Tires balast in tires

[MikeF]

Since you guys were so helpfull with what tire to get, how about balast. fill the tires with ??? Do it myself ??? Use wheel weights ??? what do you guys think?

Mike

 

[W5FL]

You should get as many answers as you like on this one. I filled my tires with water and 40% propylene glycol (non toxic) automotive type antifreeze. I had the dealer do it, but he just used a little tube and siphoned it into the tire with the valve stem at the top, then took a water hose to fill them. You have to be careful because it is easy to over pressurize a tire and that could get you hurt badly. I was going to do it myself by welding a hose connection to a 5 gallon can and putting the antifreeze in the can and using the water to put it in the tire. A siphon tube off of the water running in will also work, but you stand a very HIGH risk of polluting your home water supply if you let it get back in the water lines. If you use standard antifreeze and do this wrong, everyone may be poisoned. Either take the slow approach or let your dealer do it.

The problem with standard ethelene glycol is that it is extremely toxic to animals. As little as a few tablespoons will kill them.

Calcium Chloride is listed in the Kubota manual, but EPA regs seem to have stopped anyone from doing it in the South. I would use tubes in the tires if you use Calcium Chloride. Gimblers has a kit for putting it in. Firestone has a farm tire book on line that describes filling tires with ballast.

It is hard to get enough weight with wheel weights, but they are better if you work around things that will puncture your tires. The larger M Series have a huge center for the tires that adds weights in addition to wheel weights, but it cost too much for my use. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MikeF]

Thanks for the info, maybe I will just let Carver handel the balast. Sounds like a messy job. any ideas what is a reasonable charge.

Mike

 

[Bird]

MikeF, I had some neighbors tell me that calcium chloride was illegal to use in tires now, but I've never checked to see whether that is a fact or not, or if so, if it's a regional or state law. It's heavier than water and anti-freeze, also highly corrosive and must be used in a tire with a tube. Being in Texas where I don't have much really cold weather, and am highly unlikely to be using my tractor if the temperature is below freezing anyway, I put 2 gallons of anti-freeze in each rear tire, then filled them to the 75% level with water. I just used the standard old ethlene glycol anti-freeze, but will not do so again in the future since there are non-toxic anti-freezes available now. And I did mine myself, but I have my own homemade equipment for doing it. If you've never done it, or seen it done, you may be better off letting the dealer do it. But if you want to do it yourself, I think most farm supply stores have the adapters for that purpose.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

It is sure a lot cheaper than wheel weights. Search for ballast on this board and in the archives. There is a lot already written on this subject. Most places charge about 1 hour shop time plus the price of the anti-freeze (which is not insignificant}.

 

[MChalkley]

FWIW, Wen, all the tire companies now say that wheel weights are better for improving traction than an equal amount of ballast in the tires. They claim (and I guess they know) that the liquid ballast distorts the tire's footprint. So, they recommend using as much ballast in wheel weights as is possible and necessary, supplemented by ballast in the tires if necessary, but never exceeding 40% fill for maximum traction. I'd like to try this myself, but it sure is a pain - and expensive, as you say. Right now, I've got mine at 50% fill.

Mark

 

[W5FL]

I can't find that recommendation in the Firestone or Goodyear farm tire catalogs, Mark. They still recommend filling them with Calcium Chloride and they say a tube is not required (Sure don't believe that nor have I ever seen that).

The price of wheel weights is pretty high. Seems like it was $800 for 600 pounds for the M6800 wheel centers, then about $75/ 100# for the additional wheel weights. Anyway it was about $1000 more for weights, so I didn't get them. In Texas, you can get by as Bird has said with a gallon or two of antifreeze and the tires will freeze, but not solid. No body drives their tractors here in freezing weather. When there is snow on the ground here, we just stay home. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Can you believe people actually live in areas where the ground freezes for several months out of the year? /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MikeF]

Well guys, if weights are that expensive than I guess filling the tires will have to do. My current tractor has calcium in the tires but I may try the safer antifreez. after all if I had the extra money to spend I just might get that 4610!!

Mike

 

[Anonymous Poster]

If cost is an issue, liquid balast is not the only solution. After pricing wheel weights, I decided to make my own since I did not want liquid balast. I used 25 lb cast iron weight lifting weights. I paid $0.39 per pound for them. That is alot cheaper than the $1.33 per pound that Wen quoted. The weight lifting weights fit inside the rims of my B2400. If your rims are larger, you may be able to use the 50 lb ones. There are different sizes, depending if you select olimpic weights or regular. The regular pack more pounds for the size. I made a simple bracket that bolts on the rim and the weights slip on the bracket. You can see the bracket and weights at:

http://www.his.com/~msimpson/tractor/hacker/wweight.htm

Andy

 

[MikeF]

Not a bad idea, and welding is no problem! Thanks for the suggestion.

Mike