To Ballast or not to Ballast-That is The Question

[Tx Jim]

This might have been stated but I overlooked it but counterbalance weight behind rear wheels helps tremendously reduce wear on frt axle & tires when utilizing frt end loader.

Several yrs back I took my M7040 to a locale scale with 2 rd bales of hay & test weighed in different load configurations(with bale only on frt & with bale on frt & rear) then ""weighed frt axle weight only"". Frt axle weight with bale on frt was less when bale was on the 3 pt hitch than just empty bale carrier on 3 pt.

 

[Creature Meadow]

I built a carryall to use for misc. chores and to oalso use as a ballast, multipurpose.

I built the box which weighs in around 200 pounds then filled 5 gallon buckets with 80# of cement each, cost 4.00 per bucket, I can add as many as I need or remove as need for work I intend to do.

Currently I have found that 6 buckets give me 480 pounds and the box 200 pounds total weight 680 pounds of ballast.

Just an idea for you total cost less than $200 bucks and the uses for the carryall unlimited.

 

[Saxman]

Here's my counterbalance I made for my L3830 out of a 1938 Westinghouse 300amp welding generator after I scrapped the copper
I welded in a receiver hitch and put the old field coils along with lots of other iron back in. I welded D rings on the side for utility and "cool" factor. Also a chain hook for skidding logs which I tested out yesterday moving a big oak log.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tractor NUG]

Good morning all, some great ideas for ballast posted.

I wanted to finish up this thread - cause I like happy endings.

First, I am including this link below which was provided in another thread, for completeness (courtesy of Kennyd4110- thanks).
"Here a link to an article I wrote on the GTT forum, yes different color but same theory: http://www.greentractortalk.com/foru...-you-need.html "

Second, I stopped doing any further work and picked up a ballast box right away the next day, now realizing my oversight and the concern about safety. Its a B5320 box - I filled it with gravel and based on my calculations, I believe it weighs about 400 lbs. (according to the B2601 manual, my 3-Pt Hitch can only lift 660 lbs). in addition , my back tires are filled, and I also put aside a couple of really heavy granite rocks I dug up on the property that I can add to the top if needed.


I went back at the gravel pile and it was a world of difference. Very stable over the bumps and uneven terrain. Wow. I also took the unit deep into the back woods to grapple some branches and blocked wood piled there, and it is really uneven terrain back there, as you can imagine, and the tractor stayed down and stable as I lifted and carried debris without any "scary" moments, even on really uneven ground.

So,Happy Ending!
Thanks to all of you for taking so much time to stress how important this is. I am hoping now that it has its own Thread, that this will help other people new to tractors like me, because, honestly, if you hadn't all jumped in on this Thread and provided me all this info, I would have just assumed that the tractor coming off the ground was just normal and would have assumed that I didn't need Ballast at all.
All good! Cheers,

 

[rkidd]

Very nice. Looks good.

 

[Kennyd4110]

Thanks for the update NUG.

 

[Ramos]

Awesome!

 

[Tx Jim]

Thanks for the update.