Ideas for building counter weight

[bbradford]

Hey everyone,

I posted a while back about needing to get weights to counter a heavy duty bush hog on my tractor. After looking into it, I've decided it would be pretty awesome to build my own setup. I have minimal experience with welding and building things of this nature but I am more than willing to put time into it and learn. So with that being said, I have seen a few things on here where some of you have talked about what you wanted to do or have done it. I figured this would be the best way to find out what yall did!

So what did you do and can you share photos??

thanks!

 

[thendrix]

What tractor? What size bush hog? Loader or no?

 

[bbradford]

1993 Ford 1920, its a 5ft bush hog that the previous owner rigged up himself with a heavy duty body made of a stronger steel. When he used the stronger steel it obviously increased the weight of the mower. There is no loader which is why I need the weights. I was going to buy weights to put on the front but have decided to build something myself.
Which is why Im wanting to know who here has made their own ballast for the front of their tractor and how they did it?

 

[CADplans]

It is pretty tough to beat old tractor weights,,,
which you can buy at some scrap yards,, and some tractor shows.

Here is a pic of 840 pounds of weights that I purchased at a tractor show for less than $140,,,

My old Chevy S-10 was complaining on the 40 mile trip home that day!!

:laughing:

 

[bbradford]

Dang, less than $140?? I need to go check out some tractor shows then!
and hahaha yeah I can only imagine!!

 

[EddieWalker]

I picked up a brake drum off of a semi truck for free, drilled it for bolts and attached it to the front of my tractor. The I put some concrete in it that I had laying around. Total cost was under ten bucks. Before adding this, when going up hill, my front tires wouldn't have enough weight on them to turn. I would just keep going straight regardless of what direction the tires where pointing. This solved that problem.

 

[bbradford]

Thats pretty smart, I might be able to find something like that

 

[roadhunter]

There was a poster on here recently who has made some brackets to utilize patio pavers for tractor weights. I thought that was a pretty good idea and the pavers are pretty reasonable. You could do it with solid blocks as well.

30 pounds for $1.50
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...4441441496-c-5647.htm?tid=1828138325086086855

A small angle iron frame on the front would be quite simple to fabricate.

 

[thendrix]

There was a poster on here recently who has made some brackets to utilize patio pavers for tractor weights. I thought that was a pretty good idea and the pavers are pretty reasonable. You could do it with solid blocks as well.

30 pounds for $1.50
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...4441441496-c-5647.htm?tid=1828138325086086855

A small angle iron frame on the front would be quite simple to fabricate.

That's a good idea but I think you'd need a box. Those pavers are brittle I bet. I few good jars and they'll probably be in pieces.

I've seen many times around here where people make a metal box and mount to the front of the tractor frame to hold big rocks. If you need more weight you add more big rocks.

 

[roadhunter]

That's a good idea but I think you'd need a box. Those pavers are brittle I bet. I few good jars and they'll probably be in pieces.

I've seen many times around here where people make a metal box and mount to the front of the tractor frame to hold big rocks. If you need more weight you add more big rocks.

You'd be surprised what those pavers will stand up to if they have steel in them. They are popular for decking on boat docks where they are only supported on 2 edges. I"ve been amazed at what they will stand up to.

I like the block as they are simple to stack efficiently and look nice but anything of weight could be used form gravel to sand or even scrap metal chunks or logs. Could even build a form and pour your own.

 

[countrybumpkin]

You might also check craigslist or flea markets ect for old weight sets. Depending on what type of weight set you found on the style of bracket you may need to fab.

 

[thendrix]

Didn't think of weight sets but I have seen a bar cut off how ever long and welded vertically to a plate then weights stacked on the plate and held in place by the bar.

 

[thendrix]

If you look down about 12 or 13 threads, someone else is making a weight box

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I use 50# suitcase weights, I have 10 of them. That way I can adjust the ballast to match the the other end load. I made brackets to mount on the front of the frame, the 3 point hitch, and working on means to attach the bracket to other 3 PT implements as the 3 PT has no down pressure. Bought on line from Home Depot at roughly $1/#.

Ron

 

[Fallon]

3pt, not front mount, but you get the idea. My 60 gallon compressor sprung a leak so I recycled it. Old brake disks & drums & other scrap steel burried in concrete at the bottom. Dirt on top.

 

[Xfaxman]

The first thing would be to buy or build a brushguard, then add a receiver hitch, and a bracket to add suitcase weights.

This was on my previous tractor, it had a heavy weight built in:

 

[ishiboo]

There was a poster on here recently who has made some brackets to utilize patio pavers for tractor weights. I thought that was a pretty good idea and the pavers are pretty reasonable. You could do it with solid blocks as well.

30 pounds for $1.50
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...4441441496-c-5647.htm?tid=1828138325086086855

A small angle iron frame on the front would be quite simple to fabricate.

Not very heavy though. A 3' wide bracket with those on it would fit 9 blocks and only weigh 300 lbs.

 

[nightdevil]

View attachment 484258

3pt, not front mount, but you get the idea. My 60 gallon compressor sprung a leak so I recycled it. Old brake disks & drums & other scrap steel burried in concrete at the bottom. Dirt on top.

Any more pictures of that build?

 

[roadhunter]

Not very heavy though. A 3' wide bracket with those on it would fit 9 blocks and only weigh 300 lbs.

On a cost per pound basis it would be hard to beat. Have less than $20 in blocks and a little bit of angle iron invested.

What would you suggest for a better alternative?

 

[Fallon]

Any more pictures of that build?

It started out like this, then it blew a leak in the bottom.

Shared album - Devin Noel - Google Photos

I dismounted all the parts to put on a new tank. I then cut off the top with my plasma cutter. I then backed it up to the 3pt on my tractor. Drew a line at the approriate height & the same width as the 3pt drawbar. Cut that out so I could put the drawbar in recessed an inch or 2. Deep enough to catch a lot of the tank, but shallow enough to be easy to hitch up. Then I welded the drawbar in using shims & some scrap to block off round bits & holes in the drawbar.

Piled scrap steel, brake disks & drums in the bottom, then dumped in 2 bags of cement & let it settle a lot before wetting it down. I let that set up a bit to help lock in the 3pt drawbar if my welds sucked. I then hitched it up & marked where thetop hook hit. Cut out a slot below that so I could back in, then the top hook would catch. I thought I might need to weld a patch on to reinorce the top of that slot, but so far it hasnt had an issue. I weled up some random scrap into a tall box slightly taller than the slot in the tank missing one side. I then welded that scrap over the hole on the inside. Total crap welds & I covered the holes with aluminum tape as it was handy. Added more scrap & 2 bags of concrete. Filled it enough to lock in the box covering the top hook hole. Filled the rest with sand & dirt.

May make a form around the base & fill it with more scrap & concrete. It would add more weight down low for better stability (for the trator & the ballast box itself when sitting around.

Will try & grab some better photos in a day or 2.