Ballast New owner of a 1025R with a question

[ovrszd]

I suggest you use your tractor for a few hours. You'll figure out whether you need ballast or not. Everyone's expectations and uses vary.

Congrats on your new tractor!!!!

 

[Deere Dude]

I just purchased a 2017 1025R with H120 loader and D60 mower. The dealer said that all loader packages now come with the ballast filling in the rear tires. My sales lady told me that a ballast box was not really necessary with that filling, but I am a bit dubious. Anybody have experience with the loader and the ballast oil in the rear tires? Am i definitely going to need that ballast box? !

I am sure the tires aren't loaded at the factory and the dealer does that for you, which is fine. But I would make sure you understand what they will be putting in the tires and how full. The consensus I have bee hearing is to load the tires 3/4 full, in other words have the Schroeder valve at the 12 o'clock position and fill to that point.

The other thing is most people now days stay away from Calcium Chloride for tires even though it was an accepted practice for many years. Wheels will begin to rust out a lot quicker than with RimGard or windshield washer fluid of some sort. RimGard is a liquid that is as heavy as Calcium Chloride but don't have the nasty side effects CCL has.

My owners manual tells me exactly what to use for weight and yours will to. Follow it and you will be a happy camper.

 

[2ndhalf]

How do you get this combination to weight the 600+ lbs as per the ballast requirements in the H120 loader manual?

Actually quite easily. Below is a link the exact one I have and empty it weights 272lbs. a few blocks, rocks, dirt, sand bags etc. and it will easily be at 600lbs. I sometimes just back into the material pile that I'm working with and put some in the scoop and when I'm about done I just dump it. Stone/Dirt etc.

... and it can still be used for hauling tools or materal vs a Balast box which is good for one thing.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326104_200326104

 

[2ndhalf]

Also, especially since you are in VA and i'm guessing hills; be especially carefull when you have a full load of materal in your bucket. Keep the bucket low as that lowers the center of gravity of your tractor and especially while turning.

You can flip a tractor with a full load of material in a heartbeat even on level ground. Lower the bucket to below your hood level or lower before making your turns. That is one of the reasons that ballast on the rear is good too. It will help keep the center of gravity of the tractor lower when working with the loader since the ballast is close to the ground.

 

[Gator6x4]

Oh boy, here we go again. Another dealer who hasn't read the manual and is giving life threatening information to their customers. Loaded rear tires is not a substitute for a ballast box. Please, consult your H120 loader manual. It lists the MINIMUM ballast requirements when using the loader on your tractor to keep you from being seriously injured.

So you are like me, read the manual and take the advise of the people who designed and built the tractor. Glad to know I am not the only one who reads the manual.

 

[hurricanoday]

I have a 1025r with about 50 hours and I don't have a ballast box. I have moved over 100 yards of dirt easy for my shop and haven't ran into any problems. Is that because I always have the 260 or boxblade on? I would say based on my experience so far you don't need one. We have even moved some pretty big rocks and just kept the loader really close to the ground.

After others suggested I double checked the manual for the loader and all 3 options say the ballast box is needed...... Maybe I'm just not using my tractor hard enough.

My dealer tried charging me to fill the tires and I thought it was just an add on the dealer tried to get you on. (like when buying a new car)

 

[MF283]

I would suggest calling the dealer about loading the tires. If a ballast box is the only effective ballast solution mentioned in the manual, maybe the only solution.

Ronnie

 

[2ndhalf]

I have a 1025r with about 50 hours and I don't have a ballast box. I have moved over 100 yards of dirt easy for my shop and haven't ran into any problems. Is that because I always have the 260 or boxblade on? I would say based on my experience so far you don't need one. We have even moved some pretty big rocks and just kept the loader really close to the ground.

After others suggested I double checked the manual for the loader and all 3 options say the ballast box is needed...... Maybe I'm just not using my tractor hard enough.

My dealer tried charging me to fill the tires and I thought it was just an add on the dealer tried to get you on. (like when buying a new car)

I'm going to guess that half the guys on this site do not own a ballast box. Having said that... rear ballast of some kind is a good thing when doing loader work especially on the smaller light weight tractors. They almost have more lifting capacity than they do weight in some cases. So throwing a compact implement on the back that adds a few hundred pounds gives your rear tires more traction.

When you have a full load in your loader it shifts the weight to the front of the tractor and makes the front axle more of the centerpoint.

Ballast also helps keep the center of gravity lower as your working with the loader and raising it loaded makes the center of gravity higher and thus your tractor could be a little more prone to tip.

But no... you don't NEED a ballast box or ballast for that matter to work with your tractor. I often have nothing on my tractor when using the loader.

 

[al3]

See that you are buying a mower deck. Something to consider in the loaded tire vs ballast box consideration is the type of terrain it’ll be operated on. Weight in the wheels is somewhat permanent, at least not easily added and subtracted for individual task. Moving over soft, muddy, sandy ground? Operating routinely over a septic distribution field? Going off road into wet areas?
My R4 will leave marks in soft soil without weighted tires.

 

[2ndhalf]

Here is what was in my MF DL 100 loader for Ballast. It does say you can use an implement as an alternative as long as it meets the minimum weight.