My ground is fairly soft, when not frozen. The backhoe provides great ballast and if taken off, the 6' box blade will be on it. Would you still recommend tire ballast?
XJ2025 Liquid ballast.
- Thread starter jdom84
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My ground is fairly soft, when not frozen. The backhoe provides great ballast and if taken off, the 6' box blade will be on it. Would you still recommend tire ballast?
OP
jdom84
Gold Member
I think it depends on your uses of your tractor. My backhoe also provided that ballast but when I was out using the back blade with my bucket off, loader frame still on and my homemade plow on the front of my 75lbs forklift frame. Once the back blade hit the ground I had no extra weight for traction. wasn't like the back-blade gave that much more traction anyways.
I was thinking, one could weld up a frame out of rebar like the sub-frame of the backhoe a pour concrete around it. with a way to lift and attach and detach easily. could weigh 500 - 1000 lbs like the backhoe which would give you the best type of weight... the kind the comes off when you don't need it! You would still be able to use the 3 point for attachments and have the extra weight for pulling/pushing. Just a thought...
Thanks. Great advice and info.
CMV
Platinum Member
Doofy - you are a lot heavier than me, but I struggle with real soft ground. For taking a big scoop from a dirt pile or back blading with loader bucket I notice a huge increase in traction adding more weight on the back with ballast box. And that's with the rears filled. Literally night & day difference on soft ground from spinning vs just going. I don't have a BH but I would bet that weight difference in the back makes a noticeable difference driving on soft ground - do you see that difference now with your BH on/off? If using the box blade, isn't the ground supporting it's weight mostly? I think rears filled for that application would be a noticeable difference. Depends on how much earthmoving you're trying to do and just how soft the ground is.
Haven't had a chance to remove the hoe yet to check out the traction difference. Plenty of traction in wet, heavy snow though. I won't know more until Spring when I can go out and play...I meant "work".
OP
jdom84
Gold Member
Everything I read about how light the XJ was... i kinda ignored... then I took the ~1000lbs hoe off LOL. Its not even the same tractor without all that weight. I wish i knew exactly how much the BH weighs because thats where the base weight of the tractor should be!
OP
jdom84
Gold Member
That is a very specific number. Im scared to ask how you got it :thumbsup:
Thanks, I went and maxed out the lift of the little tractor today getting some firewood. The tractor had no weight on the rear wheels but didn't tip forward like before. I did have the back blade on and when putting it on the ground it started to tip forward a bit, but was still able to hold the max weight off the ground an inch or so.
Thanks, I went and maxed out the lift of the little tractor today getting some firewood. The tractor had no weight on the rear wheels but didn't tip forward like before. I did have the back blade on and when putting it on the ground it started to tip forward a bit, but was still able to hold the max weight off the ground an inch or so.
mslisaj
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2017
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Tractor
- LS MT125 Loader/Backhoe John Deere Sabre Lawn tractor w/Snow Blade
Just to add my two cents worth here, you gentlemen all know I have a new MT125 TLB and I have been studying this weight thing. My back hoe weighs over 600 pounds and is a real counter weight. But about a month ago I decided to push some snow. I thought the hoe would be a good idea with the added tracton and "balance". But pushing snow doesn't load the loader bucket and I found the front end so light that I could not steer the tractor. Then a couple weeks ago I pulled the loader off to pull the hood and do some looking around the engine. I was surprised how light the front end was all of a suddend with just the back hoe. I could not make a U-turn in the driveway as I was skidding the light front end. In fact, with all the warning decals on this tractor I'm surprised there isn't one warning of this configuration as I thought if I goosed the throttle I would pop a wheelie and end up with the tractor front wheels stuck off the ground and the tractor resting on the hoe. So balancing these machines is critical. I'm personally not too keen on loading tires but I am going to build a weighted attachment for my three point hitch; and make it really low. But this is a great subject. 
Your 2 cents are always welcome here! I've never had the loader off the tractor and most of the time had left the hoe on. I'm guessing the hoe complete adds close to 800 pounds, but sticks out further than a weight box would and may have a greater influence. What's your thoughts on loading tires? I don't seem to be able to make that decision. Is your property sloped?
mslisaj
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2017
- Messages
- 323
- Location
- Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Tractor
- LS MT125 Loader/Backhoe John Deere Sabre Lawn tractor w/Snow Blade
Well my property is very level but I did have an occasion to go in my neighbors yard and I had to run along by his house where there was a drop off of about 2" or so. I was going slow but this "tip" was not a comfortable feeling. Also the backhoe is an extremely heavy add on component and it's top heavy in it's own right so I realize if I have any momentum the weigh of the hoe alone could take me over.
Now just my thoughts on loaded tires and this is only for me. The little tires on my machine are about all I can handle alone in their original configuration. I use guide bolt/pins to get the wheels on and off as there are no studs on my axle flanges only a small raised hub. I have at one time worked in a tire shop in my long career and I had to deal with a pair of loaded front tires off a Cat back hoe and the concentrated weight of that was unbelievable and I could not handle them alone. I think they had the weighted foam fill in them but it just kind of flipped a switch in my mind about that idea. Then I have seen my share of rusted rims from the liquid salt fill. Don't get me wrong, loaded (weighted) tires have their uses and make a lot of sense but not on my machine and the way I use it. Besides I have a little gyro in my head that if it goes off center just a little I slow and stop immediately. I've watched real equipment operators that would take machines way beyond where I would go and not damage anything but I don't want to damage my machine first or get hurt of killed on it either. So a lot of respect goes into my operating style.
