Franken-ballast: expensive and poorly planned!

ovrszd · May 1, 2017

xring100 said:
So when i use my box scrapper or any ground engaging equipment thats on the ground an providing zero normal force on the rear tires. The 2000lbs of juice added to the tires adds a fair amount of tractive effort allowing me to pull tje 1400lb box scrapper with the shanks down through clay without spinning out constantly. My tractor is a tractor ive never thought about taking the weight out of the tires.

Tire ballast has its purpose its not the optimal ballast loader work though

Yep. I won't give up my rear tire ballast. Also allows me to do 90% of my FEL work regardless what's on the 3pt.

rgr33 · May 1, 2017

That turned out great Luke. Makes me want to cover up my concrete and steel weight with a tarp so I don't have to look at it anymore.

Luke'sScreenName · May 1, 2017

rd_macgregor said:
Do your tool holder tubes have weep holes or caps?

If you mean at the bottom, then yes and then some. There is a 3/8" hole for water and dirt. I have a "probe" to clear it out if needs be so that I will rarely have to turn it over.

Luke'sScreenName · May 1, 2017

rgr33 said:
That turned out great Luke. Makes me want to cover up my concrete and steel weight with a tarp so I don't have to look at it anymore.

Thanks everyone!

man00 · May 8, 2017

Very nice, perfect for use with FEL in tight quarters

Luke'sScreenName · May 8, 2017

man00 said:
Very nice, perfect for use with FEL in tight quarters

Exactly, I can't imaging doing 75% of my tasks with a box blade or rotary cutter as ballast. No way. No how.

ovrszd · May 9, 2017

Yeah, me neither.

Luke'sScreenName · Sep 30, 2017

The Franken-ballast has been working great.

Yesterday I was using it to move my 25ft gooseneck equipment trailer. Went to set it down and the ball wouldn't disengage like usual. Found out why....

This scary cold weld was part of the original Countyline trailer mover I built around. I know this was designed for low speed but still seems dangerous as heck.

I ground down and rewelded the nut.

CobyRupert · Sep 30, 2017

Yikes!
Low speed failure might be okay sometimes, but doesn't matter if you're on unleveled ground and the trailer decides it wants to climb up with you into the tractor seat.

Luke'sScreenName · Sep 30, 2017

Yup. And I never use safety chains with the tractor... This SHOULD be a learning experience.

4570Man · Sep 30, 2017

I'd be way more worried about the trailer getting in the seat with me and the chains are too long to prevent that.

Luke'sScreenName · Sep 30, 2017

Good point. That's enough to justify my intention to continue to disregard the chains. :laughing:

rustyshakelford · Oct 1, 2017

Luke'sScreenName said:
The Franken-ballast has been working great.

Yesterday I was using it to move my 25ft gooseneck equipment trailer. Went to set it down and the ball wouldn't disengage like usual. Found out why....

View attachment 523226

This scary cold weld was part of the original Countyline trailer mover I built around. I know this was designed for low speed but still seems dangerous as heck.

I ground down and rewelded the nut.

Mind did the same thing if not slightly worse. 7 yards of dirt in my dump trailer behind a 100 hp Deere. Wrecked all the treated and broke the bolt. Going to weld a piece of 3/4" plate where the nut was, blow out a hole and weld the ball solid.

Good looking weight rack

Brett

Luke'sScreenName · Oct 1, 2017

Ya, that nut is going nowhere now! Lol.

Hope you didn't loose the trailer. That's a lot of unsupervised weight!

Musdalen · Oct 1, 2017

FWIW,
If you build your own ballast, have a plan for when you tip it over by accident and have to stand it up and maneuver it to where you can hitch up again. I did this just this weekend and the hitch receiver was useful for chaining up to the loader arms and moving it very carefully (not much weight on the rear end). If I had planned for this, I might have done things slightly differently (like mounted d-rings on each side or something like that).

aczlan · Oct 1, 2017

Musdalen said:
FWIW,
If you build your own ballast, have a plan for when you tip it over by accident and have to stand it up and maneuver it to where you can hitch up again. I did this just this weekend and the hitch receiver was useful for chaining up to the loader arms and moving it very carefully (not much weight on the rear end). If I had planned for this, I might have done things slightly differently (like mounted d-rings on each side or something like that).

When I built my ballast barrel, I left a piece of 2"x2" 3/16" angle sticking out of the top with a hole in it for a clevis to attach. That way, I have a good lifting point at the top of the barrel.

Aaron Z

Luke'sScreenName · Oct 1, 2017

Musdalen said:
FWIW,
If you build your own ballast, have a plan for when you tip it over by accident and have to stand it up and maneuver it to where you can hitch up again. I did this just this weekend and the hitch receiver was useful for chaining up to the loader arms and moving it very carefully (not much weight on the rear end). If I had planned for this, I might have done things slightly differently (like mounted d-rings on each side or something like that).

Yup, the skids on the bottom of mine got about 9" longer the first week. Guess why?

:drink:

mike69440 · Oct 2, 2017

Welded the snot out of the country line carry all I bought. Good idea to add weld to most of their products.

Musdalen · Oct 2, 2017

Were I to do it all over again, I would put steel (maybe not welded though) from the back edge of the carryall up to the top-link. That top link cross bar on mine is bending slightly. It takes more of a pounding than I though.