Welding suitcase weight?

[JCam]

Are suitcase weights steel or iron? I'd like to weld a bracket to my weights. Thanks.

 

[beenthere]

JCam
Might be worth a try, and let us know how well it welds.

Along the line of the previous thread about weight on the X500, I ran across a CL ad that has a pic of the X500 transaxle.
John deere x5 turf torque rear end
You can see how heavy the axle is and maybe judge better how much weight you want to risk.

 

[JCam]

The guys at John Deere say it's made to hold (4) 42lb weights, but the weights are close to $80 each here in Canada. I bought two and thought maybe I could use them as hangers and make a cement weight to sit on a bracket between them. Maybe I'm just too cheap and should buy two more...

 

[flusher]

Try a spark test to answer your question.

How to Identify Metals with Basic Shop Tools and the Spark Test | TIG Time - YouTube

Good luck

 

[dfkrug]

The guys at John Deere say it's made to hold (4) 42lb weights, but the weights are close to $80
each here in Canada. I bought two and thought maybe I could use them as hangers and make a cement weight to
sit on a bracket between them.

I suspect they are cast steel, rather than cast iron, as the former is more common these days. Regardless, you
can buy steel plates of various shapes at your local steel yard as surplus/recycled. You can then weld hooks on
them to fit your suitcase bracket. Steel is a lot denser than concrete, so you will have better weights. Surplus
prices for steel may be $.50 or so per pound, even in Canada. So, $80 comes out to be almost $2/lb.

I have a small 4-cyl engine block I would give you, if you were local. It might not look good, however, hanging
off the front of your tractor.