Ballast Ballast/ Ballast Box question

[elginfarm]

Hello All. I have a 4400. I want to be able to do some loader work without dragging my mower around on the 3 point. Rather than purchase a ballast box, can't I just fabricate something that attaches to the 3 point where I can use weight plates from the gym. I think this would be a simplier operation and I literally have a lot of them. Any comments, experience or information on fabrications in this area would be greatly appreciated. I've also looked at getting a trailer hitch adapter and adding the weights to that or some set up for adding weight to the drawbar. By the way, I don't want to load the tires or spend an outrageous amount for rear wheel weights. I researched earlier posts and found where someone had fabricated an adapter for using gym weight plates as wheel weights, Any information or experince on that would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[slaveToHorses]

Nothing magical about a Ballast Box. It's just a box with a top link clevis and drag link pin setup. Sure rig something up for the weights. Put em to good use!
You might want to make sure they are mounted in a way that they won't clank around and make a big racket, or maybe you don't care...

I have thought about welding on some pins to add those to my ballast box.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If you can weld, there is no secret to adding weight. You'll be looking for a lot of weight. A good 600 pounds or more.

 

[Cidertom]

I saw someone doing "big" lifting weights by using a solid rod through the weights and through the link ends. They were all the same diameter. Seemed to me that they would be a real pain to get aligned and the rod through. Couple of people out here have welded a support for a 55 gal drum that takes a 3 pt and filled it with rocks and concrete.

 

[RalphVa]

You'll find lots of ballast box designs and weights if you search the forums.

Another option is the KK Carryall. Buy it and design your own box, fill it with whatever. You'll also find lots of carryall box designs in a search. The most ballasted I've ever had my 4010 is with the carryall half full of mulch on the back and the FEL full in front.

Ballast box or carryall, I'd recommend putting castors underneath to allow it to be moved about on a concrete floor to make mounting and demounting it a lot easier.

Ralph

 

[JDFANATIC]

Ralph,

That is shamefull! We're talking about a 4400 and not a toy tractor. There is no way a ballast box full of mulch is enough to counterballance the lifting capacity of this machine! Elginfarm, please read you owner's manual, if you don't have one, find out what the recommended ballast requirements are for this set-up.

Mis-information is as bad as information.

 

[BloomingtonMike]

Ralph,

That is shamefull! We're talking about a 4400 and not a toy tractor. There is no way a ballast box full of mulch is enough to counterballance the lifting capacity of this machine! Elginfarm, please read you owner's manual, if you don't have one, find out what the recommended ballast requirements are for this set-up.

Mis-information is as bad as information.

Why use a box. Just pick up a couple bags of mulch at the store and rest them on the bars of the three point. That should be enough.

J/K

At least 600lbs or more - check the manual - maybe 600lbs and loaded tires. I know the 3320 with IMatch wants a lot of weight on the rear to cb the loader. Some people build a cast for a ballast box from wood, insert the connecting arms and sometimes even a 2" receiver hitch and then start mixing up the sacrete/concrete.

 

[jdbower]

You can also use physics to help you out. First we must find the center of weight of the tractor - I assume it's someplace near the front since that's where the engine is but for all I know they put heavy stuff in the back to make closet to a 50-50 weight distribution. Filling the large back wheels should move it back significantly. Let's assume that the ballast box is 5' from the center of mass and weighs 600 lbs. That means that it produces 5x600=3000 ft-lbs of torque. If you make a 5' extension and fill it with 300 pounds you've now got 10'x300lbs=3000 ft-lbs of torque. The tricky part of this is to figure out the center of mass for the tractor is, but the short version of the story is that less weight farther back has the same net effect. This is why a long rotary cutter provides a more ballast than a tiller or ballast box - but on the flip side you also run the risk of TOO much ballast and lifting the front wheels.

In an ideal world we'd calculate the max torque generated with a full load, the min torque generated with an empty load, and have a moveable ballast that could equalize things (and move up or down to keep the center of gravity lower...).

 

[dirtworksequip]

Ballast box weights are: full of dry sand 616 lbs.
full of concrete 780 lbs.
full of portland cement 1042 lbs.
Thats alot of free weights!

