B2650 front weights?

rkillcrazy

New member

Equipment
B2650
Jan 26, 2016
22
0
1
Berks County, PA
I'm a new B2650 owner. It's my first tractor although I grew up helping around my grandfather's farm and using his JD & Ford tractors.

The northeast got hit by a snow storm this past weekend. I spent a lot of time removing snow via the FEL and noticed the front tires (I have R4 tires all around.) like to spin more than I would think is normal. (This could also just be my inexperience with smaller tractors talking.) Anyway, I have the ballast in the rear tires but nothing but the FEL up front for weight. Is it advisable to install suitcase weights up front? Is it even possible to use them with the FEL installed?

A snow blower for the 3-point hitch is in the plans for next season but that too is heavy and I may want to have some weight up front just for that, right?
 

85Hokie

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,271
2,104
113
Bedford - VA
I'm a new B2650 owner. It's my first tractor although I grew up helping around my grandfather's farm and using his JD & Ford tractors.

The northeast got hit by a snow storm this past weekend. I spent a lot of time removing snow via the FEL and noticed the front tires (I have R4 tires all around.) like to spin more than I would think is normal. (This could also just be my inexperience with smaller tractors talking.) Anyway, I have the ballast in the rear tires but nothing but the FEL up front for weight. Is it advisable to install suitcase weights up front? Is it even possible to use them with the FEL installed?

A snow blower for the 3-point hitch is in the plans for next season but that too is heavy and I may want to have some weight up front just for that, right?

Be careful there on the front end - ballast is fine, but typically you add ballast OPPOSITE the end you are working on. By adding ballast and a FEL you are asking a lot of the front end, it will over time damage the steering and front end components (not to mention the possibility of hitting the FEL)- I do understand your problem however - I tried to get up my small incline with 8" of snow, all four where spinning, really - all four tires were spinning - I added 12 - 40lbs concrete stepping stones to the bucket (to take out as soon as I got to the top of the hill) it made no difference at all!!!

As the snow packs - the compressed snow make a nice layer of "ice" and my R4's said screw it too!!! Now I did dig a nice couple of holes in the gravel where I was trying come out of:D:p
 

rkillcrazy

New member

Equipment
B2650
Jan 26, 2016
22
0
1
Berks County, PA
Be careful there on the front end - ballast is fine, but typically you add ballast OPPOSITE the end you are working on. By adding ballast and a FEL you are asking a lot of the front end, it will over time damage the steering and front end components (not to mention the possibility of hitting the FEL)- I do understand your problem however - I tried to get up my small incline with 8" of snow, all four where spinning, really - all four tires were spinning - I added 12 - 40lbs concrete stepping stones to the bucket (to take out as soon as I got to the top of the hill) it made no difference at all!!!

As the snow packs - the compressed snow make a nice layer of "ice" and my R4's said screw it too!!! Now I did dig a nice couple of holes in the gravel where I was trying come out of:D:p
Understood. I was wondering what would happen once the snow began to melt a bit. I was thinking it may become sticky and I may have a slightly easier time with it. Time will tell...

I certainly understand the added stress with the additional weight on the steering linkage. So, maybe front weights are not the answer when removing snow with the FEL. Perhaps, chains would be a better option... Or, perhaps, it's a limitation of the technology and it is what it is - I can deal with that. It's a B2650, not an M1 Abrams! However, what about when I add a snowblower to the 3-point hitch? From what I've read, it's recommended to have some additional weight to counter that of the snowblower. Do you - more experienced - operators feel the same? Or, is the weight of the FEL good enough to counter that of the snowblower?
 

85Hokie

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,271
2,104
113
Bedford - VA
With the snowblower on your rear - the weight on the front would be a good idea, and with the FEL you have some weight, crazy as it seems, first thing I would do if I thought I was going to need more ballast up front is too place a huge chunk of snow in the FEL, and - depending on type of snow, you have a ballast and can empty it quickly and then if need be place it back. Bucket full of snow (wet) should tip the scales at a couple hundred pounds.
 

rkillcrazy

New member

Equipment
B2650
Jan 26, 2016
22
0
1
Berks County, PA
With the snowblower on your rear - the weight on the front would be a good idea, and with the FEL you have some weight, crazy as it seems, first thing I would do if I thought I was going to need more ballast up front is too place a huge chunk of snow in the FEL, and - depending on type of snow, you have a ballast and can empty it quickly and then if need be place it back. Bucket full of snow (wet) should tip the scales at a couple hundred pounds.
That's pretty much what I was thinking; I just wanted to make sure.

So, for my purposes, this is what I've gathered:
  • Don't add suitcase weights to the front end.
  • Keep the FEL installed and use it as controllable ballast when using rear implements.