Ballast Question

I have a John Deere 2155 that I use for planting our food plots. I live in Northern Alabama and have several food plots that are located on a mountain. Our 4 wheeler roads are smooth and wide, they just get really steep in some spots. I recently noticed that the tractor does not have a counter balance bracket on the front for weights. I am getting that issue fixed this week. So, my question is, how much weight would I need on the front to keep my front 2 tires on the ground while heading up a steep incline? The disc that I am currently using weights 1100lbs. Thanks in advance!

I can't help, but if it's that steep up, remember you need to control it coming back down, how are the brakes and tire tread and how much weight do you have on the rear axle?

Going up you can monitor the situation.....

Coming down if the disk is pulling up on the hitch as many do and you try to use the brakes and lock up and start skidding, you are in a world of hurt with no way out until you slide ever faster to the bottom.......

You might have this all worked out, but just some caution.....

Paul

Promisedland14,

Did you think of turning the tractor around and backing up the hill?? Coming down the hill, just use low range and drop the disc down to help slow you down.

I have thought about backing up the hill, yes. I guess that alleviates that problem. However, even if on flat ground if I run over a rock (which we have many on the side of the mountain), my front tires come off the ground and I have no means to steer the tractor. Obviously the tires end up coming back down, but if I am on a narrow road, I need steering at all times.

The bottom line is the tractor needs weight on the front of the tractor no matter how flat the ground is. Even when the front wheels are making ground contact, it is very light contact. So since I am getting weights put on regardless, I would prefer to put enough weight on so I don't have to go up a mountain backwards. Do you guys have any suggestions for how much weight?

Thank you for your replies!

4wd? according to tractor data, you weight about 4500-5k. i'd try hanging 500lbs on the front and see what happens. you may need to put some weight right on the tires, either cast iron or liquid ballast. do you have any ballast on the rear wheels?

It is 2WD and no I do not have any ballast on the rear tires.

I think there is only an experience based answer here since there are so many variables. Good for you for working to be proactive.

What has been your experience so far going both up and down? I assume this road is sodded as much as you can maintain so as minimize erosion. Therefore, putting the disc down coming up or down is not preferred.

Going up I would weight the front of the tractor enough to maintain steering control and if you need to stop on the hill for whatever reason/emergency the front end does not pop up with reasonable clutch action.

Going down I would weight the rear of the tractor so the tractor does not slide under damp conditions without the disk on because I assume the disk is not always on. I assume you do not travel this hill if the ground is soaked. The worst case might be with a loaded wagon or trailer behind as they will push you and you will not have the disk on for weight.

Of course, the more weight you put on the front the more it offsets the rear weights, so it is a balancing act.

In the event someone drives the tractor up or down the hill that is not experienced with the hill and tractor, I suggest you end up at a place that does not put excessive skill or condition requirements on an un-skilled driver, for example your kids or grandkids or a helping friend.

I would get the rear weight right first with some margin based on how you intend to come down the hill. Then weight the front. Then, after the front weights are applied, retest coming down the hill e.g. are the rear weights still adequate.

The condition of your rear tires will also have a big impact.

I hope this is helpful.

Paul

Sell out to a developer and buy some flat Ohio farm land. ^D I hear those snow flakes like building on the side of steep hills.

give yer local john deere dealer a call and see if he can check what the maximum allowable weight the front end of the tractor will carry. if you hang too much, you will start wearing out front end components.

heaver weight motor oil? :roll:


sorry :lol:

Slow your speed down whats the hurry going up and down hills takes time and care BTDT

There you go. Best answer of them all. I was thinking about it myself until I saw your reply. That's the answer.

Mark

What is 'really steep'? To some of the flatlanders here steep is a handicap ramp.Can you see the ground in front of you going up these inclines?

I'm guessing power steering. 500# is likely OK. Check with your dealer about limits. HTH

I think using ballast to keep a tractor upright is pushing it too far, it should be used for traction.