 

[Nuru]

Yep, my 4100 manual and the 200CX manual both indicate ballast and filled tires (just got mine done with used antifreeze). i can put approximately up to 1400 lbs between the tires and the ballast box with concrete or the universal weights I have gathering dust.

 

[RalphVa]

Look. He can puts rocks, lead bars, gold bars, anything he wants into the carryall box. It's an idea. I just told what worked for me. If I'd had rocks in the FEL, I'd need rocks in the carryall.

You guys are a bunch of goofs.

I drove BIG tractors before most of you were born. Plowed whole fields when I was about 8 or 9 years old.

Buncha teenagers.

Ralph

 

[rmonio]

I use my Ballast Box unless I have a use for the Box Blade.. . The HD Frontier BB is usually heavy enough to give me the ballast I need.

Why fabricate the box? I didn't think the JD Ballast Box was that expensive when I bought it. Combine it with the i-Match and it's a pretty weighty setup with the right stuff in it.

-Bob

 

[rmonio]

BTW, Ralph - thanks for calling me a teenager!

 

[johndeere_2210]

Unless you get something other than steel (my neighbor just filled a 30 gallon drum with concrete and placed a rod through it and fabricated a bracket on top) and this is roughly 500 lbs. On a 4400, you need more (if you haven't experienced the power of the loader yet, you will at some point and be glad to have amble ballast. I would look the manual over and see the weight requirements, and then set out to construct something that can support that load on the three point (perhaps a box blade with multiple weight lift weights attached???)

 

[elginfarm]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I like the carryall idea and have also considered making a wood form, running a drawbar through it and using some eye bolts for attaching the top/center link and then filling it with concrete. I'll re-read the owners manual and the FEL loader manual to figure out how much ballast i'll need. I've already used the FEL filled with wet dirt with the cutter attached and everything was fine. I wouldn't try that without something hanging on the back though. I want to keep all my body parts and make it to retirement in order to enjoy retirement. Maybe it might be worth it to get a regular ballast box. That way I can have some control over the weight. What can I expect to pay for a ballast box from the JD dealer? Any other thoughts or ideas, as always, will be greatly appreciated since a lot of this is new to me.
Thanks again all.

 

[johndeere_2210]

elginfarm,

The box should put you back $200 and for that, I would consider a 5 or 6' boxblade by TSC or Rural King ($400) and fab something to accept weight lifting weights for real ballast. Reason for mentioning this, my neighbor has a 5510 much larger machine, but you can only get about 700 lbs in that box unless you are using some very dense like lead weights. Alternatively, the boxblade when altered could achieve great weight (I suspect you want around 1000 lbs on the rear of that machine or a bit more) and protect the entire rear end (i.e., box is as wide as your machine as opposed to a 2 foot wide ballast box) and can be used for other functions.

 

[elginfarm]

Thanks JD2210. Again, The ballst box is an option. I will eventually need a box blade but was hoping to hold off on that purchase since I think I really need a landscape rake first. I'd like to clear all the old broken limbs and small rocks. I ahd hoped to find a decent box blade at an auction but when the time comes I'll probably go with a howse or KK if I have to buy new.
Thanks,
Eldon

 

[rmonio]

The Ballast Box sells for $175-$200 (I paid $150 when I bought mine). I believe it's an inexpensive route to go for getting a good start on the ballast you need - even for small projects. There is nothing wrong with having the ballast box AND a Box Blade or other tool if you can wing it. They both fit a purpose and keep in mind that the Ballast Box is smaller and easier to manuever than having to haul around anything larger when you're doing smaller projects...

-Bob

 

[stuart]

Someone on Ebay sells brackets that attach to you rear wheels and allows the attachment of several round 50lb weights to each wheel. Sorry I do not have the site.

 

[Nuru]

Someone on Ebay sells brackets that attach to you rear wheels and allows the attachment of several round 50lb weights to each wheel. Sorry I do not have the site.

i thought about that and just filled my rear tires, works well with recycled anti-freeze.