BX1500 and rear ballast

[Hawken54]

They now have me wondering about rear ballast on the BX1500. I made a platform for my 3 pt hitch out of an old potato plow frame and some angle iron. I am going to bolt in pieces of 2x6 between the angle iron and also use it as a platform for a sprayer. I am going to use 80 lb bags of concrete for ballast weight.
Now I went looking in the manual about ballast and the only thing Kubota mentions is liquid in the rear tires. I figure that using weight on the 3 point is no different than attaching a tiller for the weight, but not a word about recommended weight in the manual. The ballast is for use with the FEL. Any other 1500 owners out there? How much weight do you use when doing FEL work?

 

[gwdixon]

Lots of information on this site - do a search.

Your manual lists the capacity of the 3 PH so approaching that with ballast will be fine.

It also depends on what you intend to lift with the FEL and the type of terrain that will be traveled.

What your photo shows should be sufficient for most jobs with a tractor that size. Having it farther away from the tractor on the fork frame increases the efficiency of the ballast as you have done.

 

[DiezNutz]

They now have me wondering about rear ballast on the BX1500....

They? ...

Now I went looking in the manual about ballast and the only thing Kubota mentions is liquid in the rear tires...

OK check your manual for the section regarding rear implements... it should have a maximum recommended implement weight. You can use this as a guideline for how much rear ballast to add.

You'll note that this spec will be considerably less than your 3PH lift capacity. The difference is because the implement weight assumes the load will be hanging back there bouncing around as you're working/transporting it (dynamic load) and is purposely conservative to avoid overstressing the 3PH.

So the more you exceed the rear implement spec, the more mindful you'll have to be about this... i.e., move slowly over rough terrain, etc.

Btw,
:welcome:

 

[Hawken54]

Thanks for the quick replies.. "They" are Kubota.. I was just scratching my head because they mention nothing at all about weight on the hitch in the section on ballast. Very complete directions and specs for filling tires though. The specs mention 1210 lbs as the maximum lifting weight for the 3 pt, so I guess I will just load it up with 3 to 4 hundred pounds, tighten the turnbuckles and quit worrying about it

 

[Grandad4]

Here's an idea... don't know if it would work with your "potato plow" setup or not. I bought a "carry all" whose forks would allow a standard pallet to slide on. Then I rigged up several different pallets for different applications... one as a flat platform, one to carry a sprayer setup, etc. That way they are easily interchanged without having to unload each time.

The angle iron looks somewhat larger than what is on my carry-all, so it might not slide into a standard pallet, but just thought I'd pass the idea along.

 

[Hawken54]

That is a great idea, but I was going for dirt cheap! The old potato plow was a freebie from my wifes grandfather. Angle iron was laying around. A few welds and I had a free platform. It would be nice to be able to move pallets though.

 

[Tom_H]

That is a great idea, but I was going for dirt cheap! The old potato plow was a freebie from my wifes grandfather. Angle iron was laying around. A few welds and I had a free platform. It would be nice to be able to move pallets though.

Check Northern Tool. I have seen carry alls there for as little as $79. These are light duty, which is appropriate for a BX1500.

 

[gwdixon]

Check Northern Tool. I have seen carry alls there for as little as $79. These are light duty, which is appropriate for a BX1500.

TSC has them for $99 not on sale. That would save shipping.

CountyLine Carry All - 2128210 | Tractor Supply Company

 

[radioman]

I posted a thread on adding rimgaurd "liquid ballast" to my BX. IMHO its alot better then having rear implement as ballast. If for any reason you need more rear weight, just add your potato plow frame on :thumbsup: .

With liquid ballast, I'd would just fill to max of 75% of tire size and be done with it. You will always have the extra weight when its needed.

 

[bw12]

I also own a BX1500, and after just repairing the front axle pivot (oil leak), I recommend weight behind the rear axle rather than wheel weights or filled rear tires. Weight behind the rear axle reduces the load on the front axle when using the loader. This extends the life of the front axle pivot. Adding weight to the rear wheels does not reduce the load on the front axle.

