More rear ballast? That was easy!

[Marveltone]

I've been passively looking for ways to add more rear ballast for doing loader intensive jobs for a while. What I mean by "passively looking" is I've been too distracted by other more important projects to make it a priority. Just the other day, while rummaging through the garage, I stepped over a small pile of 45lb suitcase weights I've been intending to put on the front of another tractor. "What? Weights? I wonder..." :scratchchin:

I picked one up, carried it over to my box blade and slipped it over one of the braces that run from the front to the back. "Well I'll be... It fits!" I quickly grabbed the others and slipped them on. Six weights at 45lbs each makes an extra 270 lbs to my 410 lb box blade equals 680 lbs. And they can come and go instantly. Why hadn't I thought of this before? :duh::ashamed:

I'll play around with this set-up the next couple days to see if they need to be clamped down at all. So far, on the smooth lawn, they stay put.

Joe

 

[bcp]

They will often hang on the sidewall, weight portion in the box, too.

Watch that a full load of dirt doesn't push them up enough to unhook.

Bruce

 

[wmonroe]

Good idea. I've been trying to find some reasonable suitcase weights for the same purpose.

 

[Marveltone]

They will often hang on the sidewall, weight portion in the box, too.

Watch that a full load of dirt doesn't push them up enough to unhook.

Bruce

I thought of the dirt issue also and will likely remove them when blading. But, since I use my FEL way more than my box blade, the occasional job of removing them should not prove to be too much of a hassle.

Joe

 

[dieselcrawler]

If they move or rattle too much it could be as simple as putting a small ratchet strap (1-1/4" wide 500# rated type I have a dozen or so for atvs and lawn mowers) around each bundle of weights.

Buddy of mine used half of an old clark forklift counter weight on his BB. Solid cast iron it probly more than doubled the weight of the BB, which spends most of its time on the back of his kubota L4310 due to a lot of loader work. We loaded logs with it yesterday... 3 truck loads.

 

[Whitnel]

Nice, I have got to do something like this or make a dedicated counter weight. None of my attachments are heavy enough to keep the rear from picking up except for the bush hog, but I don't like running around with it on.

 

[dakotagun]

I do the same thing, mine hang on without clanging nor getting in the way, although I do need to hang more on there than there's room - maybe i'll have a support bar welded across to accommodate more weights. i'd get a ballast box but having the BB on the rear allows me to move material in combination with the FEL, not afterwards. I don't move trees and such, mostly dirt/gravel so I use the combo often.

 

[Coyote machine]

I've been passively looking for ways to add more rear ballast for doing loader intensive jobs for a while. What I mean by "passively looking" is I've been too distracted by other more important projects to make it a priority. Just the other day, while rummaging through the garage, I stepped over a small pile of 45lb suitcase weights I've been intending to put on the front of another tractor. "What? Weights? I wonder..." :scratchchin:

I picked one up, carried it over to my box blade and slipped it over one of the braces that run from the front to the back. "Well I'll be... It fits!" I quickly grabbed the others and slipped them on. Six weights at 45lbs each makes an extra 270 lbs to my 410 lb box blade equals 680 lbs. And they can come and go instantly. Why hadn't I thought of this before? :duh::ashamed:

I'll play around with this set-up the next couple days to see if they need to be clamped down at all. So far, on the smooth lawn, they stay put.

Joe

Does BBing the lawn work better than a lawnmower?:laughing:

 

[Marveltone]

Does BBing the lawn work better than a lawnmower?:laughing:

Not only does it leave a smooth finish, but it also drags the clippings off to the compost pile.

Joe