Ballast for L200

FreddyWestside · Aug 27, 2019

I recently bought a used (obviously) L200 with a front-loader and finally had a weekend to put some hours on it; I don't love the way it handles. Between the weight distribution, 2WD, and manual transmission it's pretty unwieldy and feels dangerous on any kind of slope. I've already called my local dealership about a ROPS but I wanted some advice on ballast. Where would the weight do me the most good (Front wheel, back wheel, 3-pt, front weight rack, etc,...) and how much would be right for a tractor like this.

Problem #1 is that it barely takes any resistance for the rears to spin and it's hard not to dig in on soft dirt.

Problem #2 is hills... I feel safe enough going up hills because of the front loader, but going down with any extra weight is pretty hairy and our rock pit is at the top of the property. I know I need to learn to put it in low gear and trust it down a hill, but without the roll-bar it feels like it's screaming downhill. Would rear weights help the rear tires keep traction downhill without too much impact going up?

Problem #3 would be steering. Without power steering those front rollers love going sideways, will some front weight make this better or will weighing front and back cancel out?

I know this is an old tractor with a lot more personality than a modern hydro-static. I'm not expecting it to be a Cadillac but it's a working tractor and I want to get the most I can out of it; I really appreciate any advice.

Bill Groom · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

I would try to get 500-550 lbs on the 3 pt and try it again. Weight is your friend with the FEL loaded.

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FreddyWestside · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

That seems like the easiest solution, I've seen that a lot of people will make a DIY 3-pt weight with a bucket and some cement. I'm wondering how this will impact me on hills; will it be enough to make me back-heavy going up-hill, will the traction on the wheels make up for the extra weight going down, etc,...

RCW · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

My box blade or carry-all are often my ballast.

Boxblade is often used with the FEL.

The nice thing with the carry-all is that weight can easily be added/removed as necessary (stone, sandbags, firewood).

Downside is it's bigger than the BB. Usually isn't a problem, unless I don't pay attention squeezing into its parking spot in the garage...

Bill Groom · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

I have my first FEL being delivered in about 2 weeks, so I am answering in theory only, not experience. Weight on the rear tires, as well as low gear, should retard the downhill descent to a manageable speed. Keep your FEL low to the ground, front wheels straight, and use the brakes gently if uncomfortable. Weight will keep the rears digging in, both up and down. Always keep your rear weight low as well, to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Time in the seat will allow for an easier feeling and confidence in yourself and your tractor, slow and steady until that builds to a level your are comfortable with.

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FreddyWestside · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

The carry-all is an interesting idea. I was worried that putting the weight too far back would hurt me going up-hill, but most of the time I would want to bring bigger rocks down with the dirt anyway and I can always back up the hill when I don't need to. These are real roads built for logging trucks so backing up shouldn't be too stressful.

FreddyWestside · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

Bill Groom said:
I have my first FEL being delivered in about 2 weeks, so I am answering in theory only, not experience. Weight on the rear tires, as well as low gear, should retard the downhill descent to a manageable speed. Keep your FEL low to the ground, front wheels straight, and use the brakes gently if uncomfortable. Weight will keep the rears digging in, both up and down. Always keep your rear weight low as well, to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Time in the seat will allow for an easier feeling and confidence in yourself and your tractor, slow and steady until that builds to a level your are comfortable with.

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I had been leaning towards bolt-on wheel weights because I wanted to keep the weight between the axles rather than off the back, but I like the versatility of the carry-all. I am a little concerned about the back weight giving me less steering downhill, but the weight in the loader should offset that. It might not be perfect, but $180 for a carry-all frame and some repurposed materials to make a box isn't much of a gable and it's going to add a lot of utility to the tractor.

Bill Groom · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

Very true, and I can't foresee issues going downhill, provided you use low gear and some caution. It will not unload the front wheels with a load in the bucket, to the contrary it stabilizes the weight on the rear axle.

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FreddyWestside · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

It seems like a carry-all is essentially tongue weight, which will act as a fulcrum on the rear wheels and pull some weight off the front HOWEVER that's going to be negated by the steep grade pushing forward and the loader counter-balancing it. I'm hesitant because I KNOW the brakes won't stop the tractor at its current weight and I'm worried adding weight for traction will just give me more pull down the hill.

