Highly recommend putting fluid in your rear tires if you haven't already done so. That will add a couple hundred lbs. Your 3 pt will lift about 600 lbs at 24" behind the lift arms, but most implements used on a BX are lighter than that. I've found a 400 lb. box blade works well as counter weight and it's a useful implement as well. That's probably a good weight for a ballast on the 3 pt... maybe more if you don't do the tires.
Ballast Ballast box weight
- Thread starter Harvey9
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joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Oh dear. That's just silly.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
My loader lift is about 1400 lbs, and the manual says to have 1100 on the 3pt. I don't have that much, I have between 750 and 800 depending on how many log chains I am carrying. But I also have filled rear tires. a little more 3pt weight would not probably hurt. But it is pretty hard for me to lift the rears. Maybe could lift one on a slope or something if you hooked on the opposite corner of the bucket. You can always do something stupid, but my rig is pretty well planted.
James K0UA
James K0UA
crazyal
Super Member
I made one out of a 55 gallon drum. I used the full size of the drum with a draw bar going through it for the lower links and a simple U shape plate on the top for the upper link. For a BX I would look for a 35 gallon drum and maybe cut it down and fill it with cement. You can put some PVC pipes in it large enough for thinks like rake handles. To get to 300lbs you could get 3 80lbs of cement and one 60 lb bag and then easily figure out the volume of the cement from the bags (I think the 80lb bags are .6 cubic feet). From that you could calculate how much to cut off the drum.
jeff9366
Super Star Member
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- Tractor
- Kubota Tractor Loader L3560 HST+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3,700 pounds bare tractor, 5,400 pounds operating weight, 37 horsepower
With loaded tires 300 pounds 3-Pt. ballast will be ample. The practical effect of 3-Pt. ballast will be to reduce stress on your front axle, which loaded tires do not accomplish. Weight BEHIND the rear axle is required to relieve stress on the front axle. You want enough 3-Pt. ballast but not more. Over 300 (+/-) pounds you will increase wheel ruts, increase fuel consumption and increase rear tire wear.
Without 3-Pt. ballast it is too easy to have a max load in the bucket, to be creeping along cautiously, have a front wheel drop into a soft spot or a depression causing your loader to nose over into the dirt then maybe a rear wheel lifts. In this scenario FEL's are "sprung" and front axles bend.
At least 25% of the FEL's I observe are "sprung", i.e.: not level empty. Too expensive too repair but a constant annoyance relative to succeeding lift capacity and appearance.
I am one of those who prefer 3-Pt ballast as needed but operate without loaded tires in my Florida conditions. Seldom do I lose traction with my R4 industrial tires.
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LD1
Epic Contributor
I'd match what the loader can lift. So of shoot for 450#.
75% of loader works well if it is in the form of an implement, cause it places the weight farther back, so less is needed.
75% of loader works well if it is in the form of an implement, cause it places the weight farther back, so less is needed.
tjkubota93
Veteran Member
I like that. Good thing you didnt patent it, im gonna copy it for my 1860. I can't come up with ideas, but im good at making replicas.
jeff9366
Super Star Member
- Joined
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- Messages
- 12,787
- Tractor
- Kubota Tractor Loader L3560 HST+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3,700 pounds bare tractor, 5,400 pounds operating weight, 37 horsepower
Truly, a thing of beauty in the REALIST SCHOOL OF ART.