UTV/Gator Snowplowing Ballast-How Much?

[yankeerider]

Those of you who plow snow with a Gator or other UTV, how much ballast do you typically run in the bed? We haven't been blessed with snow here yet, but I put 250 lbs at the very back of the bed of the HPX and it made a tremendous difference in the steering effort and rear wheel traction when the plow is on the front. I expect I'll typically have 350 lbs back there once I add my container of tossable sand/salt mix for the icy days, and am wondering if that'll be enough.

 

[jcmseven]

Yankeerider,

I have a Gator XUV. I can plow fine with no ballast but I live in a very hilly area, so having some ballast in back is helpful for stability. I have 420# in quick tach weights from my tractor, and I have used all of them, and a component of them. My finding is that 200# is about the right amount for me. It is enough to balance the weight of the blade and add stability, but not so much as to lug the engine when plowing uphill, with ballast weighted in back. This is a case where too much weight is bad, and just right is just that. I would say your 200-250# estimate is about the maximum of what is needed in this application.

John M

 

[yankeerider]

Thank you, John. What I've got back there "feels" just about right- now all we need is some snow to test it. I'll be plowing a very steep road to the back-but majority- of my property, so that's the source of the interest. I plowed that road for a few years using just my FEL, but that takes too long when the snowfall exceeds 6".

 

[GatorNT]

I have an 08 XUV with an Eagle 72" plow. I can very easily plow with no weight traction wise, but if you aren't careful on side hills, the back wants slide. I normally throw in a couple of hundred pounds of firewood just to keep the back stable.