Filling just the rear?

[mx377]

As I stated in my last post, I have a new LS 4046 on the way...

My question now is... If I'm going to be doing allot of FEL work in the woods with grapple Should I only fill the rear or go ahead & fill both front & Rear?

 

[George2615]

I don't see a reason to load the fronts for doing loader work but that's just me. Maybe for snow plowing you would load all 4 for extra weight.
And congrats on the new tractor. Don't forget the pics when it arrives.

 

[puckgrinder85]

I doubt it will hurt anything but given the size of the front tire its not going to do very much either. If you want more weight on the front for a particular project load the bucket full of dirt and dump it out when you're done.

 

[mx377]

I'm mainly going to be using it to carry logs out of the woods & loading on a truck. will loading the rears be enough ballist?

 

[puckgrinder85]

If im at the max of my loader, I can carry the logs but I'm also ready to drop the bucket in a heartbeat too and keep it very low to the ground. You're still better off with some ballast behind the axle, but yes the loaded tires will help significantly. Try it out and go from there.

 

[pmhowe]

I use my tractor mostly in the woods, with very hilly ground. I have loaded tires, front and rear. I wanted a lot of weight low to the ground. I also use rear ballast whenever I am using the FEL. It makes it easier to steer. It probably makes it easier on the front end, as well. It is surprising to me what a large difference rear ballast, held low, makes in providing a feeling of stability when I have something heavy in the FEL.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm mainly going to be using it to carry logs out of the woods & loading on a truck. will loading the rears be enough ballist?

When lifting with the FEL, the front tires become a pivot point. Any added weight in the front tires will not help with keeping the rear tires on the ground. You need to counter the weight that is ahead of the front axle, by adding weight to the rear of the tractor, like filling the rear tires as you mention, or adding a ballast box, weights, or a heavy implement to the rear of the tractor.

When I had my IH2500b (same thing as an IH 574) I had 54" tall x 14" wide tires filled with sodium chloride(about 550# in each tire), and a 55 gallon drum of concrete on the 3pt hitch, and a full cab, and a full tank of gas, and I could still lift the rear off the ground with a big enough bunch of logs. So, tractor weighed about 4000#, plus weight of FEL and bucket, another 1000#, plus 1100# of salt water in tires, plus cab, 500#, plus 55 gallons of concrete, guestimation at 5-600#. That's over 3000# of added weight. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Wolfy]

Filled rear tires, wheel weights, and rear counterweight with chains as needed works for me.

 

[mx377]

Thank you everyone for your first hand info! I'm off to look for info on building a counter with this 55 gal. drum I have laying out back....

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Filling the fronts only gets you more weight for better traction, thus better steering. Better traction equals higher capacity for pulling implements. Most people do not fill the fronts, I am not most people and I have the fronts filled on both my 32hp & 75hp tractors. Has not hurt anything as of yet that I am aware of.