Ballast JD Rear Ballast Box

tomd999 · Aug 4, 2008

Hiya,

My dealer sells the ballast boxes either empty or filled with Portland for $50 bucks more. I went with the filled even though it might have cost me a couple bucks more than getting bags but I didn't have to do anything more than pick it up with the i-match.

Currently I have the box, 1 pair of weights and loaded tires on the rear and it feels just about right when using the forks to unload pallets from the trucks. Without the Ballistar, it felt light when lifting maximum loads.

Tom

stuart · Aug 5, 2008

If you do not want to permenantly fill the ballast box with cement you can use lead weights which are removable.

nmu98 · Aug 5, 2008

tomd999 said:
Hiya,

My dealer sells the ballast boxes either empty or filled with Portland for $50 bucks more. I went with the filled even though it might have cost me a couple bucks more than getting bags but I didn't have to do anything more than pick it up with the i-match.

Currently I have the box, 1 pair of weights and loaded tires on the rear and it feels just about right when using the forks to unload pallets from the trucks. Without the Ballistar, it felt light when lifting maximum loads.

Tom

Thats a deal. I put more than 80 dollars in portland in mine. Plus the time to put it in. I bet he uses cheap quickcreat, not actual portland.

Runner · Aug 5, 2008

"If you do not want to permenantly fill the ballast box with cement you can use lead weights which are removable."

I'd love to do this, but not sure where I could get them. Junk yard?

stuart · Aug 5, 2008

I got mine in junk stores like Salvation Army and Goodwill.
Look for the larger 40-50lb ones for the bottom and the lighter smaller ones to fit in the open spaces. You can also inquire at a junk yard for a dense heavy metal that will fit into the Box.

Deadman · Aug 6, 2008

Go to a tire store. They have all the old lead wheel weights. They'll sell you 100 lbs for $10-20. Take and melt them down and pour them into your wifes old bread pans and you'll hav beautiful 50Lbs nuggets.
I have 1,200+ lbs in mine, and the box is less than 1/4 full. I have a ton of storage room in there now. I love that part.

4720 OWNER · Aug 6, 2008

Another use for all that lead have not turned into bullets yet. Do your self a favor and do not melt lead inside, the fumes are kind of bad for you. Tire weights are not real lead. Have some real lead and just dropping a bullet will deform it. The wheel weights have some antimony in them for hardness.

I use rocks since i thought the name of this piece of equipment was a 'rock box'. Live and learn.

Have some of the really large square bales may 4x6x4 (?) Probably a good 900#, no problem. Picked up a cow for butcher that was about 1700#, that was about the limit for the tractor with the rock box. Up on the front wheels and the backs touching every once in a while, pucker factor not real high but probably because i did not know no better... Tractor handled it just fine only a question of weight positioning.

Gizmo2 · Aug 6, 2008

I'd probably take my box (if I had one) to a concrete place and tell them the next truck in with concrete left over, fill the box. These places are usually pretty good about this and you know that is where the concrete comes from for those large concrete retaining wall blocks. The concrete companies use to dump the left over concrete at the site, now they take it back with them and they have a larger minimum load you need to buy for smaller projects that ensures some will be left over.

mscheer772 · Aug 7, 2008

My BB is filled with tire weights. Anybody have any idea what that would weigh?

Someone mentioned usinf their i-match. Did you have to adapt the BB to fit the i-match? Help!!!!!!!!!!!

kennyd · Aug 7, 2008

mscheer772 said:
My BB is filled with tire weights. Anybody have any idea what that would weigh?

Someone mentioned usinf their i-match. Did you have to adapt the BB to fit the i-match? Help!!!!!!!!!!!

No idea on the weight....

But the original ballast box's where NOT I-Match compatible, but about 3-4 years ago they changed the design so they would fit. If yours is the "old" style it can be made to fit if you have a welder