Liquid Filling Tractor Tires

[brendonv]

Zone 5, figure extreme -20 State records aren't below -26

 

[Cobleskill]

I wouldn't worry too much about the ballast causing tires not to give. The only tire I remember damaging that was loaded was a slice by a rock that was standing up in the plow furrow. I was a kid and had no idea there was calcium in the tires. Dad asked me if I parked it with the cut up to save the calcium. In the two tire revolutions I think it emptied most of it and I didn't know it was anything but water, so no, I parked it where the tire stopped.

Other than that slice, all the other problems were punctures from a nail or other sharp object. We used to go out in the woods on a regular basis to log and get firewood. Still do. Not had a problem. There is a huge difference in traction without the ballast. Drove down a hill with a front end loader and a fairly heavy back blade on the back, no ballast, and the thing scared me how no weight in the tires made it slide.

 

[Strikermike]

Then when you are plowing and want a nip ya got a good supply.

I will pass on the rubber flavored whiskey

 

[Cobleskill]

I put fix-a-flat in tires with a plastic hand pump. You got to pull the hose off and let the air out after about 10 ounces. Don't know why you couldn't pump the beet juice in with one of those.

 

[Cobleskill]

I will pass on the rubber flavored whiskey

I wasn't serious about drinking the stuff. Somebody probably would drink it, not me.

 

[Al Smith]

The actual stuff they use is calcium chloride . I don't imagine it would cost much to get one filled at a tire shop that deals with ag tires for tractors .

Now here's what I did when I changed the rear tire on my Fergueson . I hoisted the old tire up with a chain fall and let the fluid leak into several 5 gallon bucks until it was all out .Then to put if back in I used a tiny little gear pump and a piece of 1/8" plastic tubing and drove the pump with an electric drill .Lawdy it took several hours .Got-er-done though .

 

[rskybiz]

Beet Juice

 

[MasterBlaster]

No ball bearings, eh? How 'bout billiard balls?

 

[Paul B]

ran a tractor (massey ferguson) in the mid 90's that had fluid (half) filled tires, not sure what the heck the fluid was to be honest, we also ran a counterweight, on the 3 point hitch at the back, a 45 gallon oil drum fillled with concrete and a bar through the middle for the 3 point hitch, worked great.

 

[squisher]

My new tractor has filled tires. Something they called bio-fill supposed to be non-corrossive. I didn't inquire much as to specifics because it was free with the FEL package.

 

[Al Smith]

I've got two Fergusons,one with a loader and one I keep at the house to mow with etc . The one with the loader is at my shop and has cast iron wheel weights plus a 55 gallon barrel of concrete on the back else the Davis loader will nearly upset it .The one I use around the house has fluid in the tires .

I imagine those tires on the non loader tractor are about as old as the tractor,1951 bald eagles .

 

[Paul B]

I drove a couple 50's Ford gas tractors years ago, rambunctious suckers but once they were running warm they did fine.

 

[Dave Shepard]

I think what I have in my Kubota is potassium chloride. A little heavier than calcium, and less corrosive. I had the tire place put it in. I think it was $180 for 110 gallons/1200 pounds. They wanted $350 to put the two tubes in. I bought my own tubes, $70, and installed them myself, 1 hour total. $280/hr, I can live with that.

 

[Al Smith]

The old Fergys do just fine except after they've sat a while .Damned Marvel Scheubler up draft carbs they use can be a pain in the buttocks .

The problem with the 8N and 9N Fords is they used the oil pan as a support for the front axle .Bang one down real hard ,they break . However that said probabley half of them ever made are still running .Those or the Fergys you can rebuild forever .

 

[Paul B]

hm, the Fergy I drove needed a healthy snort of ether down the air intake at any start close to or below freezing, a cantankerous old bugger.

 

[sawinredneck]

To hell with it, just foam fill them, weight and no more flats!

 

[Reddog]

To hell with it, just foam fill them, weight and no more flats!

Wait till you see the bill to change foam filled ones out and dispose of the old tires and foam.

 

[Al Smith]

You could probabley use anti freeze and water,50/50 .On a big tractor that would really add up though .On a serious note the fluid filled tires puts the weight right were you need it,on the bottom tread of the tire .

 

[18 stoner]

Sure Al, and a point worth adding is that weight in the tyres/wheels does not give extra wear and tear to the tractor, like carrying a weight on the 3 point likage can do.

When I was invovled on farms it wasnt uncommon to fit dual wheels for land work, fit cast wheel weights and fill the tyres. The "less flexible" issue was always noted though, and the filled tyres never seem to get the same traction. Perhaps when "carrying" the extra weight, that weight was pressed down on the ground via the rim, therefore forcing the tyre to flex. Not sure really but filled ones always seemed "harder" even with the same pressure in them.

 

[stehansen]

When I farmed we filled most tractor tires with water. Bought an adapter at the local hardware store and removed the core, hooked it up to the garden hose and filled once and let out air and filled until the water was even with the top of the rim. Leaving the area from the rim to the top of the tire with air for a little give. No freezing worries here though so I'm assuming you will have to contact a tire outfit to see what to fill them with in your area.
I'll have to add that my current tractor is filled with water in the rear tires for both as a counterweight when loading stuff and with the weight of the loader on the front it has considerably less traction than it did prior to putting the loader on it. So actually I could use a little more weight on the rear of the tractor.

 

[Reddog]

a point worth adding is that weight in the tyres/wheels does not give extra wear and tear to the tractor, like carrying a weight on the 3 point likage can do.

That thinking has changed over the last few years on the larger tractors here in the USA. JD and Case now feel that there is more transmission and differential failures when loaded tires are used in plowing and field work operations. Has something to do with the liquid sloshing back and forth changing the load on the drive line.

 

[Al Smith]

With the advent of radial ag tires I don't think they even bother with liquid ballast any more .The deal with double tires is for floatation .Less compaction of the soil plus you can pull a lot more if you are not pushing ruts in the soil .With that in mind rubber tracked crawlers of a modern design are making a resurgence .Those things pound for pound will out pull a 4 wheel drive even equipted with duals plus they have 18 mph road speeds .

I might also add that mini excavaters are fast taking over for rubber tired back hoes .They can fit in holes a back hoe can't and go over mud that would sink a hoe .---times change ----

 

[Cobleskill]

To adjust the amount of ballast properly you have to measure wheel slip with a load.

Rubber tracks certainly have advantages, but they are quite expensive and don't work well in hilly ground. My neighbor has a Posi-Track skid steer. One track cost him over $2000.

 

[lumberjack]

Wheel slip or tire slip? When I over Slimed the mini tires, I had wheel slip.

 

[Cobleskill]

They call it wheel slip, but actually tire slip would be a more correct term.