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Suitcase weight injuries common?

10K views 49 replies 24 participants last post by  69project 
#1 ·
Are injuries from suitcase weights flying around during a tip or roll over common? or possibly even during a real rough ride... overloaded bucket scenario.... ?

Just curious why they are not secured at all.

pardon the ignorance, new to tractors here.

thx.
 
#3 ·
The weights are secured when put on properly. The bracket for suitcase weights come with a retaining rod.


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#5 ·
The Heavy Hitch 8 weights on my 3 pt. has no rod. I think it was an oversight on their part. When I put my tractor on my trailer I use ratchet straps to keep them where their supposed to be.

My x728 did have a rod with it that secured the weights.
 
#36 ·
The Heavy Hitch 8 weights on my 3 pt. has no rod. I think it was an oversight on their part. When I put my tractor on my trailer I use ratchet straps to keep them where their supposed to be.

My x728 did have a rod with it that secured the weights.
I used large HD zip ties on mine.
I figured as long as I used something to tie/lock them all together it really would be hard pressed for any of them to come off there since they are tied together. I have had mine on there for almost a year now, no problems at all.
 
#6 ·
I typically use a bungee strap to hold them down if the mount does not have a rod. You have to bounce the front end if they are on the front very hard for them to come off though.
 
#50 ·
I have had a heavy hitch now for several years, used it on my 2210 and now my 3025E and I have never had a suitcase weight fall off. Probably close to 500 hours worth of use over all kinds of terrain. I have the 42lb weights. I don't think it's an oversight, they designed it well. A rollover is a different story but I am guessing I would have more problems than flying suitcase weights to worry about.
 
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#8 ·
No way to secure them on my HH either other than ratchet strap or something. My Z950R that has the JD front weight rack has a rod that secures them.

My solution, I opt to keep all 4 wheels on the ground.
 
#9 ·
They SHOULD be secured, but most of us dont do it. Many aftermarket brackets (all?) dont have a way to do so.
That said, if you can bounce them off the hitch, unsecured, and not damage the tractor, I want pictures.
It would take one heck of a bounce to unseat them completely from a bracket.

In all the years Ive been around those suitcase weights, I have yet to hear of someone bouncing one loose either using or hauling their S/CUT or GT.
That doesnt mean it hasnt happened obviously, just that in all the plow days Ive gone to, and people Ive know, nobody ever really mentioned it.
 
#21 ·
If you can bounce them off the hitch, unsecured, and not damage the tractor, I want pictures.
It would take one heck of a bounce to unseat them completely from a bracket.
If you can bounce the tractor hard enough for the weights to fly off, my guess is the driver will depart the machine as well, if he's not buckled in. I've hit bumps that bounced me completely out of the seat (didn't see the hole), but the weights on front stayed put.
 
#10 ·
Like written above, I can't see them being "bounced" off the holder, and I've never heard of to happening either.
 
#11 ·
The only reason I bungee them together is to keep them from making a bunch of noise clanging together. I have gone over some pretty bouncy terrain at my hunt club and never worried.
 
#14 ·
I even use a camouflage bungie to make it even more tactical.
 
#13 ·
Are injuries from suitcase weights flying around during a tip or roll over common? or possibly even during a real rough ride... overloaded bucket scenario.... ?

Just curious why they are not secured at all.

pardon the ignorance, new to tractors here.

thx.
Same response as everyone else, but like some, once in a while I'll bungee them to reduce the clanging together. As far tip or roll over, you've got bigger problems at that point.

My 1986 GT430 had a rod to secure them.
Land vehicle Vehicle Tractor Agricultural machinery Motor vehicle
 
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#16 ·
Do the 70lb weights have bolt holes? Seems sketchy that there's no way to bolt them down.

Even my old 30 year old Kubotas 55lb weights had holes to tie all of them together, and then each individual weight could be bolted to the chassis. (can see the individual bolts under the grill). I did the fasteners home made style, if ya can't tell. It was super annoying hearing them clank around all the time.
Land vehicle Tractor Vehicle Agricultural machinery Car
 
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#17 ·
They have a lip like the 40lb ones that a bar holds down. The bar goes through holes at each end of the front bracket.

I have watched them bounce off of full size tractors if they shove the clutch in with the front wheels up a foot at the end of a pull but other than that they stay on very well.
 
