Snow Is adding max weight to a Grand L a good idea.

[utvol2003]

What are you asking the tractor to do? I'm curious what you are going to do to stress the tractor.

For hills the rear wheels need spaced out as far as possible. Also fluid in rear tires will give tractor lowest center of gravity... fill 3/4 up.

I am planning on using the tractor to dig out for a garage and a couple small ag sheds, dig a 3'x3'x400' ditch, install 80' of 24" pipe, 500 ft of water line, set 200- 6" posts, install 4000' of fence, cut and bale 5 acres for hay, keep 5 acres clear, seed and fertilize, keep up 1300' of gravel drive, and perform normal maintenance on a small farm.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Load the tires, set the rears wide, enjoy the stability. Don't overstress yourself. You have a good tractor that will serve you well.

 

[Fallon]

Are you getting a hoe as well? Didn't see that anywhere. The loader on a tractor is for loading, not for digging & most of your tasks are digging. Even with a 4 in 1 bucket a loader is not a dozer. Push it hard & you will tweak or break the loader arms. Not to mention the pain in trying to cut any things smooth. Tractors pull, not push.

A Grand L is going to be half the weight of a small industrial hoe. With the right hoe on the back it will get things done though.

 

[utvol2003]

Yes, it will have the BH92 Backhoe.

 

[SDT]

I cannot imagine why you would need added ballast, either liquid or cast iron for back hoe work.

Indeed, Kubota tractors are somewhat light when compared to some competitive models, but rear ballast is needed only for tillage with ground engaging implements, tasks for which hydrostat tractors are not well suited, or FEL work.

Rear ballast is just about mandatory for anything but play FEL work but you will not need it with the back hoe installed. Unless you plan to do FEL work with the BH not installed, I would not invest in rear ballast.

Myself, I have two cast iron weights on either side of my L6060 and a counterweight box filled with bags of playground sand (still in the bags) for FEL work. I do not have a BH. I never use liquid ballast because it complicates tire repair and I mount/dismount/repair all of my own tires.

SDT

 

[ProjectKing]

I am planning on using the tractor to dig out for a garage and a couple small ag sheds, dig a 3'x3'x400' ditch, install 80' of 24" pipe, 500 ft of water line, set 200- 6" posts, install 4000' of fence, cut and bale 5 acres for hay, keep 5 acres clear, seed and fertilize, keep up 1300' of gravel drive, and perform normal maintenance on a small farm.

All those tasks seem reasonable if you take your time. The digging will be slower than a excavator or big backhoe but it will get the job done.

The only concern I have is your hills. How steep are they?

You are buying a high dollar machine. Another option would be to buy two cheaper machines. Either a dedicated TLB like a B26 or mini excavator. And then a smaller L series. Removing backhoe and installing all the 3 point hardware is a pain especially if you do it often. Having two tractors or tractor and excavator maybe more convenient for you. (0: Just thinking out loud.

 

[Grandad4]

All I have heard is how Kubota tractors are light and need more weight, but can the axles in the front and rear handle the added weight? I will continue to search the sites for answers.

Every time I look up comparable tractor specifications, the Grand L Kubota weights are right in line with similar models from other makes... usually within a few hundred pounds more or less. The one exception seems to be Mahindra, whose "compacts" are about 1,000 lbs heavier than everyone else's, apparently the result of building its "compact" tractors more nearly like utility models only with shorter wheelbases and downsized tires.

I owned a Grand L with the factory backhoe for more than a dozen years. With the backhoe mounted, it weighed more than 7,000 lbs and never wanted for traction or pulling power. Due to the height of the backhoe, the tractor always felt less stable to me on side slopes with the BH mounted than without. We never loaded the rear tires, so when the backhoe was off, a heavy implement was needed in back for any serious loader work.

If you expect to do work on hills without the backhoe, I'd definitely load the tires for stability, along with mounting something heavy on the 3 pt.

 

[repete]

If you are going to dig out for a foundation or a building I recommend you get a grader box for the rear. If you set the teeth to dig, you can soften up dirt making for easier front loader work and when you are maneuvering you will not have the backhoe in the way. You can add more ballast to the grader box as well.

Give some thought to where you will be moving dirt to as well. If you are going down a hill with little weight on the rear be sure to be in 4WD so you can use the brakes. I have been caught in the awkward position of having the rear wheels skidding on dirt and gravel with no ability to slow down and had give it throttle to engage the front axle to use the front wheels to slow the tractor. In any case, with a front loader keep the loader as low as possible, the ground is your friend. If you feel unstable or out of control, get the load to the ground.

 

[kuboman]

Added weight with the hoe on will just be a waste. Stay away from loaded tires. Nothing but a hassle. If you feel you need to add weight use cast wheel weights.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Of course the weight is for when the hoe is off and I think the OP knows this.

For work with that tractor, to get max traction, (with an LA1065 loader) you absolutely need about 6-700lbs on each tire one way or another. PLUS 700-1200lbs of close 3pt ballast for max loader work IMO.

I am sure it would be ideal to remove that tire weight when mounting the BH. That is possible with wheel weights but not practical IMO.