Adding weight to my Massey? How to add front weights???

HCJtractor · Jun 16, 2012

I just bought a Massey 240 that had a FEL. Not wanting an FEL, I removed it and sold it. I hooked up my 6' rotary cutter (probably a little big for this tractor) and I am way too light in the front. Steering was comical. I need to add front weights and a front brush guard.

I have the front weights taken off a big Kubota and would like to use them. I also have an old Massey grill guard. I know they make a Massey weight bracket of some kind, but I would prefer not to have to buy anything else, but fabricate something to incorporate a weight bracket and my guard.

Anyone have any pictures of Masseys with front weights that could give me some ideas? How much weight should I add? I probably have at least 600 lbs of weights.

The kid · Jun 16, 2012

HCJtractor said:
I just bought a Massey 240 that had a FEL. Not wanting an FEL, I removed it and sold it. I hooked up my 6' rotary cutter (probably a little big for this tractor) and I am way too light in the front. Steering was comical. I need to add front weights and a front brush guard.

I have the front weights taken off a big Kubota and would like to use them. I also have an old Massey grill guard. I know they make a Massey weight bracket of some kind, but I would prefer not to have to buy anything else, but fabricate something to incorporate a weight bracket and my guard.

Anyone have any pictures of Masseys with front weights that could give me some ideas? How much weight should I add? I probably have at least 600 lbs of weights.

You could have a couple of hefty kids be tied to the front end.. OR you could look for a bolt on bracket that utilizes the same holes as a brush guard. Weights are slotted and added to the front end as needed. Common on small ford tractors. Google tractor weights for your type of Massey.

I looked around on the net and didn't see anything like what your wanting. My guess it will have to be custom made to accommodate standard weights. I wouldn't operate my bush hog without a guard. I push over some big stuff that would tear my front grill off without it. -robert

HCJtractor · Jun 17, 2012

Thanks! I agree that I am going to have to design and make something. I need to look at all of the Kubota brackets and weights and try to adapt them. They've been sitting around for 5 years so now I have a need for them. Still would like to see some pictures of the Massey weight bracket if anyone has one.

radrock · Jun 17, 2012

I had a tractor before this one that was like yours. I would take the loader off to pull my finish mower. When I would go up a hill with the mower lifted it would make the front wheels go off of the ground. I would just drop the mower and keep going and it was fine then. When mowing I hardly ever need to raise it anyway. I used it for 14 years like that. But your situation could be a lot different than mine.

lambs · Jun 18, 2012

I have no idea what the frame of your 240 is like in front, but I did have a weight rack welded up for my 1010. I like you could not find the proper weights, so I bought the current MF compact tractor weights and had the rack made to fit. It bolts onto the front of the tractor frame via existing holes. The back side of the rack matches up to the front of the tractor frame, and the sides slope down to the height needed for the MF suitcase weights which I hang on the front. I had a "floor" welded into it as well, leaving gaps along the way so water would drain out. Now I have a great weight rack with a storage area for chains to boot.

As to how much weight, you can approximate this with a little math. On my tractor, I needed to ballast a 250 lb aerator on the 3 pt hitch. I measured from the center of the rear axle to the 3 pt lift arm holes, and then from the rear axle to the front of the tractor. It was about twice as far to the front end, so I estimated I'd need about half the weight up there to offset the aerator. And that was about right. But it sounds like you have plenty of weight so you can experiment and see what works.

HCJtractor · Jun 19, 2012

thanks. My tractor frame has four holes on the front and more facing down. I guess I will also fabricate something. I have one massive Kubota cast iron block that the suitcase weights hang from. This block must weigh 200 plus pounds, as I can barely even budge it. If I can bolt some sort of shelf to the front of the tractor and sit this block on it and attach it, I can then hang weights. All together, I probably have 600 pounds of iron to play with. I guess I can add it all, as I am sure the loader I removed weighed more than that. I am trying to pull a 6 foot heavy duty Woods rotary cutter and it is heavy.