3pt concrete ballast build for logging/firewood

[inpo44]

I have used my box blade (550lbs) as ballast on my New Holland TC45D with a grapple for handling logs while woodcutting for many years. It never felt heavy enough with the bigger stuff (12” and up) and at 78” wide it was cumbersome in tight areas. So I decided it was time to build a heavier but compact 3 point mounted ballast that could provide the necessary weight for stability while carrying all the needed equipment for a day in the woods. The list included 2 chainsaws, a pole saw, cant hook, hookaroon, axe, hammer, chains, small toolbox, gas can, and bar oil. Additionally, in the off season, the ballast will serve at freestanding vise stand and a heavy mount for a HF manual tire changer. So it will need some pallet fork pockets to allow it to be moved around. A 2” trailer hitch receiver will be needed to pull the log splitter and chain hooks/D rings are always handy.
The NH TC45D has a 3pt rating of 3275lbs at the pins and 2330lbs at 24” behind the pins. I chose a target weight of 1500 -1600 lbs with a center of gravity at 12” behind the pins. Well within the 3pt capacity and within the capacity of tractor’s loader (NH 16LA) so it can be moved around with pallet forks.

With that list of requirements and reviewing a bunch of ballast box builds on TBN, I decided to use a formed concrete design with embedded steel plates to mount/hold all of the needed equipment. A tee shaped concrete form was fabricated from mdf (not the best material for this but it was what I had laying around). The inside was painted with some left over latex paint to seal up the mdf and keep the concrete from sticking to the forms. I used headless bolts tack welded to 3/8” rebar with washers and nuts to keep the form from bulging from the heavy concrete. 2-1/2” x 1/4” wall square tubing was used to form the 3pt while pieces of 6”/10” channels and 2” angle was used as embedded steel plates.

 

[pmsmechanic]

It'll be interesting how this works out. For me this would be about 800 - 1000 lbs overweight.

 

[Rustyiron]

Serious formwork
If you haven't poured it yet, can you squeeze it some 45* form strips to take the sharp (and delicate) corners off the outside edges?
Nice job!

 

[LD1]

Looks good.

Probably a sacrifice of $100 of MDF by todays prices

I cant see in the pics real well how your 2" hitch is physically attached to the framework that the tractor hooks to. Hopefully it is solid and you arent just relying on concrete.

For the size of your tractor....I think your target weight is about right on

 

[inpo44]

Serious formwork
If you haven't poured it yet, can you squeeze it some 45* form strips to take the sharp (and delicate) corners off the outside edges?
Nice job!

Good advise, I saw that on the other builds here on TBN and incorporated that on this build.

 

[inpo44]

Here it is after forms were removed. The latex paint worked pretty good but I did get some concrete sticking in a few areas. The receiver has a welded 1” steel rod attaching it to the 3pt metal work.

 

[Rustyiron]

Nice
If there's such a thing as a "professional" 3pt weight, that's it!

 

[crashz]

As Rusty said, very nice formwork. Better than most concrete contractors. Question for you on the threaded bolts. Will you snap them off and patch them or use them for another purpose?

Nice work!

 

[LD1]

As Rusty said, very nice formwork. Better than most concrete contractors. Question for you on the threaded bolts. Will you snap them off and patch them or use them for another purpose?

Nice work!

Was wondering the same thing

 

[Nutcracker]

WOW, that is a professional job. Best form I ever seen. I like the coyote shadow in the pic too, LOL