Suitcase weights Price/lb

[LD1]

I would like to add some weight to the front of my kubota in the form of suitcase weights.

When running my 1000lb cutter on the back, having the FEL on is a must, but limits manuverability and makes it real tight on the trailer. Without the FEL, I can lift the front up easially with one hand. So I am thinking ~500lbs of weights or so.

There is a guy on c-list within a few miles of me that has 1500 or so lbs for sale. He wants $1 per pound. I honestly cannot see spending $500 to add 500lbs to the machine. I would find something else to make work first.

So the question, is this price way too high, or about right???? Let me know what ya'll think

 

[RoyJackson]

Unfortunately, a dollar per pound is about the going rate...
I have never seen cheap suitcase weights advertised on CL or anywhere else.

You might get a better deal since you're intending to buy in quantity...can't hurt to offer him less.

 

[JerryK]

I bought six 100# weights many years ago for $60 cash, east of Lapeer Michigan at a big tractor scrap yard. You have seen them around out in the country, couple hundred acres of old harvesters, tractors, you name it, sitting out in the fields as far as you can see. The one I visited had a huge pile of weights, and you just dug thru the pile to find what you wanted. Iron prices have really gone up since then, but that is the place I would look.

 

[clemsonfor]

$1/lb seems right. Im thinkiging new ones are about $2/lb. Maybe not my tractor, if i bought them, has 45lb size ones and im thinking they ran new bout 75 or so? Nver looked into it as it was so expensive. I got a 3" round bar and had a budy weld it to some angle brackets and then that wasent enough so i another one melt me some lead and filled about a 30" x3"diameter tube full then weld it to the top of the other. All togeather around about 180lbs. But my tractor only weighs about 2000 before weight so its more than you think. I would keep an eye out, but with your loader you cant get as creative with junk as i can. it is doable but you need a shop juack and some patience to reattach the bar so its not really removable.

 

[LD1]

I talked with the guy just now. I didnt really ask or mention price, but ask some other questions about dimensions and stuff to see if they would work. I did kinda hint around by telling him I really wasnt wanting to spen $500 for 500lbs of weights, and that I would probabally make something before I spent that much. He didnt say anything about making a deal, so...without directly asking, it sounds as if his price is pretty firm.

I did check on everythingattachments.com and it seems I can buy (10) 102lb weights for about $900. So even new they are under $1/lb. Not sure what shipping would run me though??

 

[RoyJackson]

I did check on everythingattachments.com and it seems I can buy (10) 102lb weights for about $900. So even new they are under $1/lb. Not sure what shipping would run me though??

Well, that's over 1000 lbs to ship. Everythingattachments can probably give you the best advice, but if you're in southern Ohio...might be worth driving down to pick them up.
When I posted my first response, I was writing about CUT suitcase weights (normally 20 kg (40 plus pounds) per weight. I've seen UT weights (what you're looking for) at relatively decent prices...never on CUT sized weights though.

 

[LD1]

I would perfer the fullsized weights. I am not 100% positive, but It looks as if they will fit on my L3400 bota's grill guard. But it is only 6-8" wide, so I wouldnt fit very many.

 

[galaxie428]

Have you thought about making some out of concrete? It seems like it would be fairly easy to make a form and mix up some concrete and make your own. It would be a little time consuming depending on how many forms you wanted to make but it might work if you had an idea of what a metal one would look like. It would certainly be a lot cheaper than buying metal ones.

 

[bcp]

From Lowes. 42 pounds.

 

[North Country]

Someone in VT has what looks to be several hundred pounds - maybe over a thousand - on craigslist for 0.75/lb. Best price I've seen in months.

Tractor Suitcase Weights

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Are ther any farm consignment sales comming up in your area. That is where I found mine. I got 4 60lbs weights for $100.
Bill

 

[LD1]

Wish I could find a deal like this around here

Allis-Chalmers suitcase weights Weights/Ballast | DRANE FARM EQUIPMENT HARNED, KY

Not sure, but probabally 100lb each.

Thats .25/lb

I could live with $125 for 500lbs of weights:thumbsup:

 

[JerryK]

Here is a picture of the ones I saved from a tractor grave yard... you know you have found the right one when you wander out back and they have a pile of weights 30 or 40 feet in diameter.. I checked, and mine came from a junk yard near Capac [thumb area ] Michigan about 18 years ago... They are AllisC 255444-10's ...

