Ballast Ballast Location Effect on Tractor

[2fast916]

Quick question I can't seem to get seem to get a unanimous answer on locally...

I have a ballast box of sorts attached to my Kubota BX25's 3-pt hitch. What effect does the ballast box have on the tractor when the 3-point hitch is in the lowest position vs the highest position? My personal opinion is when the ballast is in the lowest position it offers a greator lever arm and lightens the front end while offering a lower c.g. When in the highest position, it has a shorter lever arm and doesn't counter balance the front end as much and has a higher c.g. Does this sound right?

What effect does up and down have on weight added to the rear wheels?

Probably should have mentioned this in the beginning but, I'm pushing snow with this set-up and am trying to find the best position to add overall weight to the tractor without reducing the weight on the front tires (so I don't lose steering traction). BTW...the plow is currently mounted to the tractors frame and the loader is off. In the future, I plan on fabricating a system so I can leave the loader on and mount the plow to it....which I feel would help add weight to the front end and give me freedom to pile snow higher.

Any and all advice is 100% appreciated!!!!!

 

[tman1020]

Most Any time weight is added the lower the better. This has more to do with stability than traction. I doubt there is much difference in traction hi or low.

 

[whistlepig]

I'm not an expert but this is what little I know. Raising the ballast box will make your COG higher. A little like running around with the loader bucket all the way up. As the ballast box is raised the three point's arc will case it to move closer to the front of the tractor as it is raised. This would somewhat reduce the weight from the rear wheels but I cannot see this being a significant amount.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

If you don't have tire chains, the amount of weight is almost not relevant . If your Main concern is steering, putting the plow on a loader WILL make things worse.

 

[2fast916]

Thank you all for your replies! Gonna stick to running it low...


RedNeckRacin,

Why do you say putting the plow on a loaded WILL make it worse?

If you don't have tire chains, the amount of weight is almost not relevant . If your Main concern is steering, putting the plow on a loader WILL make things worse.

 

[GManBart]

If you don't have tire chains, the amount of weight is almost not relevant .

I don't believe that for one second. The R1s aren't loaded on my Massey, but I have a 1,400lb counterweight. Last year when we got tons of snow I needed to pull my neighbor's tractor from deep snow (he was stuck trying to pull a huge downed tree). Without 3pt ballast all I did was spin the rear tires. I put my 1,400lb counterweight on, and pulling him out was no problem...no other change. I'm sure chains would have helped, but I don't think they would have made as much difference as the counterweight did. You need weight to get the chains to bite through the packed snow and ice.

 

[GManBart]

Quick question I can't seem to get seem to get a unanimous answer on locally...

I have a ballast box of sorts attached to my Kubota BX25's 3-pt hitch. What effect does the ballast box have on the tractor when the 3-point hitch is in the lowest position vs the highest position? My personal opinion is when the ballast is in the lowest position it offers a greator lever arm and lightens the front end while offering a lower c.g. When in the highest position, it has a shorter lever arm and doesn't counter balance the front end as much and has a higher c.g. Does this sound right?

What effect does up and down have on weight added to the rear wheels?

Probably should have mentioned this in the beginning but, I'm pushing snow with this set-up and am trying to find the best position to add overall weight to the tractor without reducing the weight on the front tires (so I don't lose steering traction). BTW...the plow is currently mounted to the tractors frame and the loader is off. In the future, I plan on fabricating a system so I can leave the loader on and mount the plow to it....which I feel would help add weight to the front end and give me freedom to pile snow higher.

Any and all advice is 100% appreciated!!!!!

I think you have the geometry figured out properly, so that's a good start.

The 3pt weight will give you good rear traction, so now it's a matter of adding weight to the front for steering. I wouldn't add weight to the tires because you're not going to want that when you reverse things in the Spring. I'd see if you could fashion some weights that bolt up to the FEL mounting holes, or to the front bumper....just a couple hundred pounds should make a big difference, and would be easily removed.

 

[2fast916]

I think you have the geometry figured out properly, so that's a good start.

The 3pt weight will give you good rear traction, so now it's a matter of adding weight to the front for steering. I wouldn't add weight to the tires because you're not going to want that when you reverse things in the Spring. I'd see if you could fashion some weights that bolt up to the FEL mounting holes, or to the front bumper....just a couple hundred pounds should make a big difference, and would be easily removed.

I've actually contemplated adding weight to the front. The only reason I haven't tested is because my plow mounts to the front of the frame and makes adding a hanging weight not possible. I will need to come up with some other method...

Anyone comment on putting the plow on my loader (ie fabed to install on its own without the bucket...not some bolt / chain on bucket deal)?

 

[Jerry/MT]

Quick question I can't seem to get seem to get a unanimous answer on locally...

I have a ballast box of sorts attached to my Kubota BX25's 3-pt hitch. What effect does the ballast box have on the tractor when the 3-point hitch is in the lowest position vs the highest position? My personal opinion is when the ballast is in the lowest position it offers a greator lever arm and lightens the front end while offering a lower c.g. When in the highest position, it has a shorter lever arm and doesn't counter balance the front end as much and has a higher c.g. Does this sound right?

What effect does up and down have on weight added to the rear wheels?

Probably should have mentioned this in the beginning but, I'm pushing snow with this set-up and am trying to find the best position to add overall weight to the tractor without reducing the weight on the front tires (so I don't lose steering traction). BTW...the plow is currently mounted to the tractors frame and the loader is off. In the future, I plan on fabricating a system so I can leave the loader on and mount the plow to it....which I feel would help add weight to the front end and give me freedom to pile snow higher.

Any and all advice is 100% appreciated!!!!!

Raising or lowering the 3 pt with the weight on it will effect the front to rear weight distribution as well as the CG of the tractor as you described. The higher position will increase the weight on the front end if the weight moves forward because the cg moves forward as well as vertically up. So you gain steering capability at the expense of lateral stability, which is important on slopes. How much depends on the weight of the tractor and the ballast weight and the changes in forward and vertical locations in the combined cg of the weight plus the tractor. Tractors can be tippy on side hills so always traverse with the weight in the lowest position

 

[oosik]

Weight on the 3-point hitch will help by putting more weight on the rear tires and increasing traction. Raising or lowering the weight on the 3-point hitch will do very little to nothing regarding increasing/decreasing traction or weight on the rear tires. Raising the weight on the 3-point hitch will decrease the overall stability of the tractor.

Add the ballast box to the 3-point hitch and keep it low. If steering becomes a problem you might have to add weight to the front end also.