400# filled with the concrete. And not filling the tires is something I agree with. The purpose of the counter weight is to add lifting capability PLUS take some weight off of the front axle. When you load the tires you add extra weight to axles and do not get any weight reduction for the front end.
If you have a 3 point quick hitch you will also get extra leverage, counter weight by pushing it back that extra 3 - 4 inches.
If you have your loader manual it will tell you how much weight you should be using for your loader.

 

[rkidd]

I have a L2501 with LA525 FEL and today I was lifting a pallet if vinyl siding off the ground to move it and I was surprised at how easy it was to lift the rear tires off the ground. Clearly I will need some rear ballast because I will be doing a fair bit of loader work. I searched in the tractor manual as well as the loader manual for a weight but it didn't really give any. I don't want to add fluids to the tire because there are instances where I don't want the extra weight and the only implement I have that would work is a 450lbs mower but it sticks out way to much for close quarters. I want to build a concrete weight with low centre of gravity but really only want enough weight to counter balance the weight capacity of the loader. Is there a rule of thumb for figuring this out and what is a good weight for this loader. I was thinking somewhere around the 600-700 lbs mark. Would this be ok or should I make it heavier. The 3 point has a capacity of 1389lbs 24" behind the lift points.

I have a B2650 that has the about the same loader capacity and is a lighter tractor than yours. I also did not load the tires as I mow with it and did not want the weight for the wet spring. I read on here somewhere the ballast should be something like 70% of the loader capacity. I fabbed up a ballast box and through alot of experimentation found 700lbs of weight kept my tractor planted with a 60in. bucket full of dirt even on uneven ground. I would think you are in the ballpark with what you are thinking.


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[ac7kh]

When I was growing up, if we needed a weight for a tractor in my AG class we would go back behind the shop dig a hole in the ground (square would be the best) fill it with quickcret and insert a piece of rebar in it with a loop or hook. when it was dry we would loosen around the form and pull it up with the three point hitch or what ever was available (front end loader etc). Attach it or add it to a weight box

 

[Stomper]

Thanks for the replies guys. Mowing the lawn is also the reason I don't want the added weight. According to the net a cubic for of cured concrete is about 150# so a 5 cubic foot chunk give me roughly 750#. If more is need I can add some more. If I make it 24" wide x 20" deep x 18" high it could get me to around the 750# +- mark.

 

[skeets]

Cut off a 55 gallon plastic barrel run a pipe through it add a chunk of chain for the top link and fill with cement, cheap easy and you can size it for what you need,,, look around in here there are a ton of links for balast weights

 

[Vacula]

70% is what I based my ballast for my Baby BX at 400 lbs lift capacity. 6 x 42 lb suitcase weights plus the 40 lbs of the HeavyHitch equaled 292 lbs. (280 lbs is 70% loader capacity). Many more bucks to do it this way rather than with a ballast box but I can mow with fewer suitcase weights with the loader attached and lowered and not spin on my couple of slight slopes. (Or just take them completely off). I use threaded rod I-Beam clamps to hold the weights in the middle of the hitch to keep them centered. I based 70% from an old letter I received from Ark Industries for a Wheelhorse loader I had on a C series many years ago.

 

[jpf]

I have a 3 point dirt scoop from my old ford n tractor, anything wrong with just using that with a load of dirt for a ballast box?

 

[D2Cat]

jpf, that would work just fine. Some folks just want pretty over functional!!

 

[Stomper]

As long as it's weight I don't think it matters what it is