Traction Wheel weights

[ovrszd]

The issue of rust and corrosion is a concern to me. The local tire folks here use a mix of water and methanol. They did not mention any rust inhibitor. It seems to be a trade-off between fluid which is cheaper and more weight added easily, but the potential for wheel corrosion and iron which is more expensive and it is difficult to add as much iron weigth as I can get with fluid, but no corrosion issue. Any addition thoughts on corrosion/rust prevention would be helpful.

In the case of my Kubota, I couldn't stack enough weights to get the effect I needed. So I added fluid. Then added one cast weight on each side because they were free.

If you use fluid, definitely choose something non-corrosive. There are plenty of choices in today's market that meet that expectation.

And don't put much value in being able to remove cast iron weights. You will not. I've never found a poster on this site that removes and reinstalls 100+lb cast iron weights. If there is such a person I'm open to correction, with pictures of course.

 

[ShilohFarm]

What fluid specifically do you recommend? As I mentioned, the one local tire service uses water and methanol. I would see nothing it that to stop the water from rusting/corroding the rim.

Thank you.

 

[ovrszd]

What fluid specifically do you recommend? As I mentioned, the one local tire service uses water and methanol. I would see nothing it that to stop the water from rusting/corroding the rim.

Thank you.

Corrosion with any basically non-corrosive liquid is going to be negligible and will take a LONG time to show itself. Most will advise filling the tire to a level just above the top of the rim so no metal is exposed to the air inside the tire. Most tire dealers will recommend 75% fill which accomplishes this goal.

I believe RimGuard to be the best fluid. It's heavy, but expensive. Auto Anti-Freeze is moderately priced but only weight of water. Windshield Washer fluid is cheap but again only the weight of water.

Using WW I added 1600lbs of weight for $205. Even at a bargain price of .50 cents per pound, cast weights would have cost $800. $1600 at normally charged price. Lou has somewhere around $1200 in the weights he pictured. I don't recall him mentioning for sure.

 

[LouNY]

And I would NEVER recommend Calcium Chloride for fluid. Bad idea. No long term gain at all. I use WW. No tubes. This allows you to "plug" the tire if it has a slow leaker.

I've been around farm tractors for all my life. I'm 66 and I know what's practical and cost effective.

Lastly, your CC filled example lasted how many years before the disaster pictured?

Quite a few, but not enough, she is still a good strong runner, hard starting and hot after several hours in the summer straddling that transmission,
she's been dropped to a backup unit mostly.

The calcium and water is still the heaviest per gallon that I am aware of.

 

[ovrszd]

Quite a few, but not enough, she is still a good strong runner, hard starting and hot after several hours in the summer straddling that transmission,
she's been dropped to a backup unit mostly.

The calcium and water is still the heaviest per gallon that I am aware of.

That tractor is what, 40 years old? 35 maybe?

I'm not sure about the weight. I want to say RimGuard is 10.5lbs per gallon but don't quote me on that. I guess CC mix weight would depend on how rich you mix it?

 

[LouNY]

That tractor is what, 40 years old? 35 maybe?

I'm not sure about the weight. I want to say RimGuard is 10.5lbs per gallon but don't quote me on that. I guess CC mix weight would depend on how rich you mix it?

She's a 74 model so a bit over 40,
dang that means the old Farmall 400 which was a 56 is over 60 and we still use it every spring and summer, narrow front end and 14.9 rear tires works good for spraying corn and
with the mid mount sickle bar you can sweep in and under the fences clipping weeds.
Have to wonder how many of these new ones from 2000 on will be still working at those ages, 40 or 60
an then a nod to those green boys and their popping johns B's and A's that even older

I still like iron even at a dollar a pound:drink:

 

[sixdogs]

I have taken apart lots of liquid loaded tires and every one was rusted. There are old threads of mine where I posted pics of loaded tubed tires that were filled with a non corrosive liquid. They rusted.

Cast iron holds it's value, is easily added or subtracted and can be adjusted as desired. Liquid rusts, costs to install and will eventually rot the wheels. Flats are a problem and I would say the amortized cost, as compared to cast iron is a strong argument for cast.

Now, if you live on the side of some hills like West Virginia or Maine or wherever, I could see fluid tires because the added cost of fluid and rust on a dedicated purpose tractor is a necessary evil to gain the stability in a dangerous environment.

 

[FTG-05]

In the case of my Kubota, I couldn't stack enough weights to get the effect I needed. So I added fluid. Then added one cast weight on each side because they were free.

If you use fluid, definitely choose something non-corrosive. There are plenty of choices in today's market that meet that expectation.

And don't put much value in being able to remove cast iron weights. You will not. I've never found a poster on this site that removes and reinstalls 100+lb cast iron weights. If there is such a person I'm open to correction, with pictures of course.

The only scenario I can envision removing my 250 lb concrete, steel and lead wheel weights is if I need to replace a tire. Otherwise, they're never coming off for the life of the tractor or my life, whichever is shorter.

And I agree with the "Get Both". It was cheap to fill my rear tires with 5 gallons of RV antifreeze per tire (maybe $20/tire, $40 total) for a very welcome +850 lbs on the rear of the tractor. However, I don't live in the frozen north, for example NY where the OP lives. So cost now becomes an issue, especially if he decides to do Rimguard. If it was me: I'd be breaking out my checkbook. $350 for 110 gallons of RG?* Easy decision; far better than rolling over due to not keeping the rear tires on the ground.

* Assumes RG at $3/gallon installed. however I have no idea what it really costs, that's just the number I recall reading here.