Owners of 5xxx series tractors - how much ballast do you use?

[Z-Michigan]

Curious to hear how much ballast people use and whether it's filled tires, wheel weights, a ballast box, or what have you. I have a month-old 5105 with MFWD, 16.9x28 R1 rears, and a 522 front end loader. At the dealer's urging my rears are filled with rimguard, which gives me about 1500lbs ballast. Seems like kind of a lot. On the plus side I will say that I have had heaping buckets full of wet clay soil and the back end has never felt the slightest bit light. I am wondering if I am overballasted and might get better performance removing the fluid and perhaps getting two weights per side. I am planning to use the tractor for some plowing/tilling and a lot of FEL work, along with regular brushhogging (LX6).

I'm asking about all 5xxx series - meaning the current production 5103/5203, 5105/5205, and 5125/5225 (and not older tractors starting with 5 that are much larger) - because they seem all very close in size, weight and horsepower, and I think the ballast needs of tractors one size up or down could be significantly different. Please post whether you have 2wd or MFWD and whether you have a FEL.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I don't know if having loaded tires does the same exact purpose for disking as it does with a loader, but I can give you my thoughts even though I don't own a 5xxx series tractor(strongly considering it though). I honestly belive that my tires being loaded(I also have rear wheel weights) gives my 950 a fighting chance with my disk, without it I would go nowhere. If your tractor is performing well the way it's currently set up, then I would stick with that. There is a forum on the Kubota site pertaining to ballast and different ways to add weight to the back, so you might want to check into that. again, I've never owned a tractor with a loader, much less operated a loader so I am just speaking on what I know from having my tires loaded for heavy disking.

 

[mars1952]

Curious to hear how much ballast people use and whether it's filled tires, wheel weights, a ballast box, or what have you. I have a month-old 5105 with MFWD, 16.9x28 R1 rears, and a 522 front end loader. At the dealer's urging my rears are filled with rimguard, which gives me about 1500lbs ballast. Seems like kind of a lot. On the plus side I will say that I have had heaping buckets full of wet clay soil and the back end has never felt the slightest bit light. I am wondering if I am overballasted and might get better performance removing the fluid and perhaps getting two weights per side. I am planning to use the tractor for some plowing/tilling and a lot of FEL work, along with regular brushhogging (LX6).

I'm asking about all 5xxx series - meaning the current production 5103/5203, 5105/5205, and 5125/5225 (and not older tractors starting with 5 that are much larger) - because they seem all very close in size, weight and horsepower, and I think the ballast needs of tractors one size up or down could be significantly different. Please post whether you have 2wd or MFWD and whether you have a FEL.

Hi Z: Rear traction is one of the reasons to add ballast. The other very important reason is to take weight off your front axle. If your rear wheels are slipping more than 15% when you use your FEL that means that you have almost all the weight transferred to the front axle (The whole weight of the tractor plus the dirt in the bucket). The 5XXX series tractors can lift an impressive amount of weight with their FEL. Look at your user manual and see how much weight your front axle can take. I am sure that it wasn't meant for that much additional weight. Also almost all your stability comes from the rear axle. Your front axle can pivot and allow the tractor to roll over when your tractor is balanced on the front axle. To transfer weight from your front axle to your rear wheels you must put weight behind the rear wheels. Loading the tires or adding weight to the rear tires only adds weight to the rear tires it does not transfer weight off the front. Think of a teeter-totter. If you put weight on the pivot nothing is changed on the seats. If you put equal weight on the seats the teeter-totter will balance. In this case the rear axle is the pivot point but we want about 45-50% of the weight to remain on the front axle.
John Deere Ballast Handout Scan I hope this scan is readable.
My tractor is a JD 4300 MFWD with FEL with Calcium Chloride in the rear R4 tires (700 lbs) and foam filled front tires. I get the best FEL performance when I have my back hoe on. The Back Hoe weighs something over 1200 lbs. The combo of filled tires and the back hoe makes a total of about 1900 lbs ballast.
Marshall

 

[gf5205]

I have a 5205 set up the same as your 5105. I use it for bucket work, mowing and baling. I frequently have a bucket full of rocks going up and down moderate slopes with no attachments on the rear. The tractor has been very stable. I really have no interest in finding out if I am wasting fuel by being overballasted, as I only put 150 hours/year on it and I really like be able to do the loader work with out adding an implement.

Your manual has a section on ballasting. You would have to measure the slipage to know if you have too much or too little.

I also have a 5203 with no loader and the smaller tires. They are loaded. I use the tractor in the hayfields and with an MX6 rotary cutter. On this tractor I have added 400 lbs. to the front.
Greg

 

[Z-Michigan]

Thanks for the very helpful handout scan and the info. It is rather counterintuitive that adding more weight reduces stress on the axles, but I see now how it works - that you don't want all the tractor weight teetering on the front axle. I should have noted in my first post that when doing FEL work I have always had a 450lb rear blade attached, and in the future plan to have some sort of implement always on the 3ph in addition to the weight in the tires.

Still very curious what kind of ballast other 5000 series owners are running.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I have a 5205 set up the same as your 5105. I use it for bucket work, mowing and baling. I frequently have a bucket full of rocks going up and down moderate slopes with no attachments on the rear. The tractor has been very stable.Greg

Very helpful, thanks! I assume that when you say set up the same, you also have the 5205's rear tires filled with rimguard or CaCl for about 1500lbs total in the tires?

 

[gf5205]

Yes, RimGuard and a loader.
Greg

 

[5103Owner]

I have fluid in my 5103 rears and I'm working on converting a fertilizer spreader into a ballast box. I'm not sure what to fill it with? Sand? concrete? Somethin' else? Any suggestions? oh, and I have a 512 loader for weight on the front.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I would fill the ballast box first with whatever rocks or hunks of metal you have lying around, then pour in sand to fill in the spaces. I wouldn't use concrete in case you decide in the future you have too much weight, or if you want to transport it a long distance.

 

[5103Owner]

That's probably what I'll do since I have plenty of rock. Thank's for the suggestion.

Stefan