Front axle weights

[budepps3760]

In just the past 2 weeks I paid $1200 for repair of my steering on my Mahindra 2810. I was using an implement that was a tad bit too heavy, causing the front end to come off the ground, damaging it when it came back down.

I made 3 weights for the front, each weighing about 150 pounds each. They will be installed in a manner that allows for removal but my preferred option would be to keep them on at all times if possible as I recently had shoulder surgery and as I get older I don't desire to manhandle them in the future.

Question is this, the tractor was designed to use a front end loader so I know it can handle the weight. The center of the weights would be about 18 inches in front of the center of the front axle. Is there potential to damage the front axle in keeping the weights on at all times? There is really only 1 implement that I use that I would to need to use the weights for, a 7 foot land plane. My land is fairly hilly where I would plane as well as bush hog. Would the continual use of the weights cause a greater potential for a roll over when using the bush hog? My slope indicator, at the largest amount of grade, is about 20-25 degrees of slope. The pucker indicator correlates to the indicator.

Recommendations?

 

[nybirdman]

I would put them on and leave them on.No different than leaving a FEL on.My FEL never comes off.

 

[sdef]

Chuckle on the pucker factor... I have no direct experience with your situation. Attachment weights vary a large amount for supposedly similar items. A friend has a 5' land plane the OEM says weighs ~550#. And I just did a search for land planes and found a 7' that weighs the same 550#.

I would not think adding 450# to the front would negatively affect front axle wear as long as you have a heavy weight on the 3PH. Of course, counterbalance weight will vary with implement weight and you do not want to add too much unbalanced weight to either end of the tractor.

Can you provide a link to your particular land plane model with specs so folks can help with the counterbalance issue?

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

A quick look on TractorData says your 2810 is 28hp, 3064 lbs weight and has a 3pt lift capacity just over 2000lbs.

Not arguing that some front weights would be nice as you apparently don't have a loader....BUT....a 7' land plane shouldn't be that taxing on that size of a machine even if it's a really heavy duty one that would push it towards 1000lbs.

Having the front of the tractor lift and fall violently enough to cause damage seems like A: (hate to point it out) operator error and possibly B: already weakened components. Some more details to the story would be helpful for advice how to not have the problem repeat itself with an additional 450lbs coming down on the front end. What broke and what caused the front to lift/fall that hard?