[jgayman]

Great video.......but did you see the buttons to move the tractor and raise the 3 pt hitch....
That is so cool....never seen that before......I need a updated tractor:yahoo:

That feature is available on a lot of the large tractors. It's hard to manually nudge over a 5000 lb. implement to get it attached.

 

[jgayman]

Excellent video. Pretty darn tractor too!:good2:
The one point I was expecting him to mention,( but he didn't), was weight behind the axle is what your looking for when it comes to relieving stress off your front axle.

Nice ballast solution but why have it stick out so far? I can't help but think how much nicer that arrangement would be if he would have cut the box channels in half and stacked them four-high. The result would have been the same weight in a much more compact configuration.

 

[HomesteadJoe]

Nice ballast solution but why have it stick out so far? I can't help but think how much nicer that arrangement would be if he would have cut the box channels in half and stacked them four-high. The result would have been the same weight in a much more compact configuration.

I agree.... not to mention the advantage to lateral CG that would be gained on top of the clearance benefits.....

Sincerely

 

[JasonK]

I had been lazily ignoring my ballast box since getting the 2520 in May. I finally got it loaded up this weekend. It really does provide some nice stability.

 

[Babyhauler]

To offset a load out front, the ballast box works better if it is further away from the rear of the tractor.

My 1100 lb MX6 is much more effective than my 500 lb box blade. Yea, yea, it is twice the weight, but I bet 600 lbs on the box blade would not lighten the front end like the cutter does. Water in my rear tires really balanced it out with the cutter.

Guys, put your tractor in 4 wheel drive to get 4 wheel brakes. On slopes and when on your trailer.

That way you do not go sliding down a slope with a load in your bucket. Not thinking about ballast means you have to think more about driving. Keep your hand on the joystick to drop the loader back to the ground to stop that wild ride. Been there, done that. Think out an escape plan before you hit a little sketchy area so you can react instead of figuring it out while doing a wheelie or a big slide. Heck, take the loader off and practice some wheelies to see what it feels like so you know how to handle it. It's okay to put it in 4wd for 20-30 feet and back in 2wd for your transport drive.

A lot of people get hurt with loaders. Many are hurt because they do not know how to react when something happens. At least y'all are thinking about ballast, so you are ahead of the game!

Be careful and good luck!

 

[PJR832]

To offset a load out front, the ballast box works better if it is further away from the rear of the tractor.

My 1100 lb MX6 is much more effective than my 500 lb box blade. Yea, yea, it is twice the weight, but I bet 600 lbs on the box blade would not lighten the front end like the cutter does. Water in my rear tires really balanced it out with the cutter.

Guys, put your tractor in 4 wheel drive to get 4 wheel brakes. On slopes and when on your trailer.

That way you do not go sliding down a slope with a load in your bucket. Not thinking about ballast means you have to think more about driving. Keep your hand on the joystick to drop the loader back to the ground to stop that wild ride. Been there, done that. Think out an escape plan before you hit a little sketchy area so you can react instead of figuring it out while doing a wheelie or a big slide. Heck, take the loader off and practice some wheelies to see what it feels like so you know how to handle it. It's okay to put it in 4wd for 20-30 feet and back in 2wd for your transport drive.

A lot of people get hurt with loaders. Many are hurt because they do not know how to react when something happens. At least y'all are thinking about ballast, so you are ahead of the game!

Be careful and good luck!

Great advice right there :good2: I do that anytime I'm in a situation where it could get "sketchy". We have a manure pile by the horse barn, down in one of the pastures we have a turned compost pile. I say down because it is a very steep about 50-60 feet down grade to the pile in the pasture. The other day I moved slightly composted manure from the upper pile to the composted pile down below. I normally do this with the 2555 but the weather has sucked lately and I just wanted to play with the little tractor, had no troubles whatsoever but like you say, the possibility is always there, so a well thought out takes the guess work out out of the "what if".

 

[wch_chip]

Great advice right there :good2: I do that anytime I'm in a situation where it could get "sketchy". We have a manure pile by the horse barn, down in one of the pastures we have a turned compost pile. I say down because it is a very steep about 50-60 feet down grade to the pile in the pasture. The other day I moved slightly composted manure from the upper pile to the composted pile down below. I normally do this with the 2555 but the weather has sucked lately and I just wanted to play with the little tractor, had no troubles whatsoever but like you say, the possibility is always there, so a well thought out takes the guess work out out of the "what if".

Not on topic at all....but how much acreage do you have?

