Newbie Wondering if Dealer Gave me Bad Advise

[EastTexFrank]

Check your handbook when you get it. There is usually a page in there that gives you the maximum recommended size of implements to use on your tractor. I've a funny feeling that a 5' rotary cutter will be the max size for your machine but it will easily handle a 6' finishing mower. Depending on the land and what you are mowing, it may handle a light to medium 6' cutter but I think it may be a stretch. I know our 38hp JD can use a 5' cutter easily but is max'd out with a 6'.

As far as filling the tires is concerned, I fall on the "no fill" side of the fence, at least at the outset. One puncture in a filled tire and you will know why. Usually it doesn't happen very often but when it does, it's a booger to drain and impossible to handle if you don't. That's how I messed up my back the first time. If you find that you need the extra weight and traction, you can always fill them later and as someone else said, I'd use something else besides calcium chloride.

If your filling that FEL bucket, you'll need some ballast on the back. I tend to use whatever I have on there at the time, finishing mower, bush hog, box blade. The box blade is probably best as you can stack additional weight on top of it if needed ... or you could just partially fill the bucket and make more trips.

 

[wushaw]

I had an interesting thing happen yesterday, I had a full load of clay in the bucket and was facing downward at a slight grade and a little off to one side, I raised the bucket to see where I needed to dump it and the rear of the tractor raised up and I promptly dropped the bucket and decided that I didn't need to raise the bucket to that height again with a full load at that angle /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I have loaded rears and had my BB on, with a total ballast weight of @1000lbs. I wouldn't even think of not fillin the rears, tractor rides better and loaded rears give you a lower center of gravity.

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( He told me no. He said whenever I am doing FEL work I would need to have the rotary cutter attached for stability,
And if I do, wouldn't a set of tractor chains solve the problem? Am I missing something obvious due to my inexperience?
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There are 2 issues here.
1-Stability and 2 Traction.
Chains is for traction but won't help with stability.
The weight is to hold the back end down with a heavy load in the FEL.

 

[AntrimMan]

For light duty FEL operation I wouldn't fill the tires. It's just not worth the hassle. It can't be undone as easily as dropping an attachment off the 3PH. That L3130 has a powerful 3PH and you can easily lift whatever weight you think you may need, 3750# at the lift points and 2650# at 24" behind the lift points. You can add enough weight to make the front end float if you want to, well almost anyway. Can you say concrete?

If you intend to do heavy material, full bucket type of FEL work then you face an additional challenge. The front Ag's will suffer terribly. They just aren't as robust as the R4's.
Your machine has the capability of slipping the wheels while filling the bucket. I do it accidently (all the bloody time) even with the BH90 in place. This is to be avoided as you can tear chunks off the tires.
For mowing and light FEL work with Ag's the dealer is dead on, don't fill the tires.
If my advice ever proves wrong I will gladly refund twice what you paid for it.
All the best,
Martin