Egon
Epic Contributor
Quite a lot really! But your Doctor may tell you to lose it!
Weight is bad
- Thread starter MessickFarmEqu
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Quite a lot really! But your Doctor may tell you to lose it!
Good answer,
At some point it wouldn't fit in the seat.. All I know is the only complaints I've ever heard are from Kubota owners who are farming larger farms. Most of my friends here have 50hp and up. I'm sure the light weight works well for mini farms and lawn mowing.
At some point it wouldn't fit in the seat.. All I know is the only complaints I've ever heard are from Kubota owners who are farming larger farms. Most of my friends here have 50hp and up. I'm sure the light weight works well for mini farms and lawn mowing.
Soundguy
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Check your manual.. It's likely the engineers that built your tractor already did the hard work for you and told you what you can and can't do. A quick check of a few of my ford and nh manuals all show reccomended and max weighting ... I suspect many machines manuals do the same.. or I would hope so..
soundguy
OP
MessickFarmEqu
Super Member
It depends on how easy the axles are. The rule with Kubota is no more than 50% of the tractors weight... thats alot. Kubota's make great haying tractors and loader machines, they are not tillage tractors.
N80
Super Member
Does that include what's in the loader and on the 3 pt? If so, with a tractor like mine, half the weight would be around 1800 pounds. You could have 1000 pounds in the loader and 400 in fluid in each rear and you'd be maxed out. Or does that just include fluid, wheel weights and what you hang on the front?
Why is that? I know they don't make big articulated machines and I think their max HP tractor is a 125 HP. What else makes them not good at tilling (I'm assuming we're talking about commercial farming)? In other words, take the M125x or something similar. Is it less suited for tilling than a comparable 125 hp JD or NH? (I've never seen any big Kubota used for any sort of tilling around here, only JDs and NHs).
Huhh ?
Read the F-word Manual ?
Are you kiddin', on drugs, or what ?
Somewhere there are pics of tire prints that show how to know when you have ideal wheel slip, indicating proper ballast for what you are pulling.
Check 'em out, know when you have excess weight or insufficient ballast for what you're pulling.
Yeah, I know the implement wipes 'em out, but if you look between the tractor and the implement.... (-:
Yes, it IS the tire print on the surface you havn't processed, THAT is the surface your traction is with.
slaveToHorses
Gold Member
I had to add a bunch of weight packs to the front of my JD2355. With my 1300lb chipper on the 3pt, the front end was really light. It was nearly impossible to clutch out of a stop without popping up the front tires. Kind of fun but sort of a pain when in tight quarters.
The packs did the trick. The front tires are not weighted. On this tractor, this combo makes good sense.
On my JD3720, I have filled R4s on all corners. I have never been sorry about that decision. That unit does all my loader, backhoe and general utility work. No other weights. I never have compaction problems. The R4s leave a light track and the newer design gives fine traction in the clay mud I have. All around it just works great. Even with the hoe mounted and 1000+lbs in the bucket, it moves around just fine, without strain at all. Heck, I hardly ever need FWD, even with heavy loads in the mud. I pretty much only use it when I need to dig in the bucket, or to pull something out of the ground.
The packs did the trick. The front tires are not weighted. On this tractor, this combo makes good sense.
On my JD3720, I have filled R4s on all corners. I have never been sorry about that decision. That unit does all my loader, backhoe and general utility work. No other weights. I never have compaction problems. The R4s leave a light track and the newer design gives fine traction in the clay mud I have. All around it just works great. Even with the hoe mounted and 1000+lbs in the bucket, it moves around just fine, without strain at all. Heck, I hardly ever need FWD, even with heavy loads in the mud. I pretty much only use it when I need to dig in the bucket, or to pull something out of the ground.
Soundguy
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No, never was, probably never will be - other than those that are medically prescribed.
It was a just a little joke, as in "Those who read their tractor manuals probably wax their rims".
In the interest of adding something constructive, this pointer might be useful;
http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/agengin/g01235.htm
Last edited:
RickB
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I won't dispute any of the facts you have laid out here. In fact, none of it is new or different from what has been disseminated by machine and tire manufacturers for years.
