Ballast Tractor Wheel and Front Rack Weights

[rocketman128]

Hey Guy's,

What's the best way to find some weights for my L225WD? Would like to add a coupe of weights to the rear wheel rims and I assume the rack in the front is for weights.

What are my weight options for the rear wheels?
Is the front rack for weights, and how much should I hang there?

Primary use: Push'n & Pull'n Dirt, Moving Snow, etc.

Tx,
Bob

 

[CSH]

Since no one has replied to your post, I'll take a shot. I think you'll have to go the homemade route for rear wheel weights. I've never seen any dedicated rear wheel weights for the grey Kubotas. There was a guy selling a kit for rear wheels called EZ Weights (which utilized 1" weightlifting plates) on ebay about a year ago, but I haven't seen his auction lately. As for the front weights, I would not use them unless they are really needed. This would imply that for some tasks the tractor's front wheels either won't stay on the ground or the front is so light that steering is affected. If you really need front weight the suitcase type can be purchased. Last time I checked the price was over $1 per pound, and that was before the recent increase in steel prices. I had a L2201 2wd (aka L245) and had holes cut in each side of a L295 front bracket to accept a 1" round bar. I bought a dozen 25 lb weight plates from Wally world for $.40/lb. I only used the full 300 lbs for brushhogging up a steep incline on my property, as it makes for much harder steering otherwise. I noticed in your pictures that the tractor has a loader, so I'd be surprised if you'll ever need front weight.

 

[rocketman128]

Thanks for the feedback.

After reading lots of posts on this website, I have decided to put liquid in my tires. I order a fill kit for $8 on the internet, and plan on using a 50/50 anitfreeze/water mix. I can't find a beat juice dealer in Denver.

The reason I was looking at the front weights was that I was trying to fill my FEL from a hardpack dirt pile, and all the tires started to spin with only a 25% load in the bucket. Seems I have plenty of power, just not enough traction.

I am thinking of putting fluid in the fronts, but not sure how much real weight that will give me. I will post when done with the before/after numbers.

Tx,
Bob

 

[CSH]

rocketman, if you read my post (#736358) in your thread "Which gray do I own", you'll see that the weight issue was the only complaint with the L2201 that I recently sold. I assume your tractor also has the 8.5 x 22 tires on the rear, just like mine. I filled the rears up to axle level with antifreeze and managed to get about 4 gallons into each tire. Though every little bit helps, I hardly noticed a difference and wouldn't do it again. You can guess my opinion of filling the fronts. I now have a Farmpro 2425 with Koyker 160 loader. Equipped as such and with the addition of a box blade loaded with 300 lbs of additional weight, it weighs close to 4000 lbs, which is at least 1800 lbs heavier than your setup, and has a 25hp engine. It also spins all four tires when attempting to cut hard packed dirt. I doubt the result would be any different if it weighed twice as much. What will make a difference is a tooth bar on the front of the bucket. The smooth front edge of the bucket isn't made for cutting. A commercially made toothbar will run you at least $200, but if you have access to a welder one can be made for about $50.

Even though I think filling tires of this size is mostly a waste of time, don't take this as a recommendation to not add weight to the tractor. When it comes to pushing / dragging dirt (and I assume snow, though I live in Alabama and don't see much of that), more weight is always better. Weights hung from the front bracket and balanced with a heavy weight or implement on the rear will definitely allow the tractor to do more work of this sort. I've also heard of some creative ways to hang 100's of lbs from the bottom of the frame and various other points on the tractor. Just try to maintain balance so the tractor isn't too rear or front-heavy.

 

[lens12]

If you are trying to dig from a hard packed pile , I'd recommend getting a toothbar for your bucket. It will make it a lot easier on the tractor & loader. I don't like the idea of putting more weight on the front wheels for traction. I deal in japanese tractor parts & these tractors are made for rice patties where the front can spin easily if there isn't enough traction. Many of these front ends aren't designed to take the extra stress of a loader on a hard surface with extra weight. Something will give & it won't be cheap. Some models are better than others. I see the slippage as a way of preventing damage to the FWD. I can supply you with a toothbar.

 

[rocketman128]

Well finiished the weight install project. Used 50/50 water antifreeze. Got about 14 gallon in the back, and 4 gallon in the front by filling to the value stem at noon. Here was the weight increases:
Before After Gain x2
Fnt 45 83 76
Rear 98 200 204
Total 280

Not bad for $90 worth of antifreeze.

Bob

 

[rocketman128]

Oh, one additional question. How much PSI do most folks run in there tires?

Tx,

Bob

 

[rocketman128]

Sure could use some feedback on the tire PSI.

Thanks guys,

Bob

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I did a search of the forums because someone had a great way of telling if you had enough air in your tires. I didn't find it, but I'll see if I can remember it right.

Park the tractor on a flat surface (i.e. your paved driveway). Park it so that one of the lugs of the tire is exactly in the middle on the bottom. Inflate/deflate the tire until both lugs from the other side are just touching the ground. This will probably be somewhere around 20 PSI, but it will vary from one model to the other.

Chime in here, people. Please correct me if I'm wrong.