Ballast 790 FEL Front Bracket: For Weights?

[Phineas7]

I've never removed my FEL, but it appears that when I do it will leave the front brush guard in place with a ~1/4" x 4" flat steel across the front.

Is this designed to hang weights on? It looks a little light considering the torque generated by a couple hundred pounds of weight.

Obviously I don't want to bend it and not be able to get the FEL back on!

 

[dirt ditch]

I have never taken off my loader so this is all I know.

The JD 300 series loader manual says The front weight bracket is the loader mounting bracket.

The salesman that sold me my 790 assured me the weight bracket was the 300 loader's front mount.

The weight bracket had to be taken off the tractor before the older 419 & 70 loaders could be installed.

 

[RobS]

My 790 is older and has the 70 loader. The weight bracket for mine is completely separate but only 1/4 inch steel or so. Works plenty well with my five 40 pound weights when I decide to mow loaderless.

 

[kebo]

I've never removed my FEL, but it appears that when I do it will leave the front brush guard in place with a ~1/4" x 4" flat steel across the front.

Is this designed to hang weights on? It looks a little light considering the torque generated by a couple hundred pounds of weight.

Obviously I don't want to bend it and not be able to get the FEL back on!

I removed my model 70 FEL last weekend for three reasons, one I wanted to do maintenance on the engine, two I wanted better access to wash it and clean it up, and lastly I just wanted to learn how to do it.

I quickly determined that this loader had never been off. The latches that lock it in place were jammed in position by turning them on the threaded shaft that connects down to the large rotating lever that locks the loader on. One of them was froze up and had to use PB and two pairs of vice grips to free it up.


But, after getting the latches loose, it was REAL easy to remove the loader, and no problem at all to hook everything back up either. Just make sure you mark the four hoses to clearly identify them for reattachment so they won't get crossed up.


Sorry for getting off the subject slightly!! But, the weight bracket will stay on the tractor, it doesn't come off with the loader. It's stout enough to handle a full compliment of the JD suitcase weights designed for it. Mine doens't have the front brush guard so I can't really comment to that, unfortunately.

 

[RobS]

Just make sure you mark the four hoses to clearly identify them for reattachment so they won't get crossed up.

Hey kebo,

My hoses came with some markers but you can easily make your own with two each of four different color zip ties. Just put matching colors on each end of each hose pair. Couldn't be easier, unless you are color blind (don't laugh, I have a friend...).

 

[kebo]

Yep, mine has some little plastic rings (different colors) on each hose, but for some reason there's not a matching color ring on the four ports that they connect to?? I had the same idea you mentioned, which is to get four tie wraps of the same colors already on the hoses and put them on the four ports.

 

[Phineas7]

I'm like you kebo, I'm currious just to do it. Plus it's probably a good idea just to be able to lube everything. I need to bushhog in the woods and it would help to not have the bucket adding length to the tractor. It's tight enough already. I would just remove the bucket, but it's scary enough on the side of the hills and terraces. I hoping that no loader, with weights, will actually lower the center of gravity. I already have the tires loaded with water.

I don't have any of the JD 40 pounders, I do have a couple of 70 lb weights for hanging on the BB to help with smoothing / scraping. I'm hoping to use those and get 2 more actually. After looking at it more closely, the plate does appear to be 3/8".

 

[Barely Smokin']

Phineas, the biggest single thing I did to help my 790 stability-wise was to flip the front and rear tires (i.e., increase the width). It took about an hour with an impact wrench and made a huge difference.

Occasionally I do a little "exploratory mowing" in the woods and I find it very helpful to have the bucket mounted so I can bulldoze any rocks or stumps that I'm about to mow. I just set the bucket about 4" off the ground---just about where the blade height is set. Like you, I think the bucket lowers the CoG, too, and sometimes I'll get a scoop of rocks in the bucket just to lower the CoG further still. If in real doubt, I'll let both the bucket and the rear attachment float.

Nice pic! Is that you catching some air?

 

[Phineas7]

I have the R4s so it's as wide as it gets. If I reversed them, they'd be touching in the middle

Part of my property is still thick underbrush and I use the bucket as you mention. btw a toobar really helps in that. It keep the trees your pushing over from just sliding off to the side. I'm trying to keep the woods as tight as possible, but still get the tractor around. I want it nice and shady, but still be able to see thru it for nice veiw from the porches. I've got the back 4 acres of it nice and clean and I just need to do mowing maintenance and there'd be less stopping and backing and less passes without the bucket.