Ballast Do I need Ballast?

[Gods Country]

Do yourself a favor and ballast your tractor. Load your tires, and add either a weight box or a heavy implement when using your FEL for anything heavy. You may not see a need right now, but at some point you will be using your tractor for all sorts of tasks you never had previously envisioned. If nothing else your front axle will thank you.:thumbsup:

 

[legbuh]

I agree... a box blade will do the trick and you'll end up using it more than your fel.

 

[jonyyuma]

Recommend some heavy ballast weight, before using the FEL for any serious weight. You front axle will appreciate it and if you have a hill it will save you a 'Roller coaster ride".On a tractor it has a Puckerfactor of "8",and is not very pleasant.

 

[MHarryE]

I had a L3710 for 9 years with no ballast and heavy loader work but I did always have my heaviest blade on the rear when doing serious loader work. If it was real heavy loader work, I attached my bale fork to my 3 pt, stabbed a smaller bale I kept around and used it for counterweight. When I got my L5740 I bought wheel weights. Flat tires happen and about the only nice thing with liquid ballast of any kind when you have a flat is its easy to find the hole. The small quantity of liquid ballast you need for your tractor makes beet juice attractive. The large soil compactors you see on construction sites - smooth or padded drum in front, tires in rear - all have calcium chloride ballast in tubeless tires. Rust isn't a problem - like someone said, no oxygen, no rust. Once the oxygen is depleted from the original inflation, you have a light rust coat inside that doesn't hurt anything. I've never had a valve problem with the stainless steel cores we used which are rated for CaCl2. None of the manufacturers would consider beet juice due to the cost in an extremely price competetive world where it takes 194 gallons of ballast per machine.