Tractor Ballast Weights

What is a Ballast Weight?

Ballast weight, or counterweight, is a primary safety concern for every tractor owner. In short, a ballast weight is the weight you put on the back of your tractor to offset the weight on the front of your tractor to avoid tipping.

The majority of the weight on the front of your tractor that you are offsetting comes from your front-end loader and the loads you carry with it. 

Each year, tractor owners are killed in rollovers that should not happen. Your tractor or loader’s user manual will recommend the optimal amount of ballast weight you need to operate safely.

Ballast weights come in many forms — tractor suitcase weights, wheel weights, tires loaded with liquid ballast, and ballast boxes are some of the most common forms of direct ballast weight. Of course, using a 3-point ballast box attachment will work, too, but this is often bulky and reduces your maneuverability.

Let’s go over some of the advantages of each type of ballast weights.

Tractor Wheel Weights

The biggest advantages of tractor wheel weights are that they can be mounted at all times, don’t interfere with attachments, and don’t add any extra width to your tractor.

Depending on your tractor model, weights may be single, double, or triple-stacked. As with all ballast weights, they will improve traction and safety.

However, a rule of thumb for a ballast weight is that the further back it sits, the less weight is needed. Since your tractor’s wheels aren’t as far back as your 3-Point hitch, this weight isn’t as effective pound-for-pound at offsetting your tractor’s front weight as other solutions on this list.

Loaded Tractor Tires

For a long time, tractor owners have filled their rear tires with liquid to get extra traction and help keep their tractors planted to the ground. There are a few considerations here to do this properly.

The first is to fill the tire above your rim, so there is no sloshing and shifting of weight as you drive, and there is no chance for oxidization on your wheel hub (meaning, cover it, and it won’t rust).

The second consideration is what you fill your tire with. We love Rim Guard, and they’ve been a YouTube sponsor for years. 

Rim Guard’s liquid ballast is made from beet juice and is the heaviest, all-natural liquid ballast on the market. It’s heavier than water, won’t freeze, won’t corrode, and is non-toxic, should some leak and an animal decide to have a taste.

In our minds, there isn’t a better solution for liquid ballast than Rim Guard. So, find a dealer near you today to inquire about professional installation.

3-Pt Hitch Ballast Weight Solutions

The most straightforward way to install a counterweight on your tractor is to hang it off your 3-Point Hitch.

We have 4 options for this.

1. Weight Brackets

Weight Brackets for a 3-pt Hitch are designed to hold Suitcase Weights. These are big blocks of iron with a little slot intended to hang on the bracket. We sell suitcase weights for tractors in two sizes: 41 lb and 70 lb. Typically, a rack will hold up to 8 suitcase weights, for a grand total of 560 lb of weight, plus the weight of the bracket.

We made our own weight bracket, called the GWT VersaBracket. Unlike other weight brackets, we added some functions beyond holding weights.

The VersaBracket has a 2” receiver to serve as a trailer mover, chain hooks to drag or yank a load, and even a chainsaw slot up top to carry your chainsaw with you wherever you go. 

2. Hitch Hangers

If you use a quick hitch like the SpeeCo E-Hitch, we’ve designed weight brackets that hang on that suitcase weight, allowing you to hang an additional six suitcase weights. We call these brackets GWT Hitch Hangers.

Between the Hitch Hangers, Quick Hitch, VersaBracket, and Suitcase Weights, you can add an additional 1,130 lb of ballast weight. And that’s positioned further back than wheel weights, giving you a serious counterweight for your loader.

3. Bundles

If you don’t yet have weights or ways to carry those weights, we’ve created bundles to save you money. A significant portion of the cost of weights is in shipping. But bundling weights onto items already shipping freight or bundling weights together can save you big money.

So check out our weight bundles to save big money!

• Ultimate Weight Bundle
• Hitch Hanger Weight Bundle
• VersaBracket Weight Bundle

4. Ballast Box

If you want a 3-Point attachment dedicated solely to being heavy, a ballast box for your tractor is the solution. They’re empty boxes that connect to your 3-Point and can be filled with sand, water, concrete, or just odds and ends you have, like rocks and stones.

Who needs ballast weights?

Everybody who uses a tractor with a loader needs to operate with a ballast weight. You probably need more than one type to reach the recommended amount in your operator’s manual. 

Be safe out there because tractor accidents happen faster than we can react!

How do I know what tractor weight box to get for my tractor?

In some ways, it’s up to you how you achieve the recommended ballast weight. In other ways, it’s up to your tractor, as all solutions won’t work for all tractors.

If you’re buying a 3-Point solution, as long as you have a Category I 3-Point, you can buy the GWT Versabracket or the Ballast Box.

If you use a SpeeCo E-Hitch or John Deere iMatch, you can buy the GWT Hitch Hangers.

If you are interested in wheel weights, as long as you have a John Deere, Kubota, or Kioti, check out our wheel weights listing to see if you have a compatible tractor.

If you are interested in liquid ballast for your tires, visit rimguardsolutions.com to find a dealer near you. However, plan on filling only your rear tires, and obviously, the bigger the tire, the more weight the liquid ballast will provide.

Worry-Free Guarantee On Our Ballast Weights

We know there’s a lot to figure out with tractors and attachments. If you need help picking an attachment for your tractor, just send us an email before you make a purchase, and we’ll give you our recommendation.

We guarantee it will work for you whether you need a John Deere weight box, a Kubota ballast box, or a compact tractor ballast box for another tractor model.

If you have further questions about our products and services, check out our FAQs here.