Ballast Analysis

[Old Machinist]

A good video explaining the effects of loader and ballast weights.

 

[Shawn T. W]

Excellent video! Every tractor sales person should watch it, along with ever first time tractor owner/operator!

Here is one about how filled tires effect the tractor ...

I like a lot of weight on my tractors rear axle ... I have the ability to add 275 Lbs to the BH mounting frame if it's not on, for ground engaging equipment.

 

[Old Machinist]

That comparison with rim guard in the rear tires and no 3 point ballast confirms what the other video claims. Loaded tires, while making the rear heavier and more stable, does not remove weight off the front axle.

 

[Shawn T. W]

That comparison with rim guard in the rear tires and no 3 point ballast confirms what the other video claims. Loaded tires, while making the rear heavier and more stable, does not remove weight off the front axle.

Yup!

And so many people claim it's all they need to have for loader work, or maybe a lightweight 250 Lb rear blade!

Another false gauge that some use is "the back tires didn't come off the ground" yeah, but if 95% of the total tractor and load is on the front axle, a axle rebuild is right around the corner, besides the tractor can tip over MUCH easier with that mismatched "balance"!

I say that if the tractor comes with a backhoe, or is an option, that's a good starting point for how much weight is needed on the back for front loader work ... While it's possible to add more weight with a BH on, it's not easy, so ... I figure the manufacturer decided that a TLB package is not going to overload the rear axle, but also takes enough load OFF the front axle ... !

 

[Paul Allwood]

Great videos. I'm much newer to tractors than most here and amazed at what seems to be a low % of the total weight on the rear axle with no ballast. A good demonstration of the effect of a load in the bucket and the of the need for ballast with a loader.

 

[Shawn T. W]

Another thought ...

Quite often we hear/read the suggestion of "put as much weight on the back as you want to pick up in the front" ... Which is basically what the first video does, and while it restored the basic 70/30 split of weight reduction ... Is the front axle overloaded at that point? Tires?

For those that have that same tractor loader combination, I'd be VERY interested in some actual numbers out of your manual ...
Like what is the front axle actually rated for?
What is the stated "lift capacity?
What is the rear axle rated for?
What are the tires rated for?

Another thing is not just the pounds/kilos of weight on the back, but WHERE it is in relation to the rear axle ... A quick hitch will push that weight back another roughly 5" ... So that same 650 pounds is more effective, then if it is "at the pins" of the lower arms ... My 5' wide brush hog is 8' long and weighs 518.4 Lbs, but my front axle is light enough with the tail wheel off the ground that I need to add ballast to the bucket! Whereas the the factory BH with aftermarket thumb is 651.0 Lbs is more balanced, and doesn't need front ballast to turn ... My homemade 707.0 Lb ballast box that has recessed pockets for the QH to go into, to keep load close and compact to the back of the tractor, also doesn't need front ballast!

This is from when I was building it, after concrete was cured, I knocked out the 2X4 spacers, so the QH could slide in and grab that pipe ...

The ballast box stays close, and the extra 275 Lbs of weight lifting plates is very close to the rear axle, and probably is only as effective as 125 Lbs if it was out at the ends of the arms, as far as "rear ballast" (to compensate for front load) compared to "rear axle ballast" for traction ... Which is the primary reason I use it for.

 

[Old Machinist]

I've always considered a good rule of thumb is what ever the front can pick up you should try to hang off the rear or as close as you can. Rear lift capacity always exceeds the loader capacity so that isn't a problem.

Distance from the tires is also a consideration. When I made the mount for my offset sickle bar mower I weighed the front on my LX. For one to check side to side stress on the loader and for another to make sure I wasn't maxing out the tires. As it turned out I added two hundred pounds to the left side inline with the loader arm to offset 120 pounds hanging further off the right side. I DID end up with the front tires near max but I didn't have anything on the rear when I did it so I need to put some rear ballast on just to use that mower on the front. My rear tires are loaded and I have a cab so it doesn't feel like it will lift but getting some weight off the front will give me more peace of mind.

SOOO, while it's nice to have the rear ballast tucked in close it has more effect the further from the tires you can mount it. A thousand pounds four feet forward of the front tires won't be entirely offset by a thousand pounds two feet behind the rear.

 

[McMXi]

That comparison with rim guard in the rear tires and no 3 point ballast confirms what the other video claims. Loaded tires, while making the rear heavier and more stable, does not remove weight off the front axle.

I have three sets of wheel weights on both tractors and Rim Guard in the rear tires of both tractors. The M6060 has 1,440 lb of Rim Guard and 1,000 lb of wheel weights. While this doesn't remove weight from the front axle (as if it would), it does change the ratio of the load distribution at each axle.

 

[McMXi]

Another thing that Tim's video might indicate is that cabbed tractors have a much better weight distribution than open station tractors. It would be interesting to see such data for all models across many manufacturers. I sure would like to have a set of scales like those shown in the first video.

 

[SDT]

A good video explaining the effects of loader and ballast weights.

Bingo.

Now you know why your FEL equipped FWA tractor will not back up a slight incline on crushed rock even with nothing in the bucket unless FWA is turned on or something heavy is on the three point.