A good point that you made about the center of gravity with the backhoe on is truly quite a distance behind the center of the rear axle. So it's weight also has the advantage of that "arm" making it longer and levered against the front end. So the bottom line for me is to take the hoe off to do my snow work so I have more weight on the front tires and can steer and actually used the 4WD and then add a weight to the three point hitch that loades the rear axle and also has a low center of gravity. And like operating a forklift, keep the loader as low as you can for traveling and line up with your delivery point, get there and raise the load slowly and dump it.
Just my just my thoughts here and as usual you ask a simple question and I have to run off into a big explaination but here you go.
Happy tractoring,
Lisa
Now just my thoughts on loaded tires and this is only for me. The little tires on my machine are about all I can handle alone in their original configuration. I use guide bolt/pins to get the wheels on and off as there are no studs on my axle flanges only a small raised hub. I have at one time worked in a tire shop in my long career and I had to deal with a pair of loaded front tires off a Cat back hoe and the concentrated weight of that was unbelievable and I could not handle them alone. I think they had the weighted foam fill in them but it just kind of flipped a switch in my mind about that idea. Then I have seen my share of rusted rims from the liquid salt fill. Don't get me wrong, loaded (weighted) tires have their uses and make a lot of sense but not on my machine and the way I use it. Besides I have a little gyro in my head that if it goes off center just a little I slow and stop immediately. I've watched real equipment operators that would take machines way beyond where I would go and not damage anything but I don't want to damage my machine first or get hurt of killed on it either. So a lot of respect goes into my operating style.
A good point that you made about the center of gravity with the backhoe on is truly quite a distance behind the center of the rear axle. So it's weight also has the advantage of that "arm" making it longer and levered against the front end. So the bottom line for me is to take the hoe off to do my snow work so I have more weight on the front tires and can steer and actually used the 4WD and then add a weight to the three point hitch that loades the rear axle and also has a low center of gravity. And like operating a forklift, keep the loader as low as you can for traveling and line up with your delivery point, get there and raise the load slowly and dump it.
Just my just my thoughts here and as usual you ask a simple question and I have to run off into a big explaination but here you go.
Happy tractoring,
Lisa
OP
jdom84
Gold Member
If you are already wanting to build a ballast box/tool carrier, I think the size you are thinking would be good. The backhoe sits out further then a ballast box would so the tractor holds the weight different.
This summer I'm going to be using a box blade to level out quite a bit of my "inside" yard and once the box blade is on the ground... there wont be the extra weight on the tractor. And after using the tractor with the loaded tires now for a couple weeks, I can definitely feel the difference with just the 400lbs in the wheels. But I think I might need a bit more when dragging/scrapping the dirt with the box blade, wheel weights would be a nice addition but I haven't seen them for our size tractors... so I might build a weight that connect to the BH connections. I wont know if it will be needed until I start moving the dirt this spring. The issue would be hooking it up and taking it off, would need some sort of jack built in.
This is just a mock-up, I didn't measure anything.
This summer I'm going to be using a box blade to level out quite a bit of my "inside" yard and once the box blade is on the ground... there wont be the extra weight on the tractor. And after using the tractor with the loaded tires now for a couple weeks, I can definitely feel the difference with just the 400lbs in the wheels. But I think I might need a bit more when dragging/scrapping the dirt with the box blade, wheel weights would be a nice addition but I haven't seen them for our size tractors... so I might build a weight that connect to the BH connections. I wont know if it will be needed until I start moving the dirt this spring. The issue would be hooking it up and taking it off, would need some sort of jack built in.
This is just a mock-up, I didn't measure anything.
You had hinted at the idea earlier. I think it could be a good one. For me, not so much as I will want the ground clearance in the flats. I may even switch the crossbar out below the back of the loader. I have a rear blade rather than a box blade. That in itself doesn't interfere with traction in gravel. That may be a project also to frame up some scarifier teeth to help with the crown. The misses wants to cut the ditch in on the side of the drive. I'm thinking that part will work as is, but if not it could become an offset blade! Now someone in a current thread made a midmount blade on their GC?. That could be a good answer for our blading needs. Get on that jdom!
OP
jdom84
Gold Member
I tried making a ditch with my back blade once. The ground here is to hard... thats how I ended up with a box blade
The mid mount grader idea is a good one, Ill have to look into it!. Out at the mine we have some 1/2 thick steel sections cut out of a 3 foot diameter pipe that was made into a trommel.
The mid mount grader idea is a good one, Ill have to look into it!. Out at the mine we have some 1/2 thick steel sections cut out of a 3 foot diameter pipe that was made into a trommel.
CMV
Platinum Member
Would it be possible to make a small plate with a vertical piece of round bar stock to go into the draw bar mount? That could hold some stacked plate weights. Seems like that would be close in enough there would still be clearance for a box blade. Could be a way to have easily added/removed weight low on rear axle?
Can't really draw well, but something like this:
Can't really draw well, but something like this:
