Ballast On the subject of ballast

[WinterDeere]

Hey folks,

I just upgrade to a new tractor (from JD 855 to JD 3033R), and am figuring how to best set it up for my use. In hindsight, I may have been better off with the 2032R I was originally contemplating, for my intended use, but here we are...

The new 320R loader specifies the following ballast on this machine:

Six wheel weights
+ filled rear tires
+ 1100 lb. ballast box on 3-point

Even thought the wheel weights for this machine are really 110 lb., the manual states these weight calculations are based on a 60 lb. weight, and the filled tires are based on 11.2-24 @ 3.5 lb/gal = 237 lb. per tire. So, we’re looking at ~714 lb. combined with liquid and iron on the wheels + 1100 lb. in a ballast box. This would put the machine at 3600 lb. without loader and box, and maybe 5400 lb. with loader and box, as no one really seems to know what this loader weighs.

I already have a ballast box, but it’s the standard short box, configured for my old tractor at about 700 lb. Likely not suitable for this new machine, or at least not to spec.

My uses for this machine don’t include mowing, but they do include a lot of other travel across my lawn, including tasks like fertilizing and aerating. This is in addition to heavier tasks like moving firewood (skidding logs = 1000 - 2500 lb.) and plowing the driveway. The usual jack of all trades stuff, but with possible more emphasis on lawn use than most.

So, I’m wondering what to do, here. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind, between just following the spec with RimGuard and a starter weight + one 110 lb. weight in each wheel, and building a new 1100 lb. ballast box, versus something less. My very frequent (maybe even primary) use on the lawn has me wanting to limit how much permanent weight I hang on this machine, but given I tipped my old tractor up on it’s front wheels a few times with a much lighter loader while skidding logs or doing other heavier work, and the fact that I have two kids coming up who may be using this tractor in the future, I’m also seeing the benefit of going full-spec.

What have you guys with similar usage profiles done on your own machines?

One last note, I do have a property with a lot of small slopes, some around the house a little steep. I’m often doing work that requires me to travel sideways to the slope, even when carrying a load in the bucket. For this reason, a very heavy ballast box on its own, which may have a relatively high center of gravity, may not be the best solution.

 

[oosik]

Well - where to start. If your new tractor has R-1 tires it will leave "cleat marks" on any lawn you travel across. Even more so if its weighted. I have Rim Guard ( 1550# ) in my rear tires. My rear tires are set out at their widest. The Kubota M6040 comes with AG rims that have eight differing settings for the rear tires. Six different setting for the front tires. My front tires are set at a "neutral" position.

Rather than any type of ballast box on the three point I have a 1050# rear blade back there. The only time I ever remove the rear blade is in the spring when I use my Wallenstein chipper. I suggest you look at using an implement for ballast on the three point.

I have a very heavy duty grapple ( 820# ) on the FEL. Total tractor weight with grapple, Rim Guard & rear blade - - 10,100#. I DO NOT cross any of my lawns when the ground is soft.

The weight of your loader should be shown in your FEL Op Manual.

View attachment 635197

 

[MF RED in MT]

Hey folks,

I just upgrade to a new tractor (from JD 855 to JD 3033R), and am figuring how to best set it up for my use. In hindsight, I may have been better off with the 2032R I was originally contemplating, for my intended use, but here we are...

The new 320R loader specifies the following ballast on this machine:

Six wheel weights
+ filled rear tires
+ 1100 lb. ballast box on 3-point

Even thought the wheel weights for this machine are really 110 lb., the manual states these weight calculations are based on a 60 lb. weight, and the filled tires are based on 11.2-24 @ 3.5 lb/gal = 237 lb. per tire. So, we’re looking at ~714 lb. combined with liquid and iron on the wheels + 1100 lb. in a ballast box. This would put the machine at 3600 lb. without loader and box, and maybe 5400 lb. with loader and box, as no one really seems to know what this loader weighs.

I already have a ballast box, but it’s the standard short box, configured for my old tractor at about 700 lb. Likely not suitable for this new machine, or at least not to spec.

My uses for this machine don’t include mowing, but they do include a lot of other travel across my lawn, including tasks like fertilizing and aerating. This is in addition to heavier tasks like moving firewood (skidding logs = 1000 - 2500 lb.) and plowing the driveway. The usual jack of all trades stuff, but with possible more emphasis on lawn use than most.

So, I’m wondering what to do, here. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind, between just following the spec with RimGuard and a starter weight + one 110 lb. weight in each wheel, and building a new 1100 lb. ballast box, versus something less. My very frequent (maybe even primary) use on the lawn has me wanting to limit how much permanent weight I hang on this machine, but given I tipped my old tractor up on it’s front wheels a few times with a much lighter loader while skidding logs or doing other heavier work, and the fact that I have two kids coming up who may be using this tractor in the future, I’m also seeing the benefit of going full-spec.

