# cheap wheel weight alternative?



## Realist

I have a GT5000, and the Craftsman wheel weights are $55 for 55 lbs each. That seems a bit pricey to me, as it would be $110 for starters, plus I can't add more weights later. Any ideas for cheaper alternatives? Seems to me that a way to mount barbell weights to the wheels would be good, something like EZ Weights (http://www.ezweights.com), but for the GT5000. I've considered filling the tires with fluid, but I'd like to be able to remove the weight when I mow the grass.

Anyone know of a cheaper way to add weight? Perhaps an attachment to the rear that will accept barbell weights or cinder blocks, without having to purchase a sleeve hitch and rear implement? I have heard that wheel weights are better than weights on the rear since wheel weights do not load the frame or axles/spindles. 

Also, how much weight do people find effective? 100 lbs? 200 lbs? More? I assume there's a point of diminishing returns, as well as tractor capacity.

(Hmmm... maybe I should just find a 200lb friend and have them jump on the back....)

Thanks!


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## guest2

The sears weights can be doubled if need be, in fact sears recomends 2 55# weights on the left rear wheel and one on the right for using a moldboard plow. Only one on the right because that wheel is in the furrow and the left side of the tractor is higher so 2 on the left keep the tractor more stabile and increase traction. I use 2 on each side in the winter and a sand canister that came with the snowblower, along with turf tires and chains, then just remove everything in the spring. When I use the moldboard plow I mount the 2nd weight from the right side on the front with a bracket sears sells.


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## Chipmaker

I let my weights on all the time, and it does not seem to make any differences as to mowing. Look for some of those rectangular shaped weights from exercise equipment. I have a pile of them that are molded plastic filled with concrete and they range from 13 pounds to 25 pounds each. They have a series of holes for sliding up and down on the exercise equipment and making a bracket to mount them on the bqck of the tractor should be pretty easy.

Unsprung weight is better overall for the machine, and it keeps the center of gravity point lower as well as compared to suitcase or frame mounted weights.

I don;t see any reason the round barbell weights would not work either, weight is weight and they are pretty uniform in size so doubling them up should not be a problem.


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## aegt5000

Realist..
I use 26X12’s with 50/50 antifreeze = 140 lbs
2 of the Sears 55lb wheel weights = 110 lbs
So total “off axle” added weight = 250 lbs
Plus “On axle” added weight of:
Home made rear weight bracket & weights = 150lbs
Tractor Cab (150 lb @ 30/70) = 105 lbs on rear

That’s a total of about 500 lbs of added weight
(plus me in “Winter Trim”) With the added weight the 
tractor feels and plows like a Cat D-8.

The homemade rear weight bracket was very easy to make.
It holds (4) 15 hp motor rotors. If you weld and have access
to a welder the bracket will cost less than $25 to make, but
then you need to finds weights. Even the plastic barbell weight
will cost some $$$ and remember this is on axle weight.

You can easily find an extra set of wheels and tires on e-bay for
less than $50 but the antifreeze to fill them will cost another $60.

So, the Sears 55 lb weights are not so bad at $110 a pair. 
They go on and off really fast, no messing filling tires and like
sixchows said you can double them up if you need to.


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## guest2

Just another thought about the sears weights, when I bought the first set,the salesman didn't know they weren't sold sold in pairs so I got two for the price of one. and since they weren't in a box there was no hardware so I got another discount!


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## aegt5000

This could also be another opportunity for the Valentine girl.
(see Jody for pic’s)


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## guest2

I still can't get that out of mind! Just when it's almost forgotten, someone brings it up again. Please no more pictures!


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## aegt5000

If you use you imagination, can’t you just see her
in simple_john’s “Ass-Crack” sequence ?


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## jodyand

I DONT WONT TO SEE THAT PICTURE AGAIN MY HEART CANT TAKE THAT NO MORE#[email protected]$: :night: 
Jody


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## Ed_GT5000

I find that two sears weights are fine for what I do (mow on hills & plow snow). If I spin I lean back on the seat and that will most often get me going again. As for the cost, like sixchows said try to get a deal-- Don't pay full cost.
Making weights is also a good idea and adding a barbell weight on the with a bolt seems easy enough.

