What to use in Ballast box

[Dr_Zinj]

Concrete has a relative density of 2.4. I thought that was a bit low, but it's probably really the density of cement; as concrete would actually be a mix of cement and aggregate. Most rocks weigh more than simple cement.

Plutonium has a density of 19.84. The amount needed for a decent ballast box would exceed the critical amount needed for a fission reaction. Hence, only to be used if you plan on making a large hole for a pond or warehouse foundation. It's also very rough on your tractor, and most likely to void your warranty. :laughing:

You could try filling it with rednecks; but that would only require a pinch or two since everyone knows rednecks are infinitely dense. I know that fer a fact since I sorta are one.

 

[Deere Dude]

I hear a lot of people saying they fill ballast boxes with sand or iron or whatever so they can empty it out and use it for something else. The question is, does anyboby ever empty it out and use it for something else?

Why not fill it with concrete and forget about it? I can't think of any other reason to use it except to hang there.

 

[ovrszd]

Plutonium has a density of 19.84. The amount needed for a decent ballast box would exceed the critical amount needed for a fission reaction. Hence, only to be used if you plan on making a large hole for a pond or warehouse foundation. It's also very rough on your tractor, and most likely to void your warranty. :laughing:

You could try filling it with rednecks; but that would only require a pinch or two since everyone knows rednecks are infinitely dense. I know that fer a fact since I sorta are one.

That's funny, I don't care who you are,,, that's funny!!!!!!

 

[Denwa]

Hello everyone... I was planing on bying a ballast box for my JD2320 and was currious to know what everyone is using to fill them/ what is the best thing to fill them with? Let me know what your using, that would be great.

I let my neighbor Jim use my scrap lead collection in his b-box. After we filled the box up we discovered his 3pt wouldn't pick it. So, we had to off load a bunch of it. Especially the 500lb chunk that was the keel ballast weight on a small sail boat I'd salvaged.

If I need some weight in the back, and the hoe's off I'll just hang the keel weight from my 3pt. Otherwise, the backhoe keeps the back end down pretty well. If I didn't have the lead I'd likely go for the scrap iron for max affordable weight/volume.

Heavy thoughts,
Dennis

 

[rjkobbeman]

I hear a lot of people saying they fill ballast boxes with sand or iron or whatever so they can empty it out and use it for something else. The question is, does anyboby ever empty it out and use it for something else?

Why not fill it with concrete and forget about it? I can't think of any other reason to use it except to hang there.

I thought about this very issue when contemplating what to put in my ballast box. I then filled it with 20 bags of concrete. When I want less weight on my tractor I unhook the ballast box.

 

[Runner]

I hear a lot of people saying they fill ballast boxes with sand or iron or whatever so they can empty it out and use it for something else. The question is, does anyboby ever empty it out and use it for something else?

Why not fill it with concrete and forget about it? I can't think of any other reason to use it except to hang there.

Some of us just have committment issues...

 

[crazyal]

I liked the idea of a ballast box but I'm too cheap to spend the money to buy one and had lots of 55 gallon drums. So for a few bucks to buy pins from TSC I got to use up some scrap steel, a 55 drum, and 10 80lb bags of cement that was sort of hard. I bought a couple of new bags of cement and for less than $50 bucks I have 1000lbs to hang off the back of the tractor.

If I wanted more compact or wanted to be able to change the weight I would have just gone to several tire stores and bought some used tire weights. I think I was paying $10 for 5 gallon bucket full the last time I bought some to make decoy anchors.

 

[GGB]

Wish I'd thought to use my dried out bags of concrete mix for my BB! Duh!

Guess I'll just fill mine with gravel, which I can always use somewhere on the drive when I get a better idea.

Still thinking about where to pick up some dense rednecks! Hey, yu all!!! The beer's over here!

GGB

 

[Gizmo2]

I hear a lot of people saying they fill ballast boxes with sand or iron or whatever so they can empty it out and use it for something else. The question is, does anyboby ever empty it out and use it for something else?

Why not fill it with concrete and forget about it? I can't think of any other reason to use it except to hang there.

Washed stone 1/2" - 3/4". Filled in the summer (Fork Lift and FEL work), 1/2 to 2/3 thirds taken out for winter snow plowing (front blade). I always leave room for tow chains and whatnot so I never fill it to the top.

Too much weight for front blade snow plowing

 

[techwrtr2]

Why Ballast Box for weight?
For the life of me why would anyone want to put a usless box on three point hitch that you can not use? Why not a Box Blade or a back blade? At least it could be used for doing something besides rear weight that has no other use except to hang there.
DevilDog

For me, my box blade and rear blade extend much farther off the back and out to the sides than the ballast box. The ballast box fits close to the tractor and well inside the rear tires and I don't have to worry about it sticking out or snagging on anything.

I often use it when taking FEL loads of large firewood rounds out of the woods. There are many places that I wouldn't fit (or it would be a PITA not to get snagged on anything) with a 6' implement on the back.

There is truth in both of these posts.

I do not have a ballast box, never have gotten around to buying/building one. A real advantage of using one is being able to keep it tucked in close to the tractor and not have it extending out beyond the rear.

Having said that I use a box blade for ballast. It weighs in at about 500 lbs and considering the leverage from where it's positioned, it works quite well. On many occasions when I would want ballast back there I am also doing work where the box blade may well come into use so it's usually not an issue.

I'm really in no major hurry to buy a ballast box. Now where I able to buy an additional tractor, I may well put a ballast box on the back for the reasons stated above. Besides, I don't see any reason to buy a second box blade.