HOW MUCH COUNTER WEIGHT DO I NEED?

Brimfield · Sep 26, 2015

I was out today moving some green split red oak today with my Kubota L3800. I had the bright idea or so I thought of putting it on skids with skids for the sides and back for portable firewood storage. I went to lift a skid and it would not lift it and the rear tires were coming up. I went with a half skid and I was moving it when I noticed the rear tire was coming up. I should add that I have rim guard in the back tires and that I have clamp on forks. Right now I have the tractor only, no back hoe or snow blower. Is the snow blower enough counter weight or what? Never had any idea wood was so heavy.

vtsnowedin · Sep 26, 2015

Ayup! green wood is about two ton to the cord and is not to be taken lightly. Your backhoe on the back should be enough but most other implements that you might name do not weigh enough. A ballast block or box that weighs about 80 percent of what your three point hitch can lift lets you max out what you can lift safely with the loader. The owners manual for your loader should have the figures you need.

BoylermanCT · Sep 26, 2015

I stack my firewood on pallets, but since it is so heavy, I don't fill them up as full as possible. I put about 1/3 cord per pallet. As Vtsnowedin said, unseasoned hardwood firewood weighs about 4000 lbs per cord. So 1/3 cord is 1300 lbs or so. My Montana 2844 can lift 2400 lbs to 5' high, but I also need to keep the rear end on the ground. I currently use my rototiller as weight. It weighs 600 lbs. I'm currently looking for a used ballast box that will weigh 750 lbs or so. I don't like dragging around an expensive attachment that might get damaged if I back into something by accident.

RoyJackson · Sep 26, 2015

I'd be a bit leery of lifting that much weight with clamp on forks, even with adequate rear ballast.
Two reasons:
You're putting that weight way out front of your tractor...more stress on the front axle and loader (make sure your front tires are inflated to the maximum!)
Clamp on forks means your bucket is now part of the load rather then part of the tool. Also, might bend your bucket...

4570Man · Sep 26, 2015

Wood is pretty heavy and to make things worse the load it a LONG way from the bucket pins. Your loader lifts about 1200 pounds, but considerably less that far forward. I would want 1,000 pounds of ballast plus the loaded tires, but that's overkill.

k0ua · Sep 26, 2015

You need at least 750 lbs on the 3pt, depending how far it sticks out the back.. Might get by with a little less using a long rotary cutter. but 750 lbs in the form of a close coupled ballast would be about a minimum.. More would not hurt. Your loaded tires are helping, but it is not enough on their own, as you have found out.

s219 · Sep 26, 2015

Yeah, clamp on forks are a bit of a handicap -- they reduce your capacity quite a bit.

As far as ballast, remember that the loaded tires really just counteract the loader itself. For cargo in the loader, you need additional ballast.

coobie · Sep 28, 2015

RoyJackson said:
I'd be a bit leery of lifting that much weight with clamp on forks, even with adequate rear ballast.
Two reasons:
You're putting that weight way out front of your tractor...more stress on the front axle and loader (make sure your front tires are inflated to the maximum!)
Clamp on forks means your bucket is now part of the load rather then part of the tool. Also, might bend your bucket...

++ 1 on what Roy said.I burn wood pellets a skid weighs 2 tons.I have rim guard in the rear tires plus I use 1000 lbs rear ballast box.