Rear Ballast Weight DIY Build

[EddieWalker]

Since I've never done this before, I'm not sure how much weight I need. I've only seen tractors using round bales as counter weights at the feed store. I'm guessing they weighed about 800 pounds, so that's probably enough. My plan is to figure out how big the box needs to be to pour the concrete and then fill it up. Whatever the total number of sacks is that I mix will by my weight. The 3 point hitch is scheduled to be delivered next Tuesday the 9th, so I'll start on this when it gets here.

 

[LD1]

The length behind the tractor is as equally as important as the weight.

Ballast boxes (or a homemade ballast) usually keep the weight pretty close to the tractor. Therefore it takes more weight to have the same effectiveness as lesser weight but further back. Without exact measurements and dimensions.....I am guessing a 800# bale would be about the same "effect" as 1200# in a box.

My last tractor was a 2600lb bare weight L3400 kubota. I had a 1000# concrete barrel on the back of it and it was about perfect.

My current tractor is a 3700# MX5100, and can tell you that 1000# is NOT enough. The loader is still strong enough to lift the rears even with loaded tires. But both the 1600# bushhog or my 1250# rear blade keep it planted with no concerns.....but that weight is also further back. Not having a use for it, I gave away my 1000# barrel to my cousin who has a 30hp bota

I guess what I am saying is.....your 7700# tractor is TWICE the machine that my MX is. I am thinking that a mere 1000# of weight, close to the hitch, is just gonna feel like a drop in the bucket. And is far lighter than any mounted implement that is likely designed/matched to your weight/HP.

A heavy ~2000lb 10' rear blade would be a nice paring if doing dirt work. OR if you have 3PH pallet forks....an IBC tote filled with water should put you a tad over a ton of rear ballast. Anything less I think is just insufficient for that size machine

 

[EddieWalker]

I was under the impression that my tractor weighed 9,000 pounds, but Tractor Data shows that the heaviest it could weigh is 8,644 I don't know if that includes fuel and hydraulic oil or not, but it puts me in a ballpark of 9,000 pounds.

Tractor Data also says that the rear lift is rated for 4,850 pounds.

I'm wondering if I should try to get the rear ballast up to 2,000 pounds like you suggest? It looks like the tractor has enough power and weight to handle it. Is too much weight an issue?

TractorData.com Massey Ferguson 4707 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

 

[Seven Gables]

I was under the impression that my tractor weighed 9,000 pounds, but Tractor Data shows that the heaviest it could weigh is 8,644 I don't know if that includes fuel and hydraulic oil or not, but it puts me in a ballpark of 9,000 pounds.

Tractor Data also says that the rear lift is rated for 4,850 pounds.

I'm wondering if I should try to get the rear ballast up to 2,000 pounds like you suggest? It looks like the tractor has enough power and weight to handle it. Is too much weight an issue?

TractorData.com Massey Ferguson 4707 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

Not sure if you’re rear tires are filled? Even if they are 2k wouldn’t hurt a thing , be about perfect I’d say. That 4707 looks to be a very stout 3pt . One thing I find important is to tighten your sway bars as much as possible to eliminate swaying saves wear on components

 

[LD1]

I was under the impression that my tractor weighed 9,000 pounds, but Tractor Data shows that the heaviest it could weigh is 8,644 I don't know if that includes fuel and hydraulic oil or not, but it puts me in a ballpark of 9,000 pounds.

Tractor Data also says that the rear lift is rated for 4,850 pounds.

I'm wondering if I should try to get the rear ballast up to 2,000 pounds like you suggest? It looks like the tractor has enough power and weight to handle it. Is too much weight an issue?

TractorData.com Massey Ferguson 4707 tractor information

www.tractordata.com

Obviously everything in moderation. Too much weight is rarely a bad thing on a loader tractor.

The rear axle is exponentially heavier and designed to carry far more weight than the front axle.

These discussions come up often....and adding rear ballast will only INCREASE the potential weight on the front axle up until you have ENOUGH weight to keep the rear end on the ground. At that point.....any additional weight works to REDUCE the front end load.

Im thinking with 1000# ballast your loader will still be strong enough to raise the @$$ of the machine in the air.

