Loaded Tires vs. Ballast Box

[RoyJackson]

Be sure to train yourself to ALWAYS lower the bucket before the ballast box

I'm not sure why that statement was made because it doesn't really matter which one is lowered first.
However, when rigging the ballast box and loader, alway install the loader before the ballast box and remove the ballast box before removing the loader.
If that ballast box is on and no loader, raising your 3PH wll likely cause your tractor's front end to raise instead (yep...I did it and it wasn't funny)

 

[oldballs]

I'm not sure why that statement was made because it doesn't really matter which one is lowered first.
However, when rigging the ballast box and loader, alway install the loader before the ballast box and remove the ballast box before removing the loader.
If that ballast box is on and no loader, raising your 3PH wll likely cause your tractor's front end to raise instead (yep...I did it and it wasn't funny)

:laughing:Yep...at my age those little tractor thrills are about the only thing that gets my heart beating faster.

 

[glc24]

I'm not sure why that statement was made because it doesn't really matter which one is lowered first.
However, when rigging the ballast box and loader, alway install the loader before the ballast box and remove the ballast box before removing the loader.
If that ballast box is on and no loader, raising your 3PH wll likely cause your tractor's front end to raise instead (yep...I did it and it wasn't funny)

Very good point Roy.:thumbsup: You'll never get in trouble if you follow the proper procedure.

Concerning the front axle to rear axle weight ratio,if I'm not mistaken,when you load the rear tires,you do absolutely nothing to take weight off the front axle. You need something,preferrably a BB,hanging from the 3pt to counter the front axle weight added by the load in the bucket.............RIGHT??
Maybe I'm full of hot air,but loaded tires are only for stability.

Greg

 

[RoyJackson]

Very good point Roy.:thumbsup: You'll never get in trouble if you follow the proper procedure.

Concerning the front axle to rear axle weight ratio,if I'm not mistaken,when you load the rear tires,you do absolutely nothing to take weight off the front axle. You need something,preferrably a BB,hanging from the 3pt to counter the front axle weight added by the load in the bucket.............RIGHT??
Maybe I'm full of hot air,but loaded tires are only for stability.

Greg

Basically, you've got it.
Filled tires will add a degree of traction since that weight is right at the rear tires tread, but they don't act as a counterweight (ballast) for the loader. In a drawbar pulling situation, filled tires have an advantage over unfilled tires just as weight weights would. In our little (comparatively speaking) tractor tires, I doubt if there's a major advantage.
But they sure do help with stability! Filled tires provide inertia to reduce the possibility of a side rollover.

So, in this case, you ain't full of hot air...

 

[lawn_king]

I had rim guard in the rear turfs of my Kubota B3030, that was great for stability,counterweight for fel work & traction. I prefer the weight box on my Kubota L3540, as the L has a much wider stance, sometimes i want the weight, sometimes i dont? When you have filled rears, you always have the weight.

 

[robertwhite]

So it looks like I am on the right track with the BB. It just makes a ton of sense in my little pea brain.

The L3400 FEL is simple to remove and store and the BB is also simple, so throwing the 2 components on when I need the FEL is only a few minutes time and away you go.

I really think that loaded tires which add 600-700lbs or so that is now a permanent additional weight just makes no sense on a machine that will mostly be used for mowing. If I see I need to load the tires, I could always do it later. Once loaded, I would imagine it is pretty hard/PIA to remove the load.

Side roll stability is not an issue on flat land (as in my case) and since that is a major reason to load the tires, it makes even less sense.

The only thing that does concern me is the extra tension that 500-600lbs of ballast on a 3 point hitch could cause breakage or wear of the associated attachment parts and/or wheel bearings as K7LN pointed out. Anyone else have thoughts on that subject?

 

[crusty 1]

I,d add 3 ph wieght when needed in your situation.If not doing ground engaging work I would agree you don,t normally need the extra wieght.Dave

 

[RoyJackson]

Do I see a bit of a contradiction here? Yes, filled tires do act as a counterweight. The front axle is the pivot point, or fulcrum, in a lever type situation. However, filled tires do not take weight off the front axle. A ballast box takes weight off the front axle and offers more leverage than filled tires.

Yep, you said it better then I did.
Must be all that 790 brain power!

 

[TripleR]

So it looks like I am on the right track with the BB. It just makes a ton of sense in my little pea brain.

The L3400 FEL is simple to remove and store and the BB is also simple, so throwing the 2 components on when I need the FEL is only a few minutes time and away you go.

I really think that loaded tires which add 600-700lbs or so that is now a permanent additional weight just makes no sense on a machine that will mostly be used for mowing. If I see I need to load the tires, I could always do it later. Once loaded, I would imagine it is pretty hard/PIA to remove the load.

Side roll stability is not an issue on flat land (as in my case) and since that is a major reason to load the tires, it makes even less sense.

The only thing that does concern me is the extra tension that 500-600lbs of ballast on a 3 point hitch could cause breakage or wear of the associated attachment parts and/or wheel bearings as K7LN pointed out. Anyone else have thoughts on that subject?

It's a tractor, so that is what they are designed for. I would have absolutely no concerns about wear.

 

[RoyJackson]

Not to be lint picky (again), but I wouldn't bring inertia into the picture. At times it could help, and at other times it would work against you. There are too many dynamic variables involved. Also, inertia wouldn't come into play if a tractor were sideways on a grade, standing still, and a loaded bucket were lifted too high causing instability or a rollover.

Actually, inertia being the resistance of a body to movement as well as the resistance to stopping (if moving) does comes into play.
The weight of those filled tires would surpress the tendency to roll (resistance of the resting body) in all scenarios you wrote.
This is simplifying the physics of inertia, but I think most will get the drift.

Think about it...

However, once that tractor has started to roll, then inertia works against you (good example is a rear rollover...once it gets to 75°, it's going all the way over (momentum...or the resistance of a moving body to stop, inertia).

The OP has posted he has no need for filled tires due to his circumstances, so, as good as this "conversation is, we're a bit off topic.