Go BottomBX Front Weight Set Project
 | jarndt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 351 Northern Virginia 
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2005-02-11 105941
As anyone who owns a BX w/o FEL knows, the front end is a bit light. I can easily pick up the front wheels or lose steering ability when I'm using my rear scoop. A Kubota brand front weight set is rather pricey, so I'm building a homemade set.
I scored (2) 1"x4"x3' 1018 steel bars at work left over from a project. My plan is to cut them into 12" long pieces and drill 1/2" clearance holes to match the hole pattern on the front of the tractor frame. I'll insert studs in the frame holes and stack the weights against each other along the studs retaining them with locknuts.
They won't be as easy to mount and remove as suitcase weights, but it'll be cheap and nice looking especially with matching Kubota blue paint. The total additional weight should be around 82 lbs, which isn't much but due to the moment arm it should add about 150lbs of capacity to the scoop. I'll post pics when the project is done!
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 | Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada 
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2005-02-11 105942
If I may make a suggestion, if you have slots cut rather than drilling holes then all you need to do is slide them down over two studs and tighten them down.
If you want to get even fancier you can have rectangular hand-holds cut into the tops to make them a little easier to handle.
In most cities there are businesses who do nothing but steel cutting, flame, plasma or water jet. These companies also by the nature of what they do generate a lot of scrap leftovers. I have found that if you bring them something to cut they are often more than happy to dig through the scrap pile to find you a few more pieces, especially if you get those cut too. Cutting is not very expensive to have done, especially straight easy stuff.
Best of luck. ....
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| jarndt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 351 Northern Virginia
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2005-02-11 105946
Thank you for the excellent suggestions! I anticipate putting the weights on and hopefully leaving them on. That is, unless it causes turf damage or some other problem. If I find that I have to load and unload them often, it would be easy to come back and add slots, handles, etc. I actually have a full machine shop at my disposal (I consider it to be a major job perk). It makes doing fancy stuff easy.
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 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2005-02-11 105947
Don't know how the front end looks on a BX. Is there a way that you can either bolt on or weld on a lip or lips to support the weights going back to the tractor frame? That way you don't have only the 1/2" threaded rod supporting the weights in shear with a 3" projection. ....
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| jarndt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 351 Northern Virginia
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2005-02-11 105951
That's another good suggestion, thanks. To answer your question; Yes, a lip could fashioned, however I do not want to weld or drill through the tractor frame (warrenty issues). The projection will actually be 6" since I am making six plates out of the two steel bars. I'm a mechanical engineer, so I definitely know that using bolts in shear is not the best scenario, but I'm actaully using grade 8 studs threaded from both ends. The plates will be stacked and sandwiched agaist the frame. There will be no gap. I expect to tighten the studs enough that they will be in a significant amount of tension. There are six holes in the front frame cross member on a BX. I plan to use the upper two so the holes in the plates will be offset upwards. This should help reduce the bending moment on the studs. If things look marginal, I can always use four or all six of the holes. ....
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| yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2005-02-11 105953
I was thinking the tractor frame may have a ledge some place where you could weld a lip on the weights. (or possibly more mounting holes. You could then use two holes as short studs for support on your first weight, the other weights could have a lip going back to the adjacent weight) Even through you may have grade 8 bolts, tractors are subject to allota bouncing and shaking when going over rough terrain, etc. ....
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