Ballast Front Ballast for Rotary Cutter

[mike57]

Does anyone know how much front weight should be used to ballast a rotary cutter? I have a 3320 Cab model and a Frontier RC1076 Cutter. The manual says it weighs about 750 lbs. and I have it on a Imatch. The local dealer hasn't a clue how much weight to use. I think that they are more used to selling lawn mowers than tractors. The JD manual talks about checking the "implement code" to determine how much ballast to use, but again the dealer hadn't heard of this. They even supposedly called JD, and they were of no help. I can't believe that JD talks about an "implement code" and then doesn't utilize it with their implements! I could go on, but all I really would like at this point is how much weight to use on the front. Thanks in advance.
Mike57

 

[UpstateNYMarine]

I couldn't answer specifically for your mower and tractor setup. But I have a 2320 and use the Frontier RC1060 behind it. I just keep the front loader attached and don't have any problems. The only issue is when I have it lifted in transport mode and if the ground is real uneven. You get a little "tail wagging the dog" effect. I just take it slow and careful and no problems. You can just scoop up some dirt or rocks for a little extra weight. Hope this helps.

 

[mnbowhunter1960]

Mike, I too do not use any front ballast except keeping the loader on which I use to knock brush down in front of me and I also keep the loader 6" off the ground to find stumps and rocks hidden before I run up on them, I am using a MX-5 on my 3320 and Imatch I think the MX-5 is close to 900 lbs with the chain guards. MH

 

[RobS]

My tractor and cutter are smaller than yours so I can't help specifically but I ran into the same issue with the implement codes. Seems like a cool idea but no one knows where to get the info.

Like the others, I use my FEL most of the time but for the longer mowing sessions it is nice to shed the loader. I use five 40 pound weights without the loader. Why? Because that's how many fit on the factory weight bracket! You might start there, with however many fit and see how it feels. If it's too light you can get weight bracket extensions to hold more.

Enjoy your "unloader-ed" mowing!

 

[jbrumberg]

mike57:

Welcome to TBN ! Your question is function of "feel". If you feel that your front end is light put some weight in the FEL if you have one. I recently put a couple (8) of cinder blocks in the FEL when I started to expand the boundaries of my lower sloped field while rotary cutting. I will admit that the blocks were in the FEL only to move them but with my laziness they stayed. It did improve the "balance" while I was cutting. Jay

 

[RoyJackson]

If you have a FEL, leave it on...it's good for knocking down brush anyway. If your brush cutting is in tall stuff, having that loader really helps from running over things your cutter may not digest well.
If you don't have a loader, have you tried transporting your cutter yet? If your land is fairly flat and you use some common sense when transporting, you may not even need front ballast.
And, if all else fails, you can loosen or disconnect the upper link and tow your cutter. I normally do this, but I'll only be moving it a few hundred yards at most.

If you really want to add front ballast, start at about 200#. I doubt you'll need more then that. Since the weights for my 790 go about 42#, I'll assume yours would too. Pick up 5 of them (plus the kit). That's a little less then 200#, but should be close enough without breaking the bank.

 

[RollTideRam]

I have a lx5 that I use with my 3320. I cut a 5 acre lot in town and have to leave my loader at home. I have 4 jd weights on my box blade that I want to add to my tractor next time I mow. I may pick up a fifth weight and the kit to hold them in place. The only issue I'm having without the loader on is turning. I can't turn tight enough without slowing way down. The front tires just don't have enough weight on them. If I had a bigger trailer where the tractor and loader and my x495 would all fit, I would keep the loader on and just leave the bucket at home. This setup worked fine when I had the 2520 and lx5. JC

 

[timb]

Mike - I am amazed that neither your dealer nor whomever they contacted at Deere was familiar with Deere's 'implement code' spec. That's a bit scary.

It appears that they may have 'dumbed down' the owner's manuals on newer models as well - this information was clearly posted in both my tractor and implement manual. In my case (Deere 4710) there was a chart listing the recommended front weight for a given implement code - actully four values depending on whether or not you had MFWD and whether or not your were using an I-Match system. (If I remember right my MX6 rotary cutter is an "82" - and with MFWD but without an I-Match my owner's manual chart lines that up with 700 lbs of front weight.)

On a practical note since I don't have 700lb of front weight I just use my loader (with bucket) for now.

 

[Mr. Green]

I own a 3320 and without the loader on I place 5(all the bracket will hold) 70 lb. weights on the front when using the Imatch w/JD mowing deck. I have had no issues of any kind and have a very steep hill to transport the mower to the lower meadows and back.



Mr. G.

 

[mike57]

Thanks for the welcome! I've been a lurker for awhile, but being a newbie to tractors, I didn't have anything intelligent to add for the guys asking questions. Even today, I was on the phone with the JD dealer asking if he found anything more about the "implement code" and where to find this code. He says he's going to ask some higher-ups in JD to find out. Where do you find the "implement code?" Is it in the implement manual? I've looked through the whole implement manual, and haven't found anything. I've asked about the 70# suitcase weights, and was told that they won't fit on the 3320. Now I hear that they will fit!

My problem is that I also have the front quick hitch for the JD front snowblower, and the way the front hydraulic quick-hitch attaches onto the front weight bracket, you can't attach the 5 weights anymore. You probably can only get three weights on it. So what I thought would be a neat idea is to make a front ballast box that uses the front quick hitch to attach it to the tractor. And that is my problem...how much weight is recommended so I know how big the ballast box needs to be made. If this all doesn't make sense, I could take some photos to make it more clear.

I've already tried brush-hogging with and without the FEL attached, just to see what it feels like. On level ground, there is no problem with the front feeling light without the FEL attached. But on any incline, it does get loose when trying to turn. So it does need some weight. I'll let you know if I find anything more out from the dealer, but I'm not holding my breath!
Mike57