3 pt mounted weights

[dggott]

Have BX2200 with turf tires rear and rt4 front. I need weight on the back and was thinking there's gotta be some way to cheaply, easily, and effectively make a weight we can hook to the 3 pt hitch. Looking for ideas.


Thanks

 

[Standing on the corner]

Trash can or keg filled with concrete?

Bar through pin holes with barbell weights?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BXHoosier]

Trash can filled with with concrete and scrap steel. Roughly 400 lbs

 

[armylifer]

Either of these work. Barbell weights or a beer keg filled with sand or concrete. The keg weighs about 240 lbs filled with dry sand. The barbell weights are 235 lbs but has potential for much more weight when replace the lighter weights with heavier ones. I just need to find some more 25 lb weights for free.

 

[GeoHorn]

Or fill the rear tires with ballast. That way your axles/bearings don't have to carry the load and the weight is lower to the ground and therefore much safer.

 

[RBA50]

Or fill the rear tires with ballast. That way your axles/bearings don't have to carry the load and the weight is lower to the ground and therefore much safer.

That doesn't relieve the weight on the front axle, which is the weakest link in the system. With weight on the 3pt, the rear axle acts as a fulcrum to transfer weight off the front end. I'm not saying you shouldn't fill the rear tires,(mine are filled), but you need to have some weight behind the rear axle, unless your only requirement is traction, and not to counterbalance the loader.

Trust me, you don't want to be on board when the load on the front is high enough to pick the rear tires off the ground!

The OP didn't specify why he wanted rear weight, so we have to guess. If he just needs traction, and doesn't have a loader, tire ballast is definitely the way to go.

As far as cheap weight, build a box, add some lift point for the 3 pt, and fill box with concrete. There are many threads on the subject both here and on Tractor by Net. Cheapest by far is to use an implement you may already own, like a box blade, snow blower, whatever. A carryall with a box filled with whatever heavy stuff you can find works too, and can serve more than one purpose.

 

[GeoHorn]

That doesn't relieve the weight on the front axle, which is the weakest link in the system. With weight on the 3pt, the rear axle acts as a fulcrum to transfer weight off the front end. I'm not saying you shouldn't fill the rear tires,(mine are filled), but you need to have some weight behind the rear axle, unless your only requirement is traction, and not to counterbalance the loader.

Trust me, you don't want to be on board when the load on the front is high enough to pick the rear tires off the ground!

The OP didn't specify why he wanted rear weight, so we have to guess. If he just needs traction, and doesn't have a loader, tire ballast is definitely the way to go.

As far as cheap weight, build a box, add some lift point for the 3 pt, and fill box with concrete. There are many threads on the subject both here and on Tractor by Net. Cheapest by far is to use an implement you may already own, like a box blade, snow blower, whatever. A carryall with a box filled with whatever heavy stuff you can find works too, and can serve more than one purpose.

Excellent point regarding the front axle capability.... But everyone should find out the lift-capability/rating of their FEL and NOT exceed it. The front axle is designed to handle that rating. Exceeding that FEL/axle rating is dangerous even with weight on the 3-pt.... (IMO) Having said that, I must admit that the reason I feel that way is because I'm "experienced"...I ignorantly did exactly what I said not to do. I lifted an empty propane tank that I'd converted to a fuel tank onto a trailer and took it/filled it at the dyed diesel outlet... then lifted it back off the trailer and found I couldn't back-away from the trailer because the rear wheels simply "tickled" the grass. Soooo, "bein' off avrage intelligints and abuv avrage capebility I ingadged for-whel drive...." and backed away just fine. Then moving forward came to a stop...and the momentum of the tank lifted the rear wheels completely off and set the tank on the ground....and "there I wuz"... 4 feet in the air fulcrumed over the front axle. Letting the FEL "down" gently returned me to Mother Earth unhurt, very fortunately.
Yes, a bit of 3-pt wt would solve this issue for the future but I believe it's a good idea to remind ourselves of the design-ratings of our equipment. (In my case, the FEL was rated for the load... so ballast of some sort is clearly needed... just need to be careful not to exceed ratings.) Just sayin'/admittin'.... (wink)

 

[RBA50]

You were lucky everything came down square. Once the back wheels are off the ground, if the load isn't balanced side to side, or the ground isn't level, the whole rig tends to pivot sideways on the front axle. Ask me how I know!

Yes the front axle is rated to carry the designed load in the bucket. It may NOT be rated to carry that plus the entire weight of the rest of the tractor. (That's what happens when the rear wheels are off the ground). There's a reason the manual tells you to use 3 pt counter weights with the loader. You can reduce the amount somewhat with ballasted tires, but I'm pretty sure my manual said to use a combination, not just ballasted tires.

 

[dggott]

Well, we need it only for traction, though balancing that loader is a good idea. I (we both) know whereof you speak regarding the rear wheels leaving the ground (and a rear and a front- these little things have a little lower COG than what I grew up with- lol)

 

[GeoHorn]

You were lucky everything came down square. Once the back wheels are off the ground, if the load isn't balanced side to side, or the ground isn't level, the whole rig tends to pivot sideways on the front axle. Ask me how I know!

Yes the front axle is rated to carry the designed load in the bucket. It may NOT be rated to carry that plus the entire weight of the rest of the tractor. (That's what happens when the rear wheels are off the ground). There's a reason the manual tells you to use 3 pt counter weights with the loader. You can reduce the amount somewhat with ballasted tires, but I'm pretty sure my manual said to use a combination, not just ballasted tires.

You are exactly right! In fact, it did come down slightly to the forward/left ending up with only the left rear tire barely touching the ground and the rt rear well in the air. My negligence to do the math on the amount of weight versus the balance-of-loading demonstrated my amateurishness in using the FEL. Although my LA1002 FEL/M4700DT combination listed the loading as within the capabilities of the set-up.... I failed to think about where the Center of Gravity was going to be when I lifted that full tank. (It was a 160 gal tank which empty weighs 400 lbs, and I had 140 gals of diesel in it so it totaled around 1340 lbs.... WELL BELOW the rated 2K+ lbs of the FEL. The lack of ballast nearly caused serious problems. Yes...I was very lucky.

 

[Stomper]

Either of these work. Barbell weights or a beer keg filled with sand or concrete. The keg weighs about 240 lbs filled with dry sand. The barbell weights are 235 lbs but has potential for much more weight when replace the lighter weights with heavier ones. I just need to find some more 25 lb weights for free.

Love the barbell idea and worl work great with a quick hitch.

 

[dggott]

How much tire ballast would I use?

 

[armylifer]

You would fill the tires 75% full of liquid ballast. There are several threads discussing this.