I'm going to put some hours in just driving up and down these hills with small loads to get a feel for the gearing and safe angles before I start weighing it down.

D2Cat · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

Can you space your rear wheels out further for more stability?

RCW · Aug 27, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

Freddy- -

If you're coming down a steep hill with a loaded bucket on a 2WD tractor without rear weight, that's really hairy indeed.

4WD can enable some front-wheel braking, but you don't have that. Do your brakes not hold you back, or are you just sliding down? Guys have been killed doing similar things.

As you're new to the L200, I would get SOMETHING on the 3PH NOW. That fulcrum also helps with wear and tear on your front axle while doing FEL work.

Even if it's a test-run, it will hopefully be much safer. My carry-all weighs maybe 175 pounds without anything on it.

Then get some hours in the seat, and I'm sure you'll figure out what fits your situation, even if it's a "Plan B."

Good luck!

FreddyWestside · Aug 29, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

D2Cat said:
Can you space your rear wheels out further for more stability?

Not really, they're already turned out. Spacers might be a possibility but I'm already disappointed in the turning radius because of the proportions and manual steering. As scary as it feels on a slope I'm mostly worried about handling down hills and traction in soft terrain, not so much rolling.

FreddyWestside · Aug 29, 2019

Re: Balast for L200

RCW said:
Freddy- -

If you're coming down a steep hill with a loaded bucket on a 2WD tractor without rear weight, that's really hairy indeed.

4WD can enable some front-wheel braking, but you don't have that. Do your brakes not hold you back, or are you just sliding down? Guys have been killed doing similar things.

As you're new to the L200, I would get SOMETHING on the 3PH NOW. That fulcrum also helps with wear and tear on your front axle while doing FEL work.

Even if it's a test-run, it will hopefully be much safer. My carry-all weighs maybe 175 pounds without anything on it.

Then get some hours in the seat, and I'm sure you'll figure out what fits your situation, even if it's a "Plan B."

Good luck!

I'm going to spend a day on it this weekend just exploring hills with an empty bucket, maybe ease into light loads to see how it feels, I'm also going to see if leaving it at the top of the hill and using my truck and small trailer to move material makes sense. I'll be trying the 3-point carry-all with a basket full of rocks before I have to do any real work with it.

It's a manual transmission so the brakes don't stop the wheels in gear, I can clutch and brake but that just leaves me skidding downhill and everything I've read says that freewheeling and riding the brakes is a lot more dangerous than putting it in low gear and going a little faster than your stomach likes. The issue is similar in soft terrain where my wheels will just spin in low gear because there isn't enough weight on them to dig in and the geared transmission won't go slow enough to keep me from digging in.

North Idaho Wolfman · Aug 29, 2019

This is going to sound real harsh, But I know your terrain and conditions, and I know the tractor you're dealing with.

What you're trying to do with that tractor is going to get you or someone else hurt or worse yet killed!

Adding any more weight to it ain't going to help you one bit, as you said the weight could very well make it where it can't climb and or can't stop.

The brakes on that model are not meant to stop that kind of force with a FEL and a ballast weight.

One of the worst scenarios is going up a hill and either stalling out or loosing traction, it's almost always ends up in something really bad happening!

You even said you have no ROPS, so you have nothing to even try and save you.

An L200 2wd was never meant to have a FEL, the front axle alone can't take the stress and it's only a matter of time before it fails.

I just dealt with a friends 2wd that someone did the same thing to it, and with all the damage the FEL was doing to it it was almost junk, ended up pulling the FEL off and selling just the tractor, and put her in a 4wd that is 100 times a better tractor.

Answer, Sell it, or just buy another larger or more capable 4wd that has a lot less odds of hurting or killing you.

Get a 4wd with a lower center of gravity and weight carrying ability.

RCW · Aug 29, 2019

FreddyWestside said:
I'm going to spend a day on it this weekend just exploring hills with an empty bucket, maybe ease into light loads to see how it feels....

