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Why you need rear ballast

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-17          55033

Click on my pics and look at photo #4.

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Why you need rear ballast

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-05-17          55036

What was the symptom that made you realize how light in the rear it was???? Good picture and Great Point! ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-05-17          55045

Mark;
That is why the big donut eater must sit as far back in the seat as possible.
Peter ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-18          55068

Chief, last fall I jumped on the tractor as it is configured in the photo and scooped up a pallet with a 300 pound load on it.

Noticed the rear end was real light and when I got off the tractor it got even lighter, like as in tip forward.

I described it in a post soon after it happened and I have also stated that at least for this model it is dangerous to use the FEL without rear ballast.

That, along with a few other things, got me into the whole safe ballast requirements thing.

Also, without any sort of ballast the tractor is almost useless on my land. It will go nowhere without 4wd and the braking in 2wd is scary.

But..... Add about 700-800 pounds in the form of wheel weights and three point ballast and it is a totally different machine.
....

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plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 563 mo
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2003-05-18          55077

mark, Pic kinda reminds me of the bionic man. hard to believe one man could lift a 1600 lb tractor off the ground. now thats a neat pic!!!! ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 563 mo
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2003-05-18          55078

extra weight really does make a differance was able to dig out stump this weekend with the addition of my new weights and cutter hanging on back, could do nothin with it 2 weeks ago but spin and make ruts. the added 250 lbs made it feel like a differant tractor.wife is back filling hole from stump in one of the pics. ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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Misenplace
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 875 Michigan
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2003-05-26          55571

It is a little funny so many of us have nearly gone a%$ over apple cart befor RTFM . lol ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2003-05-26          55588

That is a 4100 is it not Mark? I noticed on the one I had with the loader attached it had almost no weight in the rear. Even with the belly deck attached and raised it would lift a rear tire with minimal weight in the bucket. I always had to use rear ballast with that machine for safety's sake, even for a quick job requiring light lifting. In fact, I bought the first one the dealer received of that model and the mechanics were surprised that it came with a 5' bucket. ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-05-26          55596

Our open station Kubota's (cab adds enough extra pounds) are the same, it's definitely not just a green problem.

The opposite happens (but not as bad) if we drop the loader and leave the counter-balance stuck out the back, a sudden start will cause the front end to momentarily lift.

Todays show is brought to you by the letter 'O' and the word 'safe' ... LOL

Best of luck.

....

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Why you need rear ballast

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-26          55597

Yes Cutter, it is a 4100. But I can't imagine that any tractor in this class would be greatly different in terms of general weight distribution.

Even my BX OM states that you had better have some sort of wheel weight and at least a box scraper on the back to safely use the FEL. ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-26          55598

Cutter, how do you like my new tires? Not much room left in those wheel wells. ....

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Why you need rear ballast

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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2003-05-26          55618

What did you do Mark, install larger ones all the way around? ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-05-27          55722

Yes. My research showed the biggest rear tire Deere puts on a 4100/4110/4115 a 315x75-15 or a 315x80-16 (both are turfs) matched with a 23x8.50-12 or 24x8.50-12 front tire.

I found a set of all season truck radials that matched those sizes for the rear and went with a Firestone turf tire on the front. I had to buy new front rims from Deere but I was able to use the stock rear 16 inch rims.

Bigger tires and wheel weights made a huge difference in the way the tractor handles. Big improvement. ....

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