[tractorman1026]

have any of you guys tried using rim guard liquid weight rather than a ballast box? i have had good results with that product on my ford newholland 2120.

 

[XSKIER]

Rimguard alone is not enough to properly ballast the FEL on 1026R. It will get you by if you're taking small bites and moving slow on flat ground. For any kind of meaningful work, you need another 500 lbs swinging off from the rear-end.

 

[has15]

Rim Guard is all I use on my 1026R! I never even considered a ballast box, with the rim guard it frees up the 3pt for useful implements like a box blade or landscape rake and still have ample ballast for the FEL, I have a 53" loader bucket on mine and the tractor works just fine with only Rim Guard. This all refers to working the tractor SAFELY and in spec with the owners manual, anything over and above that your on your own. As for mowing with the Rim Guard you never know it is there, if the lawn is that soft, damage will be done with or with out liquid ballast.
Here is the link for all of you non-believers www.rimguard.biz
Hope this helps.

 

[BethesdaEC]

When you put liquid ballast in the tire it does not change the axle load on the front tire. The loader is very heavy when empty so like a see-saw you need a large weight an equal distance behind the tractor to counter-balance the loader. Your front axle without the counter balance is probably running at max load, now pickup 800 or 1000 lbs and you are risking sever damage to your front axle. I do not have loaded tires but I do run 850 lbs on my 3PH which is about 4 feet behind my rear axle and I also routinely pickup 1,000 lbs loads, I wouldn't do that with only loaded tires.

The reason I don't have loaded tires is with the backhoe or my ballast box, my 2520 is very heavy and I don't want to add more weight at this point and the center of gravity of loaded tires is at very undesirable location anyways.

 

[glc]

When you put liquid ballast in the tire it does not change the axle load on the front tire.

DITTO!!
Bethesda,I swear there should be a ballast class 101. It simply amazes me the number of owners that don't understand how this ballast thing is meant to work properly!:unknown:

Greg

 

[RonS]

The whole ballast thing had me confused for awhile as well (and still does somewhat). Thankfully there were all kinds of folks on this site who were willing to educate a newbie like me. I personally use a fully loaded ballast box/iMatch for counter weight and I am considering adding a couple of suitcase weights for serious FEL work (moving gravel, etc.). I have read some horror stories about front axles on tractors that were not properly ballasted.

 

[has15]

When you put liquid ballast in the tire it does not change the axle load on the front tire. The loader is very heavy when empty so like a see-saw you need a large weight an equal distance behind the tractor to counter-balance the loader. Your front axle without the counter balance is probably running at max load, now pickup 800 or 1000 lbs and you are risking sever damage to your front axle. I do not have loaded tires but I do run 850 lbs on my 3PH which is about 4 feet behind my rear axle and I also routinely pickup 1,000 lbs loads, I wouldn't do that with only loaded tires.

The reason I don't have loaded tires is with the backhoe or my ballast box, my 2520 is very heavy and I don't want to add more weight at this point and the center of gravity of loaded tires is at very undesirable location anyways.

We have a CASE 580 SUPER E 4x4 back hoe and the rear tires are loaded on that as well, keeps the rear end on the ground when moving dirt with the FEL. I think the only machines I have ever ran with steel counter weight was a CAT D9G dozer that had a rubbish blade on it, they had counter weight for when the blade was lifted. True the 2520 is bigger than my 1026R, but I feel carrying around 850lbs on the 3pt just puts undo were &tare on the hydraulics of the machine, my box blade weighs almost 400lbs and I can here it trying to settle down and the tractor continually trying to keep it in a raised position.
Just 2 more cents of my own opinion.

 

[BethesdaEC]

We have a CASE 580 SUPER E 4x4 back hoe and the rear tires are loaded on that as well, keeps the rear end on the ground when moving dirt with the FEL. I think the only machines I have ever ran with steel counter weight was a CAT D9G dozer that had a rubbish blade on it, they had counter weight for when the blade was lifted. True the 2520 is bigger than my 1026R, but I feel carrying around 850lbs on the 3pt just puts undo were &tare on the hydraulics of the machine, my box blade weighs almost 400lbs and I can here it trying to settle down and the tractor continually trying to keep it in a raised position.
Just 2 more cents of my own opinion.

The 2520 will lift 1433 at the lift arms and 1250 24" behind, It is not even breaking a sweat. These are not little toy riding lawn mowers that you bought from a big box store and will self destruction in two years. As for the axle load, the rear axle is rated for 2426 lbs and the front is rated at 1940 lbs.

The Deere spreadsheet has a 816 lbs implement code but I am running a little heavier (I think I might be closer to 900 lbs on the ballast).

My rear tire weight is 2658 and the axle load is 2388 (minus the weight of the rear tires).
My front tire weight is 910 and the axle load 840. (minus the weight of the front tires).

