Rim guard or not? Why a ballast box instead of boxblade?

[JethroB]

OP, are you considering Rim Guard or the like for the freeze protection? It very rarely gets cold enough for long enough where you and I are for me to be concerned about it.

 

[Fallon]

I built a ballast box out of a busted 60 gallon air compressor tank years ago. Used it a few times then it's sat for 5 odd years untouched. I've got a heavy box blade or flail that's good enough. Not quite as maneuverable, but it's been good enough. Lifting a fuel tank or HVAC unit & maneuvering in a tight barn was a bit to tight for any 3pt ballast. I ended up just making sure I was stable & inching around for the lifts.

A 1000lbs rotary cutter is a noticeably better ballast than a 1000lbs ballast box. At least for stability & putting weight on the rears. The length gives the rotary cutter a lot more leverage. But of course it's way less maneuverable in tight spaces. Toss hay bales or bags of something heavy on the back of a rotary cutter beats just about everything. Well a backhoe fully extended with a big rock in the bucket beats things, if you can keep the front wheels on the ground.

 

[Aquamoose]

You act like there's something wrong with that...

It IS!

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

It IS!

Hey! Kermit thinks she's cute.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

You act like there's something wrong with that...

I'm not going to say "There's not enough tequila in the world for that".

But the worldwide supply would be severely depleted first...

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have Rimguard in my rear tires and I'm pretty happy with it. I wanted it for the weight ballast, the lower center of gravity and also for the very low freeze point. I think the coldest its been here since I got my tractor was -45F (that was ambient temp, not that fake "wind chill" stuff). That was when my tractor still sat outside year 'round. I do have a box blade I use for ballast in conjunction with the filled tires. I would like more 3pt weight than the box blade, but I seldom lift max weights anymore. I haven't had to move a round bale since we moved in summer of '20. About the heaviest things I've moved since have been my gunsafe (1K pounds) and IBC totes full of ash firewood.

I can see where a dedicated ballast box would be handy for very tight clearance work, but I'd have a hard time buying one just for weight. I "need" (not really) other attachments more, like a tiller, snow blower, etc. Hard to just buy an empty box and toss sand or concrete into it.

My 6' brush hog makes a great weight, but like others have said before, it sure is a lot of length to have to swing around on the back of the tractor.

 

[Fallon]

Hard to just buy an empty box and toss sand or concrete into it.

Mine was free scrap & an afternoon of tinkering. Still not worth it.

 

[amhicks21]

So, i figured i'd show the 2 most common ways my work machine is set up to detail how different applications may warrant different ballast.

For summer use I have no fluid in any of the tires to help minimize ruts on soft ground. Since I always have a 3pt implement that is at least 1000lbs and that sits close to the ground, i dont have to worry about heavy loads out front or slopes. Ive moved 2200lb pallets of paver blocks in a pinch without issue.... other than the weak ass steering.

For winter use i have all 4 tires fully loaded as well as a 1000lb weight box that i built to be tucked in as close to the tractor as possible. Its actually heavier in front of the 3pt links than behind. I specifically went this route because i plow some very populated areas like a news station, dialysis center, ambulance depot, etc. and wanted to keep the footprint as small as possible and minimize transferring weight off of the front. Total weight of the whole rig ends up over 7000lbs despite being very compact and that makes it very stable and comfortable to operate.

I guess the TLDR is that everyone uses their tractor differently and will have a different optimal setup for their specific applications.

 

[Fallon]

I guess the TLDR is that everyone uses their tractor differently and will have a different optimal setup for their specific applications.

Very correct. I think many people hear all the (correct) talk about needing proper 3pt ballast. They jump to assuming they need a ballast box. Some have legit needs for the maneuverability a compact ballast box gives. Most don't. I think most of us are just trying to prevent newbies from wasting time & money on a dedicated ballast box before they figure if they really need the specific limited benefits of a ballast box over an implement.

 

[ljjhouser]

I use liquid in the tires - methanol. And if using the loader, the box blade. Some box blades are light. My Land Pride is 72" and weighs 400. I add about 160 to that on the boxblade if I am using the loader. But if you are considering a boxblade, there are some EA I think, that are heavier - 600 pounds. Makes good ballast.