Ballast Codes for a "Naked" Tractor

[msmud]

pcclausen

This does seem odd for your tractor. You ought to be able to counterbalance the bushhog with weights if you can do it with a loader. The axle capacity is clearly high enough, but you would have to make sure your front tire pressures were high enough to support the axle load. I suspect the maximum BC of the attachments you can add is higher, since that tractor of yours is built like a tank.

It also depends on terrain. I can actually bushhog without any weights on flat terrain with the 6 foot hog on my small 3038e, but the moment I back down any incline there are problems.

As long as you know you are not exceeding axle and tire load, I think you are free to carefully experiment. If you have a cotton gin or weigh station nearby you can weigh the front end naked and loaded, and know for sure. That's one of the standard recs of the ag tire manuals.

 

[pclausen]

Each of my front tires is rated for 3240lbs @ 24 psi, so yeah, there should be no problem at all adding up to the max of 14 weights I would think.

I had a JD 4700 before my current tractor, and when running without the FEL, I too had issues with my 6' cutter and 90" finish mover without weights in the front on sloped terrain. My current tractor has no issues with the 90" finish cutter "naked" in any terrain. I'm pretty sure that won't be the case with the 9' cutter.

I'll try out the 9' cutter without the FEL to see how it feels, and then add weights as necessary until it feels stable and planted. Will likely take 8-10 weights to get there I think.

 

[BOC]

MSMUD

I am having a hard time understanding my manual and how the math is done. I do understand the concept though as it makes perfect sense.

When I go to my manual (JD3038e just like yours), in the ballast section I see that my tractor with the loader has a code of 52 (yes I do use the imatch). Beyond this, none of the three tables in the owners manual make any sense to me partly because this code of 52 is not listed in anywhere. To complicate matters, in the operators manual for my Frontier RC2060 bush hog and my 1157 tiller, I cannot find any ballast code listed for either implement. Can you possibly dumb it down for me and steer me in the right direction. I know you said with this bush hog and a loader/bucket attached I do not need any additional weights up front; however, I just want to understand and make sense of it myself.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[msmud]

BOC,
This issue is unnecessarily confusing though Deere tried to help with its code system. If you look at the 3x20 series tractor manuals, you see that for nonimatch loads you add about 3 units to the code of an attachment that a given set of weights can balance, because a given set of weights up front can balance a bigger rear load if it is held "closer in" to the tractor, as is true without imatch. Since no nonimatch table is given for the e series tractors, I will use this added factor. Your loader gives you the ability to balance a rear attachment of BC52 with imatch, about 54 - 55 without. If you look up the bushhog manual of the one most equivalent to the RC2060, the old Deere LX5, you see that it has a BC of 39, easily balanced by your loader. In fact the LX6 unit with BC of 55 would be balanced. So if you look at the tables your loader gives you the equivalent of about 8-70# weights on the front end if you use imatch, about 9 weights worth if you don't.

I have worked out a simple algebra system for shorter loads like boxblades and tillers to see what the maximum load might be for them. I can share that if you want but I don't want to overcomplicate this. Just as a common sense rule, if your loader allows you to balance a LX6 load (about 680# or so)with center of mass about 6 - 6.5 feet from the rear axle, then you should be able to balance anything with a center of mass closer than 6 feet to the rear axle (box blades/tillers etc) with the same or lower attachment weight.

 

[burnieman]

REALLY!

 

[msmud]

I offer this FWIW to 3032e/3038e owners because the Deere manual gives such limited guidance even with the Ballast codes. With the 305 loader and empty bucket attached, the maximum boxblade that I calculate can be counterbalanced is around 975 pounds (close to the Woods 5.5' HD2465HB, though the 3038e may be marginal for power); the maximum disk around 850 (something like the Woods DHM6); the heaviest 5 foot bushhog around 725 pounds (a little light for the Deere MX5 but close to other manufacturers medium duty models like Woods BB60X/Bushhog SQ160/possibly Bushhog 285); the heaviest 6 foot bushhog around 620#, like my RC2072 with chains removed, or Woods HC72. The above is for attachment without imatch.