DIY front weight box

After using the transport box the last few days, I found the front was lifting excessively when the transport box is full.. Learning to steer with the brakes is interesting but not so much fun after a few hours... So yesterday I rang the local kubota main dealer who quoted €75 +tax per 24kg cast iron counterweight..... and I'd need 2 maybe 3 of them. Being the cheapskate I am, I decided to make my own weight box for the front. I had just about enough 3mm sheetmetal left over from the transport box project to make something up...

Heres a few photos of the progress for anyone interested...







I'm not sure how heavy it will be once its full of concrete, Will find out tonight. My target is 40-50kg.
Its only tacked together at the moment, must zip it up tonight and fill it roughly 3/4 with concrete. I plan to keep the top 1/4 of the box for a small tool kit and a few towing chains and bits n bobs.
The horizontal 1" bar sticking out of the side is for additional weight if needed (using a few old "Weider" weights) or maybe hanging a light implement off there in time. A piece of 2" box iron sticks out the front as a receiver hitch.

Nice work quincy. Pretty ! I couldn't quite tell how it attaches to your tractor...does it bolt on? Thanks for posting, from what I've seen so far all your work is pretty professional.

Yeah, it will bolt on Nicahawk.
The hanger bracket on the back of the weight is a piece of steel "I beam" cut diagonally, it needs to be welded onto the box yet. On the front of the kubota chassis, theres 3 M12 bolt holes on each side, 6 in total. I need to drill some holes and mount it tonight. (I promised my 7 year old daughter I wouldnt drill the holes without her, She is the "pillar driller helper"..... and loves to help her dad when he's drilling holes)

quincy said:

Yeah, it will bolt on Nicahawk.
The hanger bracket on the back of the weight is a piece of steel "I beam" cut diagonally, it needs to be welded onto the box yet. On the front of the kubota chassis, theres 3 M12 bolt holes on each side, 6 in total. I need to drill some holes and mount it tonight. (I promised my 7 year old daughter I wouldnt drill the holes without her, She is the "pillar driller helper"..... and loves to help her dad when he's drilling holes)

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My kids always wanted to help me too, and I loved having them "help". I know you already know this, but remember they don't know how easy it is to get hurt. As mine got older I tried to combine safety and learning together.

Nicahawk said:

but remember they don't know how easy it is to get hurt. As mine got older I tried to combine safety and learning together.

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Good point. I know I'm starting her a bit young but she has a genuine interest in actually making stuff so I am going to encourage it and smother her in safety stuff. She knows about keeping her hands away from the "Drill bit thats trying to get her finger"... as well as the other stuff she does, she actually gives out to me if I dont have my safety glasses on etc... I think she's learning. Thanks for raising the point though, I do appreciate it and think about it every time she is in the shop. She is able to lay down a pretty good bead with the welder too, for 7, I think thats pretty good.
My dad started me off with workshop work when I was 7-8 yrs old. Some of my fondest memories are of helping my dad in his workshop.
As for my son.... playstation, computers, Nintendo DS..... go figure...

quincy said:

Good point. I know I'm starting her a bit young but she has a genuine interest in actually making stuff so I am going to encourage it and smother her in safety stuff. She knows about keeping her hands away from the "Drill bit thats trying to get her finger"... as well as the other stuff she does, she actually gives out to me if I dont have my safety glasses on etc... I think she's learning. Thanks for raising the point though, I do appreciate it and think about it every time she is in the shop. She is able to lay down a pretty good bead with the welder too, for 7, I think thats pretty good.
My dad started me off with workshop work when I was 7-8 yrs old. Some of my fondest memories are of helping my dad in his workshop.
As for my son.... playstation, computers, Nintendo DS..... go figure...

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Your off to a good start with your children and I applaud you. I've seen friends send their kids to "go play" and don't bother daddy, while their working on something. They don't realize their missing a good opportunity for learning and building those memories you mentioned. I like the fact that your daughter can weld, that's . Your son might turn out to be a computer genius, who knows.

That looks real nice! Looks factory made.

Did you bend the sheet in your shop, on a sheetbender, or a different method?

Very well thought out design

Hey Mith,

Yeah, I bent it myself. I didnt have the luxury of a sheet bender this time. I scored about half into the back of the sheet with a small grinder and folded on the line. When the fold was made, I welded along the inside of the fold. I never tried this before but it worked out very well. Nice sharp edge. I cant afford a folder so this method will do.
I need to figure out how to make the weight easy to put on & take off. Its bolted on at the mo with 6 M12 bolts, I need to change this and put in some slip pins in place of the bolts.

Good work Quincy. Project Rep points for you.
Excellent job. Well documented.
What's your best guess at how much it weighs?

Not too sure Doc,

I'm working with the assumption of a cubic ft of agregate concrete weighs about 70kgs (150lb). 12"X12"X12" is 1728in cubed. I did a little research and found that most older kubotas seem to have 3-4 suitcase weights fitted on the front. The average suitcase weight being 24kg (50lb), gave me a max limit of 90-100kgs (200lbs) to work with.
I've made the box 16" X 10" X 12" which is 1920in cubed (less the angled bit at the front and some cavities in the concrete for the receiver hitches). so the concrete should weigh about 60-70kgs(130lbs). I recon the metal in the box weighs another 15-20kgs (40lbs). I know i've probably gone over my original target weight by a bit but TBH, I think luck was on my side there. The tractor feels nicely balanced with a full scoop since I added the weight to the front.

I'd like to think its around 70kg (150lbs), I must weigh it properly over the weekend.

Interesting. Maybe we could have a 'guess the weight' contest.

Just looking at it I was thinking in the neighborhood of 300lbs.

Doc said:

Interesting. Maybe we could have a 'guess the weight' contest.

Just looking at it I was thinking in the neighborhood of 300lbs.

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I think closer to 225 pounds.

Jim

PS - what do we win?

Ok, I'll go for that, I reckon 200lbs.

Winner gets rep points from all who guessed wrong. Hows that?

Doc said:

Winner gets rep points from all who guessed wrong. Hows that?

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Works for me

LOL, Sounds good to me too! If it is 300lbs!!! OMG, I'll be drilling a lot of holes down into the concrete!! I dont want to snap my little tractor in half!!!

I'm gonna weigh it later today and when we get a good few guess's back later in the weekend, I'll let y'all know the result!

You guys are funny!

The curiosity got the better of me! I just went out to the workshop, took off the weight and weighed it! (dont tell my wife I took the weighing scales outta the bathroom!!!)

The results are in, c'mon.... any more guesses?

Let me know when ye want the answer...

I took a photo of the result just in case any of ye thought I'd be dishonest....

By the way, the weight came off and went back on pretty easy with the bolts so I think I'm going to leave the bolts as they are...

WHAT DID YOU DO?

Did you paint the top of the concrete?

That will make everyone's guess off by at least an ounce

quincy said:

The curiosity got the better of me! I just went out to the workshop, took off the weight and weighed it! (dont tell my wife I took the weighing scales outta the bathroom!!!)

The results are in, c'mon.... any more guesses?

Let me know when ye want the answer...

I took a photo of the result just in case any of ye thought I'd be dishonest....

By the way, the weight came off and went back on pretty easy with the bolts so I think I'm going to leave the bolts as they are...

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How about 235#.