More weights

[Eric McCarthy]

Ok gang I'm seeking ideas from anybody who has a good one. Aeration season is about to start back up soon and I feel like I should add a bit more weight to the front of my B6100 to counter balance the 500 pounds of aerator on the back.

I've learned to live with it in the past but last fall quickly reminded me I should fix it. If Id forget to back up onto a curb Id pop a wheelie and other not so fun stuff.

Problem I'm facing is I have 3 big damn weights as it is off the front now and I'm out of room to add any more. Soooo I need to come up with a way to add more in hopes I dont overload and trash the front axle.

I'll post up a picture in day light if anyone needs to see my front end and the weights I have.

 

[chim]

Would it be a possibility to make an extension to place the existing weights farther forward? Someone who paid more attention in school could figure out how far forward they should go for the desired effect, if given some more info. Maybe 12" or less would make a big difference.

With regard to the front axle, I'd think a similar tractor with a loader would place a lot more weight on it.

 

[85Hokie]

Ok gang I'm seeking ideas from anybody who has a good one. Aeration season is about to start back up soon and I feel like I should add a bit more weight to the front of my B6100 to counter balance the 500 pounds of aerator on the back.

I've learned to live with it in the past but last fall quickly reminded me I should fix it. If Id forget to back up onto a curb Id pop a wheelie and other not so fun stuff.

Problem I'm facing is I have 3 big damn weights as it is off the front now and I'm out of room to add any more. Soooo I need to come up with a way to add more in hopes I dont overload and trash the front axle.

I'll post up a picture in day light if anyone needs to see my front end and the weights I have.

Eric,

those weights up front.....each one @ 100# ? So I am guessing that you have approx. 300# up front. Or are they like 50# ......and 150 ? or?

Several ways to go here, are you looking to take the weights off and on in a quick manner? Do you need the weights on ALL fall? Or just when you are aerating?

You have a slot that runs through the suitcase weights, I am thinking that you need to make a simple bracket that will run through those slots and allow somthing else to "hang" from the new bracket.

one thought is to make two simple concrete weights, make a small form from scrap wood and drill a hole in the side of the form (or a slot)to allow a piece of rebar to hang from it, lay the form on its side with rebar curled up in side and poking out, add some small chicken wire in the form and pour a bag of quickrete in there. Make two forms - 40# each side. The rebar if curled can be turned sideways to poke in the suitcase weights and then rotated downward to "lock" in.

another thought - go to lowes and get a piece of ALL THREAD rod, some large ass washers and a couple of nuts.....something like 3/4" and bolt across the front of the suitcase weights, allowing "hangers" that stick out to each side approx 6" - the bolts will allow you to hang.......two bucket of sand.....wrap chain around the entire face of the front.

not sure how much you would need, not sure how far out you can go either. Might become a PITA if it sticks out too far.

Not sure if you want to go a "quick" way...or a way that requires a little thought and looks good. If you know any of the AG teachers at you local high school, I bet they can fabricate something up for you for little or nothing.

do send the picture - ideas run amok in my little brain.

 

[Daren Todd]

One thing i seen a few weeks ago. Local guy here mounted a couple small pieces of pipe to the front of his and added the round weights from an old barbell set.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Im not sure what the weights on the front weigh now. I just know theres 3 big ass weights total and it fills up my hanger bracket for weights. I have no idea where to begin weight wise to counter balance for the rear. My dad has some smaller 55 pound suit case weights I could play around with to get an idea of what I need to add for decent balance.

I'm looking for weights that will stay on all fall with the option to take off easily if need be. No it doesnt need to come on and off rapidly but I never know what job might come down the pike and I should take them off.

I kinda kick myself in the ass now, I was close last fall to buying an L185 with turf tires and then it was to only aerate. But I love the B6100 for aerating because I need a minimum 49 inch opening and it got me into alot of yards.

 

[Wildfire]

When I did the conversion from an old BX1800 to a ice resurfacer I simply modified the front bumper to carry more 55lbs weights. Ten to be exact and it did the job perfectly. Never any issues with axels either.

 

[DanDan]

Wildfire made a miniature orange Zamboni! That is slick.

 

[skeets]

Dan don't you mean a KUBoni,, Ahhh I am so punny some times

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Two things Paul,

One not having the equipment or skills to make something like that.

Two not having power steering to turn the wheel with all that weight up front.

I'm sure over the next several weeks my forearms would be like pistons.