Your question about how much weight you may need depends on what you want to do. Some here may disagree with me, but I believe that running added weight on your tractor will reduce the life of the transaxel.


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## Realist

It's starting to sound like that when it comes to weight, more is better. I can see myself wanting to put 300-400 lbs or more, if possible without damaging the tractor.

Today I tried to use my new GT5000 and new dozer blade to push some horse manure around. Between the turf tires filling with mud and becoming slicks, no extra weight, and a dozer blade with no down pressure rising up over the dirt/manure, it was an utter failure.

It was actually rather comical, as every time I wanted to reverse, I would lean forward to pull on the lift lever (to raise the dozer blade), coming up out of the seat, causing the ignition cut-off to engage. Took me a few times to figure out the engine wasn't just stalling. Doh!

So it was a lot of slip/slide, engage parking brake, lean forward out of the seat, pull the darned lever to raise blade, sit down, release parking brake, reverse, lower blade, slip/slide, etc.

So now it's onward to find wheel weights, chains, and downward pressure on the dozer blade. Suddenly makes me think that $6000 used Kubota with FEL was a bargain.


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## Ed_GT5000

Yup, I know what you are feeling.

But don't throw in the towel yet. For what you are doing you need traction. I would look into a set of ag lug tires. for what you are doing they may work better than chains. I have them on my GT5000 and they are great. As for the blade riding up, you should be able to adjust the pitch of the blade down.

I had problems with the blade riding up once when I was pushing some logs. The logs would roll up under the blade. I discovered that changing the angle of "attack" helped.

PS: Don't be affraid that ram that pile of Sh*t! ( I mean the manure not the tractor) I have found that 4th gear high range works best for dozing.

It takes awhile to learn to use the blade.


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## Chipmaker

Look in thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army for used barbell weights. I find them all the time for a buck or two. I get most of mine from the exercise equipment store that takes in old equipment and usually winds up trashing it all Its not like they take the stuff in on trade, but merely a service tothose that buy new stuff they get rid of the customers old stuff, and thats how I accumulate all those linear screw actuators and weights like I do. Just haul it away from the dealer for free........ Right now I have a huge outside hot tub that I have to get. It has a hole in it from where a limb went through it, but its all complete right down to the jets and pump and under water light system. The same dealer that sells exercise equipment also sells spas etc. This hot tubs final destination is an inground pool for gold fish or koi out by the satellite dish gazeebo. Which reminds me I also have 4 more 11 foot satellite dishes to take down and remove.......more critter pens and shed roofs with the solid fiberglas dishes and an another gazeebo with the mesh dishes.


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## GT5000

"but I believe that running added weight on your tractor will reduce the life of the transaxel."

Your're absolutely correct. Again, these are not CAT D-8's (although some run their GT's as such).

Again, perpetual overkill dominates this otherwise very informative message board.


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## guest

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *This could also be another opportunity for the Valentine girl.
> *


im trying to muster up all the restraint i can, not to post that pcik of the lovely valentine girl... :loveit: 

all this talk of extra weight and butt cracks.. is pushing me to the limit.. i may need to see her one more time...:rose:





:furious:


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## guest

> _Originally posted by Ed_GT5000 _
> *PS: Don't be affraid that ram that pile of Sh*t! ( I mean the manure not the tractor) I have found that 4th gear high range works best for dozing.
> 
> *



Ed i would think that would cause some sort of undue stress on the frame or axels no?


