Is it common to ballast steer tires instead of using suitcase weights

[super55]

On my old beloved Oliver it sometimes gets a little light in the front when lifting heavy implements mainly the 6' brush hog in particular. I been looking forever for some suitcase weights for the front everytime I found some shipping was going to kill me.

Is there any cause for concern by filling the steer tires up with beet juice such as rutting or steering issues (no power steering)?


The front end isn't doing a wheelies or anything like that but just feels light. I've been able to manage the lightness by lifting the mower high enough to raise it but still have the tail wheel carrying some of the weight.

Is this a good idea or one just keep doing what I'm doing. The tractor gets used quite extensively for tilling and planting so if it drastically would alter the characteristics of the tractor as it is now I would most likely pass and fabricate some type of removable front weight.

 

[crowbar032]

You're going to get a serious shoulder work out when you add any weight to the front of a manual steering tractor. The freeman loader on my TO35 also causes some loss of traction even with loaded rear wheels (think scraping snow with a 3pt blade). If you can do it, I'd go the removable weight option. If you're fabing up a weight bracket, the weights don't have to be Oliver either. Make the bracket fit whatever weights you can find. I see suitcase weights of various brands on the local craigslist postings quite frequently.

 

[super55]

Thats kind of what I was figuring. That the dynamics of the tractor would get all skewed. Right now the thing is an absolute pleasure to drive. I see a few suitcase weights here and there but amazing how pricey they are. I might fab a bracket that I can 25# weight lifting plates and just clamp on what I need or go to a tire shop and see if I can buy a bucket of used wheel weights and then smelt them into an old 50 cal ammo can. I lifted a 5 gallon bucket of lead weights once and it about threw my shoulder out.

 

[wolftree]

Consider also concrete filled boxes (Sackrete/Quickrete). Nothing too large so you will not throw your shoulder out again.

 

[RG1]

You'll get much more of a "workout" trying to turn/steer it with suspended suitcase weights up front than you will with ballasted tires that carry the weight directly on the ground. There should be almost no difference in steering difficulty with ballasted tires.

I agree with finding whatever brand of weights you can find and making the bracket work with them so that you can take the weight off if needed for any reason.

 

[CobyRupert]

He won't get a workout steering when the mower is on, and can take them off when it's not. Taking them on and off is the work-out.

 

[RickB]

6.00x16 or 7.50x16 tires don't hold enough ballast to be worth the bother of filling them.

At 11 lb/gal you're looking at 130 to 190 lbs, and very likely filling them through air-style valve stems, unless you want to look around for liquid fill valves in those small tube sizes. Not going to be sitting on every shelf.

 

[wolftree]

Even 100# on the front end will make a bit difference.

 

[ruffdog]

I didn't even put my top link on my rotary cutter as I never had reason to lift the rear wheel off the ground.

 

[toomanymachines]

The weights will work better as they will be further ahead. the same amount of weight will have a greater affect.
We have always found that ballast in front tires/// like 16.5/16.1 wears the front end out faster, as far as tie rod ends etc. an object at rest wants to stay at rest.

Tire repairs will also be easier, and your tire guy will appreciate it.