Anyone think this is accurate?

[homedad]

I was looking for some ballast and found this on FB marketplace. I believe it’s about 30” wide x 24” tall x 24” deep. They’re claiming 1540 lbs. That seems exaggerated to me.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

According to the Google machine, a cubic foot of concrete weighs around 150 lbs. The measurements you provided show it to be 10cuft. So it should weigh around 1,500lbs.

 

[dougtrr2]

That weight sounds pretty close. Several places on the internet (so it must be true) list concrete at 140-150lbs per cubic foot. My calculations of your block 2' x 2' x 2.5' comes up with 10 cubic feet. 10cubic feet times 150lbs gives 1500lbs. So that number is not far off, if at all.

Doug in SW IA

 

[bdhsfz6]

Sounds about right for a block of concrete that size.

For the same money, you could get a 3pt to SSQA adapter. I use one with an old FEL bucket. I just back into a pile of gravel and scoop up a bucketful when I need ballast. Also comes in handy for using other FEL implements on the 3pt hitch.

Pardon Our Interruption...

Also makes a great carry all with the right bucket:

 

[homedad]

Thanks all. It felt too good to be true especially compared to steel for the price.

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks all. It felt too good to be true especially compared to steel for the price.

Now that it's true, are you gonna get it?

When I had a tractor with a 3pt hitch I made a counterweight out of a plastic 55 gallon drum with 3pt pins sticking out of it and filled it with concrete. It weighed right around 900#. Less cubic feet than that block you showed. Pretty handy to have around and easy to remove when not needed.

 

[ptsg]

I see some clearance issues with the arms possibly hitting the concrete, since they put the pins so far in.

 

[homedad]

I see that I'd probably need to bring my tractor to actually get it home. At least I could check the clearance. I'm seriously considering it. I know that the next bevel gear case seal replacement would make me wish I had.

 

[4570Man]

It’s 10 cubic feet of concrete so the weight is correct. I don’t think the price is bad. It’s a lot of work to form up a cube and mix 1500 pounds by hand. Not to mention the supplies needed would probably cost $250.

 

[homedad]

I’m now wondering of it’s too much weight when I’m not lifting the big logs I frequently carry. Would it make the front end so light that steering or front traction would be compromised. It’s a Kioti ck10 with a cab and loaded rears. It’s lift capacity is significantly better than my Kubota l3130, also with loaded rears, but the Kioti rear end comes up constantly. Whereas the Kubota never comes up.

 

[EddieWalker]

I was looking for some ballast and found this on FB marketplace. I believe it’s about 30” wide x 24” tall x 24” deep. They’re claiming 1540 lbs. That seems exaggerated to me.

I made my concrete rear ballast with a metal frame that I set in wood forms and poured the concrete around it. It looks very similar to the one in your picture.

It's 24x24x33. The metal frame weighed 104 pounds. I used 25 sacks of 60-pound concrete for a total of 1,500 pounds. The total weight of mine is 1,604 pounds.

I put it on my 70hp Massey Ferguson 4707. The difference is night and day better when loading and carrying a fill bucket of dirt!!!!

Compared to mine, I believe the weight is accurate for the one you pictured.

 

[5030]

Believe it or not, I made almost an exact copy of the one in the picture years ago. I had a lot of ready mix left over from when I had the base poured for my 2 GSI grain bins so I had the concrete truck pour the excess mix in a wooden box I made up real quick that sat on a 3 point material mover. Works well but I don't use it anymore and it just sits by the barn now. Don't require the rear ballast as both my M9's have cast rear centers. Maybe I should list it on FB marketplace and sell it.

 

[MossRoad]

I made my concrete rear ballast with a metal frame that I set in wood forms and poured the concrete around it. It looks very similar to the one in your picture.

It's 24x24x33. The metal frame weighed 104 pounds. I used 25 sacks of 60-pound concrete for a total of 1,500 pounds. The total weight of mine is 1,604 pounds.

I put it on my 70hp Massey Ferguson 4707. The difference is night and day better when loading and carrying a fill bucket of dirt!!!!

Compared to mine, I believe the weight is accurate for the one you pictured.

View attachment 3373164

Somewhere I have a picture of myself wearing a big straw hat using a cement mixer as well.

 

[CPTKILLER]

Going back to my forklift manufacturing, virtually every “standard forklift” has a large cast counterweight on the back. It obviously works on forklifts everyday, it makes a lot of sense for some tractor applications.

We users have to guesstimate the amount of weight needed as a counterweight through trial and error. As an example, I often used my rotary mower or shredder as a makeshift counterweight. I removed it when I mounted other implements or the shredder made maneuvering difficult.

 

[D&D]

Going back to my forklift manufacturing, virtually every “standard forklift” has a large cast counterweight on the back. It obviously works on forklifts everyday, it makes a lot of sense for some tractor applications.

We users have to guesstimate the amount of weight needed as a counterweight through trial and error. As an example, I often used my rotary mower or shredder as a makeshift counterweight. I removed it when I mounted other implements or the shredder made maneuvering difficult.

Isnt that similar (not same numbers by far) for using wheel weights/loaded tires? The cast counterweight is aways there to prevent tipping. A "farm tractor" doesn't really have an ideal location to mount a cast weight from to counter the loader and not interfere with the pto.

 

[5030]

With the larger Kubota's at least, you can order cast centers when you order a tractor. Same applies to buckets. Kubota mounts a light duty material bucket standard, but you can order the optional heavy duty excavation bucket with a replaceable cutting edge or a welded on edge, your preference. I happen to own both styles and the 'Excavation' bucket is extremely more robust.

 

[EddieWalker]

Somewhere I have a picture of myself wearing a big straw hat using a cement mixer as well.

That was a good one. They last for a year, and then I have to buy a new one once it warms up again. Usually, they are under $10. If I'm outside, I have it on my head!!!

 

[bdhsfz6]

With the larger Kubota's at least, you can order cast centers when you order a tractor. Same applies to buckets. Kubota mounts a light duty material bucket standard, but you can order the optional heavy duty excavation bucket with a replaceable cutting edge or a welded on edge, your preference. I happen to own both styles and the 'Excavation' bucket is extremely more robust.

I own both types as well. The heavy duty bucket is indeed more robust. The only problem is, it weighs more, which lessens the lifting capacity of the FEL.

 

[MossRoad]

That was a good one. They last for a year, and then I have to buy a new one once it warms up again. Usually, they are under $10. If I'm outside, I have it on my head!!!

I've got 3-4 of them in varying condition... the oldest one gets worn in the pool!

 

[jmc]

For the same money, you could get a 3pt to SSQA adapter. I use one with an old FEL bucket. I just back into a pile of gravel and scoop up a bucketful when I need ballast. Also comes in handy for using other FEL implements on the 3pt hitch.

View attachment 3347926 View attachment 3347934

Pardon Our Interruption...

Also makes a great carry all with the right bucket:

View attachment 3347935

Plus left or right side tilt that you can't do with a loader mounted bucket.

Otherwise- are there lynch pin holes in the lower 3ph pins? Those would be a pain to drill at this point.