 

[PJR832]

Not on topic at all....but how much acreage do you have?

Total probably about 30, combination of hay fields, horse pastures and lawn. Along with about 2 acres of potatoes, corn and pumpkins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wch_chip]

Total probably about 30, combination of hay fields, horse pastures and lawn. Along with about 2 acres of potatoes, corn and pumpkins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm so jealous.

 

[JasonK]

Great video.......but did you see the buttons to move the tractor and raise the 3 pt hitch....

That was awesome. I wonder how much that option costs?

 

[johnH123]

Its standard on 4R tractors.

 

[Old Cajun]

Glad this thread popped back up! :good2:

Was going to order a Deere ballast box for the 4066r coming in and the dealer said I didn't need it.
Was kind of skeptical about that, but didn't argue the point.

Will be using it for quite sometime with the backhoe attached, so no problem immediately and for a good
while, but eventually I will take the hoe off and can't see using the 440r loader without a ballast box.

I could hang the bush hog on it (very heavy, home rebuild job with angle iron frame), but that limits maneuverability with the
hog hanging on the back.

Think I will build my own, have all the iron needed, nice little project to entertain myself with, thanks for the
measurement specs. further up the thread. :good2:

 

[Old Cajun]

Going to building my own ballast box for the 4066r.

Going to use old railroad track for the weight and figuring on 1,300 to 1,400 pounds total weight.
Going to use 3" X 1/4" wall square tubing for the 3 point frame.
Don't intend on filling the tires with fluid or using wheel weights.

Any thoughts on that weight for that size of tractor appreciated.

 

[jgayman]

Going to building my own ballast box for the 4066r.

Going to use old railroad track for the weight and figuring on 1,300 to 1,400 pounds total weight.
Going to use 3" X 1/4" wall square tubing for the 3 point frame.
Don't intend on filling the tires with fluid or using wheel weights.

Any thoughts on that weight for that size of tractor appreciated.

I'm not super familiar with the 4066R but I assume you'll be using the 440R loader. If so, the 440R operator's manual has the rear ballast requirements. You should consult the manual to familiarize yourself with all of the ballast requirements.

[h=3]440R Non Self-Leveling Loader Specifications on 4R Series Tractors[/h]

4044R, 4049R, 4052R, AND 4066R TRACTORS[SUP]1[/SUP]
Minimum Rear Ballast	1600 mm (63 in) or greater rear tread setting Rear tires filled with liquid ballast[SUP]2[/SUP] No rear wheel weights 380 kg (836 lb) minimum (3-point hitch ballast)

[h=3]440R Mechanical Self-Leveling Loader Specifications on 4R Series Tractors[/h]

4044R, 4049R, 4052R, AND 4066R TRACTORS[SUP]1[/SUP]
Minimum Rear Ballast	1600 mm (63 in) or greater rear tread setting Rear tires filled with liquid ballast[SUP]2[/SUP] Four rear wheel weights 380 kg (836 lb) minimum (3-point hitch ballast)

 

[BigJim55]

Going to building my own ballast box for the 4066r.

Going to use old railroad track for the weight and figuring on 1,300 to 1,400 pounds total weight.
Going to use 3" X 1/4" wall square tubing for the 3 point frame.
Don't intend on filling the tires with fluid or using wheel weights.

Any thoughts on that weight for that size of tractor appreciated.

OC--why don't use just mix 10 gallons per tire of RV antifreeze per tire and just fill them with water. it doesn't get to freezing down there does it?? i would be doing that -IMO-plus ur weight box if ur gonna want to save that front axle to live forever.

 

[Old Cajun]

I'm not super familiar with the 4066R but I assume you'll be using the 440R loader. If so, the 440R operator's manual has the rear ballast requirements. You should consult the manual to familiarize yourself with all of the ballast requirements.

[h=3]440R Non Self-Leveling Loader Specifications on 4R Series Tractors[/h]

4044R, 4049R, 4052R, AND 4066R TRACTORS[SUP]1[/SUP]
Minimum Rear Ballast	1600 mm (63 in) or greater rear tread setting Rear tires filled with liquid ballast[SUP]2[/SUP] No rear wheel weights 380 kg (836 lb) minimum (3-point hitch ballast)

[h=3]440R Mechanical Self-Leveling Loader Specifications on 4R Series Tractors[/h]

4044R, 4049R, 4052R, AND 4066R TRACTORS[SUP]1[/SUP]
Minimum Rear Ballast	1600 mm (63 in) or greater rear tread setting Rear tires filled with liquid ballast[SUP]2[/SUP] Four rear wheel weights 380 kg (836 lb) minimum (3-point hitch ballast)

OC--why don't use just mix 10 gallons per tire of RV antifreeze per tire and just fill them with water. it doesn't get to freezing down there does it?? i would be doing that -IMO-plus ur weight box if ur gonna want to save that front axle to live forever.