The notion that any significant number of owners/operators of any size tractor are going to alter their ballast package for different operations is fantasy. Sure, some do, but the majority won't/can't see the value. Or they see the value, but won't apply the effort to reap the rewards.
But thanks for reminding us.
Soundguy
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Westonium
Silver Member
My 4310 came without fluid in the rears and I operated it for 4 years that way. 4 Years of close calls and getting stuck. It doesn't take much of a muddy and leave covered grade to make my 4WD plain useless.
The fluid fill hasn't made the traction so completely amazing - I think it will take chains for that, but it does add a noticeable margin. Wheel weights would probably be my choice, but really with all the slopes around I'm better off with permanent wheel balast.
When my tractor gets stuck - it has never been because it dug in way too deep - it's been because the rears just skip across the damp surface, don't dig in enough, and immediately get loaded. Wish I'd gone with Ag tires.
In short - I am so much better off with MORE WEIGHT.
If I was dealing with flat fields full of loose dirt (that I would prefer STAY loose), I am sure I would agree that the opposite were true.
The fluid fill hasn't made the traction so completely amazing - I think it will take chains for that, but it does add a noticeable margin. Wheel weights would probably be my choice, but really with all the slopes around I'm better off with permanent wheel balast.
When my tractor gets stuck - it has never been because it dug in way too deep - it's been because the rears just skip across the damp surface, don't dig in enough, and immediately get loaded. Wish I'd gone with Ag tires.
In short - I am so much better off with MORE WEIGHT.
If I was dealing with flat fields full of loose dirt (that I would prefer STAY loose), I am sure I would agree that the opposite were true.
WilliamBos
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Cat seems to be a better way to go. You can shift it around as needed, or take it off. Once you fill those tires, you are stuck with it, and if you trade the tractor in, you don't have to trade the weights with it.
N80
Super Member
Cat???
WilliamBos
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Ooops!! Forgot my "S". Should say CAST.
N80
Super Member
I agree. Cast iron fronts and cast iron wheel weights are very flexible. However, as mentioned, for most people wheel weights are about as permanent as fluid ballast and the truth is, adding fluid ballast isn't all the hard. Removing it is easier....trust me.
I would love to have a complete set of weights, but for the price, I could probably get another useful implement. And I got all the water I need for next to free.
I would love to have a complete set of weights, but for the price, I could probably get another useful implement. And I got all the water I need for next to free.
WilliamBos
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They don't have to be wheel weights. Have a look at the front bracket.
Scour the neighbourhood for some farms, usually they do not throw anything out. You might be amazed at the deals you can find!! The dealer wanted $2 per pound for the little 25lb weights, those are 40lb weights for less than that.
N80
Super Member
Nice setup. I wasn't clear, that was what I meant by 'fronts', not front wheel weights. My tractor cannot use front wheel weights or liquid ballast on the front.
I do want some front suitcase weights. I've just about got my fields around my cabin obstacle free so I don't need the loader on as a 'cowcatcher' but it gets a little light up there without it. About 250 pounds of suitcase weights would be perfect.
On eBay there is a company from NC that makes them and selss them fairly cheap. I hope to get some one day.....but its just another thing on the never ending list of 'must haves' for the tractor.
I do want some front suitcase weights. I've just about got my fields around my cabin obstacle free so I don't need the loader on as a 'cowcatcher' but it gets a little light up there without it. About 250 pounds of suitcase weights would be perfect.
On eBay there is a company from NC that makes them and selss them fairly cheap. I hope to get some one day.....but its just another thing on the never ending list of 'must haves' for the tractor.
sld
Veteran Member
I think a lot of people are missing the point.
The OP was trying to say that excessive weight is a bad thing. The hard part is trying to figure out the "right" amount of weight for each job. I always leave the front weights on my little Ford but there are things I do that I could do without them.
Once a tractor is weighted it is much easier to leave it on and deal with it than guess at how much to remove for a particular job.
The OP was trying to say that excessive weight is a bad thing. The hard part is trying to figure out the "right" amount of weight for each job. I always leave the front weights on my little Ford but there are things I do that I could do without them.
Once a tractor is weighted it is much easier to leave it on and deal with it than guess at how much to remove for a particular job.