Now pickup 1,000 lbs. Assuming it is over the front axles my axle load has jumped to 1840, but the load is about 4 feet in front of the axle meaning that weight is transferred from the rear axles to the front so you have moved about 1,600 lbs to the front axle. Your front axle is overloaded. Fortunately I have a little more weight in back and unfortunately the operator is a few pounds heavier but I am still overloaded. Play with the spreadsheet, remove the rear attachment. The front axle load jumps almost 500 lbs, then add loaded tires, notice that it does not change the front axle load. Regardless of load rating the front axles are always going to be more frail.

I hope that this little demonstration opens your eyes to how ballast works and your loaded tires don't. They can be a nice supplement, but they won't save your front axle.

 

[glc]

Hello Jeff

my box blade weighs almost 400lbs and I can here it trying to settle down and the tractor continually trying to keep it in a raised position.

Considering the 1026R has a 3PT capacity of (give or take) 700 lbs,your boxblade at 400 is a pretty decent counter weight being it is hanging a bit farther passed the link ends that a ballast box would. Your tractor really should not be struggling to keep that blade up. Have you raised it,shut the tractor down to see how fast it fell? You may have an issue there.
Does the 1026 have a valve to control how fast the 3PT raises and lowers? If it does,you should be able close it and the 3PT would never leak down!:good2:

Greg

 

[BethesdaEC]

Hello Jeff



Considering the 1026R has a 3PT capacity of (give or take) 700 lbs,your boxblade at 400 is a pretty decent counter weight being it is hanging a bit farther passed the link ends that a ballast box would. Your tractor really should not be struggling to keep that blade up. Have you raised it,shut the tractor down to see how fast it fell? You may have an issue there.
Does the 1026 have a valve to control how fast the 3PT raises and lowers? If it does,you should be able close it and the 3PT would never leak down!:good2:

Greg

You should never park the tractor with the implements raised, but if you did leave the 3PH raised is should be overnight or at least hours before the implement falls to the ground. If it is falling faster than that then you may have a problem.

 

[Kennyd]

DITTO!!
Bethesda,I swear there should be a ballast class 101. It simply amazes me the number of owners and dealers/sales personnel that don't understand how this ballast thing is meant to work properly!:unknown:


Greg

Added one comment in red.

IMHO, no loader should be sold without a ballast box, in fact my dealer includes it in the price-you will get one if you by a loader from him.

 

[has15]

The 2520 will lift 1433 at the lift arms and 1250 24" behind, It is not even breaking a sweat. These are not little toy riding lawn mowers that you bought from a big box store and will self destruction in two years. As for the axle load, the rear axle is rated for 2426 lbs and the front is rated at 1940 lbs.

The Deere spreadsheet has a 816 lbs implement code but I am running a little heavier (I think I might be closer to 900 lbs on the ballast).

My rear tire weight is 2658 and the axle load is 2388 (minus the weight of the rear tires).
My front tire weight is 910 and the axle load 840. (minus the weight of the front tires).

Now pickup 1,000 lbs. Assuming it is over the front axles my axle load has jumped to 1840, but the load is about 4 feet in front of the axle meaning that weight is transferred from the rear axles to the front so you have moved about 1,600 lbs to the front axle. Your front axle is overloaded. Fortunately I have a little more weight in back and unfortunately the operator is a few pounds heavier but I am still overloaded. Play with the spreadsheet, remove the rear attachment. The front axle load jumps almost 500 lbs, then add loaded tires, notice that it does not change the front axle load. Regardless of load rating the front axles are always going to be more frail.

I hope that this little demonstration opens your eyes to how ballast works and your loaded tires don't. They can be a nice supplement, but they won't save your front axle.

Sorry if I ruffeled some fethers on this subject. But #1- I did not know that John Deere 1026Rs were avilable at big box stores and that it is only a toy! #2- I am only speaking from my own experience of 27yrs of working with heavy equipment and working on families tobacco farms in Tennessee, where the main concearn was keeping all 4 wheels on the ground but for that not so rare time when the front wheels come off the ground, that is why they have steering brakes, or as you may call them split brakes. I don't know anything about spredsheets or calculators, and the only time I have evered had to worrie about axle weight was on OTR trucks.#3- What I do know is my "little toy riding lawn mower" 1026R with the 90lbs of Rem Guard in each rear tire is with me all the time, keeping my COG low to the ground and my ride stable and will handle any thing my FEL will pick up. Further more when I put on a rear impliment I only add to my ballast keeping the low COG and have no worries. Question is, when you drop your ballast box so you can use the 3PT and the decide you need to lift something with the FEL, do you have switch from one impliment back to your ballast box? Point is in 27+years I have never broke a axle or front drive. I have blown MANY hoses and bent a few hyd. cylinders and in most/not all cases the system will give out before the front axle brakes.
Just 2 more cents.