Read all the ballast info on the 440r loader and tractor already, was thinking that going up to 1300 - 1400 pounds with ballast box
weight, I wouldn't have to load the tires or add wheel weights.

Don't know if I'm thinking right about that. :dunno:

Weight of the 485A backhoe is around 1450 pounds, which I assume is enough counterweight for the 440r loader.
So am assuming that a ballast box of 1300 - 1400 pounds would be the equivalent when I have the backhoe off.

Doing a lot of assuming here. :dunno:

 

[1973]

Yikes, thanks for this thread. I have been "brain dead" on ballast my entire life. I think, I was assuming that any issue with a loader could be resolved by my "talent" and "experience."

Ignorance is bliss, true again. Time to be smarter and safer.

(a thread under utility tractors also explains some of this) OK, so I have a just arrived 2004, 5520 with a 541 loader, MFWD, 600 hours. It also has a GR cage on it with branch lifters and a heavy duty grill guard. The outfit is nice, but adds weight up front. In addition the build sheet shows a "heavy duty bucket" is part of the package.

The original owner used it primarily for mowing so probably had a pretty heavy mower hanging on the back most of the time.

I am going to use it for round and square bales, in addition to mowing.

It "feels" a bit front heavy already, even without a bale on the bale spear I have attached.

I have talked to Greg at Heavy Hitch and he has been helpful. He has a Cat II Hitch and Bracket that can attach to the soon to be attached JD Quick Attach Cat II. (This Cat II Heavy Hitch is not on the web-site so I am glad I called.)

I hope to buy the Heavy Hitch and place 10-14 100lb JD suitcase weights on it to take weight off the front axle and allow for ease of bale moving.

The rear tires do not have fluid but there are three sets of JD wheel weights on each of them.

With the JD Quick Attach and the Heavy Hitch + the extra 100lb weights hanging behind the rear axle it should be more stable, and safer. I think I need 1,200 lbs or more weight based on specs/input from others, behind the axle. Not sure about how much, others have stated you can't put "too much" behind the rear axle. Will see.

I am also going to get some rear ballast for the 2155 (2WD) that I have with a 540 (?) loader. This has been a nice tractor for 20 years, used for many purposes, manure in the barn, haybine, raking, snow, wife's flowers and gardening. It has rear weights but no fluid and although it has gotten the job done, it will be much more stable and safer with some weights on the back as well.

The Heavy Hitch option will be $$$ more but I like the way it looks and should be compact and safe. Plus, easy on and off when the tractor is needed for mowing and baling.

160 acres, 90 woods/trails, 30 acres of hay, 40-50 acres of crop land rented out.

Thanks for the information on the thread. Be smart, be safe, have fun.

 

[capp0021]

I'm so jealous of that 3pt/tractor move function on the fender! Need to start buying lotto tickets again so I can update

 

[JD4044M]

My R4 front and rear tires are full and with my 800 lb rear blade on the rear too I can still lift the rear tires up if I hook to close to the tractor on the loader frame. I would fill those tires up not a big deal and get all the weight you can for the loader. You may not lift but you will be running light on the rear for good traction when needed. Another problem going down hill the weigh shifts onto the loader more making it more unstable to operate. I don't even notice my filled tires and the tires do not tear up stuff because of it just look at my driveway after grading it using the lighter 6 ft Box Blade.

 

[Treefarmer]

Reminder

My brother was baling hay yesterday and we realized that some cows were sneaking into that field so the bales needed to be moved immediately. It was only a few bales and after putting the hay spear on the Kubota, I asked him if he wanted the back forks. We pretty much always put a bale on the back for counterweight if using the front spear.

"Nah, it's only a few bales and I'll put the trailer in the field so no problem".

It was only a few bales but they were heavy. I picked up the first one and immediately realized that I should have insisted on the back forks. Carrying the bale low wasn't a problem but when I went to set it down on the trailer as I was lowering it and stopped the downward movement the rear wheels started going up. . .

Fortunately it was flat ground and with a little finesse we got the hay moved but I really, really should hav insisted on those back forks. On a hillside the tractor and me would both have been flat on the ground.

I hate it when I do something stupid. . .

Treefarmer