Water’s for troughs, not tractors

Granted water is cheap, but carting one tonne of it in each rear tyre when not required can be a drag on acceleration, degrade tyres and raise fuel consumption because, let’s be honest, once it’s in, it stays in.

Now comes a new range of ballast gear offered by Giltrap Agrizone, Cambridge, from the French company Althimasse; they offer interesting solutions slightly outside the norm.

For loader tractors – often the target of rear tyre water fills – a 900 or 1500kg cast steel counterweight will help bring things under control.

It will also allow the use of rear-mounted implements via its fixed, integral three-point-linkage system.

This added weight, plus a quick hitch, will allow a feed trailer to be towed, a workable solution around a feed pad.

The same units can also be used as counterweights for front-mounting to balance rear implements; they have hi-visibility extremity-marking panels.

Also designed for front-mounting is a neat system sculpted to fit between the tractor’s front link arms and embodying an adjustable mounting system. This has a base weight of 900kg and an extra cassette system to raise the mass by a further 300kg.

Further combinations can take maximum capacity to 2400kg.

Interestingly, the cassette can be picked up or dropped off quickly and safely from the tractor seat.