How much weight

[DGrig]

First time on. Great forum. I have a new Kutota L3901 with a front loader and Land Pride quick hitch. Need weight on the back to stabilize the tractor when using the loader. (Had my life flash before me on a couple of occasions.) Looking at the Heavy Hitch item to put on the quick hitch. It comes in two versions: regular and off-set. (See below.) Three questions:

1. How much weight do I need? Was thinking of around #600-700 but not sure.

2. Off-set or regular Heavy Hitch?

3. Related to question 1 and 2, which weights? Online there is a bewildering variety of weights w/various attaching configurations. I should probably start with which weights and go from there. Would off-set let me use heavier weights and what brand/type is best?

https://heavyhitch.com/store/

Thanks...

 

[davesl708]

Hi. Welcome. I am sure someone on here has an L and know what weight works best. Congratulation on the new Kubota.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

My guess is that 6-700lbs is on the light side WITH loaded rear tires. If your rears aren't loaded (they should be) it's definitely too light.
Search "ballast box" here. The better option for many of us.

 

[HCJtractor]

Why not go with something useful on the rear like a heavy box blade?

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[tcartwri]

I have about 700lbs of concrete in a barrel hanging off the 3 point. Seems like a good compromise, but I'm never lifting to capacity higher than about 36". If I was, I would probably add another 500.

 

[DGrig]

Wow this is helpful. The off-set Heavy Hitch can carry #1000 plus the weight of the hitch and quick hitch bringing the total to #1100. Adding filled tires would be good. Looking at a box blade. Had not thought of that. Thanks.

 

[aczlan]

The general rule of thumb is to have as much weight hanging off of the 3 point as you plan to lift with the loader.

Aaron Z

 

[Mysfyt]

I filled the inside of my wheels with weights that I made up myself. About 500 lbs per wheel plus I had the tires filled. Makes loader and grapple work MUCH smoother. The reason I went with the wheel weights is because I have to get into some tight spots when I'm doing grapple work. Hope this gives you a baseline.

 

[4570Man]

Do you have the LA824 loader? My L3240 rear R4 tires hold 900 pounds of fluid. I would want 3 times of your guess for ballast .

 

[rswyan]

We have a B2910 ... the ballast block I built for it weighs around 900 lbs or so ...

That was after finding a 500+ lb box blade to be way too little with unloaded tires (and after tweaking up the loader pressure relief )

I'd advise going more than what you mentioned initially.

 

[DGrig]

I have the LA525 Loader and the R4 industrial tires.

 

[k0ua]

I have the LA525 Loader and the R4 industrial tires.

Somewhere around 1000 lbs and loaded tires will keep the seat cleaner I have a 750lbs ballast barrell with about another 100 lbs of chains and tools in it, and loaded tires, and it is not enough all the time.

 

[DGrig]

So getting tires filled... Dealer, DYI? No idea what that involves.

 

[k0ua]

So getting tires filled... Dealer, DYI? No idea what that involves.

Easy enough to do yourself with Methanol mix, Windshield Washer Fluid, or RV antifreeze. People in the deep south just use water. Investment is about $10 for the fill valve, get it at tractor supply or on line, and I spen $6 for a cheap drill pump at home depot. If you want RimGuard which is a type of sugar beet juice processing byproduct then that is usually done at a tire dealer. Some people still use calcium chloride, but I don't recommend it even with a tube. That stuff is so corrosive.

 

[DGrig]

Thanks. I think I have a plan. Fill tires and put weight off the 3pt.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks. I think I have a plan. Fill tires and put weight off the 3pt.

The quick and dirty of filling tires, is buy the little fill/burp valve. get a 5 gallon bucket and two short pieces of garden hose an your drill pump. Dump fluid in 5 gallon bucket. hook up hose to fill valve and pump. Jack up tractor tire so that it just clears the ground barely. Take out valve stem, and when air flow gets to a low level, screw on the fill valve. Make sure tire valve stem is positioned at 12 o'clock. Now you have a couple of lbs still in the tire, but not much, and no weight on the tire so the bead is still set. Start pumping, pump in a couple gallons of fluid, and stop the drill. Use the burp button on the fill adaptor to burp out some more air. As the fluid goes in the air pressure inside the tire rises to the point the pump wont overcome this "head pressure". When bled down enough, but not too much (dont want that bead to unseat) pump in some more. When pump slows down, your head pressure is getting too high, so stop and burp the tire again, keep repeating until the prescribes amount of fluid for 75percent fill is pumped into the tire. Look this amount up in the fill charts available on the web. Fill/ burp until done. Then quickly take off adaptor haveing the valve stem handy, put it back in with your valve stem tool, pump it back up to about 20lbs of air or whatever you tire calls for, and let down the jack so the tire is on the ground. Repeat for other side.

 

[4570Man]

Since you only have a LA524 loader, loaded tires plus about 500 pounds on the 3 PH should be sufficient.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I personally find having something big like a boxblade to be problematic especially in the woods or arround anythe you don't want to destroy.

 

[DGrig]

My FEL has a max capacity of #1130. So here is the plan, tires get fluid and give me #660. Then off the Heavy Hitch I can get around 650-700. Total around #1300 of ballast. The other thing is I rarely am lifting to capacity. Most commonly firewood, mulch, and the like. This has been a helpful discussion. Thanks.

 

[gladehound]

Yes, the LA524 is rated at "only" 1131 to full height at the pins. However, it is much stronger at ground level (see below). Given the ~2000 pound break out (depending on how far from the pins), I would want to error on the high side on the ballast. ~2000 pounds on the loader of a light tractor is no joke and can cause you to get quite tippy even when the loader is low. I would want to get closer to 1000 pounds on that 3 pt for max lifts near ground level.

(U) Lift Capacity (Bucket pivot pin, max height)
Standard 1131 lbs (513 kg)
(V) Lift Capacity (500 mm forward, max height
Standard 855 lbs. (388 kg)
(W) Lift Capacity (Bucket pivot pin, 1.5 M height)
Standard 1490 lbs. (676 kg)
(X) Lift Capacity (500 mm forward, 1500 mm height)
Standard 1182 lbs. (536 kg)
(Y) Breakout Force (Bucket pivot pin)
Standard 2462 lbs. (10951 N)
(Z) Breakout Force (500 mm forward)
Standard 1874 lbs. (8335 N)
(VV) Bucket roll-back force at max. height
Standard 2177 lbs. (9685 N)
(XX) Bucket roll-back force at 1.5 M
Standard 2697 lbs. (11998 N)
(ZZ) Bucket roll-back force at ground level
Standard 2215 lbs. (9855 N)