Garden Tractor Locking Differential

   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #11  
Sorry to butt in but James, How do I get calcium fill out of my tires?

Here is what I would do. And I am assuming that they were filled with the calcium solution, without the benefit of tubes.. I would drain as much of the calcium chloride solution out as I could get with the valve stem at 6 o'clock. Then I would fill with water from the hydrant with the fill burp valve.. and then drain it out. I would repeat that a couple of times. as it would be pretty easy to fill and drain them.. The point is to dilute the calcuim cloride to the point it would not be likely to do any damage.. Then fill with your choice of new fluid.. If you are trying to get the last little bit of fluid out and don't want any left, at all, I would get some clear small tubing (maybe fuel line at an autoparts store for a weedeater) and rig up some kind of small pump and stick the fuel line in the valve stem hole after removing the valve stem and try to thread the tubing down to curve down to the bottom of the tire. If the Calcuim cloride is in a tube, I would not worry about it too much, it should be ok.

James K0UA
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #12  
Here is what I would do. And I am assuming that they were filled with the calcium solution, without the benefit of tubes.. I would drain as much of the calcium chloride solution out as I could get with the valve stem at 6 o'clock. Then I would fill with water from the hydrant with the fill burp valve.. and then drain it out. I would repeat that a couple of times. as it would be pretty easy to fill and drain them.. The point is to dilute the calcuim cloride to the point it would not be likely to do any damage.. Then fill with your choice of new fluid.. If you are trying to get the last little bit of fluid out and don't want any left, at all, I would get some clear small tubing (maybe fuel line at an autoparts store for a weedeater) and rig up some kind of small pump and stick the fuel line in the valve stem hole after removing the valve stem and try to thread the tubing down to curve down to the bottom of the tire. If the Calcuim cloride is in a tube, I would not worry about it too much, it should be ok.

James K0UA

No, no tube and the rim is showing rust. So I put a jack under the axle and pull the valve?
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #13  
My current lawn tractor will just spin its tires when I encounter even a small incline.

If both tires spin now, a locking differential won't help much, if any. Larger and more aggressive tread tires and more weight may help.

Bruce
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #14  
Well .. I'd say there are too many variables. is ground weet, slippery rock, etc. There is one thing that always help - a 4 wheel drive tractor. After that, there are a number of things you can do to tweak your traction. Add liquid to tires ( you can use rimguard, antifreeze, windshield fluid,calcuim cloride and water in warm climates). You can add concrete weights in back, in rims, cast iron in rims, add chains, add daully wheels. If the future tractor has diff lock then use it if you start slipping in 4wd.
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #15  
No, no tube and the rim is showing rust. So I put a jack under the axle and pull the valve?

Yep, I would get it out, and "wash" dilute it . You gotta wonder what the rims look like. on the inside. Remember that the calcium cloride is a salt, and will kill vegetation
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #16  
Depending on the wheel size 4 wheeler tires may fit. I've done it to 3 riding mowers and it makes a world of difference
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #17  
If both tires spin now, a locking differential won't help much, if any. Larger and more aggressive tread tires and more weight may help.

Bruce

Bruce brings up a good point...are both rear tires spinning, or just one? If it's just one, then I think you'll like the locking differential. On the JD 455 (and most top of the line JD l&g tractors from the 455 forward) when I step on the diff lock the right wheel joins the left wheel and it almost always powers me out of whatever mess I've gotten in. It's worked for me in snow, ice and mud. I did get it buried enough in snow one time that I couldn't back out or go forward and had to tow it with my bigger tractor....but that's once in dozens of "stucks". The diff unlocks the next time you back up.
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #18  
Hi Folks,
I'm interested in buying a used garden tractor (possibly a John Deere) for mowing my lawn and hauling large carts of firewood. Traction is the biggest issue I encounter because I have to be able to drive up and down small slopes. My current lawn tractor will just spin its tires when I encounter even a small incline. I am hoping that you will be able to help me compile a list of older JD tractors with locking differentials.

Thank you

How big are the carts and how heavy, and how large are the inclines. Someone mentioned a 455, and I think those are nice tractors. Any of those larger frame John Deere's should be plentiful to find and reasonable in price and can take a beating. I had one and put two sets of wheel weights on it plus fluid, not calcium chloride, in the tires. Of course I ran chains all year around, but I could pull some huge loads up some good sized slopes without spinning breaking a sweat. Of course you really need to be careful that something don't get away on you.
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential #19  
How about a set of chains? Cheap and simple.
 
   / Garden Tractor Locking Differential
  • Thread Starter
#20  
How about a set of chains? Cheap and simple.


Chains aren't a bad idea although I will be driving on and off of asphalt. The lawn tractor I have now just spins one wheel or the other when I try to drive it up hill under load. I'm amazed I haven't destroyed the transmission on it, but perhaps the belt just slips if it gets overloaded. I'm hauling a large garden cart's worth of firewood. I definitely don't have the money for one of the top dollar JD tractors (455 etc). I was hoping for more of a poor man's solution to the problem. I just found a JD 140 (from the 1970's) on craigslist and it appears to have individual wheel brakes on it. I suppose that would be an intermediate option instead of the locking diff. Can anybody comment on these tractors?
 
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