bigtoolrack/ballast on a b series?

[MattEffinCameron]

So I am getting a new (to me) B series. My first tractor. And I know I am going to need something for ballast to use the loader at all. I am not loading the tires since mowing the lawn is a primary function for this and I think it will be tough enough with the weight of the tractor alone (tough meaning, leaving good looking cut..not rutting up the lawn etc).

So I figure I have 4 options...
1. buy ballast box ($250)
2. cobble together some ballast of my own...this would take time and still cost some money I imagine to buy a 3ph friendly bracket or whatever
3. buy implement I need/want anyway and put that on for ballast when needed - this is smart financially but I am not sure how much I would like always having to have a 63" snowblower on the back in the summer when I want to use the loader?
4. bigtoolrack.... (www.bigtoolrack.com) if you know of another similar product, let me know! I know a lot of you could make this on your own...I dont have any metal working capabilities however so thats not really an option

So bigtoolrack on its own weight ~250, and if I get the suitcase bracket and some weights I can boost it up to 500 lbs. Im sure its a value in the sense that it is a well built product (I think) made in america, etc...but its just a ton of money to spend on ballast.

I am interested in any recommendations for which direction you think I should go...but I first and foremost I am interested in any opinions you guys have (or experiences) with how a bigtoolrack would work on a B series. Specifically I guess I am wondering (never having used a 3PH before) if it is reasonable to expect that the bed on the thing would always be level, or is it going to be pitches slightly one direction or the other when the hitch is in a higher or lower position, and specific to the smaller kubotas...do you think quarter inching would make use of this less friendly than if I had say, position control? Is the 3ph going to stay at the level I want it at or sag throughout the day/weekend requiring constant adjustment? Is the quarter inch raising/lowering smooth or jerky to where it might not be nice with a bed full of stuff banging around?

Thanks for any input!

 

[muskoka kubota guy]

I would recommend some sort of implement which doubles as ballast. I have a scraper blade on the back of my B which I made myself and which serves two purposes; to add ballast and to occasionally scrape down the gravel driveway. The bigtoolrack seems handy. I only have 2.5 acres but I often wish I had a shovel, rake, crowbar....with the tractor. If it weighs 250 lbs, then you are into some weight when you add a sledge hammer, some chain etc.... I wouldn't be too hung up on leveling and all that, you won't be plowing or brush hogging with it, like a loader it's purpose is to conveniently move stuff from A to B.

 

[Xfaxman]

Here is something very handy that you can add more weight to.

From: Combo Hitches - OMNI Mfg LLC

 

[MattEffinCameron]

Here is something very handy that you can add more weight to.

From: Combo Hitches - OMNI Mfg LLC

View attachment 417480

View attachment 417481

View attachment 417482

That gray rack is perfect, where did you get that? or did you make it?

 

[MattEffinCameron]

nevermind, I see it

 

[newbury]

<snip>
So I figure I have 4 options...
1. buy ballast box ($250)
2. cobble together some ballast of my own...this would take time and still cost some money I imagine to buy a 3ph friendly bracket or whatever
3. buy implement I need/want anyway and put that on for ballast when needed - this is smart financially but I am not sure how much I would like always having to have a 63" snowblower on the back in the summer when I want to use the loader?
4. bigtoolrack.... (www.bigtoolrack.com) if you know of another similar product, let me know! I know a lot of you could make this on your own...I dont have any metal working capabilities however so thats not really an option

So bigtoolrack on its own weight ~250, and if I get the suitcase bracket and some weights I can boost it up to 500 lbs. Im sure its a value in the sense that it is a well built product (I think) made in america, etc...but its just a ton of money to spend on ballast. <snip>
Is the 3ph going to stay at the level I want it at or sag throughout the day/weekend requiring constant adjustment? Is the quarter inch raising/lowering smooth or jerky to where it might not be nice with a bed full of stuff banging around?

Thanks for any input!

If the $250 is "a ton of money" and all you need is a 1/4 ton of ballast I'd suggest you make your own.

For example:
Material - 55 gallon drum, 2 lift-arm-pins, a bolt on strap with bolts, heavy duty pipe you can put the lift arms into, concrete (or sand, or gravel), maybe some PVC.

Tools - Something to cut a hole in the barrel for the pipe, something to screw the lift arm pins in, 120 volt MIG welder.

Carefully set the welder near the barrel.
Put a 2' section or so of the heavy duty pipe through the drum at an appropriate height, fill with concrete (fill to 1 foot for about 415 lbs) or just sand or gravel until it weighs what you want, insert a lift arm pin in each end of the pipe. Bolt the strap on top for the top-link.
Pick up the welder.

To get fancier put some PVC pipe sections of "appropriate" diameter in the barrel before you "fill" it and you've got a tool holder.

I personally like a backhoe for ballast but that may easily cost 20 to 30 "tons of money"

And the 3pt should stay about the same height when you are running the tractor, but it will often leak down slowly.

