Ballast box or use something else?

   / Ballast box or use something else? #11  
A backhoe is outstanding ballast.

It's pretty good for digging too.

I don't think the OP has plans for a backhoe. If so, he's getting the wrong tractor.

I personally never leave the backhoe on unless I need to dig with it. It really throws things out of wack on my hills.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else?
  • Thread Starter
#12  
I don't think the OP has plans for a backhoe. If so, he's getting the wrong tractor.

I personally never leave the backhoe on unless I need to dig with it. It really throws things out of wack on my hills.
No plans for a backhoe, if I had one I wouldn't have a lawn left because I'd be out digging holes all over.:laughing:

I'm thinking about just rigging up a bar to go through the 3-point arms and hanging some type of weight off it.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #13  
It's nice living on flat land; I don't have to ever take my backhoe off.

I have seen a steel drum with concrete in it, used for ballast.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #14  
No plans for a backhoe, if I had one I wouldn't have a lawn left because I'd be out digging holes all over.:laughing:

I'm thinking about just rigging up a bar to go through the 3-point arms and hanging some type of weight off it.

Just for reference, I weight #230 and have close to 200 pounds of ballast in my rear tires. That's enough to move a full bucket of gravel or dirt without trouble but still, something as light as a landscape rake hanging off the three point is even better when I'm not in a tight space.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #15  
Stevem70. My body weight sometimes helps and sometimes hurts. With a load on the forks or rock in the bucket it's good with me and the loaded tires also. . . Until I start going down an incline. Then my weigh shifts somewhat forward and no longer gives the rears that "bulk muscle" advantage :)

I found that creating a well located added weight on the 3 pt. That is neither wide or tall really eliminates my need to be as noticing of the incline amount until I get to "back it down" needs.

230# that's my goal by the way lol.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #16  
I've always thought about getting a nice piece of rebar and going on craigslist list and buying up some olympic weight plates....

Another idea is to find a cut off of a ~18" diameter pipe, make some plywood forms to hold rebar in the center, and fill with concrete.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #18  
   / Ballast box or use something else?
  • Thread Starter
#19  
I've always thought about getting a nice piece of rebar and going on craigslist list and buying up some olympic weight plates....Another idea is to find a cut off of a ~18" diameter pipe, make some plywood forms to hold rebar in the center, and fill with concrete.


I already looked into this. The used weights I found were kind of expensive and in the end it would be cheaper to buy a ballast box and fill it with cement. I think you best bet would be to hit up garage sales or auctions, the weight sets would probably go cheap at these places.
 
   / Ballast box or use something else? #20  
Stevem70. My body weight sometimes helps and sometimes hurts. With a load on the forks or rock in the bucket it's good with me and the loaded tires also. . . Until I start going down an incline. Then my weigh shifts somewhat forward and no longer gives the rears that "bulk muscle" advantage :)

I found that creating a well located added weight on the 3 pt. That is neither wide or tall really eliminates my need to be as noticing of the incline amount until I get to "back it down" needs.

230# that's my goal by the way lol.

Agreed. I recently switched over to R4's from R1's. Before I did the two or three plugged holes in each rear tire had leaked out all but about a gallon of liquid ballast. I kept my bucket close to the ground and my hand on the lever when working on even the slightest downhill:laughing:

I live on a hillside but the way things lay I'm usually going uphill with a loaded bucket.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2009 Hyundai Sonata Sedan (A50324)
2009 Hyundai...
2007 Generac QT06030AVAN 60kVA Gasoline Generator (A50322)
2007 Generac...
2014 CATERPILLAR 336FL EXCAVATOR (A51242)
2014 CATERPILLAR...
2015 JOHN DEERE 744K-II HIGH LIFT WHEEL LOADER (A51242)
2015 JOHN DEERE...
(4) 320 x 90 R50 Tires and Rims (A50514)
(4) 320 x 90 R50...
Rubbermaid 100 gal Poly Tank (A50515)
Rubbermaid 100 gal...
 
Top