Surprised by need for rear ballast with L 4060 in this situation

[jgoodma1]

I recently bought an L4060. I have a 4000 lbs SS QA fork attachment that I used with the L48 TLB that I sold before buying the L4060. I know it’s heavier than what one might normally buy for that size tractor, but I had it already. I have some units of hardwood lumber that I have moved around with the L4060, that are about 32” wide and 12’-16’ long, some of which weigh 1400-1500 lbs. I have beet juice in the tires for ballast. I was able to move that lumber around with no problem, while working slowly and carefully as I moved it.

Anyway, today I bought 25 leftover 4x8 sheets of 1/2” OSB from a guy and he brought them to me. We unloaded them from his pickup and put them on the forks of my tractor so I could move them to a different place on my property. These 25 sheets weigh 48 lbs. each, for a total of 1200 lbs. I had no problem lifting the 25 sheets, but my rear wheels were so light that they spun on my gravel drive.

My old L48 was my first tractor, and I always had the backhoe on it, and I never had a problem lifting anything with the FEL, and it spoiled me in that regard. I’ve been reading the many cautionary tales on TBN of hairy situations with rear wheels lifting off the ground, so when I have been moving my piles of lumber around, I’ve been very careful, and had no problems. But I was completely taken by surprise today when I couldn’t move with only 1200 lbs plus the fork weight because I didn’t have adequate ballast. Of course, OSB is 48” wide as opposed to the 32” widths of the lumber piles I’d been moving. I don’t remember my physics lessons.....is there an exponential increase in the leverage exerted as the load gets wider and further away from the fulcrum of the front wheels? Is there a simple math formula that would help me with anticipating when I have too much weight, based on the projection of the load? Thanks.

 

[k0ua]

Don't worry about the formula and the math. Not worth the effort. Without question you need at least 1000 lbs on your 3 point hitch IF NOT MORE to avoid disaster, In NO WAY, would I have even attempted to do the lift you described without my ballast barrel on the 3point. Sure I have loaded tires and I bet my tractor weighs about the same as yours, but you were just asking for trouble with that lift without ballast. You ALWAYS want ballast on when attempting any heavy lift. !200 lbs of gravel in your bucket, you could get away with because it is so close in, but 1200 lbs stuck out there better than 4 foot is a BIG no no.

 

[oosik]

With my heavy duty grapple, RimGuard loaded rear tires & really heavy Rhino rear blade - my M6040 weighs 10,100 pounds. I can STILL get "light in the loafers" if lifting a really big rock or chunk of pine tree trunk.

My Op Manual warns to NEVER attempt to lift with the FEL without adequate ballast on the 3-point.

You might have been very lucky - get your tractor set up correctly.

BTW - my Rhino rear blade weighs - 1050# and sticks way out back.

 

[RjCorazza]

Also, all the beet juice in the world won't save the front axle from being overloaded.

 

[SDT]

I recently bought an L4060. I have a 4000 lbs SS QA fork attachment that I used with the L48 TLB that I sold before buying the L4060. I know it’s heavier than what one might normally buy for that size tractor, but I had it already. I have some units of hardwood lumber that I have moved around with the L4060, that are about 32” wide and 12’-16’ long, some of which weigh 1400-1500 lbs. I have beet juice in the tires for ballast. I was able to move that lumber around with no problem, while working slowly and carefully as I moved it.

Anyway, today I bought 25 leftover 4x8 sheets of 1/2” OSB from a guy and he brought them to me. We unloaded them from his pickup and put them on the forks of my tractor so I could move them to a different place on my property. These 25 sheets weigh 48 lbs. each, for a total of 1200 lbs. I had no problem lifting the 25 sheets, but my rear wheels were so light that they spun on my gravel drive.

My old L48 was my first tractor, and I always had the backhoe on it, and I never had a problem lifting anything with the FEL, and it spoiled me in that regard. I’ve been reading the many cautionary tales on TBN of hairy situations with rear wheels lifting off the ground, so when I have been moving my piles of lumber around, I’ve been very careful, and had no problems. But I was completely taken by surprise today when I couldn’t move with only 1200 lbs plus the fork weight because I didn’t have adequate ballast. Of course, OSB is 48” wide as opposed to the 32” widths of the lumber piles I’d been moving. I don’t remember my physics lessons.....is there an exponential increase in the leverage exerted as the load gets wider and further away from the fulcrum of the front wheels? Is there a simple math formula that would help me with anticipating when I have too much weight, based on the projection of the load? Thanks.

A BH is very heavy and you have been spoiled.

FWIW, my L6060 (ROPS) will not back up a very slight incline on crushed rock with the FEL and (empty) 4-in-1 bucket attached unless in FWA or counter weight is attached.

No beet juice as I still change/repair my own tires but it does have the maximum of 3 cast iron weights on each rear wheel.

Tractor is actually dangerous on inclines even with empty bucket as turning down hill will invariably raise the outside rear wheel unless mower or ballast box is installed on hitch.

SDT

 

[jgoodma1]

Thanks everyone. Message understood!

 

[5030]

Also, all the beet juice in the world won't save the front axle from being overloaded.

EXACTLY. ballasting and overloading the front axle consistently will eventually eat up the bearings in the outboard planetaries.

 

[5030]

Never loaded the rears on either of my Kubota M9's. No need to. I run cast center wheel hubs instead.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

A BH is very heavy and you have been spoiled.

FWIW, my L6060 (ROPS) will not back up a very slight incline on crushed rock with the FEL and (empty) 4-in-1 bucket attached unless in FWA or counter weight is attached.

No beet juice as I still change/repair my own tires but it does have the maximum of 3 cast iron weights on each rear wheel.

Tractor is actually dangerous on inclines even with empty bucket as turning down hill will invariably raise the outside rear wheel unless mower or ballast box is installed on hitch.

SDT

iTiiT. I fix all our flats on 8 tractors. All have water in all four tires all the time. Plus some anti freeze.

 

[CobyRupert]

EXACTLY. ballasting and overloading the front axle consistently will eventually eat up the bearings in the outboard planetaries.

What kind of bait and switch is it if your ballasted so that you can safely lift the weight the FEL and tractor was built (and sold) to do, and this overloads the front axle?

Also, rear ballast takes weight off the front axle.