 

[Wildfire]

Two things Paul,

One not having the equipment or skills to make something like that.

Two not having power steering to turn the wheel with all that weight up front.

I'm sure over the next several weeks my forearms would be like pistons.

Sorry. I didn't realize you never had power steering! As for the mod, it's an easy thing to do in a welding shop but with no power steering your kind of out of options. I thought everything had power steering. My old Massy that was built back in the 60's had it.

 

[Daren Todd]

Just think, you could always compete in some arm wrestling competitions
It wouldn't hurt to pull one of the suitcase weights, set it on a scale and find out what your working with. At least you would have a bench mark to gauge what you would need to add. I have 50lb wheel weights on each front tire, 140lbs of 1" plate steel dropped in where the suitcase weights go, and 3" pvc filled with another 100lbs of concrete. It actually isn't too bad not having the power steering. Steers pretty easy with an implement on the back

 

[Russell King]

Eric,

If you have the same kind of arrangement I have on my L185...

There is a front "bumper" where you can mount the suitcase weights. It is bolted onto the tractor frame with 4 bolts. If you remove the bumper, you can add steel plate weight directly to the tractor frame and bolt the bumper through or onto these plates. Then hang the suitcase weights back on.

You can also make weights that will bolt onto the front wheels.

Try to by the material at scrap yards, it will be cheaper.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm thinking you just need a bigger and or newer tractor!

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Nope no power steering on the B6100, just good old fashion arm muscles.

I might have to go somewhere and find a shipping scale to get an idea what weights are on now. So far its all my big ass can do one handed and I dont want to drop one on my foot.

Im not really sure how the bracket that holds the weights mount, I've never had all 3 off to look.

I had thought about running a bar through the hole in all the weights and adding some weights from a barbell. But not sure if I can find a solid bar strong enough and small enough.

 

[DanDan]

Two things Paul,

One not having the equipment or skills to make something like that.

Two not having power steering to turn the wheel with all that weight up front.

I'm sure over the next several weeks my forearms would be like pistons.

I don't get it.
You say you need more weight up front yet when presented with an awesome solution you balk at it b/c you don't have power steering.

Two things:
1) Any manner of adding weight to the front-- elegant or otherwise-- is going to affect the steering.

2) Isn't that what you want? If you are trying to counterbalance additional weight when you have the aerator on the back (you were popping wheelies, right?) then the weight will be fine. Obviously, take the weights off when you don't have the heavy 3-pt equipment. That's what makes Wildfire's mod so awesome.

So far its all my big ass can do one handed ...

If you are worried about not being able to fab something up, and the power steering non-issue, maybe you should just move your seat forward LOL

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If you are worried about not being able to fab something up, and the power steering non-issue, maybe you should just move your seat forward LOL

HAHAHA!
He could just ride on the hood!

 

[Russell King]

Look at this post for some pictures (posted on 7/4) using a receiver hitch to mount a method to hold bar bell plates.

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12965&page=5

Then you could have the option to use the receiver hook for other tasks.

You would just have to have someone fab up a hitch to mount to the same place your bumper may be bolted to.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I dont need a whole helluva lot of addational weight up front. I'm thinking maybe another one hundered pounds at best.

So DanDan there is absolutly NO NEED to fab up something remotely close to what Wildfire built for that ice machine.

I'd like to find a simple and affordable solution to adding a little bit of addational weight just to use the aerator for the next few months.

I guess I need to play around with adding weights by trial and error to see what will work then figure out a method to mount.

I appreciate the ideas so far but I was trying to advoid fabing up several different methods to which none work.

As of now I have to back the tractor onto the trailer because going forward with the aerator up she'll want to flip over. If I climb a curb forward she'll pop a small wheelie. And ever now and the fornt end gets kinda squirrely and light if a lawn has slopes to.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

The other issue with double stacking weights like Wildfire did is I have a full tilt hood on my B6100. Something like he did would prevent me from opening the hood. So the other issue here is I need to hang weights beside the existing suite case weights.

Or see what might be involved in adding wheel weights to the front wheels.

 

[FTG-05]

I'm not a B-tractor expert at all, but this was the best $15 I've spent on my L4330 so far:

http://www.gemplers.com/product/AQF1/Quick-Fill-Tractor-Tire-Attachment

I used it to fill my front tires with +/- 12 gallons of RV antifreeze/winshield washer fluid and it only took about an hour for both.

I'd fill the tires first and then go from there.

Good luck!