It's a manual transmission so the brakes don't stop the wheels in gear, I can clutch and brake but that just leaves me skidding downhill...***8230;.

North Idaho Wolfman said:
......***8230;.But I know your terrain and conditions, and I know the tractor you're dealing with.

What you're trying to do with that tractor is going to get you or someone else hurt or worse yet killed!

Freddy -

Don't do test runs this weekend!!!

I mean that seriously...we want you around!

Your comment about clutching/braking on the steep hill scared the hell out of me.... You DON'T DO THAT!! The only time you do is when you're also looking for an "escape route" to jump off!

I don't know your tractor or terrain, but obviously Wolfman does.

Trust me, like Wolfman, not trying to be a ball-buster. But the clutch/brake mention earlier today caught my attention right away.

I started driving geared tractors on a "hill farm" myself 50 years ago, at the ripe old age of 6....they could be a challenge without a loader or blade out front....but a hay wagon behind....

Again, just trying to be helpful, and wish you the best!

FreddyWestside · Aug 30, 2019

RCW said:
Freddy -

Don't do test runs this weekend!!!

I mean that seriously...we want you around!

Your comment about clutching/braking on the steep hill scared the hell out of me.... You DON'T DO THAT!! The only time you do is when you're also looking for an "escape route" to jump off!

I don't know your tractor or terrain, but obviously Wolfman does.

Trust me, like Wolfman, not trying to be a ball-buster. But the clutch/brake mention earlier today caught my attention right away.

I am NOT going to try to freewheel and brake, I was only explaining to someone who wasn't familiar to the tractor (and asked about braking) what would happen if I tried to use the brakes going downhill. I know that these brakes are only meant to hold you in place to change gears.

Wolfman probably has an idea of the terrain in my area, but not the site. I'm not driving up the side of hills, these are developed roads so the slope is front/rear and perfectly flat left/right. I'm not going to push it, the test runs I'm talking about are literally just driving on roads that 2WD pickups and logging trucks climb all the time and doing some loader work on flat ground.

I've already started the process of ordering the ROPS and won't do anything on a slope without it, trust me I have a healthy sense of caution with this thing. My working plan now is to park it on the flat landing (about 1/2 acre) where the "gravel pit" is and use the truck and trailer to bring material down the hill. Once I have the material where I need it the tractor is going to live on the lower roads that are flat or gently sloping.

As soon as I started working with this tractor I knew it was a temporary solution, but I'm in no position to upgrade this year. I have miles of roads that need grading and acres of brush that needs hogging, even if that's all I can do with it I'll be getting my money's worth out of the tractor.

FreddyWestside · Aug 30, 2019

If I stick to the flat roads I still need balast advice for traction in soft terrain. It sound like weight on the 3-pt would help get some weight off the front wheels to ease the strain of the loader in a way wheel weights wouldn't.

RCW · Aug 30, 2019

Yep, you keep that to the flat ground and something on the 3PH will help a whole lot.

I looked it up on the internet; neat little tractor. Bet it's kinda fun!

Best wishes with it!

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FreddyWestside · Aug 30, 2019

It's a little different kind of fun than I'm used to, lol. Modern hydro-static tractors feel like an extension of your body after a few hours on them and this thing is more like riding a horse.

I couldn't keep renting tractors because my new job makes weekly rentals too difficult and needed something affordable that I could use on the weekends. Once I figure out what it's good at, I should be able to get some good work out of it for a year or two and upgrade to something with 4WD and a hydro-static transmission. I got a great deal and should be able to make at least $1k when I sell it for something more modern; hopefully another Kubota because I'm liking this forum.

RCW · Aug 31, 2019

Riding a horse...that’s funny and I can relate!

Google Minneapolis Moline ZAU....mine has a front blade and narrow front end. Hand clutch and no power steering. Guessing it’s about 7,000 pounds as it sits.

You need to pay attention when driving it! [emoji15]

PS - Freddy, couldn’t resist. Here’s my Dad driving it after I did some Governor work on it in his back yard this spring.

Best I can figure he’s driven it for 62 of his 81 years....[emoji41]

Like I said, I’m a rookie because I’ve only driven it 50 years....[emoji15]

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Ballast for L200

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