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435/485/535
3-101
Section 3 - Operation
Ballasting
Example:
425, 485 & 535 Unballasted Shipping Weight
Front axle weight: 9,130 kg (20,130 lbs.)
Rear axle weight: 4,821 kg (10,630 lbs.)
Total tractor
shipping weight: 13,592 kg (30,758 lbs.)
Weight distribution
Front axle: 9,130÷13,952
(20,130÷30,758) = 65%
Rear axle: 4,820÷13,952
(10,628÷30,952) = 35%
NOTE: The above example is not an exact shipping
weight of a tractor. Weigh your specific tractor to get
accurate figures to work with.
For optimum performance the tractor requires
ballasting to obtained 50% balance of the load being
carried on each axle during field work. This makes
each axle pull its share of the load so that one axle is
not overworked.
Operating Weight and Fore/Aft Ratio
It has been determined that Buhler Versatile 4WD
tractors operate at top efficiency when ballasted to
45.3 Kg (100 lbs) per engine brake horsepower. This
is the total vehicle weight at which the tractor can
pull an implement and propel itself without causing
excess soil compaction. The following chart shows
recommended operating weights based on tractor
model by horsepower at 45.3 Kg (100 lbs) per
horsepower ballast.
Additional Ballast Requirements
Total ballast to be added can now be calculated by
subtracting the shipping weight of the tractor, from
the recommended operating weight, determined from
the chart.
Example:
Recommended Operating Weight:
485 (485 HP) 22,000 kg (48,500 lbs.)
Shipping Weight:
485 (485 HP) 13,952 kg (30.758 lbs.)
Total Ballast to be Added: 8,048 kg (17,742 lbs.)
The figure of 8,048 kg (17,742 lbs.) is the total
amount of ballast to be added to the tractor to get it
to 45.3 kg (100 lbs) per horsepower. This total ballast
figure now needs to be divided between the front and
rear axle.
To calculate the amount of ballast to be added to
each axle, first determine what type of implement the
tractor will be used with.
If the tractor is to be used with a drawbar pull-
type implement, the field ready ballasted weight
distribution should be 55% on the front axle and
45% on the rear axle of the recommended operating
weight. Once the tractor is in the field operating with
the implement, the draft load imposed on the tractor
by the implement will balance the weight distribution
between the axles to a 50/50 dynamic ratio.
The following chart details an example of the correct
front to rear ballasting on a 485 tractor with a drawbar
application based on the previous calculations.
Model Rated
Horsepower
Recommended Operating
Weight at 100 lbs/HP
435 435 19,750 kg (43,500 lbs.)
485 485 22,000 kg (48,500 lbs.)
535 535 24,267 kg (53,500 lbs.)
Total kg (lbs) Front kg (lbs) Rear kg (lbs)
Optimum
Operating
Weight &
Percentage
45.3kg x 485
(100 lb x 485)
22,000 kg
(48,500 lbs.)
22,000 kg
(48,500 lbs.)
22,000 kg
(48,500 lbs.)
Scaled
Shipping
Weight
13,952 kg
(30.758 lbs.)
7,673 kg
(48,500 lbs.)
6,279 kg
(48,500 lbs.)
Additional
Ballast
Required/Axle
8,048 kg
(17,742 lbs.)
4,426 kg
(9,757 lbs.)
3,622 kg
(7,985 lbs.)