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## jodyand

> _Originally posted by GT5000 _
> *"but I believe that running added weight on your tractor will reduce the life of the transaxel."
> 
> Your're absolutely correct. Again, these are not CAT D-8's (although some run their GT's as such).
> 
> Again, perpetual overkill dominates this otherwise very informative message board. *


Good to see you back GT5000 but i haven't seen yet where someone is using there GT as a CAT D8. They are using it what what its made for. I would have to agree and disagree with this. If you are running allot of suitcase weights then yes i would say that it put a lot of stress on the transaxel. But if you are using fluid filled tires with wheel weight then no you are not. Because the weights are on the wheels not on the transaxel. 
Jody


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## jodyand

> _Originally posted by simple_john _
> *im trying to muster up all the restraint i can, not to post that pcik of the lovely valentine girl... :loveit:
> 
> all this talk of extra weight and butt cracks.. is pushing me to the limit.. i may need to see her one more time...:rose:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :furious: *


Nope wont happen:tellyou: 
Jody


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## Ernie

It's quite funny, and I don't mean to be nasty but I run a JD 450 dozer and if I try to push to much dirt the tracks will spin. do they make weights for this application.... No sireeee. I either angle the blade or push from a different angle. A tractor is designed to do certain things and beyond that it is either bigger or different piece completely. Wheel weight and extra weights have their place and are needed to help tractors pull more as in plowing, discing, irrigating and some times pushing or pulling with a blade. If you are equiped with a hydra type trans keep your eye on the temps and you will see them rise quickly if you try to do more than the rig is designed to do....


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## Realist

Thanks for all the concerns for damaging my tractor. I of course don't want to abuse my GT5000 at all, but the traction I'm getting right now is ridiculous. Piled up horse manure has an interesting texture. It's sort of light and fluffy (compared with, say, gravel), perhaps like mulch that has been put through a grinder. The best analogy I can think of is imagine trying to plow mashed potatoes while getting traction on the same mashed potatoes. The stuff fills the treads in the tires. Horse manure isn't so much heavy as it is bulky, moist, and sticky.

Anyway, I'm hoping chains (probably v-bar) and some weight will help. I don't think I'll be hitting the limits of the tractor, just due to the type of material I'm dozing.

On another note, I am considering making some wheel weights out of quickrete. The challenge is to make a mold with a large center hole for the portruding axle and 4 mounting holes. Anything's better than paying $200 for 200lbs of wheel weights, better to save that towards a Johnny Bucket. Perhaps I can cut the bottom off a bucket and mount some PVC pipe for the various holes, then pour in the quickrete.

If I can find barbell weights cheaply, I may go with EZ-weights (http://www.ezweights.com). But at retail of $0.40/lb for barbell weights, quickrete is the cheaper solution.


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## tjw in kans

i looked into ez weights, kinda pricey for something to just add weight, i took the plunge and bought the factory weights, another thing if you keep adding barbell weights they tend to stick out further than the stock weights, could be a problem when triming close to trees etc., i have to be careful with the stock weights not to skin up something.


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## Willie Nunez

The Sears 55 lb weights were expensive(about $110 for both), but they came already full of hard cement and all the hardware. They even come with a couple of extra-long bolts so you can bolt 2 both weights on the high side whenever you're plowing, or on a slope. I'm sure glad I got them 'cause they solved my traction problem when plowing(using lug tires too).


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## Chipmaker

Push come to shove I may spend 50 or 60 bucks at the most for cast iron weights , but I really would have a very hard time spending that kind of money on concrete filled plastic ones. There just is not that kind of value there, but they got you coming and going, as if weights are needed your gonna break down and buy em. I think I would use an old plastic bucket cut to size and fill it with concrete and place some 1/2" PVC pipe init to correspond to the wheel mount holes before I would spend a ton of money on weights of the plastic / concrete variety. Heck I have a neighbor that at one time had building blocks 4 x 8 x 16 inch solids, wired and tied in the recess of his MF 185 tractors tractors wheels for additional weight. Now thats what I call thrifty. H also filled his tires with water. Only thing was he went the wrong route in trying to accomplish what he needed to do. He was always getting stuck and slipping in mud in his lower field so instead of running a lower tire pressure he added a heap of weight. Made some nice deep ruts and he still got stuck.............Never got the clue the ground was way to wet to work!


