L4610 with a wounded paw.

   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #1  

patrickg

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2001
Messages
1,390
Location
South Central Oklahoma
Tractor
Kubota Grand L4610HSTC
My Firestone Industrials are so new (how new are they?) They are so new that the little rubber thingies that bristle on new tires are still there, even on the tread (57 hrs). The left rear is punctured near the center of the tread pattern but not through a lug, between lugs. It could have been a beer bottle (ought to be open season on literers) or a cut off sapling stob. I try to cut them high enough off the ground so they can be driven over but the uneven ground makes it pretty hard at times. Due to uneven terrain I didn't notice immediately. Anyway, I walked to the shop and got a truck and tools and went back and jacked her up and pulled the wheel. Heavy sucker, whew, not fun in mid 90 degree High humidity hot sun situation. Couldn't pick it up and put it in truck. Tried a block and tackle but broke a defective rope also used as multi part wasn't long enough. Went back for trailer (with ramps) and used trucks winch to pull wheel and tire up ramp. Of course this is a holiday and NO ONE is open for a repair. (Narrative romance story mode off)

Is there anything to do to make tires less vulnerable? Are there more puncture resistant tires? I would rather buy yet another set of new tires or anti puncture tire accessory if it would confer puncture free performance. I need to be able to go for the gusto with a bit more impunity.

TIA for any leads.

Patrick
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #2  
Take a look at: http://www.arnconet.com/products/flatindex.html.

Their product is pretty expensive. I was quoted $150 each for my front tires and they gave me a guestimate of $500 for each of the rear tires. Add dismounting/mounting, tax and transportation and the total would be close to $1500. Of course, you're getting ballast, too.

Matthew
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #3  
$150 per front tire sounds about right to me. I had the front tires on a Ford Jubilee (Ag Ribs) filled with foam for $135 about two years ago. I don't have any hazards on my place, but several years ago I took my tractor to my Dad's place in Denton, TX and he has a lot of mesquite brush which has thorns from 1" to 2" long. While I was mowing for him, I got my tires full of thorns. No punture seal was good enough to permanently repair the leaks and filling the tires with air became a weekly chore. I went with the foam fill, and quit worrying about flats on my front tires. For the rear tires, the foam is just too expensive in my estimation; however, I think if I was having a constant problem, I might give it serious consideration. After taking my tractor back to my property, I got new rears installed and I haven't punctured them yet. I also have a TC45 NH and I'd hate to think replacing a rear tire on it. I don't have ballast, so I should be able to lift my front tires, but I don't think I would want to roll the rear tires empty without help. I'm pretty sure your L4610 has similar sized tires, but I'm guessing they are loaded. After replacing 3 of 4 rusted-out rims on my Ford Jubilee, I just could not bring myself to load my TC45's R4s. The foam would add some weight, but probably only half as much as liquid ballast or even less. Oh well...I'm rambling again./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimI
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #4  
Patrick,

You might want to take at look at the tire guards available at http://www.gempler.com/. Click Tires, then under preventive maintenance, Tire Guards. These are heavy rubber liners that are installed inside of your tire along with tubes to help prevent flats. They also have both tire reliners and tire spot reliners, used to repair and salvage damaged tires.

DFB

18-30366-dfbsig.gif
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw.
  • Thread Starter
#5  
One of the repair shops that I didn't employ due to their having several employees missing (actually one was closed en mass for vacation and three others had two or more workers missing so I went for a short drive 25 mi and the recommendation of a trusted source) Anyway, the one shop mentioned that they could F I X the problem but I wouldn't like the price (foam fill). I didn't ask. I casually worked the foam fill advantages into a conversation with my budget analyst but when I mentioned the price I was advised to go for the repair. No change of heart after getting $50 repair ticket.


Patrick
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw.
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Yeah, pretty good site Gempler's. Didn't know about them. They have an insert just 0.1 inch smaller than my tire size. I sent in email to find out if that would be "good enough. I think my budget analyst could see the cost/benefit ratio of this method vice the foam fill. I suppose putting tubes in such a slow speed tire shouldn't cause overheating problems (I hope). Any experts out there wana comment on putting tubes in tubeless tractor tires?

Patrick
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #7  
Tubes in tubeless tractor tires? I had tubes put in the fronts to help control leaks (1/2 inch 3 corner tears aren't leaks). I might not have gotten the flat if there had been no tube in the tire.

If you were getting your tires loaded with calcium chloride the first step would be to put tubes in the tires. The rims would last about 10 days without. Of course it would take a lot of high speed mowing to heat up all that calcium.

I doubt that tubes would cause a heat problem, but they aren't a panacea.

Matthew
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #8  
Well Patrick this must be the month for wounded paws. Put a stump through my right front tire. I just went over a 100 hours. Took it to get repaired and they patched the tire and put in a new tube. I'll proberly replace the tire this fall before snow season since the FEL get's alot more work in the winter. I'll also buy a higher rated ply tire. Being new at this I never thought to check the ply rating. I can get a new tire with a 6 ply rating for 87.00 and I'm going to check on a tire liner too!!! Another thing I had never heard of. Thanks to everyone who replied. My tractor education continues!!!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Take care,
Al
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw.
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Matthew, My Kubota came with tubeless tires (in the rear, I never actually checked the front). The Kubota manual gives the directions for mixing and putting calcium chloride solution in the rear tires and I don't recall any thing about tubes being mentioned. I will be going to my dealer in a little while as he just called to say my set of quick disconnects just came in (so I can make my own implements to replace the FEL bucket or palet blades. I will ask about this issue. I sure don't want to ruin the wheels.

I think the specific heat of water and the ratio of water to CaCl is such that the water would be the big heat absorber, not the CaCl. I agree, it isn't likely I would have to warn any but the nearest neighbors regarding the danger of a steam explosion from me overheating the tires.

Patrick
 
   / L4610 with a wounded paw. #10  
A few years ago my father was working deep in his woodlot with his 8N when one of the rear wheels decided to part company with its rim. The tube in his loaded tire had decided that it didn't want to play anymore and had leaked Calcium Chloride solution into the cavity between the tube and the rim. Corrosion ensued. It cost him plenty to have a new, loaded wheel bushwacked in to get his tractor out.

I've also seen rims with patches welded here and there (typically involving relocating the valve stem. CaCl + H2O is very corrosive. I wouldn't consider using it without tubes

Matthew
 
 
 
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