BX1500 - Any way to secure 3pt in upright position while I use MMM?

[GolfAddict]

Here is a drawing from my manual.



You can see how the lifting arms are now detached from the lifting rods, so the 3pt stays in place and the lift arms are free to travel up and down.

I would be nervous about how much weight I had on the 3pt using this method.

 

[RaydaKub]

Here is a drawing from my manual.

I would be nervous about how much weight I had on the 3pt using this method.

Yeah, that would make me nervous as well. And as you mentioned, actually moving the lift rods over there would be a major pain.

 

[joshuabardwell]

... I would add r.e. your question about wheel weights vs. rear ballast, if your concern is stability while mowing, then wheel weights will do as good or better a job. Wheel weights are further out to the side of your center-line, thereby effectively widening your stance by moving your weight distribution outwards, and wheel weights may also be lower than a ballast box on the three-point, lowering your center of gravity. Liquid-filled wheels have the lowest CG of all, since they are resting on the ground. Presumably you aren't going to be using your FEL to lift heavy loads while mowing, so the fact that wheel-based ballast doesn't help the FEL's capacity may be moot. You could leave your wheel weights on all the time, or load your tires, and then simply drop off the ballast box whenever you were going to mow. I find that the tractor handles a little more roughly with the loader on and no ballast on the back, but it's not really a safety issue, as long as there is some ballast on the tractor to ensure adequate traction e.g. when going downhill forwards.

 

[Jettix2]

Thanks to all for the help....

Yes, I do have the alternate frame mounting points for the lifting rods to mount to, underneath the fenders...mine are actually part of the body/frame of the tractor, not a bracket like shown in the diagram. I don't think I'd want 500# on those points, but a couple hundred lbs is probably OK.

If I get the weight box mounted to permanently on the tractor, it will prevent me from running my lawn sweeper, as it obstructs the hitch. Hmmmm. As it is, I can take the weight box off in about 2 minutes. I do have a concrete pad to mount/dismount my loader. My yard has lots of hills, so even without a loader, rear weight might be a good idea.......

I also have a rear mounted bagger that came with the tractor which I don't want to use, as I have about 2.5 acres of grass and end up doubling my mowing time (it seems) because I spend half my time emptying the bags. BUT, it does add ballast to the back, and I noticed it does not mount with the 3 point, per-se (it mounts in a static position to the lower arms). I'll see if I can post up some pics to explain. It is awkward to remove, just thought I'd throw that out there because of how it is mounted.

... I would add r.e. your question about wheel weights vs. rear ballast, if your concern is stability while mowing, then wheel weights will do as good or better a job. Wheel weights are further out to the side of your center-line, thereby effectively widening your stance by moving your weight distribution outwards, and wheel weights may also be lower than a ballast box on the three-point, lowering your center of gravity. Liquid-filled wheels have the lowest CG of all, since they are resting on the ground. Presumably you aren't going to be using your FEL to lift heavy loads while mowing, so the fact that wheel-based ballast doesn't help the FEL's capacity may be moot. You could leave your wheel weights on all the time, or load your tires, and then simply drop off the ballast box whenever you were going to mow. I find that the tractor handles a little more roughly with the loader on and no ballast on the back, but it's not really a safety issue, as long as there is some ballast on the tractor to ensure adequate traction e.g. when going downhill forwards.

 

[Jettix2]

(pic of the bagger attached is not my actual tractor but one at the dealer I snapped a pic of last year as I had forgotten to take a pic with my bagger installed)

 

[Jettix2]

...so, to clarify, since my previous post sounds like I was rambling....LOL:

1) I don't really want to remove the loader every time I mow, and even without a FEL, with the hills I have, some ballast might be smart (I am mostly concerned with rolling the tractor while mowing on hills, the tractor is VERY tippy even with an empty FEL on hills.
2) Wheel weights are a definite option. Fluid in the rear tires also an option.
3) Weight box would work if I can find a way to keep it static, OR at least have full movement of my MMM with a good 6" clearance under the weight box while MMM is in the down position (would using 2 threaded/adjustable lift arms help?)
4) I also would like to be able to pull a yard sweeper 1x a month to pick up sticks/etc in the yard, so rear weight cannot be a complete PITA to remove.
5) How does a 3 point mounted salt/seed spreader mount........does the height go up and down, or are they mounted in a static way? That is something I had considered, for seeding the yard in summer, and sanding/salting the driveway in winter (in which case, I'll sell the weight box).

