Jim,
My Pallet Fork Attachment was $950. That included the frame and the fork blades - all the correct (JD Green) color, of course! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif The frame will also accept haybale spears, but I didn't get those - no need. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The only thing I added to it was "screws w/Knobs" for the blade locks - I just didn't see the need to carry a wrench!
As for using a 3Pt implement for
ballast . . .
The JD Owners manual specifies approx 780 lbs of 3-Pt ballast IN ADDITION to ballast in rear tires. Mine has tire ballast, which definitely helps - although I'm planning on removing the tire ballast this spring, since I use mine for mowing the lawn also. I broke down and bought a JD 3PT Ballast (weight) box after a friend lent me his for a while. It just FEELS so much better, and I haven't raised a rear tire off the ground with it yet, which I DID do when using 3PT implements as ballast. I excavated an entrance to our foundation for a new basement door, and we have some heavy clayey soil here - and of course I loaded the bucket to the top. Some of those loads definitely left me feeling light in the rear - but the area where I was moving it was pretty flat and easy to traverse.
The pallet fork frame & forks are heavier than my bucket, and in addition, the forks let me put weight further out away from the tractor - consequently appropriate ballast is essential!!! One of the first things I did was use the forks to move a brush pile, and when I slid the forks under the pile, and pulled back on the stick, the rear end went up pretty as you please...and I learned that when I put the forks on, I'm not done hooking up until I get the Ballast box on too! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif
My price for a new ballast box was $145, as I recall. The sand to fill it was free./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I saw a post on here where someone had made a ballast box from a 55 gal drum - obviously that works too. I just had too many things to do to take on another project.
I had some talks with my dealer about the proper amount of ballast. He said that most folks get by just fine with tire ballast, and maybe a nice heavy 3PT implement sometimes to even out heavier loads. I suspect that is true for the majority of cases. But, my partner (& wife) uses Ms Jenny (the tractor) also, so I like things to be nice and safe, and as bullet-proof as possible.
BTW, I found it most helpful to get my wife to do some tractoring. She finally said to me one day that I should give her Ms Jenny, and go get myself a 42-4400. Gosh, I love that woman. . .
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can give you any other info.
Dave Wells