Ballast Amount of Ballast weight required for FEL

[txkevin]

I have a 60" Landscape rake on order. It weighs in at around 189#. Will this be enough ballast weight to use the FEL effectively while the Landscape rake is attached or will I need to figure a method of adding some weights to the rake assembly.

If I need more weight, I can add about 60# or so with a quick connect hitch from Harbor Freight. Beyond that, I will need to figure out some way to attach weights to the implement.

 

[KeithInSpace]

? The BH is amply sufficient. But I guess you're wondering what FEL work you could do when the Landscape Rake is attached...

I used my 48" BoxBlade in combination with my cast rear wheel weights before I purchased my BH and it worked quite well...didn't feel light in the back but for the very heaviest of loads.

The Landscape Rake alone may be on the light side (especially without wheel weights or loaded tires), but it may be OK as long as you aren't ferrying around heaping loads of sand, stone, or wet clay. Mulch should be fine.

Your weights can be as simple as you want them to be...a couple buckets with angles stabbed through them and filled with concrete...whatever you need to get them hung off the rake. I've been meaning to fill a couple buckets with concrete so I can set them in the BoxBlade when I need the extra weight for FEL work or digging the blade into heavy clays.

 

[txkevin]

? The BH is amply sufficient. But I guess you're wondering what FEL work you could do when the Landscape Rake is attached...

Exactly the question. I would likely be moving dirt form a pile and then spreading it with the rake. I may need to clamp a welded post to landscape rake that will allow me to put some garage sale metal free weight disks on the top of the rake.

Box blades are typically around 300# so I am short over 100# short.

 

[ByronBob]

Kubota recommends ballast and the box they have for the rear end of the BX weights about 150# empty. You can then add up to 300# in the box for a total of 450# of ballast.

Dirt isn't so bad. When you start moving rocks and concrete and stuff it gets tippy. Just remember when your moving a load keep it as low to the ground as possible. In case it wants to tip over it won't if it's low to the ground.

The rake should work in most cases.

 

[peterc38]

I don't see that you say your rear tires are filled. If they are I think you are fine with just the rake and don't need any further counterweight.

 

[txkevin]

I do not have loaded tires or axle weights on my BX. The weights may be something I will look at later. I have not considered loading the tires since I fully expect to encounter a lot of flats due to the rough terrain around what is newly completed construction (read lots of nails!)

I really hope the rake works with the FEL since transporing dirt from a dump pile and then spreading it out is my primary agenda after I get all the rocks up.

Anybody need any pet rocks by the way? I got lots of em....

 

[MarkLeininger]

I found that having any attachment on the back while using the loader increased the chances I would run into something while going backwards, damaging the attachment and the thing I ran into. I made a weight bar that fits onto my 3PH and can add as many plates as I need to get the weight I want. I made it from an old weightlifting bar that I cut off and welded lift pins on the end so I can pick it up like an implement. I assigned my wife the task of always buying any large weight lifting plates she found while garage saleing, so over time I've collected 300 pounds of weights. This setup is pretty well tucked into the back of the tractor so it's hard to run into anything with it.

 

[Egon]

My B7100 Kubota manages to struggle along doing bucket work without a rear weight or loaded tires.

 

[txkevin]

I made a weight bar that fits onto my 3PH and can add as many plates as I need to get the weight I want. .

That is very much what I had in mind. Hope you do not have the market cornered for garage sale free weights. I was going to attach the weights to the implement but making an implement that consists only of weights is a pretty good idea. I would likely need about 6 large weights or about 270 lbs.

If you think about it one day, post a picture of your counter weight implement. I would like to see how you did it.

 

[texasjohn]

Kevin,, I recommend you pick up 600lbs of weights.... particularly since you do not have loaded tires. It's always easy to add weight IF you have it available...you will get expereince over time... I've found that if the tractor with a full FEL rocks forward/back when going along, you need more weight in the rear... and, it takes more than you think to smooth things out. A properly balanced tractor is a joy to use when filling the FEL bucket.

The old dumbell weights are a good idea, strung in close across the 3PH .. which keeps total length down. You will want to have some sort of rest to use... it's hard to string all those weights on a bar at one time.