If the hill is that steep you have no good reason to be on it unless you just flat out have a death wish. Plus if you are disturbing the soil on a hill that is steep your causing erosion. Where I live here in Missouri I see tree dozed down on hill sides and then people wonder why in a few years the hill are now one big pile of rocks with no dirt on them and the creek get filled up with gravel. A hill like that is not place for a tractor to be

We have a 2355Narrow for use in the vineyard. Our heaviest three point load is a 65 inch wide rototiller or 250 gallon weed sprayer. I like to use the 75 pound base weight bracket and hang four 110 pound suitcase weights on it- the front of the tractor has a point to it and I find an even number fits better than the odd number of weights. Two wheel drive, no rear weights or ballast, pretty flat land here for us trolls under the Bridge.

My first comment would be to add till it satisfied the situation a little at a time.
I had a Ford 3000, about 35 or so hp, that wouldn't lift 5x6 round bales and built a bracket on front. Strapped on the bracket were 6x8x16 I think are the measurements, of solid CONCRETE blocks. I just kept piling them on till I was happy.

On another, an IH 464, 45 hp and built a bracket on the front of it for the same reason. I had access to railroad siding (about 4" tall) rails and cut 4 each 2' long and welded to the bracket in the front. That worked.

In both cases I didn't see a noticeable difference in steering. It depended more on how much air I had in the tires.

Too many variables if you ask me to attempt in giving you a set number.

Another thought, and depends on yer budget. I see you also use it for food plots. Maybe look in to putting a loader on the tractor. Then if you are heading up the hill, scoop up a bucket full of dirt for ballast. If you find a quick-tach, you can drop the bucket off if you don't need it. A loader is real handy!!! I have 3 tractors with loaders, plus a skid steer!!

You are trying to counterbalance an 1100 pound 3 point mounted disk? I would think it would require about half the weight of the disk to be added to the front of the tractor. Cast iron weights might cost around $1 per pound which could get expensive. I would start with 400 pounds of front weights and be ready to add more if required. If your dealer will allow you to return weights, I would bring home 700 pounds, start by adding 400 and then add more until it handles the inclines safely. Check your operator's manual for the maximum recommended weights.

Stay safe.

If it's so lite the tires are just touching it needs some serious weight with that disk back there going up. Get the front loaded with cast weights and still back up that hill. I added old antifreeze to the front tires on my 4020 two years ago, to hold it down with the backhoe on it. Add a rack of 400# cast and it still made me nervous to go up hills. Oh and backing up adds that much more weight to the front for steering.

Seems to me like if the hill is steep DROP THE DISC TO THE GROUND you don't have to have your 3 point all the way up to move the disc. You can also help your decent by lowering the disc on the downward trip. Who knows, you probably will cut some of the weeds and smooth the roadway by doing that too. you don't have to have it completely down but you can watch your front end ad use a little common sense. Or stay off the hill. Keith

I used a loader with rocks in it and keep it low

http://www.tractorweightsonline.com/manufacturers/tractors/?id=331

Check out this site. It shows the factory weights and bracket.

The weights that it says holds 8 are probably the standard weight for that tractor meaning don't put on more than 800lbs. The weights that fit 10 are thinner but bigger so you can hold more. With big Deere tractors the newer ones were beefed up and uses the newer style thinner weights for more ballast.

I wouldn't want to put more than 400-500lbs on a tractor that small to keep from wearing out the front end. On the a big JD 4440 they only came with 10 weights from the factory. 1000lbs front weight on a 13,000lb tractor.

I would call up your local JD dealer and ask what that tractor used from the factory.[/url]

Trade that disc for a JD AW model. That is a drawbar hitch with two transport tires that are lowered with your hydraulics.

(quoted from post at 15:22:17 02/02/17)..................
Coming down if the disk is pulling up on the hitch as many do and you try to use the brakes and lock up and start skidding, you are in a world of hurt with no way out until you slide ever faster to the bottom.......Paul

........All the chance you will have is to clutch the tractor and try to stay in front of and centered.on the load.............you [b:92f3a1fe20]will[/b:92f3a1fe20] need clean shorts if you survive!

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