Loaded tires vs. ballast box

[Viper16]

About to pull the trigger on a new tractor and have been talking to a couple dealers. Looking for advice on loaded tires vs. using ballast.

One dealer suggested a ballast box since loaded tires add unnecessary weight during mowing and may lead to turf damage.

Any thoughts on this? Does the tire weight affect the tire footprint that much during mowing?

Is a ballast box more effective than loaded tires?

Having the convenience of permanent ballast in the tires and not having to mount a ballast box outweigh any drawback during mowing?

Thanks

 

[85Hokie]

About to pull the trigger on a new tractor and have been talking to a couple dealers. Looking for advice on loaded tires vs. using ballast.

FIRST - WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT MACHINE YOU HAVE......GONNA GUESS A BX OR B

One dealer suggested a ballast box since loaded tires add unnecessary weight during mowing and may lead to turf damage.

DEPENDS ON WHAT TIRES YOU ARE USING......TURFS OR R4S?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE CUTTING WHEN THE GROUND IS REAL SOFT? OR WET? IF SO - BOTH WILL MAKE TRACKS,

TURFS WILL MAKE LESS OF A MESS IN MUCK - BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE TURFS ON A FEL , AND IF YOU DONT HAVE AN FEL - YOU WILL NOT NEED A BALLAST BOX! BUT.....I DONT CUT GRASS WITH IT !

Any thoughts on this? Does the tire weight affect the tire footprint that much during mowing?

YES - IT CAN, TURFS SPREAD THE WEIGHT MORE, SO LESS WEIGHT IS ONE EACH CUBIC INCH - LOADED TURFS WILL SPREAD THE TIRE A BIT I WOULD THINK.

Is a ballast box more effective than loaded tires?

MORE EFFECTIVE NOT SURE - BUT YOU CAN VARY A BALLAST BOX, HARD TO DO THAT WITH LOADED TIRES ........SOME HAVE BOTH. I HAVE LOADED TIRES AND A BACKHOE !

Having the convenience of permanent ballast in the tires and not having to mount a ballast box outweigh any drawback during mowing?

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MOW WITH A BALLAST BOX ON, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD REMOVE THE FEL FIRST. AND EVEN IF YOU MOW WITH FEL ON, YOU WILL NOT NEED THE BALLAST BOX.

PERSONALLY - I WOULD GO WITH LOADED TIRES, AND IF TOO WET TO CUT, I WOULD NOT.

 

[JackJ]

About to pull the trigger on a new tractor and have been talking to a couple dealers. Looking for advice on loaded tires vs. using ballast.

One dealer suggested a ballast box since loaded tires add unnecessary weight during mowing and may lead to turf damage.

Any thoughts on this? Does the tire weight affect the tire footprint that much during mowing?

Is a ballast box more effective than loaded tires?

Having the convenience of permanent ballast in the tires and not having to mount a ballast box outweigh any drawback during mowing?

Thanks

One of the primary purposes for a ballast box is to take weight off the front axle when using a front end loader. Rear tire ballast won't help with this.

But tire ballast is always there for traction, and is also helpful in keeping your center of gravity low.

So both can be beneficial, but for somewhat different reasons.

You might consider using a rear implement instead of a ballast box. I hook up my box blade when I'm using the loader, and thus save the expense and storage space of a dedicated counterweight.

 

[Viper16]

Sorry - B 230ith FEL and MMM and R4 tires

The ballast question is in regards to offsetting weight when using the FEL

 

[Kennyd4110]

The ballast question is in regards to offsetting weight when using the FEL

Then a ballast box is the only correct answer, read this thread:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24859

 

[85Hokie]

I am gonna go out on a limb here.....

AND disagree with this statement......

"One of the primary purposes for a ballast box is to take weight off the front axle when using a front end loader. Rear tire ballast won't help with this."

Looking at the example that Kenny pointed to - the term ballast is simple,
but the part that I want to point out, BALLAST in the rear tires helps TREMENDOUSLY !!!

