Ballast Loader ballast

gordon · Oct 8, 2000

Glenn what do they usually use in place of the boxblade?
Gordon

MChalkley · Oct 8, 2000

Yes, Muhammad, even with all that weight in the rears, I'm pretty sure that the ground pressure per square inch is higher on the fronts. In fact, that proves why ballast is so necessary in/on the rears to get any traction. Without it, there's just not enough weight on the tread to get it to bite. On harder ground, the fronts don't dig in any more than than the rears.

MarkC

glennmac · Oct 8, 2000

Gordon, since I myself have not used any ground engaging impements yet, it is not clear to me what implements are used for what purposes. I can tell you what's on the dealer's lots. The most common are rakes. You can add flip down blades on these. You can also add end plates. With both of those, it is like a box scraper. Can also add scarifiers in front of the rakes or use the scarifiers by themselves. The next most common implement I see are backblades. Lots of tillers and powered rakes, which may be called Harley rakes.

Myself, I don't have particularly rocky ground. In fact, my creek area is soft moist soil that has actually been muddy all summer due to all the rain. With all the loader work I have been doing in it, it has ruts and tracks and wheelspin holes all over it. I am puzzling over what implement to use to try to level and smooth it--rake, backblade, tiller, box, or whatever.

Glenn

gordon · Oct 8, 2000

I'd love to have a Harley rake only one thing stopping me--wallet--. A rake is great for alot of different jobs and with the rocks the spring of the tines saves alot of abuse on the tractor. I'm investing in a tiller around here there are alot of Amish so I'll get alot of tilling jobs come spring already researched being able to get the jobs before I invested in the tiller.

On the subject of soft ground I buried my tractor today, quite a smooth move I must say---NOT. But thats another post.
Gordon

MChalkley · Oct 8, 2000

Glenn - I've got one of the Landpride rakes with scarifier, drop-down grader blade, side plates and gauge wheels. They are very handy.

MarkC

glennmac · Oct 8, 2000

Mark, do you think the rake with flipdown blade, turned backwards and angled, would be effective for pushing snow. I was thinking of trying to plow with my loader and a backblade (which I don't yet own), but I don't think I would have too much use for the backblade otherwise. The rake with accessories would seem to be more useful, but I don't know if it would be any good in the snow. What I sort of picture myself doing is doing the brute work with the loader and sort of cleaning up the snow with the backblade or rake/flipdown.......Glenn

MChalkley · Oct 8, 2000

Glenn - Used the way you describe, I think it would work quite well. Used alone, I'd be concerned that it wouldn't have the depth necessary to move very much at a time.

MarkC

huckflynn · Oct 8, 2000

Thanks for the advice guys. I do have loaded rear tires -- so maybe I'll take it slow and easy as Bird suggested and get a feel for things.

Glenn, I share your concern about the rockiness of the soil in this area and the effectiveness of a box blade especially with a BX. And quite frankly, I don't know how much use I'd put a box blade to regardless of the soil. I mean, a month ago I was mowing my lawn with a Yardman and now I'm driving my tractor with front end loader and talking about the effectiveness of a box blade/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. If my wife was reading this forum she'd shoot me for sure /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif (actually, my wife has been great about humoring me in all of this.)

Seriously, I do like the idea of the commercial weight box. I'm surprised I couldn't find one in Kubota's manuals/brochures/website. Nor did I see any listed at Carver's website (although they mentioned them in a discussion of ballast.) Maybe I'll give my dealer a call in the morning and get a price on one.

The adventure continues.

Huck

redhawk · Oct 8, 2000

huck, pick up a 3pt. carryall from tractor supply. add a piece of plywood and a 55 gal. drum with as much or little
water as needed to balance out your loader. the carryall i
picked up was just 69.99. and i've already used it to carry
an old piano up to my shed until i can work on it. kevin