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

[case245]

like the others have stated loaded the rear tires with rimguard or whatever you want and add the wieghts to the wheels my 7040 is setup that way it works vary well a few times the rear is light sandy clay ground wet to the point its running out of the bucket the buckets 6' and around 2 foot deep oh and twisting your fel yes i did that moving a 7 ton dump truck no wheels on one side i hope you figure it out best of luck

[greg_g]

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.

Yes, damage to the loader. And given that your hydraulics are rated to lift a helluva lot more than the weight of the sickle mower - and by extension your whole tractor - I'm reasonably confident that the 335# of ballast in your off-side rear tire should be adequate.

As far as why the 3800 feels more "tippy" than the 5400, it's a matter of wheel width. Wider tractors are more stable.

//greg//

[SPYDERLK]

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".

When you load the bucket it unloads the rears. Consequently you lose stability. Loading the uphill side of the bucket is merely a lesser evil: not a solution. Widen your rear stance and add uphill weight to the rear portion of the tractor if possible. Filling the uphill rear tire with water would cure the problem in a single action. Then you could just drain it out afterward.
larry

[rbtjr]

When you load the bucket it unloads the rears. Consequently you lose stability. Loading the uphill side of the bucket is merely a lesser evil: not a solution. Widen your rear stance and add uphill weight to the rear portion of the tractor if possible. Filling the uphill rear tire with water would cure the problem in a single action. Then you could just drain it out afterward.
larry

I do think that the rear being 6" wider will make a lot of difference. And I'm going to look into wheel weights. What I might do is get wheel weights for use all the time but take off the right-side wheel weights when I use the sickle mower. Are they easy to take off and put back on? As to the liquid in the tires, I realize I could either fill the left tire when I use the sickle mower and then drain the tire, or fill both tires, drain the right side tire when I sickle mow, and then refill it. But I'm not willing to go through that trouble every time I use the sickle mower.

[greg_g]

You're over-thinking what's really a non-issue. You said you've got R4s, so there's no reason not to permanently ballast the tires. R1s might create some ruts, but not R4s or R3s. Wheel weights or liquid, your choice. It's just that liquid gives you more pounds for the dollar. And the 335# you've got on the off-side should be plenty to offset the mower. As far as widening the track, go for it. Eight inches made a big difference to my 3720. Click here for photos.

//greg//

[case245]

i would move the wheels out in the rear that will help

[Don87]

i would move the wheels out in the rear that will help

This thread is getting tee totally crazy. And people wonder why users get upset.


In post number 11 OP disclosed that his rear tires are loaded.............Last post telling OP to load tires is 23..........subsequent posts by OP indicate that they may not be loaded!!


Post number 13 indicates that OP has wheel spacers on order...........subsequent posts continue to tell OP to order spacers.


Either people ain't reading, or people ain't understanding what they are reading, or OP ain't makin himself clear...............which clutters the thread with needless nonsense!!!

I don't mean to be condescending but doggonit, this is just plain crazy!!!!!!

[texasjohn]

Thanks for your comment...my head was beginning to spin re what was on tractor and what wasn't, etc.....

[PineRidge]

Are they easy to take off and put back on?

Here's one way to put weights on and take them off without busting your knuckles.

[rbtjr]

This thread is getting tee totally crazy. And people wonder why users get upset.


In post number 11 OP disclosed that his rear tires are loaded.............Last post telling OP to load tires is 23..........subsequent posts by OP indicate that they may not be loaded!!


Post number 13 indicates that OP has wheel spacers on order...........subsequent posts continue to tell OP to order spacers.


Either people ain't reading, or people ain't understanding what they are reading, or OP ain't makin himself clear...............which clutters the thread with needless nonsense!!!

I don't mean to be condescending but doggonit, this is just plain crazy!!!!!!

Interesting. I have been clear that a/ my rear tires are loaded, b/ I intend to add rear wheel spacers, and c/ I intend to look into wheel weights also (I was told today that wheel weights are not available from Kubota for my L3800's rear wheels--not sure about after-market wheel weights). And from the physics perspective, I could have commented that some of the feedback is not exactly correct, in my opinion. But I didn't make any such comment, because my question was about possible damage to the FEL if I loaded it on the left side only. I appreciate all of the feedback, suggestions, etc. But having apparently triggered mass confusion, plain craziness, and who knows what else, I'll just be sure not to post again--would not want to take up anyone's cyberspace or time, or trigger any more stress among the readers.