Wheel weights...do I need them?

Do I really need 5 weight rings per rear wheel as well as the Ford factory front wheel weights? The guy I got it from said the tiers were filled as well. This just seems like too much weight for me since all I will be doing is mowing and my shredder is just a 5 footer.

I'd like to ditch the rear weights at a minimum and probably the fronts too since I'll be switching to wheels that will accommodate aircraft tires to prevent flats.

Are these weights worth keeping on the tractor? If not, it like to sell them to fund the rest of the parts I'm going to need.

Thanks
 
I am like you. don't have a need for them. just do mowing with them anyway. I bought a tractor once with fluid. my tire man told me to pull the valve stem and let it all blow out. fill it back with air and do it about 3 times and it will remove 99 percent of the stuff they put in there. just make sure your out of the way cause it will blow out 30 feet. I fully understand why farmers may do that but most people don't need it unless maybe they have a loader on front. I don't have a way to change tires so my tire guy who is very good and reasonable on his prices has told me do not bring any tire with calcium. he wont work on them period. this all works or me. maybe not others but for me it does.
 

That's what I was hoping someone would say. I'm new to the tractor scene so I'm still learning all the ins and outs of it. I'm not going to be doing any plowing with it, it doesn't and likely never will have a loader either. I just want to mow with it and maybe do some back blading if I ever find one cheap.

Not to mention the weights make it about a 9000 pound rig and that's quite a load to haul around on a trailer.

I know it's going to need brakes too so I'm not real thrilled about the aspect of managing all of those weights and heavy tires.

I wonder if Ford 3000 wheel weights are worth much?
 

That amount of weight would rarely be needed. One situation where it would be very useful though is on steep side hills, because it will lower your tractor's center of gravity a lot. CaCl lowers it even more, but if you don't need it it is just a maintenance expense. Tire stores that service real working tractors have the special pumps for it on their service trucks because they pump a lot of it in to the tires of real working tractors.
 
don't really know what there worth but i do know people who pull these tractors at these shows will buy them. I had one from a case crawler probably weighed 250 or so. had to lift it with my skid loader. I gave it way to a couple fellows who bought my trip bucket loaders. just in my way and I had no use for it. had couple other that I got 50 bucks apiece out of them. just list them for what ever you think there worth.
 
(quoted from post at 18:08:06 09/25/19) don't really know what there worth but i do know people who pull these tractors at these shows will buy them. I had one from a case crawler probably weighed 250 or so. had to lift it with my skid loader. I gave it way to a couple fellows who bought my trip bucket loaders. just in my way and I had no use for it. had couple other that I got 50 bucks apiece out of them. just list them for what ever you think there worth.

Pinball, He told us that he is new to tractors so he doesn't know what they are worth which is why he is asking.
 

I had someone comment that it may have been a county or state mower in its previous life (since its only a 4 speed and doesnt have live PTO). If so, that much weight could make sense. I'm just mowing pastures so I prefer to get rid of the maintenance aspect of the weights and calcium.

There's really no need for front weights even if I come across a 6ft shredder is there? The plan is to fab a front bumper to save my sheet metal against saplings. I can add weight to that if I really need it.
 
Thelumberwagon,
I have a Ford 4600, I just added a weight bracket and 4 suitcase weights to the front of it.
I am running a 6 foot hog (Woods Cadet 72). I also have CA-CL in the rear wheels which are 16.9 x 30.

I was having trouble with the front coming off the ground when I started to turn up a hill. Especially if I was raising the hog.

I can guarantee you if you raise a brush hog and pop the clutch at the same time, you can get the fronts off the ground!

I would NOT be quick to get rid of the weights. You may just regret it.
YMMV
Keith
Keith
 
Generally don't need rear weights (or liquid ballast) for mowing but might need front weights if you have a heavy three point mounted mower.

Dean
 

cvphoto37533.jpg
 

Keith
Good advice. I'd be willing to keep the front wheel weights but I'm not convinced that I can find a tire that will be flat proof or tubeless on the factory wheels. To go with aircraft tires, I have to swap wheels and the new wheels won't accommodate the factory weights.

I have hedge thorns as well as locust thorns to deal with so I don't want to deal with flats...

If I knew I could go tubeless, I'd get the highest ply rating I could find and use the factory wheels and weights and plug them as needed.
 
I REALLY hate the inside the rim wheel weights. I have those on my 64 4000.
Every time I have a flat, I have to remove those weights before I take the tire off and then put them back on after the flat is fixed and tire is back on the tractor.
They will not clear the hub.
Keith
 
(reply to post at 19:51:28 09/25/19)
I'm digging the suitcase weights on your rig. Much easier to deal with. I can fab something similar since mine doesn't have a bumper yet. Then I can ditch my inside the wheel weights. I can get crafty and make a tray on the bumper that the old front wheel weights will fit into.
 
A tractor without added ballast can only
put about 60% of its rated horsepower to
the ground. Then it just spins the
tires. Added ballast also makes for a
more stable tractor. It'll stay on side
hills better and the front wont rear up
so much with a heavy implement on the
back.
That said, you don't need ALL that
weight. I would probably get rid of the
fluid in the rear and keep the cast iron
weights. With a heavy mower on the back
you will want Some front weight.
I use my 3000 year round. A little
plowing and discing deer plots and
gardens in the spring, brush mowing in
summer and snow removal in the winter.
For all of the above I prefer to have
some ballast on my tractor.
You state you are somewhat new to this
tractoring stuff and like many of us may
find you have more uses for it than you
originally thought. Example; I have a
boom pole that goes on the 3 point. With
no loader I use it a Lot for lifting
things onto a trailer or into a pickup,
etc. For that I'm real glad to have
front weights. I have a finish mower too
and have found that with front weight
the tires cut the lawn less when
turning. Or for plowing and snow
removal, dragging logs, etc the tractor
would be much less effective without
rear weights.
If you do decide to sell your weights
they will sell easily. Front weights go
for about $200 in these parts. Rears
sell well also but value depends on what
type they are. A photo would help us
determine value.
Here is a photo of a friend on my 3000
with original Ford bumper and weights.
They are a bit hard to find.
When he comes up to my land I'd better
take my turn on the mower first as when
he gets on it l don't get it back till
the job is done.

cvphoto37548.jpg
 

In most cases, weights around here are a dollar a lb.. so a 75 lb weight goes for $75... Some weights are worth more pending on rarity. But selling weights means you need to find a buyer who needs weights... so they take a while to sell.

Do you have hills? Do you plow? If not, you can always take them off and store on a pallet or sell them, but they will be hard to find the exact ones to match your rims when you decide you need them again. Front wheel weights should sell fast as fits a lot of tractor rims.
 

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