Ballast BX2200 Ballast

[Anonymous Poster]

Hello All,
I just took delivery of a BX2200 last Wednesday with loader grill guard and 60"MMM. I didn't think much about ballast until I started to read the owners manual. I went back to the dealer
Saturday with the intention of getting a rear blade. My dealers
impliment guy walked all over the lot with me showing me different rear blades he suggested a Landpride 0548 which does'nt provide much ballast, so I asked to see a ballast box. They had one that woud fit the BX .It measures 20x20x20.
Anyway to make a long story short here is the math for a ballast box filled with dry sand. A cubic inch of dry sand weighs .05787 lbs. X 8000 ( 20x20x20 )cu/in = 462 lbs that works out pretty nice to the capacity of a full loader. One last thing my lot is all hillside some of it steep so I went for safety over utilty.

 

[RoyJackson]

Are your tires loaded, dwb?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

My tires are not loaded. I figured I would be doing 80 percent mowing and 20 percent loader work and didnt want all that weight on all the time. I mowed with a JD GT225 prior to this it had wheel weights and AG tires, that thing would go just about anywhere. By the way I tried to register but never recieved a response with password.

 

[TresCrows]

When mowing on your "steep" hills be sure to remove the weight box and the FEL, the BX will be much more stable without them.
J

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thats my plan. Thanks!

 

[texblonigan]

Just curious, would some weight in the tires be helpful or harmfull for mowing? Just pondering whether or not to fill my tires on my new B7500 and then scrap the ballast box that is on order.

 

[wdn]

Some tire loading chemicals (for example calcium choride) will corrode the rims so be careful what you put in there. My dealer said don't do it because it will eat the rims over time. And if you get a flat or a slow leak it is everywhere. The weight itself may not be much of a problem if you have just the one set of wheels. I have two sets of rims: turf & bar tires that I swap over to turf tires in the spring. Those rear tires are pretty heavy & unwieldy just full of air. If they were filled with ballast, not sure I could handle it. Of course if you have just the one set of rims that would not be a consideration.

 

[TresCrows]

Neither tractor has loaded wheels. I was told by the dealer the calcium chloride would ruin my wheels. I suppose water and antifreeze would be OK.
Yes, I am told weighted wheels adds to stability but it would also compact my ground and add to wear and tear on the grass. I suppose it depends on your situation, if you need the extra safety factor of weighted wheels then it may be worthwhile, of course it adds to traction also.
J

 

[texblonigan]

That is the drawback--it will ruin your rims. I think most of the tire service dealers here in Minnesota put tubes into the tubeless tires and then fill the tubes with calcium chloride. Of course, if you puncture the tire, the tube is going to leak. There is always that risk. I'm torn.

 

[wichiwichi]

I have the R4's filled and can not tell much difference in harming the grass. I can tell a big difference in traction.