Proper Ballasting for Loader Equipped Tractors. Sub Compacts, Compacts, and Utility Tractors with Loaders.
We get a lot of inquiries about proper ballasting for loader equipped tractors. As we constantly deal with this issue, we knew we should put something on our website. To say that we were hesitant to jump into this topic is an understatement. A quick google check for this issue returned hundreds of thousands of results. Obviously, there is a lot of confusion about this subject.
After thinking about it for a while, and since we have set up the ballast on literally thousands of these machines, our insights might help someone to make their own ballasting decision. It is an important decision. It is a safety and efficiency issue and while there seems to be an ocean of information available, much of it is wrong. Some of it is so bad it is not even wrong. It is whatever is worse than wrong.
It should be noted that actual technical standards for ballasting loader equipped tractors do exist. It is our understanding that these standards are currently in revision by the ASABE. We will refer to these revisions as soon as they are released.
When it comes to large farm tractors, where efficiency can directly impact profits or losses, lots of really good information is available. Dealer recommendations, weight and ballast calculators, radar or GPS to measure slippage, weight split formulas and more are all available for large farm tractors. When it comes to sub compact, compact and utility tractors with loaders the mass of information available often descends toward the bizarre.
It is very common, especially on internet forums, to see lots of advice about ballasting loader equipped tractors. Some of it is good advice. Much of it is bad advice and even more is simply irrelevant. Often this advice is given with good intentions; its just that the writer doesn’t know enough about the subject to really be offering advice. We have witnessed, time after time, a person give advice based on what they did with their tractor but they had nothing by which to compare their efforts. They were happy with what they had done and the results they achieved but they had no frame of reference for comparison. Had they operated the same model of tractor that was set up properly on the same terrain doing the same work, they might not have been so happy with their own setup.
There is a reason many owners manuals for these tractors will state the minimum required ballast and then go on to state not to exceed the load rating of the tires. That leaves a big amount of variance and the manufacturers know it. They also know that it is impossible to guess in advance what you are doing with your tractor. What are your soil conditions like? How often do you operate on solid (paved or gravel) surfaces? What speed do you usually maintain? How much do you require your loader to lift? Who manufactured your installed loader? Is your terrain flat or sloped? All of these things confirm that each and every situation with a loader tractor is unique. There is no perfect formula for stating that you need XXX pounds of weight in XXX location on your loader tractor to always achieve the safest and most efficient results.
Did you know that the technical standard for ballasting loader equipped tractors also contains minimum required tread width settings? There is more to efficient and safe operation of loaders than just the ballast or the lifting capacity of the tractor.
Without knowing your situation, equipment, and operating circumstances, we can only give broad recommendations. These recommendations and observations are based on our many years of doing this exact thing on a daily basis. Will it make everyone happy? No. It is simply the best we can state given our experience. This is, of course, only our opinion. Others, likely, have wildly differing opinions.
Here we go…
OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
We will start with observations… These observations are geared to sub compact, compact and the smaller utility tractors. Large utility tractors and large tractors with front loaders are a subject for another time.
1. Owners of most tractors with loaders that are not full-time equipment operators, farmers, or ranchers will usually attempt to install far more weight than is required. There is such a thing as being too heavy.
2. Owners of tractors that do not have full length frames and choose to overload their tractors will eventually get an expensive lesson in the cost to repair cracked transmission cases.
3. Owners of tractors with radial tires who add fluid to the tires as ballast are now the proud owners of very expensive tires that perform worse than the much cheaper bias ply tires.
4. Your XXX brand compact or utility tractor is not a row crop tractor or a bulldozer. It will NEVER perform at the same level. Sometimes, if your work requires it, you don’t need more ballast, you need a bigger tractor.
5. Fluid as ballast has its place. It can perform very well in bias ply tires and is often used in the front tires of some larger farm tractors to manage power hop and other issues beyond the scope of this article. For tractors with bias ply tires used primarily in field conditions, fluid performs very well. It does not perform well in radial tires and it does not perform well at higher speeds or on hard surfaces. Fluid will ALWAYS provide a rougher ride than will air. While we do sell cast iron weights and do not sell tire fluid, we are not really biased and we recommend fluid almost every day. When the customer’s equipment and situation will be most improved with the use of fluid, we do not hesitate to make that recommendation. Satisfied customers are much more important than individual sales.
