Figuring the weight of obects

   / Figuring the weight of obects #1  

enterprisebbc

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2012
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185
Location
Ct
Tractor
2008 CK35 Kioti
Is there a way to roughly gauge the wgt of a bolder or log that you are to lift up?
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #2  
If you kick it real hard and it moves... it is probably not that heavy. If, after you kick it, it barely moves or doesn't even shudder... it probably is pretty heavy.... :) I took a rigging class YEARS ago, and they dealt with figuring out approximate weights of objects [ steel, rocks, machines, wood structures, etc. ]. I am sure there are sites on the net if you do an 'estimater' search.... Good luck, Jerry.......
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #3  
Is there a way to roughly gauge the wgt of a bolder or log that you are to lift up?

You can take a much smaller version of the object in question, put it on a bathroom scale and then ratio the weight up based on size.
For rocks, you need a piece of similar stone because the kind of rock matters. Same for wood.
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #4  
If you going to pick it up with a front end loader, go to Northern Tool and get a gauge that you connect in-line in the cylinder hyd line. It will give you a real accurate number. Short of that, your guess is as good as mine.
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #5  
You just need to know the approx weight per cubic foot of the material. Measure the object, figure how many cubic feet it is, and multiply by the weight per cubic foot. After a few times you should be able to guesstimate pretty close.
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #6  
If you need to lift it, it weighs twice as much as you thought it did. If you're using it for ballast or an anchor, it weighs half as much as you need. Sorry, that's the best I can do based on my experience.:(
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #7  
I once had a rock in my field dynamited to break it into pieces. After looking at it for 10 years, I told the guy it probably weighed 4,000 lbs. Well, we hauled away over 17,000 lbs so there goes my theories on "guess my weight".
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #9  
I use this method too. Best to keep a few figures in your memory so you can make field estimates as you are rarely near a computer or reference book when figuring out how to lift something. Average weights can be easily guesstimated by figuring the cubic volume in feet and then multiplying by density as weight per cubic foot. Granite: 170lbs/cubic ft (most stone is lighter). Concrete: 150lbs; Soft wood: 35lbs; Hard Wood: 60lbs; Gold 1200lbs; Neutron Star 6x10 to the 15th power lbs/cubic foot (make sure you have enough ballast!).
 
   / Figuring the weight of obects #10  
I use this method too... Neutron Star 6x10 to the 15th power lbs/cubic foot (make sure you have enough ballast!).

Show off... :laughing: :thumbsup: Better to have a tractor beam on your tractor than a grapple with that one...

Just this morning I was thinking about asking a similar question... I have some brick posts the last guy left behind and I was wondering if I could rig them into ballast for my tractor... But I could not figure out a way to weigh them...

David
 
 
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