Ballast weight

PEJ5 · Jul 23, 2019

Kioti owners:

I have a DK5010HS with a KL5510 loader (2600 lb lift cap.). I have pallet forks, oh, and loaded tires (880 lbs). I am without an owners manual that may describe proper ballast amounts.

I need to move logs, large rocks, and gravel on a 10% to 15% grade in amongst a heavily treed property. I have built a steel structure and forms for a 3pt ballast and have to decide how much concrete. My original design was 1200 lbs, but I can easily go to 1500 lbs. I want to pour this week if possible.

What do you recommend - 1200, 1500, or some other amount?

Thanks all.

Peter

justman777 · Jul 23, 2019

If your soil will support it, I'd go with 1500 lbs or more and fill the rear tires. I have around 1100 lbs of ballast and partially loaded rears and the rear still gets light really quick. I could load up the tires, but I'm in very, very sandy soil and loaded tires would cause a LOT of ruts and sink right in.

JimR · Jul 23, 2019

Go high to help even out the front weight when carrying that kind of weight in the front loader.

jeff9366 · Jul 24, 2019

Go low to maintain the lowest center-of-gravity possible, minimizing risk of a tractor rollover with max FEL load occasionally lifted above 50% of height potential.

oosik · Jul 24, 2019

Peter - due to liability issues, I doubt ANY Owners manual will give suggested 3-point ballast weight recommendations. However - I would start with 1200 pounds. The design of your 3-point steel structure should keep the weight as low as possible( jeff9366 ). If you find that more is needed - it can always be added later.

justman777 · Jul 24, 2019

By "low", I'm presuming most folks mean "low to the ground" vs. high off the ground. A higher weight situated closer (lower) to the ground would be ideal. Of course, if you go to low to the ground, you limit your ground clearance. Have to figure out what works best for you and your terrain.

PEJ5 · Jul 25, 2019

Thanks for all the advice. I decided to go for a 30" tall block notched out for the top link. The concrete should weigh 1200+ and the steel is about 75. As suggested, I can always add a layer at the back. The forms are at the concrete ready-mix facility for a fill up. I'll add pictures when it is done.

Peter

justman777 · Jul 25, 2019

Great idea getting it filled at the ready-mix place. I got tired real quick of mixing all those bags of concrete.

Rebeldad1 · Jul 26, 2019

So whats the working capacity of weight for the front axle? They can break as well.

justman777 · Jul 26, 2019

Rebeldad1 said:
So whats the working capacity of weight for the front axle? They can break as well.

Not sure, but i think it may be posted on the Kioti corporate site. They have all the specs there for the different series of machines.

PEJ5 · Jul 29, 2019

Success. The ready-mix concrete place filled my forms with concrete. The forms worked and the ballast is attached! Again, thanks for the advice.

A few observations... Concrete truck drivers obviously do not carry a trowel so the top is quite rough - oh well. The ballast was build on a pallet, that was loaded on my trailer. It was quite far forward when I attempted to lift it with the tractor forks. The rear tires came off the ground - I need a ballast

. I had to drag the pallet to the rear of the trailer and hope the hitch did not pop off. I then tried again with the forks and was able to raise it a few inches. My wife quickly pulled the vehicle and trailer ahead and I set the ballast down without moving. Then I turned around and hooked up the 3 point hitch.
The tractor really settles when I raise the ballast and it certainly feels all the more stable. The garage door clearance increased an inch or more - go figure! There are still two 1x4 boards in the bottom. The plan is to remove them and replace them with 2x4's as pads to protect the garage floor. The pipe drains line up with them as well. There is a small conduit to run trailer lights to the inset section in the back - another day. Painting is another project.

As for the project, it took much more time than I anticipated. I used 3/8" angle iron and it was a pain to drill holes through it. A drill press would have helped there.

I should be more stable as I head down our hill for the first time. Any final advice??