6. Fluid is initially a cheaper option than are cast iron tractor weights. However, over time, the cast iron tractor weights will almost always hold their value. At the end of the tractor’s life the weights will still have value. The cost of the fluid, refills, and repairs will be lost.
In 1973 we sold 100 pound front tractor weights for $13.50 each. You could have used that weight for 48+ years and sold it for far more than you paid for it.
In 1997 we sold this (still popular) style wheel weight for $38.10. Twenty+ years later it will bring a lot more than its original purchase price on the used market.
7. Tractor loaders are, in some cases, tougher and stronger than many of the tractors on which they are installed and the internet is full of ways to turn up the hydraulic pressure to lift even more. This means that there will always be some compromise between the proper ballasting of the tractor and the maximum weight and volume that can be safely handled by the loader. Sometimes you just have to pick up a little less and make more trips. If you cannot compromise or you ‘need’ to increase your hydraulic pressure, you need a bigger tractor.
8. If you operate pallet forks or hay spikes on the front of your loader, you will possibly need more ballast than the minimum amount stated in your owner’s manual.
9. If your wheel weights stick out significantly beyond the edge of your tires, you WILL eventually hit something. Hopefully it will only be a fence post and not the wife’s new car.
Now for a few recommendations…
1. Start with the required ballast as stated in your owner’s manual.
2. In case you missed it above, start with the required ballast stated in your owner’s manual. OR, Start with a set up procedure like this.
3. Hitch weight brackets like those offered by Heavy Hitch and others are a great option when most of your work is loader related. Hitch mounted ballast boxes are also a viable option. If you make real use of your hitch with implements then wheel weights or fluid are better options.
4. The manufacturer’s recommended weights often are stackable versions that will stick out beyond the wheel when installed at maximum capacity. While we offer these same weights, we sell far more of our orchard style single weights to owners of loader equipped tractors.
5. Sometimes multiple options work best. Wheel weights for normal loader operation are usually sufficient. Loaders with pallet forks or hay spikes installed may find that the addition of both wheel weights and a hitch weight will provide the optimal performance. Even further, wheel weights together with fluid and or hitch weights are sometimes required. Always keep the tire’s load rating in mind when applying multiple ballast options.
6. Pay attention to tire inflation pressures. Tire pressure for use in the field and tire pressure for use on hard surfaces are usually much different. Most people do not spend the time or effort to adjust the pressure when switching between different surfaces. Here you will need to use good common sense and experience to determine your best air pressure. This will result in a compromise in performance. As stated above, there will always be some compromise and no setting will ever be perfect for all situations.
7. While we cannot make a real recommendation without knowing your equipment and circumstances, we will provide the following very general information based on the average set-ups of current customers. Again, always check the minimum required ballast in your owner’s manual and compare ballast options to the load ratings of your tires. The list below is common but not comprehensive.
- Sub Compacts 60-140 pounds of iron ballast per rear wheel
- Compacts 110-400 pounds of iron ballast per rear wheel
- Smaller Utility Tractors 300-500 pounds of iron ballast per rear wheel
- Larger Utility Tractors 500-1000 pounds of iron ballast per rear wheel. Some special applications may require 1500 pounds per rear wheel.
- Large Tractors with Loaders 1000+ pounds of iron ballast per rear wheel.
- Packers and Scraper Tractors 10,000 to 20,000 pounds in additional iron ballast (includes installation of wheel weights, front weights, cheek weights etc.)
8. It is our strong recommendation to avoid getting bogged down in in the minutiae propagated by ultracrepidarians and amateur mathematicians on internet forums. Try reading something like this instead. Good information is available, but so is a lot of bad and irrelevant information.
⚠ When Choosing and Installing Ballast Weights: ALWAYS refer to the recommendations contained in the owner’s manual for your equipment. ALWAYS refer to the maximum load rating of your tires.
As always, we invite you to contact us to discuss your equipment and your requirements. We will do our best to answer your questions, address your concerns, or point you in the direction of the most viable solutions.
This blog is general information only, representing the opinions of the author, and does not cover all aspects of the subject matter. Use of the information contained herein is voluntary.
