Ballast Tire Loading Question

[lew61]

I've found a dealer for Rim Guard in Nevada. $3.00 per gallon. I would prefer using it because of its weight and non-toxicity. Guess I have some calls to make to work out some logistics. Thanks for all you help.

[Gary Fowler]

If it rarely gets below freezing where you are and warms up when the sun comes up, plain water is all you need. Maybe throw in a gallon of antifreeze on each tire for kicks. Cant get much cheaper than that.
In north Louisiana where I grew up on a farm, we only used straight water. It occassionally got so cold that the tires would freeze solid but we didnt need to use the tractors much if at all during the winter so we just waited till weather warmed up and sun shining on the tires would thaw them fairly quickly. Freezing doesnt hurt the tires as long as you dont move them when frozen. Slushy wont hurt to run them so even if using antifreeze, no need to mix it to 50/50 ratio. IIRC for my 16.9x34 tires , 4 gallons per tire would be good to about 20F and it never gets that cold here. You dont need to buy $14 per gallon Prestone either, off brand for $8 per gallon is plenty good for tires.

[PhilY]

I paid $150 to fill my R4 rears with RIMGuard...it was at the time I bought the tractor, so this was probably at cost to them.

[lew61]

I've decided to go with Rim Guard. I spoke with a dealer this morning and he's only a couple of miles from the tractor dealer and will fill the tires once the tractor is in the dealer's shop for assembly @ $2.80/gal. Our winter temps frequently get into the low teens with occasional dips below zero, so freeze protection is a concern. I can see that this forum is a wonderful resource. Thanks to every one who took the time to provide me with input. Now, anybody have advice on how I can quit driving my wife crazy while I wait for my tractor?

[Mechanos]

...Now, anybody have advice on how I can quit driving my wife crazy while I wait for my tractor?

I have a couple solutions for that... but I don't think any of them are legal.

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

my brother dose tires all the time on the side .. if you want to load with calcium ..every one thinks it is something special ..you get the set up the one guy said to load the tire then get a 45 gal drum then go get 2- 40 kg bags of calcium flakes. yes the same stuff they put on the roads ....first fill the drum 3/4 full add one bag to the water ..never add water to the calcium ....and stir the **** out of it and then start pumping .....the cost around $30 $35 a bag ..i hope this helps and saves you a **** load of cash..... every one in canada uses calcium in tractor tires and it get cool at nights her lol

[SPYDERLK]

It gets below freezing here but usually warms above freezing once the sun rises. So, is there any reason to choose anti-freeze over washer fluid? As a young fellow, I worked on a New England dairy farm and the tractor tires would get "slushy" but I don't recall that being a bad thing. I'm going to be using the fel to move a lot of dirt and don't intend to go very fast.

Sounds like plain water would work fine.
larry

[Bob77064]

Rim guard sounds really good, the closest dealer to me is almost 100 miles each way.

[Gondela]

I've thought about making my own calcium solution because I had tire lose all its calcium when the bead broke as I was getting unstuck from the ditch in a big snow storm last winter. But when I saw how corrosive the calcium was I started wondering about beet juice. Anybody know about that? A sugar syrup for my tires? Sounds sweet!

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

I've thought about making my own calcium solution because I had tire lose all its calcium when the bead broke as I was getting unstuck from the ditch in a big snow storm last winter. But when I saw how corrosive the calcium was I started wondering about beet juice. Anybody know about that? A sugar syrup for my tires? Sounds sweet!

they put beet juice on the hyw here in ontario to keep the sand from blowing off and eat the snow ..and its by fare worse then calcium ever thought of being ..eats there trucks up