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## Ingersoll444

> _Originally posted by Realist _
> *Anyway, I'm hoping chains (probably v-bar) and some weight will help. I don't think I'll be hitting the limits of the tractor, just due to the type of material I'm dozing.
> 
> On another note, I am considering making some wheel weights out of quickrete. The challenge is to make a mold with a large center hole for the portruding axle and 4 mounting holes. Anything's better than paying $200 for 200lbs of wheel weights, better to save that towards a Johnny Bucket. Perhaps I can cut the bottom off a bucket and mount some PVC pipe for the various holes, then pour in the quickrete.
> 
> If. *


I have not tryed this, it's just a thought, but how about a 5gal drywall mud bucket for the mold? Seems like it may be about the right size.


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## Ingersoll444

One more thing about the weight. I DO agree that there is a limit to the weight you should put on, BUT when using the plow blade, you are not realy "adding" weight to the rear, petty much just counterweighting the weight of the plow blade hanging off the front. Also with the need to cut costs, the manufacture is not going to recomend using weights, unless it can handle them. They don't want to have to pay for broken parts.


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## Realist

I discovered empty plastic weight shells that you buy and fill with quikrete. They're described at http://www.tirechain.com/wheel-weights.htm. Unfortunately, they're $62/pair, which is outrageous in my opinion.

So all things keep pointing back to making my own weights at home. Anyone know how hard it is to drill a 1/2" hole through 2" of concrete? (I don't have a hammer drill, hope one isn't required.) I know I can buy concrete round stepping stones at Home Depot for cheap, they come in a variety of diameters. Might be easeir to drill 4 mounting holes in them than creating a mold for custom-built concrete weights.

You know, I suppose I could even rig up some chicken wire to the tire chains and not worry about using the wheel mounting bolts at all. Like Chipmaker's story, I could chicken wire on some cinder blocks or a bag of gravel, attached to the tire chains. Now wouldn't that be a sight. Perhaps I could even patent it...


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## Ingersoll444

don't have to dril the hole. Cast in a few PVC tubes for the bolts to go through


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## tjw in kans

if you have time to tinker, go for it. if you are in heat like i was and need it now take the plunge. i also talked to a freind that said john deere wheel weights were cheaper than my craftsman, havent seen them or know what they look like, but imagine that. this is my second season on my tractor, now i have time to tinker.


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## Ingersoll444

From what I have seen all the wheel weights from the diferent brands are prity much interchangable. Most of the garden tractors had 12"wheels, and almost all have the holes in the same place. Go to diferent dealers, small engine repair shops etc and see if they have any laying around. A quick cleanup, and a little spray paint in a matching color, and your set. I have a set of old JD weights on my Ingersoll 224. Fit fine.


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## GT5000

Jodyand:

Tire fluid is one thing and so is a reasonable amount of weight, but believe me, there are folks that run these GT's like bulldozers, just look at what some idiots do to with LT's (trying to pull out stumps. My neighbor smoked a tranny by pulling a damn swing set.

I grew up on a farm, perpetual overkill has killed many tractors.

It sounds like you have sense enough to no the limits, that's good. I am not questioning that, I am just saying mnay folks exceed those limits.


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## GT5000

How to make homemade weights:

1. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy 2 of those green $8 each plastic patio umbrella stands (made to be filled with concrete).

2. While still empty, mark your lug holes.

3. Drill out lug holes and put in a threaded PVC in each to allow bolts to go through.

4. Fill with concrete.

Presto.


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## guest

i agree w/GT5K here.. i dont think its the extra weight.. i just dont think GT's were made to be used like a dozer.. im told you can take it slow and easy.. but i dont think the front ends or frames are made for ramming a pile of dirt or fill

Thats the only thing stopping me from getting a blade.. That and the 400 or 600$ it costs...


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## dave3

I tried the cast your own wheel weight system...not the best of luck! I used 5 gallon drywall mud buckets with L shaped anchor bolts to attach them to the tractor..stripping the buckets and the concrete from the wheel was a nightmare! I ended up breaking most of the concrete getting it out of the rims! (I even used a form release agent on them!) To make a long story short..decided to take the tires, get them tubed, and filled with chloride..added about 80 pounds to each wheel..no mess no fuss!


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