Just got my new L2501 today! I see a lot of people filling barrels with cement for rear weight while doing loader work. Is this necessary? I did get the tires filled. If it is recommended, any suggestions would be appreciated!
Rear weight
- Thread starter tjborowicz
- Start date
rkidd
Active member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B2650, FEL With QA 60"mmm, 3pt FDR1672,homemade ballast box, BB 1572 box scraper
Yes. Get some weight on the rear. Might as well make it useful weight like a dirt scoop with a couple 5 gallon buckets filled with cement that can be put in or out
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
'filled' ? With what.... calcium, beet juice, ww fluid ??
If all you move is light, bulky stuff like wood chips, ballast not necessary but with dirt, rocks, firewood, ballast IS needed.
The HUGE problem with calcium is the corrosion from weepy valves and thorn punctures. I've lost 6 D-14 PA rims to it !! While 'technically' better to have the wheels loaded than hauling a weight out back, the cost to repair calcium damage is high.
If you're only doing occasional loadering, make/buy a 3pt weight box and use as required. If more than occasional, add some wheel weights.Lots of loader use, load tires with beet juice. If you have calcium, replace the valve cores every year and check they're in tight !
One very important issue are the FRONT rims ! Be sure wheel nuts are tight, tire pressure at max AND do NOT make turns standing still ! I lost both front rims on a D-14 as PO turned THEN moved. That stress fractured both rims along the bolt hole 'circle'. At least with down pressure, replacing the rims was easy but $$$ !
If all you move is light, bulky stuff like wood chips, ballast not necessary but with dirt, rocks, firewood, ballast IS needed.
The HUGE problem with calcium is the corrosion from weepy valves and thorn punctures. I've lost 6 D-14 PA rims to it !! While 'technically' better to have the wheels loaded than hauling a weight out back, the cost to repair calcium damage is high.
If you're only doing occasional loadering, make/buy a 3pt weight box and use as required. If more than occasional, add some wheel weights.Lots of loader use, load tires with beet juice. If you have calcium, replace the valve cores every year and check they're in tight !
One very important issue are the FRONT rims ! Be sure wheel nuts are tight, tire pressure at max AND do NOT make turns standing still ! I lost both front rims on a D-14 as PO turned THEN moved. That stress fractured both rims along the bolt hole 'circle'. At least with down pressure, replacing the rims was easy but $$$ !
The theory that you are dealing with is like a teeter totter. Your loader is lifting the tractor's rear axle as it lifts. The front axle pivots to follow the terrain and in doing so provides no resistance to a side roll over. The rigid rear axle is the only place where roll over resistance is generated
Weighting rear tires is more for simple traction than offsetting the fact that the loader is trying to lift the rear of the tractor because the tire ballast is 1/2 in front of the rear axle and 1/2 behind the rear axle so it cannot do a lot to pivot the tractor's weight significantly unto the rear axle.
By adding weight to the 3 pt hitch, you in effect cause the tractor to pivot more weight unto the rear tires. Because the weight is behind the rear axle it is like a lever making it more effective at counteracting the forces the loader generates.
Do not take a barrel and turn it into a vertical rear ballast. You want the weight as much below the height of the rear axle center line as you can. If you have a vertical barrel, when you raise the 3 pt, you actually will have some of the barrel above the rear axle.
Solid steel at 600# per cubic foot is the most practical compact ballast.
Once I found a steel shop with a 24" x 30" 3" thick steel plate leftover. It weighted over 600#.
Concrete weights 150# per cubic foot. lift arm pins
The spec's for your 3 pt hitch say it will lift 1,900 # at the lift arm pins.
A ballast weight of 1/2 of the max lifting ability should do well. As an additional check, find out the weight of the backhoe that will fit your machine.
Dave
Dave_eng nailed it with the teeter totter effect. You will find that by adding rear weight will make the loader operate much smoother when you are handling heavy snow, sand etc.
Filled the rear wheel wells with steel on my L3901 plus I have the tires filled with Rimguard.
Filled the rear wheel wells with steel on my L3901 plus I have the tires filled with Rimguard.