What have you guys with similar usage profiles done on your own machines?

One last note, I do have a property with a lot of small slopes, some around the house a little steep. I’m often doing work that requires me to travel sideways to the slope, even when carrying a load in the bucket. For this reason, a very heavy ballast box on its own, which may have a relatively high center of gravity, may not be the best solution.

Hi WinterDeere,

Congrats on your new Deere, and if it were me I would properly load all 4 tires with Rimguard and install the 700# 3 point weight box.

Then I would safely start assessing how this functions while performing small operations on a level and flat surface.

This should give you a sense of what might be in order for the next step regarding ballast.

Good luck, KC

 

[jjp8182]

On my L3560, I've got a full set of six iron wheel weights which I added to offset the weight of the loader itself -- this was after realizing the rear was getting a bit light/bouncy for my taste when going down slopes with the weight of a rear implement (finish mower in my case) being carried on it's own wheels.

I had considered filling the tires, but after putting the full set of wheel weights on and using a suitable ballast on the 3pt when doing loader work have pretty much solved the problem for me.

One thing to consider with 3pt ballast is that if it's suitably heavy and sticks out relatively far it can result in some see-sawing when the loader is full -- at least with the relatively short wheel-base on my L3560. Which is one of the reasons I generally don't use the finish mower as a ballasting implement even though it's heavier and has a center of gravity that's further behind the rear-wheels. Personally I'm not a fan of the tractor becoming a bucking bronco when I unexpectedly hit a rough spot ...which is almost what it does with the finish mower on the back, and several hundred pounds being carried up front by the loader.

So when I'm doing loader work, I'll have a heavy(-ish) implement (e.g. a 660lb box blade being the usual) being fully carried on the 3pt to counter the weight I'm lifting with the loader.

 

[fried1765]

Hey folks,

I just upgrade to a new tractor (from JD 855 to JD 3033R), and am figuring how to best set it up for my use. In hindsight, I may have been better off with the 2032R I was originally contemplating, for my intended use, but here we are...

The new 320R loader specifies the following ballast on this machine:

Six wheel weights
+ filled rear tires
+ 1100 lb. ballast box on 3-point

Even thought the wheel weights for this machine are really 110 lb., the manual states these weight calculations are based on a 60 lb. weight, and the filled tires are based on 11.2-24 @ 3.5 lb/gal = 237 lb. per tire. So, we’re looking at ~714 lb. combined with liquid and iron on the wheels + 1100 lb. in a ballast box. This would put the machine at 3600 lb. without loader and box, and maybe 5400 lb. with loader and box, as no one really seems to know what this loader weighs.

I already have a ballast box, but it’s the standard short box, configured for my old tractor at about 700 lb. Likely not suitable for this new machine, or at least not to spec.

My uses for this machine don’t include mowing, but they do include a lot of other travel across my lawn, including tasks like fertilizing and aerating. This is in addition to heavier tasks like moving firewood (skidding logs = 1000 - 2500 lb.) and plowing the driveway. The usual jack of all trades stuff, but with possible more emphasis on lawn use than most.

So, I’m wondering what to do, here. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind, between just following the spec with RimGuard and a starter weight + one 110 lb. weight in each wheel, and building a new 1100 lb. ballast box, versus something less. My very frequent (maybe even primary) use on the lawn has me wanting to limit how much permanent weight I hang on this machine, but given I tipped my old tractor up on it’s front wheels a few times with a much lighter loader while skidding logs or doing other heavier work, and the fact that I have two kids coming up who may be using this tractor in the future, I’m also seeing the benefit of going full-spec.

What have you guys with similar usage profiles done on your own machines?

One last note, I do have a property with a lot of small slopes, some around the house a little steep. I’m often doing work that requires me to travel sideways to the slope, even when carrying a load in the bucket. For this reason, a very heavy ballast box on its own, which may have a relatively high center of gravity, may not be the best solution.

"filled tires are based on 11.2x24@3.5lb/gal".

What sort of tire fill liquid weighs only 3.5 lb. per gal.?

 

[ovrszd]

You can confirm the weight you'll gain by filling the rears using a "Tire Fill Chart". Google it if you don't have one.

I would never consider filling the front tires on a loader tractor. I can't for the life of me think of a situation that would be of benefit.

Fill the rears, use your existing ballast box and see how you get along.

 

[WinterDeere]

Well - where to start. If your new tractor has R-1 tires it will leave "cleat marks" on any lawn you travel across... I DO NOT cross any of my lawns when the ground is soft.

