Looking for some Pros and Cons on using weights on the rear wheels of tractor or going to a ballast box on the rear when using either pallet forks or loader bucket.Thanks
Pics Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: NW Oregon Posts: 5550
re: Rear Weights
The JD manual for your tractor may require loaded tires in almost any configuration when used with a loader. That may be lawyer-speak for CYA but it is also a very safe way to go. That said, here are my thoughts.
Both wheel weights and a ballast box are fairly easy to install and remove. But they are expensive, probably won't add enough weight to fully ballast a loader, and money spent here literally buys dead weight that doesn't have any other use. Plus it takes up space when it's not needed.
A lot of guys think the money is better spent on a rear implement like a box scraper. A medium duty box scraper hanging further back than a ballast box has the advantage of leverage to give more effective ballast than a ballast box hanging closer to the rear axle and will have uses other than just dead weight for moving material, maintaining roads, leveling, etc.
But if you have to work in tight areas the box scraper will make it harder to maneuver.
What I did is to load the rear tires, which is all the ballast needed most of the time. When I need to carry full buckets of wet soil I add the box scraper.
Assuming it's 4WD and you pumped up the fronts, the only thing I can add is to try it without weights just in case it's OK as is. As another option, some guys have a frame or scoop under the rear hitch that they load with rocks or cement blocks.
I've got the regular JD wheel weights but they don't add much for what they cost. I agree a box scraper is a good way to add ballast plus it is a very usefull tool, mine is on most all the time. I've never been a big fan of loaded tires, just too many big mess experiences with flats on farm tractors. It is a cheaper way to ballast but doesn't give the option to lighten up a tractor when extra weight isn't wanted.
My experience supports Hardwood (or not, depending on how you look at it). Bought turf-tired yannie in 1980. Had a farm-tire shop put liquid in the rears. After a few years one leaked. Tire guys installed corrosion-proof valves, no problems since. I've never had occasion to wish the rears were lighter, although when I was thinking of taking them for rim restoration, that thought did occur to me.
Thanks for the info guys, I have JD 4510 with 460 loader and have used the loader bucket with just 3pt attachment on the rear with out a problem. Just got the pallet forks saturday and thought I might want more weight on the rear, but JD weights are 154.00 a piece(110 lbs).I like the idea of the grader box on the back.Thanks again Pat
Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Maple Ridge,B.C.,Canada Posts: 5
re: Rear Weights
I have a 3320 with cx300 loader good for 1800 lbs plus.
My tires are loaded - but - have tubes in them so the calseum (spelling?) will not eat the rims.
I was told your rear weight should be close to 2/3 that of which you wish to lift with the load - balance right!.
Tires loaded are 300 lbs each, so I needed more ... had and old 45 gal.drum torched acouple holes down low and welded a pipe in there then acouple 7/8 pins to the pipe ends (two points ),then welded from inside the drum a pipe to the inside pipe ,torched a hole 2/3 the way up the drum and made the 3rd point of a 3-pt hitch.
Stopped at Tim Hortins (for you fellows - Cristy Creams)picked up 2 doz. dounuts and headed to my local cement plant . NO problem!they filled it from the extra left in the trucks... came to 802lbs.
The next day I picked up my home build 8oolb balast box - cost under $40.00 CND.
I can lift to the capacity of the 300cx and not spin a tire ,full loads every time ,when it's not needed it's a whole 26 inch of dia. wasted space.
* last note * I mount my orchard forks on the 3-point and pick the drum up in the loader bucket, back under my 8 ft camper ,wrap a rachete belt just under the bed and to the frame of the fork lift and can wheel the camper around like nothing ... including putting it in the truck, two sleds and sled deck same thing,!
That was cheaper then replacing the hydraulic jacks on the camper when they packed it in!
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