 

[tractorman1026]

ideas on liquid weight

i agree that if using fel you probally should have more than just rim guard.on my larger ford newholland i run rimguard and a6' box blade when doing heavy loader work,but on my new jd1026r i only want rimguard to help offset my front snow blower,and you will never know the difference when mowing.

 

[has15]

I may of misled you on the box blade. it is when the tractor is running i/e driving down the road, you can hear the hydralics working to keep it raised like a clicking sound. drop it just a little and the sound stops but starts back up in a few mins. shut the tractor off and I don't hear anything. Its not really a problem just a little anoing. If I go a few days maybe a week with out starting it in the shed, the 3pt will drift down with just the quick hitch which is normal.

 

[has15]

I may of misled you on the box blade. it is when the tractor is running i/e driving down the road, you can hear the hydralics working to keep it raised like a clicking sound. drop it just a little and the sound stops but starts back up in a few mins. shut the tractor off and I don't hear anything. Its not really a problem just a little anoing. If I go a few days maybe a week with out starting it in the shed, the 3pt will drift down with just the quick hitch which is normal.

Yes it does have a controil valve for the 3pt, I will try closing that the next while i'm going from job to job, thanks for the idea.

 

[BethesdaEC]

Sorry if I ruffeled some fethers on this subject. But #1- I did not know that John Deere 1026Rs were avilable at big box stores and that it is only a toy! #2- I am only speaking from my own experience of 27yrs of working with heavy equipment and working on families tobacco farms in Tennessee, where the main concearn was keeping all 4 wheels on the ground but for that not so rare time when the front wheels come off the ground, that is why they have steering brakes, or as you may call them split brakes. I don't know anything about spredsheets or calculators, and the only time I have evered had to worrie about axle weight was on OTR trucks.#3- What I do know is my "little toy riding lawn mower" 1026R with the 90lbs of Rem Guard in each rear tire is with me all the time, keeping my COG low to the ground and my ride stable and will handle any thing my FEL will pick up. Further more when I put on a rear impliment I only add to my ballast keeping the low COG and have no worries. Question is, when you drop your ballast box so you can use the 3PT and the decide you need to lift something with the FEL, do you have switch from one impliment back to your ballast box? Point is in 27+years I have never broke a axle or front drive. I have blown MANY hoses and bent a few hyd. cylinders and in most/not all cases the system will give out before the front axle brakes.
Just 2 more cents.

I was referring to the Green Tractors that JD sells at Lowes and Home Depot like the 100 series, not the 1000 series. The 1000 series is a serious tractor, a little small for my needs but putting 850 lbs on 2520 3PH is not straining the tractor, it is designed for far more. The 1000 should be scaled down a little obviously but ballast is important. As for your experience with the heavy equipment, they tend to be a little more forgiving since they are substantially heavier and stronger. These little tractors are very strong, very light and have a very short wheel base, not a really good combination. Ballast needs to be given serious thought, I have lifted my back wheels off the ground when I hooked a root with either my 900 lbs backhoe or 850 lbs ballast box on. The breakout force on the loader is over 2,000 lbs if I remember correctly, or more than the base tractor. I will be the first to admit that I work my tractor to the limits, but I am aware of the limits and make sure that I have configured my tractor in the safest way. I have seen far too many Youtube videos of people operating a tractor without proper ballast and the rear tires lifting or barely making contact.

 

[Gizmo2]

I may of misled you on the box blade. it is when the tractor is running i/e driving down the road, you can hear the hydralics working to keep it raised like a clicking sound. drop it just a little and the sound stops but starts back up in a few mins. shut the tractor off and I don't hear anything. Its not really a problem just a little anoing. If I go a few days maybe a week with out starting it in the shed, the 3pt will drift down with just the quick hitch which is normal.

Wow. Do all the 1026R's 3pt drift down like this?

 

[has15]

Wow. Do all the 1026R's 3pt drift down like this?

I think I have that valve open to far, I like my 3pt to fall a little fast but maybe this fast...

 

[XSKIER]

My drop valve is about one turn-out from closed. It will hold my 280 lb drawbar up just fine. I also have a 6' rb with 200lbs of weight on it, I can't recall hearing the 3pt trying to "position".

Alright Beth,
Enough comparing your 2520 to our 1023e/1026r tractors. You are confusing all of us, and not really adding pertinent information. However, I am extremely happy for you to have a 2520 TLB, as I would love to have one.

Thanks.

 

[RandyM]

Easy Fellas

Let's not get to personel. You all have some very good points on a controversial issue. We all have to do what works best for ourselves, machines, and tasks. Please take all advise in the good spirit it is given. :good2: Thanks.