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Stomper
Member
Equipment
2017 L2501. Landpride Mower. Farm King Snow Blower. DIY Root Bucket grapple.
I have the exact same tractor and building a ballast for the 3 point was the first thing I built for the tractor. It’s surprising how quickly the rear of the tractor gets light when to start picking thing up with the bucket. To test this out leave it in two wheel drive and go play around lifting stuff and moving it around. You will lose traction quickly and when the rear does lift and the tractor does roll to one side it’s a bit scary, so lift slowly and be ready to drop the bucket quickly if it happens. The 600# is the right amount for the L2501. I built mine out of concrete and I haven’t had any issues at all even when the loader just barely lifts something off the ground and won’t lift anymore, the rear tires stay on the ground. I won’t do any major loader work without the ballast. If you think you will ever use a box blade just go buy one now and use it for ballast. I wish I would have done that instead of making one because I could sure use a box blade this summer for landscaping my yard.
Useing a box blade is not a good idea for ballast. Yes , it works but. Most box blades stick out past the rear wheels and several feet back from the 3ph connection. When useing the fel, you tend to concentrate on the front end and forget that it is back there and can easily hit something with it. BTDT!!! Get or build a ballast, preferably something with round corners.
If you have the manual for the machine it will give you an estimate of ballast weights for your loader and machine. Having the tires filled will help a bit but they really don't give you what you need when using a front end loader.
Stability is just one purpose of a ballast. When you have a loader without a rear ballast the weight of the loader and whatever load you have is all on the front axle. That affects your steering and puts stress on the front end. A 3 point ballast, not tires filled, will take some of the weight off of the front end AND add in stability. Tire ballast alone adds to the weight of the tractor and subsequently to the front end. Just think of the rear axle as the fulcrum of a lever.
Stability is just one purpose of a ballast. When you have a loader without a rear ballast the weight of the loader and whatever load you have is all on the front axle. That affects your steering and puts stress on the front end. A 3 point ballast, not tires filled, will take some of the weight off of the front end AND add in stability. Tire ballast alone adds to the weight of the tractor and subsequently to the front end. Just think of the rear axle as the fulcrum of a lever.
I have been using my box blade as rear counterweight all the time since I pretty much do all loader or grapple work. My tires are maybe 1to 2 inches wider .
I agree that you have to pay attention when maneuvering in tight quarters while focusing on the FEL.
I plan on getting a TPH logging winch that I will use for ballast and logging.
The BB stays on in winter for snow removal
JeepinMaxx
Member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2660, LA243 FEL, RCK54P-23BX MMM, BX2751 QH Subframe, BX2750D 50" Blower
My LA243 loader manual recommends 420lbs rear ballast in addition to filled tires. My ballast box didn't work with my QH. So a couple weeks ago I picked up a heavy hitch that takes suitcase weights (picked the weights up at a local JD dealer - haven't had a chance to paint them yet)
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Personally, I'd rather use an implement for ballast than spend money on ballast for ballast sake. I either have the backhoe on or the heavy boxblade attached when doing any loader work. As far as backing into things, a concrete filled barrel would do just as much damage as a boxblade. Stay off your cell phone, limit the beer, pay attention 
(sorry for that, I just got cut off this morning by a cell phone driver not paying attention)
(sorry for that, I just got cut off this morning by a cell phone driver not paying attention)
I have a heavy duty back blade and I hang old cutter edges on it for more weight. Simple, just bent some rod into hooks and put the weights on those.
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Maybe $30 wrapped up in the barrel. Had the barrel laying around, cut the top off, square tubing for the top link was laying in the scrap pile, bought the metal rod for $18. Had a couple bags of cement laying around and bought 3 new ones
I framed a carry all with 2x6 treated to make a concrete form. I added (10) 80 lb bags of concrete. With the concrete, wood, carryall, and QH it weighs it at 1000lb. I have water filled rear tires which adds another 900lb. I tried to lift 4000lb of pavers and the rear never came off the ground so I figure I have enough weight. Also added 2 inch conduit for shovels and rakes, a frame to carry a large toolbox for tools, hardware, and tow straps, room on top of the concrete for chains, oil, and gas and two Koplin chainsaw presses mounted of the side.
