Rear Weight Box with real cheap ballast

[rp425]

Here is a rear weight box I built for my JD425. The box weighs in at 100 lbs. and then I put 4 bags of 80 lb Quikcrete in it for a total of 420 lbs. Box was less than $40.00 to build and the weight was less than $16.00.

 

[rp425]

Another Picture

 

[Mark_in_NH]

rp425,
Great looking ballast box. It looks as good, if not better than my factory JD box. And a heck of a lot cheaper.
I have my dads mig welder here, but can't weld to save my life.

 

[Tractors4u]

With today's MiG welders and auto dimming helmets, there is no better time to learn how to weld. I learned how to weld on a big Miller MiG unit and then bought a second hand 110v stick welder to use at home. That was a real culture shock. I have since bought a Lincoln Weldpak wirefeed welder and while the welding purests out there would laugh at it, it has done everything I have ask of it. I have wleded up equipment to use behind my tractor and I have welded sheetmetal on tractors and it works great. You need to get to pieces of scrap metal and fire up your dad's MiG welder and practice. It really isn't that hard.

 

[bobnewjersey]

Great job! I used an old 55 gallon plastic drum filled with concrete, but your's looks much nicer.

 

[Soundguy]

I saw a picture of a rear 3pt weight that was more or less a hunk ( or large poured block ) of concrete with the 3pt pins added in.
Seemes effective.. if not a bit unslightly.

I've also seen some nice front weights. Over in the yanmar area, we have had a few guys design some good ones. One used a military ammo box full of lead scraps, mounted to the front bumper.. one fellow made a mount to add round exercise weights to ( looked nice ) and I built a double pipe front weighted bumper out of some 6" pipe, concrete, rebar, and a bit of hardware, etc.

But the nicely painted rear weight looks premio

Chris

 

[Molerj]

I just went to the salvage yard & picked up some metal to make my ballast box. I called
the local JD dealer--180.00. I asked him for the dimensions & I should get started on it
next week or sooner. The guy at the salvage yard charged me 5.00. I got some angle & flat
steel. Bought the pins earlier. Trying to get in touch with a friend who has a shear to cut the
steel. I can use a torch, but it would be neater to have it sheared. I noticed the different locations of
the hook up for the pins on Marks bought box & the made one. One is to the inside of the
box & the other is on the outside. Any pros or cons?

 

[dlabrie]

Here is a picture of the ballast I made for my B2910. I took a 25 gallon muck bucket and put a draw bar through it. To that I bolted 2 vertical sections of angle iron with holes for the top link. I took an old rusted T-section of a tow hitch and stuck it through the back. I duct taped around any openings and filled the whole thing with cement and stones. It’s gotten pretty beat up, but works great. I can’t remember what it weighs, but I think it's about 400 pounds. It probably cost me $20-30 to build.David

 

[Inspector507]

David,
Now that is an ingenious idea

 

[Boomerboy]

I love it! We all need inexpensive attachments. Wasn't the tractor expense enough?!? Keep it lubed - Keep it goin'