 

[jakell2010]

I paid $44 for 42lb weights at the JD dealer today

 

[99johndeere99]

I went to metal salvage yard bought some for .30 cents a pound
They were 100#weights

 

[sweep]

When running my 1000lb cutter on the back, having the FEL on is a must, but limits manuverability and makes it real tight on the trailer. Without the FEL, I can lift the front up easially with one hand. So I am thinking ~500lbs of weights or s

If you can lift up your tractor front end maybe the mower is too big for your tractor? Your tractor is 28hp at the pto.

My BH Squealer 172 requires a minimum of 35 pto hp (my tractor is 39.9 at the pto) and the mower weighs 720 lbs...300 lbs less than yours.

I have 300 lbs on the front end of my tractor but I go up some really steep hills but even on level ground with no weights I could not pick up the front end of my tractor with the mower raised...as a matter of fact I would need a hydraulic jack.

I would think the mower you are using is putting quite a bit of stress on your tractor especially the transmission castings-more than it was designed to handle.....in other words that BH is just way too big for your tractor. I would bet it takes a minumum of 40 pto hp and with that difference you are also going to blow out your 28 hp pto.

 

[LD1]

I am not here to debate the size of my tractor and the size of my cutter. I have been around long enough to know what I am doing.

The tractors 3PH is rated pleanty high enough to handle the cutter.

And I have pleanty of HP to spin it effectively. I just did a 13 acre job last month in 3' high mixed weeds that was last bushhogged last year. It handled it fine in 2H which is 5.3MPH ground speed.

Not to mention that I could slow down if needed. It has been debated on here before that the size of the cutter does NOT determin how fast you can cut. It is the HP. You just have to fo proportionally slower with a larger cutter. Which is fine with me, I would rather go slower with a larger cutter and have more time to react to hidden obsticals.

And as far as the weight goes, kubotas ARE built light with the reason that you can add weight when needed easier than shedding weight when not needed on a heavy tractor. THUS the reason for the post. I am looking to add weight on it front in the form of ballast vs the FEL. With the FEL on, I have NO issues whatsoever. It just limits manuveribility.

But thanks for the concern anyway.

 

[sweep]

I am not here to debate the size of my tractor and the size of my cutter. I have been around long enough to know what I am doing.

The tractors 3PH is rated pleanty high enough to handle the cutter.

It's not the 3 pt capabilities but the rated pto hp you need to be concerned about. You are going to flat out wear out your pto. You have a 90 hp gearbox on the 306 series....takes some torque to keep that unit moving. BH has a 40hp minimum for the 306 mower to begin with.

 

[LD1]

Again HP is NOT the issue. And neither is the gearbox rating.

All the gearbox rating does is give you a limit NOT to exceed. And allows the bushhog to be rated for being able to cut thicker brush.

I could use a 6' cutter that only has a 40HP gearbox and only weighs 600lbs, and that would NOT take any less HP to run.

Or I could drop to a 5' cutter, and increase my ground speed proportionally and it again would require the same HP.

I fail to see how it will "wear" out my PTO any quicker. My engine is rated at only so much HP. And only so much of that can go to my PTO. In MY case, 29HP @ the PTO MAX. It doesnt matter how big of a cutter or how small, I am still ONLY able to deliver it 29 HP. And if by doing so causes my PTO to fail, it wouldnt be the cutters fault. Because the PTO is designed to handle the engines power:thumbsup:

Again, thank you for being concerned, but I am NOT. I am mearly after some weights to ballast my front so I can take the loader off with this cutter on. And I think my questions have thus far been answered.

Thank you to everyone else that posted replys relavent to the pricing of weights. I am going to pass on the ones I mentioned. I cant see spending $1/lb when that is what they run new, and there are cheaper alternatives. My nearest tractor junkyards are 2 hrs away, but I will give them a shout tomorrow. It never even crossed my mind to check with them:confused2:

 

[Baby Grand]

The Plant Manager and I had been noticing an 8' Lally Column by the side of the road on the way to her mom's house. We brought the trailer the last time we went a calling and threw the column in on the return leg. I picked up a gigantic pipe cutter at a tag sale a few months ago with a blacksmith's vice for $150. My plan is to cut the column into 2' sections and weld them togeter with a bracket to hang off the front frame on both the 5100 & the 3240. Column weighs about 1 lb/in, so about 96 lb plus hanging bracket.

I tried to find Lally Columns for sale, so I could calculate $/lb, but didn't have much luck - it's like they are a controlled substance. Very wierd. I used to work at a lumber yard and probably cut 3 or 4 to order every week. Wonder if you were to find a place that sells them and offer to buy their scraps if you could score some that way? Waiting around to find one on the side of the road's a bit sketchy.