Counterweight "weight"

[PatMcD]

I have an opportunity to trade into a concrete counterweight. Owner says it's roughly 1200lbs. Is that too much or too little for a 55hp tractor?

 

[k0ua]

I have an opportunity to trade into a concrete counterweight. Owner says it's roughly 1200lbs. Is that too much or too little for a 55hp tractor?

Sounds about right for that LS 5030

 

[George2615]

I would agree, My rear ballast (cement in a barrel) weighs about 900 lb. I used it on my previous 26 HP tractor and my current 36.5 HP tractor. I guess it all depends on how much you are trying to lift with the loader whether 1200 lb. is enough or not.

 

[PatMcD]

My tires aren't loaded. I had only my 6' rake on the back, and when I get a full load of gravel in the bucket, she's real light on the rear tires.

 

[George2615]

Your rake is probably only about 300-400 lb. Hanging 1200 lb. would be a lot different.

 

[k0ua]

My tires aren't loaded. I had only my 6' rake on the back, and when I get a full load of gravel in the bucket, she's real light on the rear tires.

You can load the tires too, so when you are using your rake or a boxblade, you will still have some weight for traction to pull those devices. It will also help for side hill stability. Remember the weight in the tires does not rest on the axle, just the ground.

 

[Code54]

I have loaded tires on my 50hp and am currently building a counterweight in the neighborhood of 1200-1300lbs. Hooked it up on Sunday and the tractor handled it just fine while testing all the geometry.

 

[Fallon]

I'd say you want a minimum of 50% of your loader capacity on the back, up to 100% especially without loaded rears.

My 32hp L3200 will lift a little over 1000lbs on the loader, so you should be on the right ballpark with 20 more hp.

My 600lbs box blade was barely enough before I got my tires loaded. Went to pick up a pallet of bricks & it got odd. Went to steer & the front tires didn't move, the back would slide side to side.

 

[TripleR]

Agreed, it's not too much and would still not let you get the full benefits from your tractor, I had 1200 on the 3PH and loaded tires on my L5030. I have 1200 on the 3PH, loaded tires and 400 pounds of wheel weights on my L5740.

 

[RG1]

IME, a good rule of thumb is that the 3 pt ballast should be roughly equal to the weight of the loader/bucket itself just to start, and go up from there according to what you are lifting and how often.

 

[PatMcD]

I'm trying to avoid loading the tires just so I can avoid doing too much rut damage to the fields when they are soft in the Spring.
My loader capacity is listed at 2900lbs, so this counterweight will be less than half. I don't know; we'll see how it works out. If I have to load the tires, so be it.

 

[RG1]

In my post above, I didn't mean that the 3 pt weight should be equal to the loader's lift capacity. It should be equal (just for starters) to what the manual says the loader weighs when parked off the machine.

 

[olllotj]

A 50 horse tractor will rut a soft field loaded or not. Personally, I have a bigger issue with my unloaded front tires rutting than my loaded rears.

 

[GManBart]

The counterweight for my R4047H is right around 1,400lbs (started as a block of steel that weighed exactly 1,300lbs) and it's not too much. I can max the loader (unloaded tires) to the point the relief valve opens, and it still won't lift the rear tires.

I think you'd be fine with 1,200lbs.