I read post where people have to have loaded tires, wheel weights and a ballist box in order to keep there tires on the ground when using there FEL. On my tractor I have picked up full buckets of rock/gravel with no problem i've even tried to pick up tree root balls and maxed the loader out without lifting the rear tires off the ground.
It is important to have a counter-balance on the Three Point Hitch when doing FEL work.
Counter-balance unloads stress from the front axle and steering components. Loaded tires do not.
Counter-balance will make the tractor more stable. When transporting a heavy load without a counter-balance it is too easy to drop a tire into a hole or rut and have the tractor roll over. Loaded rear tires help in this circumstance, but a Three Point Hitch mounted counter-balance (ballast) is more effective.
Driving down a slope, weight shifts to the front of the tractor. A max load stable on flat ground can lift the rear tires moving down a slope. (You do not need this experience. I had it
once, working at a burn pile. )
Because Three Point mounted counter-balance is cantilevered behind the tractor it is more effective as ballast than the plain weight would lead you to think.
With a counter-balance on the Three Point hitch I expect those tree root balls you have struggled to lift in the bucket will come right up. Chain loads in the bucket when transporting so material will not shift.
Rollover Box Blade/counter-balance in photo is a little less than 600 pounds.
(The R4 tires on my
L3560 are filled only with air.)
If you have an optional Heavy-Duty, Round-Back Bucket, it is essential to carry ballast on the Three Point Hitch.