 

[Herkypilot]

You could just add a couple of pneumatic wheels on casters to the bottom of your weight box. A couple of hundred pounds wouldn't be a problem depending on the size wheels you get. The box will just ride along behind you with the added benefit of keeping the weight as low as possible. Just not sure that would help with "counter weight" if it's essentially resting on the ground.

HP

 

[GolfAddict]

You could just add a couple of pneumatic wheels on casters to the bottom of your weight box. A couple of hundred pounds wouldn't be a problem depending on the size wheels you get. The box will just ride along behind you with the added benefit of keeping the weight as low as possible. Just not sure that would help with "counter weight" if it's essentially resting on the ground.

HP

The thing is that the box would still ride up and down on it's wheels. Although, at least it wouldn't be digging into the ground...

...
5) How does a 3 point mounted salt/seed spreader mount........does the height go up and down, or are they mounted in a static way? That is something I had considered, for seeding the yard in summer, and sanding/salting the driveway in winter (in which case, I'll sell the weight box).

I've only seen 3pt spreaders that mount in the typical way to the three links, but I haven't looked a lot either. However, in looking at your grass catcher pictures, it seems you could make a similar mount (or use that one?) that would make a spreader static. (Could probably use it for your weight box for that matter.)

The catcher mount is static because it forms a solid triangle (really a pyramid) from the lower links to the top link frame mount point and out to top of catcher frame. The disconnected lower links can't drop because of the catcher mount pieces that go from the lower link ends to the top link frame-side mount. The whole thing can't tip backwards because of the top of the pyramid - the mount piece from the top link frame mount out to the third point up above on the catcher frame.

It looks like you can unbolt that mount from the grass catcher frame? If so, it may be you could use it for other 3pt implements. You'd have to drill a hole through the implement end of the top piece of that mount so you could put a pin through - basically making that top part a top link. Or, you could build or have built a similar mount to use if you wanted to leave that one on the catcher.

 

[RaydaKub]

...so, to clarify, since my previous post sounds like I was rambling....LOL:

1) I don't really want to remove the loader every time I mow, and even without a FEL, with the hills I have, some ballast might be smart (I am mostly concerned with rolling the tractor while mowing on hills, the tractor is VERY tippy even with an empty FEL on hills.

You tractor is tippy BECAUSE of the FEL, not despite the FEL.

At the risk of repeating myself, I decked out my BX2230 for loader work. My tires are loaded, an extra 50 lbs in weights on each one, 275 lb weight bar on the 3ph. I parked on my hill where it felt tippy. The FEL was about 2 inches off the ground, the weight bar about 4. I got off and pushed on the ROPS and could lift the uphill back wheel easily with one hand. I went to the garage, stripped the FEL, wheel weights, and bar, then parked in the exact same place. I could not lift the wheel anymore.

The FEL, no matter how low it goes will not help stability. It adds it's weight to the front end and transfers almost as much off the rear end, all to the tippy front axle. If you are worried about being tippy, the easiest (and in my opinion, the ONLY ) way to do it is drop the FEL.

 

[TripleR]

My wife has trouble removing the FEL on our tractors and I am often at another farm or somewhere else on this one when she wants to use a FEL to move some dirt or clear a trail, so we have our BX2200 set up with the FEL and a box scraper or rotary cutter for ballast. My son has taken it up on a hill side gotten off and tested force needed to raise the tires and it is definitely easier to tip with a FEL than without, so to make both of our BX's more stable we have put Bro Tek skid plates and wheel spacers on both and as previously mentioned fluid or weights on the rear tires.

You might consider getting a horizontal draw bar for your 3PH, my wife keeps one on "her" BX2660 to act as a bumper since she tends to back into things, and weld or bolt additional weight on it, so when you remove it, you can put something else on it. It would be a simple matter to build a stand to drop it on to dismount as needed.

We live on pretty hilly property and years ago had an ATV that was a bit light in the front, so I added lead weights to the lower frame like they do on dirt track cars around here only smaller, probably not practical for a tractor as they are more trouble to remove.