Ballast How much counterweight do i need?

[gladehound]

Also remember that while filling the tires does help with stability of the tractor, it really does not do much for actually helping "unload" the front axle very much. I think the perfect world would be tires filled and counter weight.

I like filled tires because they help keep the rear planted with and angles rear blade. I actually don't think it makes much difference for the lawn as the fronts still have more ground pressure than filled rears.

An alternative to a very heavy rear weigh that is probably better for your rear axle is to take a long implement - I use my rear blade - and add weigh far behind the rear axle. My rear blade is about 6 feet behind my rear axle so every pound added removes a pound from the front axle. You don't need as much weight but the whole rig is fairly long.

 

[motownbrowne]

I like filled tires because they help keep the rear planted with and angles rear blade. I actually don't think it makes much difference for the lawn as the fronts still have more ground pressure than filled rears.

An alternative to a very heavy rear weigh that is probably better for your rear axle is to take a long implement - I use my rear blade - and add weigh far behind the rear axle. My rear blade is about 6 feet behind my rear axle so every pound added removes a pound from the front axle. You don't need as much weight but the whole rig is fairly long.

I could be wrong here, but I don't think your rear axle can tell any difference between a heavy implement close to the tractor or a lighter one further out. I think the resultant force on the three point and consequently the axle will be the same.

 

[gladehound]

I could be wrong here, but I don't think your rear axle can tell any difference between a heavy implement close to the tractor or a lighter one further out. I think the resultant force on the three point and consequently the axle will be the same.

Let me give an example. I may not have wrote it clearly before... with a 72" wheel base, 1000 pounds 72" behind the rear axle adds 2000 pounds to the rear and removes 1000 pounds from the front.

If you used a weight box instead and it was 36" behind the rear axle (half the wheel base) it would need to be 2000 pounds to remove 1000 pounds from the front. However, it would add 3000 pounds to the rear (a little more stress on the rear to get the same relief in the font)

And of course, weight over the rear axle can be infinite and will not remove weight from the front.

So the farther back you put the weight, the more weight transfer you get from the front and the less weight you need.

All that being said, I usually run with ~2000 extra on the rear and -100 on the front. I only move weight far to the rear for the rare big lift (over ~1500 pounds).

 

[LD1]

Glade is right. The rear axle feels 100% of whatever you put on + the transfer from the front.

To get equal weight transfer, counterweight has to be heavier in close and can get lighter further out. So if the weight added to the rear is 100% of counter weight + weight transfered....if transfer is equal, the closer and heavier weight adds more.

But, the longer and lighter implements typically put more stress on the toplink.

In either case, the tractor rear is plenty strong enough to handle whatever the hitch can lift.

 

[chris1006]

Agree with all. I think it mostly boils down to what your using your tractor for and what works best for the individual. I like not having all that length when driving in tight areas and around in the woods doing mostly loader work. One thing is for sure. extra weight in the back however you achieve it makes a big difference.

 

[gladehound]

Agree with all. I think it mostly boils down to what your using your tractor for and what works best for the individual. I like not having all that length when driving in tight areas and around in the woods doing mostly loader work. One thing is for sure. extra weight in the back however you achieve it makes a big difference.

I'm completely with you... My typical set up does not add any length to the tractor even though it adds 1,700 to the rear (not including me). This is good enough 99% of the time.

 

[gladehound]

Agree with all. I think it mostly boils down to what your using your tractor for and what works best for the individual. I like not having all that length when driving in tight areas and around in the woods doing mostly loader work. One thing is for sure. extra weight in the back however you achieve it makes a big difference.

I'm completely with you... My typical set up does not add any length to the tractor even though it adds 1,700 to the rear (not including me). This is good enough 99% of the time.

 

[sdef]

Here is another reference point for the OP. My tractor with 48" rock grapple (~ 500#) on the FEL, filled rear tires and 720# ROBB weighs ~ 7200 pounds. My FEL lift capacity is ~ 2750#. When lifting very large rocks the tractor's rear becomes light and limits further lifting height or capacity, even though I think the hydraulics will do a bit more.

Even with ~ 720# on a QH sticking out ~ 24" or better from the 3PH pins, the rear still gets very light at heavy loads. So in my case an additional 1000# at the 3PH pins may not be much better than having the ROBB on there.

Thanks LD1 for the post and specifics as I will most likely use these in the near future. Now my property is cleared and home built, I need to go back and move all of the large rocks a second time to their final resting place and the large amount of heavy, cut trees to make firewood. I did not break anything on the tractor the first time, but need to add 3PH weight the second time around.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Here has been my experience with rear weights. I built a three point hitch attachment onto a front weight bracket for a large tractor. The center of the ten weight's (1000 lbs) ended up being about a foot behind the three pint hitch pins. It was awesome as I could drive into a ditch and back out with a full bucket of mud.

Along comes a sale on a quick hitch and I wasn't going to pass that up. It moved the weights four inches further back and all of a sudden I couldn't dig in dirt any more. There just wasn't enough weight left on the bucket to let the edge dig. So now we are down to 600 lbs of weight and that is lots. It keeps the rear end down when I need it to and lets my bucket dig in the dirt.

 

[Bull Of The Woods]

That's a concern I have had in the back of my mind. What if I go too heavy or too far back, and the front end gets too light to dig or not enough traction for turning or even worse....going up hill with the weight on and nothing in the bucket. Could really be tough to steer. LOL