 

[EE_Bota]

I also own a BX1500, and after just repairing the front axle pivot (oil leak), I recommend weight behind the rear axle rather than wheel weights or filled rear tires. Weight behind the rear axle reduces the load on the front axle when using the loader. This extends the life of the front axle pivot. Adding weight to the rear wheels does not reduce the load on the front axle.

I suggest both.

I like filled rears for general work and carrying an empty FEL around, but for real FEL work, I throw on rear ballast. Currently, I am using a pallet with concrete blocks on it which I carry around with the carry all. This is not nearly as slick as a dedicated ballast because of the overhang, but it is convenient in some ways as well because I can pick the pallet up from two different ends. One end will be lighter ballast because the blocks will be close to the tractor, and the other end will be heavy ballast because the blocks are at the end of the carry all forks.

I originally bought the carry all as the base for my PTO generator setup, so I try to press it into other service as often as possible.

 

[Hawken54]

That was my thinking also. The weight riding a bit out behind gives you that "See-Saw" effect and takes weight off of the front axle. I am going to look into the carryall at TSC.

 

[Tom_H]

I posted a thread on adding rimgaurd "liquid ballast" to my BX. IMHO its alot better then having rear implement as ballast. If for any reason you need more rear weight, just add your potato plow frame on :thumbsup: .

With liquid ballast, I'd would just fill to max of 75% of tire size and be done with it. You will always have the extra weight when its needed.

From my POV, I would not want that extra ballast permanently on the tractor. When I mow, I prefer the tractor to be as light as possible. One cannot just take the liquid ballast out of the tires, mow, then put it back in. I want ballast that I can quickly add to the tractor, then quickly remove from the tractor, depending upon the task for which the tractor is to be used. I bought 22 25# and 2 50# barbell weights for $125 on Craigslist and am having a quick on/off ballast rack fashioned for the tractor. I modified my subsoiler so that weights can be stacked quickly on the top of it when ripping dry clay or hardpan.

 

[funwithahoe]

I am such a dedicated 'Bota user I was willing to gain weight rather than apply extra ballast:laughing:

 

[helvit]

I hooked up a used Kubota ballast box for my 1500 a couple of weeks ago. The sticker on it says "BX add 300 lbs". Lifting the box into my vehicle, I figure it at about 75-100 lbs. So 300-400 is on target. Worked pretty good yesterday....

 

[General Lee]

See this thread for a pic of the box I built from a Tractor Supply carry all frame. 3 sides are removeable so I can just use the platform if need be. Or throw on anything for rear ballast weight.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/164411-my-carry-all-wood-hauler.html

 

[radioman]

From my POV, I would not want that extra ballast permanently on the tractor. When I mow, I prefer the tractor to be as light as possible. One cannot just take the liquid ballast out of the tires, mow, then put it back in. I want ballast that I can quickly add to the tractor, then quickly remove from the tractor, depending upon the task for which the tractor is to be used. I bought 22 25# and 2 50# barbell weights for $125 on Craigslist and am having a quick on/off ballast rack fashioned for the tractor. I modified my subsoiler so that weights can be stacked quickly on the top of it when ripping dry clay or hardpan.

good POV! just like life, your mileage may vary. I prefer extra weight all the time, even when mowing.

 

[Tom_H]

good POV! just like life, your mileage may vary. I prefer extra weight all the time, even when mowing.

Absolutely, if we were all the same, life would be very dull. I have this one spot in the lawn that I just can't keep the sprinklers from over-watering. The clay beneath the turf turns into the consistency of silicone caulk (it will flow under pressure). The BX can usually cut there without squishing out too much "dough". If I happen to have any extra weight on the BX, however, it's like stepping on a tube of toothpaste with the cap off.