/edit concrete would probably be best

 

[MattEffinCameron]

the 250 for the kubota ballast box isnt a ton of money...I was referring to the coast of the bigtoolrack item. It WEIGHS 200-250lbs base weight, but it costs ~$1,000. And for ballast, that IS a ton of money (at least for me)

I am thinking about going to kubota ballast box route for 250 and then spending some fabrication time/effort fitting a hitch receiver to the bottom of it like this:
http://www.deansmiley.com/Gallery/m...DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1323&g2_serialNumber=2

and maybe rigging a "basket"/"bed" like bigtoolrack or the one XFaxMan posted that can fit on the top of it..

 

[Xfaxman]

That gray rack is perfect, where did you get that? or did you make it?

nevermind, I see it

Yep, I have the Omni Carry All with both horizontal and vertical inserts.

I can use it on the V417 with the horizontal insert. :thumbsup:

 

[My Hoe]

LOVE the "Big Tool Rack", OP!

Thanks for posting!

My Hoe

 

[Xfaxman]

LOVE the "Big Tool Rack", OP!

Thanks for posting!

My Hoe

And he is a site Advertiser! http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...toolrack-launches-new-product.html?highlight=

 

[My Hoe]

And he is a site Advertiser! http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...toolrack-launches-new-product.html?highlight=

View attachment 417577

View attachment 417578

Xfaxman,

Thanks--I'd seen the longer video, on his website, but didn't realize he was a TBN-advertiser--that just makes it better!

SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) watched the video, and we agreed this is a MUST have--now I just need to find the tractor to hook it to! :laughing:

 

[newbury]

Here's an example of the "drum" approach:

<snip>

View attachment 417622View attachment 417623View attachment 417624

 

[tk tom]

I have the Kubota ballast box for mine, and I'm not sure how much it weighs but I assume in the vicinity of 500lbs. I also have my tires loaded, and they are the heavier R4's. Under different circumstances a bucket curl will still pull a rear tire off the ground. I would like the ability to put tools somewhere and carry them with me, but I'll probably modify the ballast box before I go buy or fully fabricate anything else. Depending on which model of tractor you buy - without loaded tires - you may want to consider some extra weight back there for loader functions. I move on uneven ground a lot, and not having a firm plant in the rear can be a little hairy when you hit that little dip or bump shifting some weight forward.....

 

[MattEffinCameron]

so I took delivery yesterday and opted to go with the kubota ballast box. I have unloaded tires (wanted it to be light for all the lawn mowing I will be doing) so I will be sure to get 500lbs+ in the box for loader work.

What it came down to for me was that I didnt like the idea of (or have the money) having to buy ~300 dollars in suitcase weights on top of the cost of the bigtoolrack to achieve my immediate need which was ballast. I also have a lot of projects going on right now and didnt want to be pulled away from those projects to fabricate my own ballast solution, or worse, be unable to use the FEL for the foreseeable future because I hadnt yet gotted around to making the ballast solution.

I think ultimately I will try to add some sort of carry-all function built off of the ballast box and see where that goes.

 

[oldballs]

I have a Kubota ballast box and leave it empty so as to muscle it around as needed. When I'm ready to use it I load it with junk truck wheel discs, large rocks etc. I'm frequently changing the design of storing tractor attachments, so not having a 500 pound monster sitting around has been my choice. This is especially true since the Kubota ballast box was for a BX model and doesn't fit my Quick Hitch. So it goes with Newbies.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[BIGTOOLRACK]

And he is a site Advertiser! http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...toolrack-launches-new-product.html?highlight=

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View attachment 417578

Thank you for sharing Xfaxman!

 

[Al Mac]

so I took delivery yesterday and opted to go with the kubota ballast box. I have unloaded tires (wanted it to be light for all the lawn mowing I will be doing) so I will be sure to get 500lbs+ in the box for loader work.

What it came down to for me was that I didnt like the idea of (or have the money) having to buy ~300 dollars in suitcase weights on top of the cost of the bigtoolrack to achieve my immediate need which was ballast. I also have a lot of projects going on right now and didnt want to be pulled away from those projects to fabricate my own ballast solution, or worse, be unable to use the FEL for the foreseeable future because I hadnt yet gotted around to making the ballast solution.

I think ultimately I will try to add some sort of carry-all function built off of the ballast box and see where that goes.

Congrats on your "new to you" B.

I bought a new complete unit last year FEL,MMM, puma blower and it came with a ballast box. The ballast box is great to have with the unloaded turf tires when I needed to move 40 ton off gravel last summer.

I filled the ballast box with quarter minus gravel and have emptied it and refiled and adjusted items. I want to add a couple ideas before it will be concrete
.
So far I have 2- 5" sewer pipes in the corners for yard tools (4" was not big enough) and I lowered the level (about 1.5 inches below the top) so loose tools won't bounce out easily. I will be adding a couple very large eye bolts in the concrete just to have some way to tie things off.
While this lowered the total weight I could have had in it. I really never noticed it with the work I do.
Make it your own tool box for yard work before it is cast in stone.

Al