#18 ·
With the 42# there is a ear on it that the rod locks into so it can't come off on official JD mounts. The rods just have a cotter pin on each end. At least on the Z950R. The rod is in there pretty secure. You have to wiggle the weights around to get the rod secured.
 
#19 ·
Oh I see, the lip on the outside upper section of the weight. None of the HH weight brackets have the ability to secure the 40-70lb weights to them? I see where the skinny big boy 100lb weights have the 2 long pins for security.
 
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#20 ·
My only concern is when I am hauling the tractor. Unexpected things happen if you hit a pot hole curb or swerve for whatever reason. I pay much more attention to this since a recent landscape trucker went over some railroad tracks and a landscape boulder popped out of the truck bouncing and killing two women when it came through the windshield.

His punishment was about 6 months in jail and 10 years probation. Kill two people and that is all he got, just doesn't seem right.

He knew they bounced out because after they did he pulled over and secured the rest with straps. Too late. They had video of him going down the road with unsecured boulders than a few minutes later they had another video which captured him securing the boulders. He tried to hide out but they got him in a few days.
 
#23 ·
Is that a heavy hitch weld or did you do this? Modified?

Green Tractor Bumper Vehicle Machine
 
#25 ·
A grinder is a welders best friend! (y)

Wasn't trying to be mean in any way. It's just that HH is usually held to a higher level than say Titan. It looked odd to be a HH product. Keep welding and don't let me get you down!
 
#27 ·
LOL, I've never lost a weight but certainly have pinched a finger a time or two dealing with 110 (fifty kilo) weights. Now I just look at them. Where ever they are is generally good enough for me.

Treefarmer
 
#28 ·
Ken, there's your next Bolt On product.....two bolt on brackets and a retaining rod, designed to fit the Heavy Hitch. I'd order one today if there was such a thing. Honestly, I cant stand the racket y weights make (I only have 6) ...ding, clang, bang ...those weights slide and bang on each other and the terrain doesn't have to be overly rough to make them do it. I dont think they'd ever bounce off...but they do move around and make a lot of noise.
 
#32 ·
Ken, there's your next Bolt On product.....two bolt on brackets and a retaining rod, designed to fit the Heavy Hitch. I'd order one today if there was such a thing. Honestly, I cant stand the racket y weights make (I only have 6) ...ding, clang, bang ...those weights slide and bang on each other and the terrain doesn't have to be overly rough to make them do it. I dont think they'd ever bounce off...but they do move around and make a lot of noise.
The easiest fix for this that I know of is a tarp strap across the handles of the weights.
The rod that secures them simply keeps them from coming off the bracket, it doesnt hold them tightly. The combination of the two is likely the easiest and safest.
A buddy and I experimented quite a bit with things to keep them from sliding, banging, etc, and the easiest and best was the tarp strap. This is especially difficult when you use less that the full capability of the weight bracket.
We tried welding tabs along the back of the weight bracket, using an all thread in different places on the weights, and a whole lot of other silly things that just didnt work well at all to stop any of it. Im sure someone smarter than me could find something that would work to accommodate different amounts of weights being uses, but we couldnt.
 
#29 ·
Ken can start working on securing suitcase weights just as soon as he comes up with chain boxes for the Chinese quick hitch. He promised those first. Some of us are still waiting LOL.

I think the OP brought up a great discussion. First thing I thought when I hung my weights was securing them but I haven’t yet. They do clang a little on my rough terrain but not as much as I thought they would. Looking at the pics y’all have posted has me thinking. Post pics please if you’ve already addressed this. Not beyond me to “borrow” a good idea.
 
#37 ·
I feel bad now. I usually drill a hole in the end of the bracket or hook a tarp strap under the bar the weights sit on. No fancy welded things but will say in a roll over the welded bar is going to be safer than a tarp strap trying to keep them all on. I guess it is just more time to think, hey I survived be happy and then have the weights hunt me down.
 
#38 ·
I feel bad now. I usually drill a hole in the end of the bracket or hook a tarp strap under the bar the weights sit on. No fancy welded things but will say in a roll over the welded bar is going to be safer than a tarp strap trying to keep them all on. I guess it is just more time to think, hey I survived be happy and then have the weights hunt me down.
Speaking of drilling, I’ve been telling myself for two years that I’m going to drill the holes out just a little bigger so the rod goes through easier but would still hold them in place.
Maybe this belongs in the procrastination thread[emoji23][emoji23]


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