Tires To fill or not to fill (tires)

[moosetracks]

Help! I'm signing the papers for a B7610 TLB tomorrow and I'm wondering whether or not to have tires filled. I presume that it's not needed for the hoe. Other than digging and loading gravel/dirt, uses will be tilling on slightly sloping to flat ground which can be wet in the spring and compaction might be an issue. Mowing some slopes with a bush hog is planned after I get used to the tractor. Some access roads on our place are downright steep. I probably won't want to take the loader off all the time when going up and down them. What would be suitable (really mean cheap) rear ballast with the hoe off (other than the tiller or mower). Need some advice. Thanks.

Moosetracks
P.S. What are they filled with usually?

 

[rtvman]

Hello Moosetracks! I don't think you would be disappointed having the extra weight. I am not sure there is even a downside to having your tires filled. My tractor is a little larger then yours but I think you would benefit the same way I do. Also, if filled properly, this should lower your center of gravity a little which may help you on those slopes. Chloride, which doesn't freeze, is typically what they use to fill tires. I am sure there are other ballast fluids out there so I would go with what your dealer recommends. I will be curious as to what others have to say about this. I hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy that new Bota! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


See what the owner's manual says...

My Kubota L3130 manual say DO NOT LOAD the tires with the backhoe on... I went by this...

So... I bought the EZ Weights wheel weight adapter (~$100 ?) that allows me to easily put on or take off regular barbell weights (not inexpensive if bought new)... much easier than dealing with factory wheel weights...

A 3-point-hitch ballast box may work for you too...


Dave...

 

[MarkV]

I am a big fan of filled tires and especially when you mention slopes. It made a remarkable difference in stability on my B21 Kubota which is similar in size to what you are ordering. Today’s modern compact tractors have a great deal of power in a small package but tend to fall short at getting that power to the ground due to their light weight. (compared to the tractors of the past) Filling the tires will add to your traction significantly. The only down side to filled tires I can see would be finish mowing for those with damp or soft lawns.

Tires are filled with a number of different liquids. The old standard was a Calcium Chloride and water mix, which is what I think RTVman was thinking of. Beet juice is being used by some dealers now because it is less corrosive. I used water and antifreeze in mine and it was not hard to do myself but added less weight than some of the other mixes do.

My Kubota manual says to add liquid ballast as needed for traction and stability and even gives the amounts and concentration of CaCl2 to use. It also says to remove it when the backhoe is installed. That is totally unrealistic and must be one of those translation things between Japanese and English. No problems on mine after 1030 hrs of use.

For rear ballast without the backhoe I normally use a boxblade. Inexpensive ones can be had for under $300 and are kind of the Swiss army knife of tractor implements. If money is stretched right now rear ballast can be made from a plastic garbage can, a draw bar and some concrete pretty cheap. If you do a search there are methods for numbers of home made ballast options that have been discussed. Do be careful about loader work without any attachments on the back of the tractor. Things get unbalanced real fast and then you get to learn what everyone means by pucker factor. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

MarkV

 

[JayC]

Calcium Chloride is probably the most common fluid to fill tires with. The problem with CaCl is that it is highly corrosive and if spilled kills any vegetation. Rim Guard (aka "beet juice") is becoming more popular. It is not corrosive and is environmentally safe. In the warmer climated people fill their tires with water. In the colder climates people fill their tires with anti-freeze or a mixture of anti-freeze and water. Still more people fill their tires with windshield washer fluid. And yet some more put foam in their tires. So, you see, there are lots of options when it comes to filling tires.

I still don't know why you can't fill tires if you have a backhoe on the back, especially if you don't use it that much. What would it hurt?

 

[GregJ]

I filled my tires with a solution of windshield washer fluid. I also installed tubes when I did it because I couldn't get the bead to hold. The washer fluid isn't as heavy as the calcium chloride, but it is non corrosive, so I won't have to replace my wheels after 10 years or so. The way I look at it ..... I want every extra pound I can get as low and wide as possible on my tractor. Trust me.... they go up on 2 wheels faster than you can believe. That can be a VERY religious experience. This has happened to me with loaded tires and a BH on, in areas you wouldn't expect. So... my advice would be to load them and still consider your tractor elgible for a rollover. I can still remember reading a post when I first got my tractor advising "Low and Slow..... Low and Slow". That has become my mantra when doing a lot of loader work. It's very easy to get going fast and become overconfident and find yourself in a "tippy" situation.

Be Safe,
Greg

 

[fishman]

I'll second MarkV's suggestion of a box blade for rear ballast. That's all I've ever used and I have yet to lift the back end of my 2910 off the ground even with a max load in my bucket. At less than $300, you can't go wrong. Besides my FEL, the box blade gets used the most. I think most other tractor owners would agree that the box blade is one of their most useful attachments, without even considering its modest price.

 

[L3010Ken]

My rear tires are filled with Calcium Chloride. I chose the industrial tires rather than the ag tires or turf tires. I have a Woods loader and can easily lift a tire on the back of the tractor even with the a Woods backhoe installed.

When handling a full bucket of wet dirt or gravel - the back of the tractor gets lighter and control is compromised if the rear tires lose traction with the ground - especially in two wheel drive and/or going down hill. More weight in the rear tires will provide a margin of safety that you would otherwise not have.

I had not heard of forgoing ballast fluid when you have a hoe. I have operated my backhoe in all kinds of terrain and have not experienced any problems that I know of.

 

[sneaky_pete]

How is the ride with liquid in the tires? I spent a few hours in the seat of my neighbors "L" series with poly foam-filled tires a couple of weeks ago, and it liked to jar my fillings loose mowing the back pasture. Don't think I would ever opt for that. I'm assuming that with a 75% fill rate on liquid, their is still some compressibility to the remaining 25% air?

Pete

 

[Freds]

Here's a pic of the cheap ballast I used on my B7500 when I had it. It's leaves the tractor more maneuverable than having an implement on the back, but it's not as heavy as a boxblade. Never had the rear tires leave the ground, though. The lower pins are welded to a piece of rebar to join them and the toplink attachment point is a "U" shaped piece of steel I found in an old barn and cut down. Leaving the tub on helps it slide around a little for easy hookup.

I have the tires on my L3130 filled, but don't have a backhoe. It isn't too bad driving from my pole barn across the yard, even in the rain, but there are other areas of my yard I wouldn't get close to or I would leave some serious ruts.