tires and ballast - new owner

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

I am ready to take delivery of a new b7500 with loader, mid-mount finish mower and rear blade. However, I still need to decide on tires and whether or not to use calcium chloride ballast. I have narrowed my choice of tire to either the straight turf tires or the bar-turf tires; can anyone comment on these with regard to traction, puncture resistance and general use?

Regarding ballast, my dealer normally fills the tires with CaCl2 for free, but I am not sure that I want to deal with the corrosion issues. Truthfully, this is my first tractor beyond the garden tractor level and I am not sure of what to expect. Can anyone comment on how many years I can expect to use the tractor before I would need to deal with the corrosive effects of the CaCl2?

For background, I live in southern New Hampshire and at this point plan to use the tractor for finish mowing, building a series of field-stone retaining walls and snow removal with the blade and loader.

Any additional advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Anthony

 

[MarkV]

Anthony,

Congrats on the new tractor!! Sounds like a nice package. Does your dealer run tubes in tires he fills with CaCl2? I wouldn't worry much about rust with tubes. Many farm tires are filled for many years without problems. On our small tractors, filling the tires makes a huge improvement in traction. I'd go for it if it were mine.

 

[Thomas]

Hello Anthony.
Welcome and a pre congratulations on your new B7500./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

You wrote you live in southern New Hampshire and I was wonder what area,for I live in Lebanaon,NH.

I have a B7100 and yes its one handy dandy compact tractor for tree farming,picking up stones for the wall,snow plowing,and of coarse the front end loader beats the wheel barrow anytime./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
The only draw back on the B7100 is there no power steering and Bird plus other will agree have a good grip,/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifso I'm hopeing your B7500 has power steering.

How many arces do you have to play on?

Once again welcome and enjoy.

Stay safe and /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif


Thomas..NH

 

[Daniel]

my experience with turfs was great until cleanup began in the woods. in less than 10 hours both front tires had been punctured by tree slash. I was worried about the rear turfs that are filled with cloride. ended up switchig to industrials. very happy with the change. have not had a problem with grass damage and no more punctures. many people go with the turfs, but if you do a lot of work over downded slash, industrials may be a better option.

 

[TomG]

A problem with CaCl is that it will sterilize a sizable chunk of ground if it ever leaks. Another post mentioned that turfs are comparatively puncture prone. If you get a puncture in the field, the only option is to position the puncture at the top of the tire to keep most of it in the tire and remove the wheel in the field. If CaCl goes on the ground, nothing grows there for quite a awhile. That may be a greater problem than wheel corrosion, which should be a minor problem if tire tubes are used.

CaCl is somewhat heavier than anti-freeze per volume, and therefore makes better ballast. Unless a lot of ballast is needed, non-toxic anti-freeze makes a safer choice. Disposing of CaCl, or ordinary anti-freeze also is something of a problem.

Another problem with liquid fill ballast is that it can't be taken out easily. It you're running turf tires, because the tractor will be used for finish mowing, a 75% liquid fill may give you more weight on lawns than you'd like. Wheel weights are expensive, but they can be put on and off.

 

[Bradey]

Local Kubota dealer here is offering beet juice as alternative to CaCl3. I think others have posted it's good as liquid to -30 F before it gets rather slushy. May be an option in your area.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I'd recomment filled tires with the loader. The extra weight makes a big difference.

Peter

P.S. I'm in NH too (that's not New Holland)

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thank you all for your replies. Your recommendations were consistant with adding some sort of ballast to the rear, and I ended up going to calcium chloride. I should be finished with the heavy loader work by the end of next spring, at which time the dealer offered to remove the calcium, wash the rims and fill the tires with air. The tractor was delivered yesterday and I have already scuffed up the lawn a little bit. I have a lot of learning to do, such as not to have the tractor in 4wd while turning on the finished lawn ;-)