While you will achieve your goal of stability with a bucket full of dirt as compared to the same bucket load and NO ballast......while digging into a pile of dirt to the point of raising the rear.....you are not only adding that 1000# ballast to the FRONT axle....but whatever increase in loader lift force you now have as a result of that ballast.

Lets say you can only lift 1500# before the rear end lifts with no ballast. Your 9k tractor + 1500# loader load all end up on the front axle.....10.5k right.

Throw that 1000# on the back. Now you may be able to lift 3000# with the loader before the rear hikes in the air. So now you have the 9k tractor + 1k ballast + 3k loader load all on the front. 13k total. So adding the ballast....can and does actually increase the potential load you can put on your front axle.

Its not just about stability. But you need ENOUGH ballast to have a meaningful impact on reducing the front axle load.

My simple seat of the pants thinking is 2000# would be a MINIMUM that I would want on a machine that size if its in the form of a ballast box and kept in close. Leverage is still your friend....so an implement sticking further back would have more effect than something short and compact.

Think about this.....a tractor that size with loader wouldnt have any issues with a mounted 10' twin spindle cutter like a 2310 bushhog. And that puts the load ~5' behind the pins and 2100#

 

[EddieWalker]

You make some good points. Currently, it has so much power and traction that I can load the bucket to overflowing by just driving it into the side of a hill. Driving along on flat ground, I never noticed anything. It's when I'm angling down just a little that things get wacky.

Mostly I'm filling in hole from the roots of a tree. Bigger trees have bigger holes. I drive to where I want to take the dirt and then drive back with it. That's been OK, but when I go do dump the dirt in the hole and I'm sloping down, that's when things have gotten uncomfortable.

In the past I've used my 555E backhoe to do this. With the hoe on the rear, I've never thought about rear ballast. It's rock solid. It can also haul more dirt per load, but when I have the grapple on it, I want to use the Massey to fill holes with so I don't have to remove the grapple.

 

[CADplans]

My JD is not quite as big as the 4707,,
but, 950# on my 4052R is starting to feel like "the tail wagging the dog"

I built my weight "box" out of the rear weight off a John Deere track loader that was being scrapped.

I have 600# more weight left from the loader weight that I took apart,,
but, I doubt I will ever go up in weight.

Maybe I will paint it,, when it gets warm,,

 

[MTGreen]

Since I've never done this before, I'm not sure how much weight I need. I've only seen tractors using round bales as counter weights at the feed store. I'm guessing they weighed about 800 pounds, so that's probably enough. My plan is to figure out how big the box needs to be to pour the concrete and then fill it up. Whatever the total number of sacks is that I mix will by my weight. The 3 point hitch is scheduled to be delivered next Tuesday the 9th, so I'll start on this when it gets here.

Not sure for your tractor but the last 2 Deeres that I've had had the a recommended ballast listed in the loader owner's manual

 

[LD1]

My JD is not quite as big as the 4707,,
but, 950# on my 4052R is starting to feel like "the tail wagging the dog"

I built my weight "box" out of the rear weight off a John Deere track loader that was being scrapped.

I have 600# more weight left from the loader weight that I took apart,,
but, I doubt I will ever go up in weight.

Maybe I will paint it,, when it gets warm,,

Your Deere is similar to my mx5100. And at 3770# for a rops machine vs eddies 8700# cabbed machine....his tractor is more than twice the machine. And it would take more than twice the ballast.

In other words....for him to put 1000# ballast on the back, would be the equivalent of you or I putting about 430# on the back of our machines. Which IMO is no where close to enough to be significant.

 

[CADplans]

Your Deere is similar to my mx5100. And at 3770# for a rops machine vs eddies 8700# cabbed machine....his tractor is more than twice the machine. And it would take more than twice the ballast.

In other words....for him to put 1000# ballast on the back, would be the equivalent of you or I putting about 430# on the back of our machines. Which IMO is no where close to enough to be significant.

Yea, he needs the weights I had before disassembly, it weighed almost a ton.

It was so heavy (in one spot) that I did not like hauling it in my dump trailer,,
I drove S L O W !!

Eight plates at 200# each, plus the two brackets. Probably 1900#,, maybe 2,000,, I ain't gonna weigh it!! LOL!!