Ballast Filling tires on a SCUT

[TigerfaninAR]

Little confused here. Read many threads about the need and improvement of filling your tires for the 2305, BXs, and GCs if doing any work with the FEL. Don't you buy these machines mainly for mowing and not having a heavy tractor on your lawn? Doesn't filling the tires defeat this purpose? I guess some don't mow with these small tractors but most do. Confused.

[bughouser]

I have a JD2305tlb with loaded rears, I have never used it to mow, I use it like a small construction machine, its low center of gravity and small size allows me to do things and go places I could not do with a larger tractor. I am not sure how much the loaded rears help, but I'll take any help I can get.

[dodge man]

I bought a BX2350 and also resisted filling my tires because I was worried about what it would do to the mowing. I finally got tired of how unstable it was when using the FEL and got the tires filled. I should have do it from day 1. It is so much more stable. Does it mash the grass down a little more? Maybe, I really can't tell for sure. The only downside I have found is when I was driving down the road the other day at full speed, the fluid was kind of flopping around and making the ride a little bouncy. But I rarely do that so it's no big deal.

[robertm]

So, being a new PROUD BX2660 owner, what does it run to have the tires filled on a BX... ballpark. I have a Kubota ballast box coming, and am thinking of putting some pvc sleeves in for yard tool handles, but then filling it with concrete for maximum mass.

[thavil]

Little confused here. Read many threads about the need and improvement of filling your tires for the 2305, BXs, and GCs if doing any work with the FEL. Don't you buy these machines mainly for mowing and not having a heavy tractor on your lawn? Doesn't filling the tires defeat this purpose? I guess some don't mow with these small tractors but most do. Confused.

I didn't buy my BX24 mainly for mowing, it having a MMM was a bonus. I use my tractor on my small 7 acre horse farm and right now, wouldn't want anything different (unless a good deal came my way for a new BX25!). I would never attempt some of the things I do with my tractor without the tires filled. I do mow my yard occasionally with my tractor but also with my garden tractor. I cut my horse pastures with my BX24 also.

[Aguanga]

I went two years with air filled only tires on my GC2300. I don't / won't have a finish mower (no manicured grass) and have a new flail that I'll use to keep the wild grasses/brush under control. I too wish that I had filled the rears sooner. At a minimum the box blade has been on back for loader work, but the filled rear tires definitely make a difference. There aren't any major freezing issues where I live so I just went with water.

[wawajake]

Robertm I did the same thing with my ballast box, but learn from my mistake.

Before you fill that ballast box with concrete (and pipes to hold shovels) like I did , consider attaching (bolting a short piece of angle iron to the back of the ballast box first, so that you can have trailer hitch attached back there.
Doing it after concrete is in (if you don't have a welder) is not so easy . I ended drilling the box and then using concrete lag fasteners to hold a 3 inch long 3 inch wide angle iron with a hole drilled for the trailer hitch ball.

one other thing , don't fill the ballast box right fill of concrete , leave it short by about two or three inches so you can keep tools and chains and junk in the box and the lip will hold that stuff in.

just some thoughts
jake

[robertm]

Robertm I did the same thing with my ballast box, but learn from my mistake.

Before you fill that ballast box with concrete (and pipes to hold shovels) like I did , consider attaching (bolting a short piece of angle iron to the back of the ballast box first, so that you can have trailer hitch attached back there.
Doing it after concrete is in (if you don't have a welder) is not so easy . I ended drilling the box and then using concrete lag fasteners to hold a 3 inch long 3 inch wide angle iron with a hole drilled for the trailer hitch ball.

one other thing , don't fill the ballast box right fill of concrete , leave it short by about two or three inches so you can keep tools and chains and junk in the box and the lip will hold that stuff in.

just some thoughts
jake

Ah, you and I are on the same page.

When I built my last ballast (poured on the job) I left some bolts sticking out for that purpose and never used them. I will still, however, put bolts in before it's too late anyway. I may even incorporate a generic 2" receiver so I have some versatility. Thanks for the reminder.

Not to hijack this thread, but I am considering a few other things:

1) Embedding an eyelet or two for dragging some light things around, or just for a future tie-off of any sort.

2) Leaving the PVC tubes stick up enough to cap to keep water, dirt, and unwanted "lost things" out when not using. It's kind of hard to turn over 500# of ballast and shake it out.

3) Installing a 1/8" to 1/4" plywood liner strip around the top edge that I can remove after the concrete starts to set, and then caulk the joint. Repainting the box later could be easier at thhis joint which will ultimately rust and peel.

[dodge man]

It cost me a about $110 to fill the rear turf tires on my BX2350 with rimguard. I suspect you could do it cheaper if you used something other than rimguard.

[AndyMA]

It cost me a about $110 to fill the rear turf tires on my BX2350 with rimguard. I suspect you could do it cheaper if you used something other than rimguard.

But as they say get the good stuff. RimGuard is the good stuff,

Andy