Ballast Box

[JDGREEN4ME]

I am going to take the FEL off soon and put the front blade on for snow (wishfull thinking). Do you need to keep the ballast on for the blade? Box weighs about 380 pounds. Also, when using the ballast box with the FEL I try to keep the box as low as possible, thinking this helps lower the center of gravity. Most of the tractors I have seen seem to keep the box up higher. THANKS (JD 4110)

[beenthere]

Don't think you need to keep it on, but I would expect that you would want to keep it on. But try it without the ballast. You will find out if you need it or want it as everything will all depend on the snow and the conditions. New snow that is packed is easy to get traction on, as well as when the snow is real cold. But wet snow (warmer conditions) gets to be slippery, and when it re-freezes turns to ice. Then the traction picture changes a lot, and may even get to the point that you want the ballast AND chains. You will find out that the snow and weather conditions will dictate what you need to get around.

Keeping the BB low may be good, but I don't think you can get the ballast box on the 3pt very high anyway. If on a slope, then lower is better.

[TimSullivan]

I have done it both ways but like the extra weight of the ballast box. My tires are not loaded so the extra weight does help.

[Rick Jay]

When plowing snow, you want as much weight on "your side" as possible, so I would suggest leaving the weight box on.

Although the weight box should be kept as low as possible for stability purposes, you might find when plowing snow into banks that the box might "bottom out" when the front of the tractor starts climbing up the bank. Then you'll need to raise it a bit to minimize this.

Hopefully we'll all get lots of snow this winter to practice our snow moving techniques.

~Rick

[Rus91]

Let it snow let it snow just so I can move some snow. I might withdraw that statement come Februaryand the white stuff is still coming.