Sorry, this is the same 3033R with turf tires we had discussed in other threads, so no issues with the cleats. But even with turfs, my concern is being completely shut down by not wanting to rut up the yard in wetter seasons, as I do a lot of wood processing in that weather and must cross a lot of lawn to get from my barn to the wood lot, and working around the wood lot. The wood lot happens to be a lower and wetter area, as well.

Running with a large implement on the rear is a no-go, here. I do a lot of tight-quarters work between wood sheds and my trailer, in the area where I process firewood. The ballast box is nice and compact, and acts as a tool carrier, as well!

Hi WinterDeere,

Congrats on your new Deere, and if it were me I would properly load all 4 tires with Rimguard and install the 700# 3 point weight box.

Then I would safely start assessing how this functions while performing small operations on a level and flat surface.

This should give you a sense of what might be in order for the next step regarding ballast.

Good luck, KC

Thank you! I've wondered about doing Rimguard in the fronts, but I don't run many heavy rear implements, so I'm not sure I'd benefit much from adding weight up front. What do you think? I'd probably favor doing only rears, at least to start.

I've got a full set of six iron wheel weights...I had considered filling the tires, but after putting the full set of wheel weights on and using a suitable ballast on the 3pt when doing loader work have pretty much solved the problem for me.

One thing to consider with 3pt ballast is that if it's suitably heavy and sticks out relatively far it can result in some see-sawing when the loader is full

I had the same setup and the same issues on my 855. Weight extended past the axles is bad, but with a loader, that's what you have! Ballast out back at least takes some of the load off the front axle.

However, the loader on the 855 only had a lift capacity of 700 lb on a 1900 lb. machine, whereas the new loader has a lift of 2100 lb. on a 2900 lb. machine of similar wheelbase. The ratio is not in my favor for sticking solely with the same ballast.

"filled tires are based on 11.2x24@3.5lb/gal".

What sort of tire fill liquid weighs only 3.5 lb. per gal.?

From what I've always seen, calcium chloride used for tire ballast is spec'd at 3.5 or 5.0 lb. per gallon, being the amount of calcium chloride added to a gallon of water. This is how Deere spec's it, this is how Ford used to also spec it. I can't speak for others. The resulting solution weight is 10.1 or 10.8 lb/gal.

Here's the first hit that came up on Google, in case my explanation isn't clear: Ballast Volume and Weight

You can confirm the weight you'll gain by filling the rears using a "Tire Fill Chart". Google it if you don't have one.

I would never consider filling the front tires on a loader tractor. I can't for the life of me think of a situation that would be of benefit.

Fill the rears, use your existing ballast box and see how you get along.

Cool. Thanks! This was my gut feeling, as well. Not that I'm opposed to building a new ballast box, you can see in the photo above that I neglected to put a hitch receiver into mine before filling it with concrete.

 

[TractorGuy]

Are you sure it says wheel weights AND liquid or does it give different rear ballast depending on which?

My 4310 with 420 loader reads 770 lbs rear ballast with rear wheel weights or 550 lbs rear ballast with loaded tires. Granted it's not rated for as much lift capacity as you have. I have done neither on the wheels or tires so I built a 1200 lb 3pt ballast. It seems to handle anything I pick up with that on the back.

 

[ruffdog]

Why not just try it for a year using the ballast box and see how it goes? Total weight is still going to show on soft ground.

 

[MF RED in MT]

Thank you! I've wondered about doing Rimguard in the fronts, but I don't run many heavy rear implements, so I'm not sure I'd benefit much from adding weight up front. What do you think? I'd probably favor doing only rears, at least to start.


Not that I'm opposed to building a new ballast box, you can see in the photo above that I neglected to put a hitch receiver into mine before filling it with concrete.

Hey WinterDeere,

Rimguard recommends filling tires to 75% - 80% full, and Rimguard weighs about 11 pounds per gallon.

On my SCUT the front tires are small (18 x 8.50 -10) and the 4 gallons of Rimguard adds about 44 pounds per tire. The reason I filled the front tires was to lower the center of gravity of the tractor for some slight side hill operations, even though it does not make much difference to the center of gravity.

If your old ballast box ends up working with your new tractor, modifying it to add a surface mounted hitch should not be very hard. If your steel box material is strong enough, you could weld on a thick plate with drilled and tapped holes that match another thick plate (this second plate has a hitch welded to it) plus the mounting holes to install the first plate to the ballast box, and this will allow you to install/remove the hitch as needed.

And if the steel ballast box material is not very thick, you could drill a little larger hole in the steel and then drill and install concrete anchors, size that you choose and bolt the plate to the box blade that has a hitch welded to it.

B.T.W. A steel plate 3/4" thick and sized 30" x 30" (unknown what your ballast box size is) mounted on the rear of your box blade would weigh about 200 pounds, if you only need to add a little more weight.

Good luck, KC