Front-End Loader Would I damage the FEL by putting ballast weight on one side of the bucket?

[rbtjr]

In that case, no. Adding weight to one side of the bucket holds more potential for more harm than good.

By the way, why are R4 rims stopping you from adding ballast? I personally didn't want to fool with bolt-on weight, went with liquid ballast instead. Installed price was $237 to add 968 pounds of RimGuard (803 rear/165 front).

//greg//

With respect to the harm, are you thinking of damage to the FEL or something else? As to ballast and R4 tires, I have water and antifreeze in the rear tires. I think the total weight is something like 335 pounds per tire.

[Don87]

I did the same with the M5400 we sold. Same result--i.e., no damage. This is different in that the one-sided load would stay in the FEL bucket for probably 30 minutes and maybe as much as an hour. And yes, if I could I would counterweight with wheel weights on the left side. I have R4 tires and no wheel weights, so I am thinking that a load on the left side of the FEL bucket puts counterweight on the tractor frame where the FEL is mounted on the tractor on the left side. It seems to me that although this is not ideal, it is better than no counterweight. Anyone disagree? Thanks.

I'm not going to disagree, as I haven't tried what you are describing. But let me pick your brain a little more.

With the mower installed, is the tractor leaning to the right? Does it feel funny when using it?

[rbtjr]

I'm not going to disagree, as I haven't tried what you are describing. But let me pick your brain a little more.

With the mower installed, is the tractor leaning to the right? Does it feel funny when using it?

The tractor feels unstable to me compared to the M5400 we had. I have mowed only once with the sickle mower. I did not detect a lean to the right other than the fact that I was on a slight slope in that direction. However, I am convinced that the new L3800 is less stable than the M5400, so I am being very careful with it and want to take every reasonable precaution. Hence the thought about putting some counter-balancing ballast on the left side of the FEL bucket when I am mowing around the pond bank with the sickle mower adding some weight on the right side. I have also ordered some 3" wheel spacers to widen the rear wheels 6".

[Don87]

The tractor feels unstable to me compared to the M5400 we had. I have mowed only once with the sickle mower. I did not detect a lean to the right other than the fact that I was on a slight slope in that direction. However, I am convinced that the new L3800 is less stable than the M5400, so I am being very careful with it and want to take every reasonable precaution. Hence the thought about putting some counter-balancing ballast on the left side of the FEL bucket when I am mowing around the pond bank with the sickle mower adding some weight on the right side. I have also ordered some 3" wheel spacers to widen the rear wheels 6".

That right there just may make all the difference in the world. I would try that before doing anything else.

As far as the forces exerted when using a counterbalance in the bucket as you described, it's hard to say where (if any) twisting forces may show up. That's a lot of distance from the front to back, and with the tractor already leaning due to the lay of the land..........I just don't know.

[LD1]

I dont see you hurtting anyting on the tractor by putting a few hundred pounds of block to one side of the bucket, but I thin you are over-estimating how many block you can get in there. My bucket will only hold 8 blocks 2 high, 16 total, so thats only 8 on the left side for a total of 300lbs. That wont hurt anything IMO. But I doubt it will give the results you want.

I would widen the tires as option 1.

Load them as option 2

Add wheel weights to the left as option 3.

That should give you what you want

[Don87]

I dont see you hurtting anyting on the tractor by putting a few hundred pounds of block to one side of the bucket, but I thin you are over-estimating how many block you can get in there. My bucket will only hold 8 blocks 2 high, 16 total, so thats only 8 on the left side for a total of 300lbs. That wont hurt anything IMO. But I doubt it will give the results you want.

I would widen the tires as option 1.

Load them as option 2

Add wheel weights to the left as option 3.

That should give you what you want

Now that does make a big difference, I was looking at the estimated 700 lbs.

OP has option 1 and 2 covered.

[LD1]

Yea, I dont see how its possible to get 450-500lb of blocks in just ONE edge of the bucket without them falling out.

Unless he is using 4x8x16 solids???? but a typical 8x8x16 2-core block......I dont see it.

[PineRidge]

In that case, no. Adding weight to one side of the bucket holds more potential for more harm than good.

By the way, why are R4 rims stopping you from adding ballast? I personally didn't want to fool with bolt-on weight, went with liquid ballast instead. Installed price was $237 to add 968 pounds of RimGuard (803 rear/165 front).

//greg//

I have R4s with wheel weights. The reason I decided on cast weights over calcium or other tire fillers is the fact that they can easily be removed.

[rbtjr]

I have R4s with wheel weights. The reason I decided on cast weights over calcium or other tire fillers is the fact that they can easily be removed.

Interesting. I'll look into that. What total weight do you get to per wheel, and how many weights do you use to get there?

[rbtjr]

Yea, I dont see how its possible to get 450-500lb of blocks in just ONE edge of the bucket without them falling out.

Unless he is using 4x8x16 solids???? but a typical 8x8x16 2-core block......I dont see it.

I haven't actually done it yet--just figuring. According to what I found on the Internet, the 8" regular blocks weigh 37.8 lbs each and actually measure 7 5/8" X 7 5/8" X 15 5/8". My bucket is 62" wide, about 24" deep and about 24" high. So, looking at the bucket from the left side, I can tilt the bucket up a little and put three rows of blocks on the bottom with their long sides parallel to the length of the bucket. A row of two blocks can go on the top of the bottom row. Then one block can go on top. That's six blocks all nudged against the side wall of the bucket on its left end as you look at it from the tractor seat. Six blocks = 226.8 lbs. You can repeat that with six more blocks up against the first six, and you are up to 453.6 lbs. At that point you have taken up a little less than 30" of bucket width. You could stop there, cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to cover the ends of the blocks toward the inside of the bucket, cut another piece of 3/4" plywood in a shape that to match the right side wall of the bucket, and fasten the two pieces of plywood together with about three pieces of 2 X 4 just long enough so that the two pieces of plywood are held apart with the first piece butting up against the ends of the blocks and the second piece butting up against the side wall of the bucket. As I said, I haven't actually tried this, but I think this would work to keep the blocks in the bucket.