Ballast Box Build

[mdelmarcelle]

Just finished the box form I'll used to create a ballast weight for my Kubota M7040SUD. The box will weigh about 1900 to 2000 pounds when done. I'll post more pics of it being filled and with the form off once done.

Since it will just be a concrete block with no supporting box, I bought the crack resistant concrete. It supposedly contains some sort of fiber material to help resist cracks. I'll also put various metal reinforcements in before pouring the concrete.

 

[Perplexed]

Interesting! I've been pondering the choice between buying a factory-made BB and making my own, though it'd be a lot smaller than yours (800 lb or so). Your pics are a great help, especially the ones of the interior with the attachment points in place. Have you figured out how much you've put into this BB form, and how much were the sacks of concrete?

 

[Deere Dude]

Interesting! I've been pondering the choice between buying a factory-made BB and making my own, though it'd be a lot smaller than yours (800 lb or so). Your pics are a great help, especially the ones of the interior with the attachment points in place. Have you figured out how much you've put into this BB form, and how much were the sacks of concrete?

What are the inside dimensions of that thing. It looks nice so far.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

Interesting! I've been pondering the choice between buying a factory-made BB and making my own, though it'd be a lot smaller than yours (800 lb or so). Your pics are a great help, especially the ones of the interior with the attachment points in place. Have you figured out how much you've put into this BB form, and how much were the sacks of concrete?

I had most of the wood laying around, so I haven't spent much on that. The concrete cost just under $5 an 80lb bag (24 bags). That's for the crack resistant kind. The regular concrete doesn't cost that much. If I were building a smaller block, I might consider the regular concrete. But, if you were to buy an actual ballast box and then fill it with concrete, the box itself would cost more than the amount I spent on concrete. I considered going the route of using some form of implement as ballast weight, but I don't have anything that weighs 2000lbs, and implements that heavy are expensive.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

What are the inside dimensions of that thing. It looks nice so far.

The main rectangular part is 3 feet wide by 17 inches deep and it'll be 32 inches high. The front entension holding the connection point is about 2 feet wide and inches deep. All told, it's just under 14 cubic feet.

 

[Lt220]

Great idea....I just finished building a ballast box for my JD 3032E. I made a frame out of 2" angle iron that will hold 14- 4" x 8" x 16" solid concrete blocks. With the weight of the box and blocks that gave me 400 lbs of ballast. The box slides into a 2 inch reciever hitch. I built a hitch for the front of my tractor. I can use the ballast box in the front or in the rear. I can also add more weight if needed. Definently cheaper than suitcase weights or factory box.......Let us know how the concrete works out.

 

[crazyal]

One of the local cement factories would fill that form for cheap around here. You could beld up and weld some rebar to that steel that would help reinforce it.

 

[mjncad]

That's going to be a manly ballast-box, and I don't envy you mixing and pouring (24) 80# sacks of concrete. I hope you have a mixer, available to make your life easier.

 

[JoeBiscuit]

MD,

I'd make sure to verify the top link pin could fit a hook for a quick hitch someday. I think the biggest concern is that you have clear distance under the pin to fit a QH hook.

Even if you don't have a QH there may come a day when you do. Maybe just a piece of blocking between the angle iron risers on the top link pin would make sure you have enough clear space to lift it up with a QH.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

Poured the concrete today. I did use a concrete mixer. And it was still a lot of work. :shocked: Moving 24 bags of concrete (80lbs) is a lot of work. I put all sorts of reinforcement in it, more than what I show in the pics. Hopefully it holds together once it's all set up.

I'm curious to see how the tractor handles the additional weight. It'll weigh in at about 2000lbs once she's done. The tractor is rated at 3310lbs 24 inches out and 4200 at the lift points. So, I'm thinking it should handle this pretty easily and not cause too much stress on the tractor.

BTW, does anyone know? Does concrete weigh more after it's cured than the amount the bags of concrete weighed (the bags total 1920 lbs). I imagine the concrete retains a bit of water weight.

 

[crazyal]

24 bags to a mixed on top of pallets so you could dump it in, wow. I don't know about you but I would be feeling that in the morning. I'm not sure exactly what the weight will be, but you really don't add much water per bag, a few pounds worth so it really isn't going to make much of a difference one way or the other.

 

[mjncad]

Concrete is approximately 150-pounds per cubic foot.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Looks real good, with all the talk lately about ballast boxes, I have started working on one my self. I always missed having the backhoe on when doing loader work. I always use some type of implement but it's just not the same, and seems they are always in the way.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

Looks real good, with all the talk lately about ballast boxes, I have started working on one my self. I always missed having the backhoe on when doing loader work. I always use some type of implement but it's just not the same, and seems they are always in the way.

Yeah, I just don't have an implement that weighs 2000lbs. If I did, I would consider using it.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

Here are some pics with the form removed. This weekend will be two weeks since it was poured. It hardened up nicely, despite the very cold weather we've had since the pour (30s and 40s). I'm tempted to try lifting it with the tractor this weekend.

If I had to do this again, I think I'd line the form with plastic. To prevent the prune appearance that others have spoke of in other threads, I'd line each face of the form with plastic, pulled tight before assembling the form. I believe this would result in a very smooth appearance. As I did it, I believe the wood pulled some moisture from the surface and resulted in some areas of the surface not curing as well. I may get a back of concrete to smooth off some of the spots that didn't cure as well. I have no idea why I'm compelled to do that since this is just a block used for weight. :confused2:

 

[jatt1]

U will soon get plenty of dings in it.

""One of the local cement factories would fill that form for cheap around here. You could beld up and weld some rebar to that steel that would help reinforce it.""

That is definetely a goer, even if its reject, hey its only a counter weight. As long as it will hold together reasonably well. Heard of a local place around here that makes em into blocks for barrackades etc.. out of excess and reject stuff. Might pop in one day with my formwork etc set up and do just that.

 

[mjncad]

Did you coat your form with motor oil before pouring the concrete? That would have made it easier to separate the plywood from the concrete. We did that with some poured concrete here and it worked great.

We used new motor oil by the way.

 

[jatt1]

After seeing diesel being used in the same manner I used it once myself, results seemed good enuf for the job.

 

[mdelmarcelle]

Hooked her up today and wow what a difference. The extra weight takes the back end down an inch or two when the block is raised. And it feels much more planted when using the loader. There were no signs of cracking or stress on the block when lifting it either. I did get a bag of rapid set, high strength cement that's designed for resurfacing, so I'll be able to make the surface of the block nice and smooth (why I care about this, I have no idea).

 

[Rancher Ed]

Very nice. I have been wanting to do something like that for our M7040 and it sounds like I should hurry up and do it. Should work well. :thumbsup: