All good suggestions, just double or triple the sub-compact size numbers of the last few posts. Remember loader has a lift capacity of 2125 lb with a reach of 59 inches, easily double or triple some of the machines used as examples in the last several posts. But it’s mounted on a machine with a base weight of only 2900 lb. and wheelbase of only 68 inches, making it darn near a seesaw... a 6000 lb. seesaw with a full load, before adding
ballast. This is my third Deere loader tractor (previously 750 and 855), and it is by far the most tippy of the three, more than 230% that of the 855, when looking at lift x reach vs. weight x wheelbase.
The total ballast Deere spec’s for this loader on this machine is right around 2000 lb. If taking the proposed 700 lb. box and adding 40 lb. suitcase weights, I’d be looking to add 32 of them for the heaviest jobs. Superbly flexible, but that’s an awful lot of weights to purchase, move, and store. I think I’d be better off just having two or even three different ballast boxes of different weights, definitely more convenient and easier to change weight, when considering the number of weights I’d really need on this machine.
At this point, I’m down to two options, both of which would have me keep my 700 lb. ballast box for a lot of the lighter work, and buying bigger boxes for heavy work:
1. Put 400 - 500 lb. on the rear wheels, either liquid or iron but not both, and buy a second ballast box to load around 1500 lb. This won’t be a Deere ballast box, they don’t make one that big in cat.1, but I believe some others do.
2. Skip the wheel weight, buy that same 1500 lb. ballast box, plus 15 x 40 lb. suitcase weights. This would allow me to drop all weight for lawn jobs (I do a lot of yard work with loader removed), and load up with 700, 1500, or 2000 lb. on the 3-point as needed. Unfortunately, it does very little for my side-hill stability when loaded. It also means I’ll have to continue removing the loader to pull small trailers in 2wd, I presently can’t even get up the hill that is my back yard without either going into 4wd or removing the loader, my rear is just that light.
My gut is telling me to go with option 1, but I’m receiving advice from other channels to go option 2, from some who know my usage patterns, and have substantial experience (Deere dealer, Deere mechanic, and golf course equipment manager). I do have a lot of hilly terrain right around the house (we’re up on a small bluff), which means a lot of side-hill work when mulching gardens and moving my wood trailer around from the wood lot to the house.