580ck front ballast

[Steve 580ck]

Hi everyone, I have some steep hills on my property and the front of the machine gets real light going uphill because of the hoe, has anyone put some form of a ballast on the bucket to keep the front end down? The current project at hand requires an open bucket for moving material. I am thinking something on the back side of the bucket that is removable when nessesary, steel lifting weights or concrete blocks strapped into a fabricated frame? How much weight would be enough?

 

[Billrog]

Not able to give you ballast advice but taking the hoe bucket off may help.
I have hills steep enough I require a 5 or 600 lb. bolder in the bucket to keep the front wheels on the ground unless I back up the hill.

 

[Steve 580ck]

I thought about taking the bucket off but it would be a lot of wasted time, I am switching back and forth from hoe to loader several times a day. I think i will have to start playing around with weights in the bucket to figure out how much I need total before I secure it to the back

 

[petepilot]

I thought about taking the bucket off but it would be a lot of wasted time, I am switching back and forth from hoe to loader several times a day. I think i will have to start playing around with weights in the bucket to figure out how much I need total before I secure it to the back

if you are not working in limited space just swing the hoe to one side or the other . that works

 

[Steve 580ck]

Not a bad idea, I've been keeping it straight as an emergency brake! I need to address the diff lock seal one of these days, it leaks by soaking the brakes on the right side rendering them useless. Left side works well though, makes things extra hairy when the front wheels start coming up!

 

[thepumpguysc]

I like the "back-up the hill" idea.. OR..
U could take a 5 gallon bucket filled w/ rocks or busted up concrete blocks & mix in a bag of cement w/ a re-bar hook in the center..or even to 1 side & be able to hook it on & off the back of the bucket at will..
might take 4-5 or 6 to get the job done..
Some of my fishin buddies do that w/ an old "coffee can" to use as an anchor.. they say they lost TO MANY to justify getting a "new" anchor.. lol

 

[Tinkerer]

Is the 580 lb. front counterweight on the tractor ?
From what you are describing it sounds like it is missing.

 

[Welder Dave]

Cat had flat plates that bolted to the top inside of the loader bucket for counterweights for the hoe on a 931B. Get a piece of pipe(s) or tubing about the width of your bucket and fill it with concrete and make mounts so you can bolt it on the back of the top of the bucket when needed. Filling your front tires with calcium or beet juice is another option.

 

[Canadian_digger]

Best to ad counter weight on the front of the tractor and not the front bucket. If you ad weight to the bucket you will lose lift capacity.

 

[Steve 580ck]

Yes I want to avoid losing lifting capacity if at all possible. Tinkerer do you have any pictures of the counterweight? I dont have the pump shield on which is a couple pounds but surely not 500+, I decided to load the tires today. I used blue washer fluid, i got 9 gallons in each front tire, that added around 144#s. The tractor is much more manageable driving uphill. It's at least to the point that I dont have to worry about the thing coming around sideways and possibly rolling over! A little more weight would be nice, I want to know more about the counterweight, another option is to cast concrete pucks to the wheels. 144 made a huge difference another 50-100 would be perfect, any cautions on wheel weights with loaded tires?

 

[Steve 580ck]

Is the 580 lb. front counterweight on the tractor ?
From what you are describing it sounds like it is missing.

I just googled the counter weight and mine does not have it, wonder if I can find one, have it shipped, price? Maybe I should make my own..

 

[Tinkerer]

Steve, some 580ck's did not have a counterweight on them even when they were new.
Why that ever happened is a mystery to me.
Try a Google search for equipment salvage yards. Check on eBay also. I have seen counterweights for sale there.
Check this thread again later, I will look also when I have time.

 

[Steve 580ck]

If there is one close and the price is right I may seek one out, with the weight I already added I think securing 2 8x8x16 solid cinder blocks where the optional counter weight belongs should keep me on solid ground. I'm curious if the counter weight was designed for the forklift setup. That counter weight looks to be 5-600lbs from what I have found, adding those two blocks will bring me to about 300lbs with the loaded tires. Not to mention I already have the blocks and materials needed to secure them! Time to get busy and get back to digging! I'll post a couple pictures when I get it wrapped up, thanks everyone for all the input, steve

 

[Welder Dave]

Don't use cinder blocks. Weld a couple steel plates together and bolt them on so it doesn't look like a redneck repair. Go the scrap yard, maybe they'll have a chunk of 2" thick steel you could bolt on.

 

[Steve 580ck]

Don't use cinder blocks. Weld a couple steel plates together and bolt them on so it doesn't look like a redneck repair. Go the scrap yard, maybe they'll have a chunk of 2" thick steel you could bolt on.

If I find some time to make it to the scrap yard or metal supply shop I will look, unfortunately my work hours usually make it hard to stop by places that close between 4-5pm. I was thinking about using some steel plate to box the blocks in although if you saw my yard redneck fits right in! My local metal shop has a pretty good selection of cut off steel of all kinds at reasonable prices. I have to stop by soon to get some channel to beef up a trailer I recently acquired anyways

 

[Tinkerer]

The 580ck forklift does have a 1400 lb counterweight on the rear of the tractor.
Your machine requires a 580 lb one on the front. You can make one if you have the means to do it. I would encourage you to make it like Welder Dave advised.
Here is the what the OEM looks like.

 

[Coy Lancaster]

The counter weight part# is D32736 as Tinkerer showed for the forklift, look in the 33 backhoe parts book and you'll find it. The loader and backhoes for the 580s and 580Bs are an attachment to the tractor and are listed separate.

 

[Steve 580ck]

Thank you everyone for the advice, the machine handles well enough that I can use it for the tasks at hand while looking for the counter weight or building one out of thick steel, more than likely will be going the route of building one because there is no sense in un loading the tires

 

[gtermini]

Call around and find steel punch-outs from a shop or scrap yard. They end up heavier and cheaper than most other things you'd think to seal up inside the weight box.

 

[Steve 580ck]

Have have a bunch of old weights off a weight lifting machine very close in size to suitcase weights, that would look a lot better than cinder blocks. I will see what the metal yard has for cutoffs when I get the steel for my trailer in a couple weeks