Looking at understand simple physics --- and the childs see saw, the point that I want to make is that at a wheel base of 61" - every ONE POUND of liquid ballast that goes into each tire, gives you a counter balance of 10 pounds.......so simple math, lets start small - like 20 gallons (turfs will hold 22 gallons each) of ballast in the rears, that 40 gallons total - lets use 8 pounds per, well that is 320 pounds @ 5 feet from the folcrum.....thus a downward counter balance of 1600 lbs.......

so ballast is rears makes a hellva difference, HOWEVER - I will agree that a ballast box is a "better" way to go - simply because it is variable and easy to attach and take off. AND you get more bang for your foot - the 3 point being further back helps more than each pound in the tires. Remember - ballast in the tire does not load the machine, only the tire, ballast in the rear, loads the entire machine, NOT just the back - the tires must deal with the extra weight on them when ballast inside is NOT carried on the tire, rather in the tire.

 

[rtgt]

I am going to go out on a limb as well....

The ballast box moves the center point of the "see saw" from the front axle to the rear axle.

Ballast in the rear tires helps to keep them planted and helps a lot with traction.

Ballast on the 3 point takes weight off of the front axle and makes the rear ballast keep working for traction.

I would vote for both loaded tires and 3pt ballast.

I use my box blade for rear ballast. It weights ~ 300#. I added another 250# of suitcase weights to it.

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

I would recommend both loaded tires and rear ballast...I have my backhoe on or the box blade. With loaded tires and nothing else a full bucket will get the rear light & unsafe in the seat of the pants.

 

[Kennyd4110]

I am gonna go out on a limb here.....

AND disagree with this statement......

"One of the primary purposes for a ballast box is to take weight off the front axle when using a front end loader. Rear tire ballast won't help with this."

I wrote that because in the average sCUT/CUT tires, you simply cannot get enough liquid ballast in them to make an appreciable difference.

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

Kenny, very true it only helps a little on the BX...still better than nothing. I look at the tires for traction and rear attachment as the safety factor. I picked up a Transformer hitch from Omni and have room for 8 -42lb weghts, it comes in handy when in the woods or tight places. Also it has a log boom attachment that I used all winter to skid logs.

 

[PorkBolt]

I mow 2 acres with my 2601 with turfs and resort to a Kubota ballast box filled with concrete when needed. All in its approx 550 lbs only 3/4 full and given how easy it can be removed and shuffled with a moving dolly I only use the ballast when needed with FEL. Generally did not want loaded tires for the potential negative impact on my lawn. Sprung for a set of R4s to swap when doing larger scale FEL work and for offseason work.


Personally I like turfs for turf and R4 for everything else; the ballast box makes it so easy to gear up properly and quickly for loader work. The kubota model is compact and looks great. I placedsome pvc for tool storage, rakes, hoes,etc. I rigged a moving dolly with some 2x6 that makes it easy to move and store, just back up to the 2601 and attach quickly.



Just make sure you wear the steel toed Carolinas

 

[Trex1200r]

Let me start by apologizing for posting the same message over and over again in different threads.

In my limited seat time, it is amazes me how heavy dirt is. Even a bucket of topsoil can make this little b series tippy when not on perfectly level ground. I didn't have the dealer add ballast to the tires because I was thinking the 54"MMM with the 3 pt post hole digger would give me plenty of weight for the light duty tasks I had in mind. Well that would be incorrect. I had a couple of Oh Crap! moments right off the bat. Maybe with ballast in the tires it would have been enough but I kind of doubt it.

You should have something heavy and low hanging off the back of your 3 pt hitch. I didn't need a box blade, so I purchased the titan attachments ballast box. It is affordable insurance against hurting myself. I also just drop it onto a cheap furniture dolly and roll it into a corner when not attached. It has a couple of tubes to carry a shovel or rake when I need it, and I only have it about 1/2 full of gravel so it is a nice carrying box for other crap as well.

 

[RCW]

I'm going to agree with everyone!!!

I have a BX, loaded tires, and normally use my box blade for ballast.

Like Kenny said, loaded tires may not make a huge difference on a BX, but my lawn is steep and rough, even the extra 100lbs/tire or so helps. Of course, no FEL on when mowing. I have the factory wheel weights at 50lb each, but have never put them on, since the owner's manual does not recommend them if tires loaded. (At 240lb, my a$$ in the seat helps, too) I often wish for some front weight to help steering. Ballast weight would make that condition worse.

I carry my 350lb box blade for FEL work, for all the reasons all of them say. The 350lb box is marginal for heavier FEL work.

 

[Viper16]

I see you have hooks on your bucket. Did you buy the bolt on hooks or did the dealer install them?

 

[Trex1200r]

I had the dealer install them as part of the purchase. They are welded on. TREX