Tires Filling rear tires

[20 20]

At 3 bucks a gallon, I'll stick with calcium. As long as the bead stays flooded, there is no oxygen on the rim. If money were no object, rimguard would be nice. IMO, there is no real justification for it.

it'll cost ya down the road when you have to replace the rim.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I had to buy new rims on my Ford 2N due to calcium chloride. You might not get corrosion but lots of people do. After replacing wheels, and paying for loading twice and down time, its cheaper to go rim guard.

 

[Red Horse]

I had to buy new rims on my Ford 2N due to calcium chloride. You might not get corrosion but lots of people do. After replacing wheels, and paying for loading twice and down time, its cheaper to go rim guard.

GP/20-20,

I hear yah. I had an 89 755 that was filled with calcium. I sold the tractor to a relative back in 05 and it is still going strong. More than one knowledgeable person (for one, long time owner of a commercial tire business, second, owner of a two store Deere operation who by the way doesn't do calcium anymore given mark up on rimguard) has told me the only problem with calcium is when the tire is underfilled leaving the any portion of the bead OUT of the mix.

Check out the price of rimguard fill vs. the price of a rim? I'll bet its a wash.

 

[arrow]

GP/20-20,

I hear yah. I had an 89 755 that was filled with calcium. I sold the tractor to a relative back in 05 and it is still going strong. More than one knowledgeable person (for one, long time owner of a commercial tire business, second, owner of a two store Deere operation who by the way doesn't do calcium anymore given mark up on rimguard) has told me the only problem with calcium is when the tire is underfilled leaving the any portion of the bead OUT of the mix.

Check out the price of rimguard fill vs. the price of a rim? I'll bet its a wash.

Have had calcium in my tires for 25 years. At 19 years it leaked out because I broke the stem. Had some corrosion. Repainted the inside of rims with bridge paint. Always used a tube.

 

[Red Horse]

Have had calcium in my tires for 25 years. At 19 years it leaked out because I broke the stem. Had some corrosion. Repainted the inside of rims with bridge paint. Always used a tube.

I rest my case. Do it right and its cost effective.

 

[creekbend]

I purchased a new L4400 last July.This was taken directly from my Operator's Manual. Liquid Ballast in rear tires--Water and calcium chloride solution provides safe and economical ballast. Used properly, it will not damage tires, tubes or rims.The addition of calcium chloride is recommended to prevent the water from freezing. Use of this method of weighting the tires has the full approval of the tire companies. See your dealer for this service. Do not fill tires with water or solution more than 75% of full capacity (to the valve stem level at 12 o'clock position).

 

[crazyal]

I priced it out using Dowflakes and it works out to be about $2 a gallon, $1.50 if I use tablets or "rock salt" shaped CaCl2 that requires more work to mix with water, you have to do it yourself. Rim Guard (beet Juice) I can have installed for $3 to $3.50 a gallon (depending on which dealer I use) and they install it but I have to bring the tires to them. I also looked into WWF and can buy it in bulk for $1.50 a gallon. I didn't bother to look into mixing Methanol and water myself.

I guess it really comes down to if it's worth saving a few bucks doing it yourself and how much weight you want to add. If your worried about damaging your rim with CaCl2 then the few bucks you can save isn't work it. A new rim and the cost of adding new ballast is going to cost you more than if you just went with Rim Guard.

If you install tubes as recommended for CaCl2 and are prone to getting flats then it's going to make it a pain to repair the it if you could have plugged the tire otherwise. For me that's not an issue since my tires came with tubes so if I get a flat I would have to drain the ballast to fix the flat no matter what or remove the tubes before adding ballast.

I don't think there's a right answer as to which is best. If you need to buy tubes then the cost of CaCl2 rises.

 

[art]

If you install tubes as recommended for CaCl2 and are prone to getting flats then it's going to make it a pain to repair the it if you could have plugged the tire otherwise. For me that's not an issue since my tires came with tubes so if I get a flat I would have to drain the ballast to fix the flat no matter what or remove the tubes before adding ballast.

I don't think there's a right answer as to which is best. If you need to buy tubes then the cost of CaCl2 rises.

You must have requested the dealer to add the tubes as tractor tires have been coming without tubes for about twenty years now. We have added them for different customers when adding fluid upon their request. When the tires are sealed properly it doesn't make to much difference liquid is in them as once the oxygen is gone the rims won't rust. We have seen them go over fifty years without needing to be replaced.

Once again I will state if you don't need it, the whole machine will work longer and cost you less! We are filling less then 40% of the tractors we sell. Those that are still filling them are old school farmers that don't like new technolgy or just to change and often quote "thats the way dad did it and it's got to be good enough for me". Good thing they did away with the crank before dad passed away!

 

[GPintheMitten]

Different ways to go about it, for sure. The OP has got several suggestions. I guess he can go from there just like we all did.

 

[bstrom]

Tires can and do get damaged and leak. Nobody seems to mention that possibility to much. I'm not sure I would want however many gallons of calcium chloride or some other corrosive leaking into my yard and soil or wherever the thing might be parked. I know there would be a big argument at my house over it since my wife is a garden professional. The Kubota dealer in my area just uses Rimguard now for that possibility and the possibility of rim corrosion.

 

[k0ua]

Tires can and do get damaged and leak. Nobody seems to mention that possibility to much. I'm not sure I would want however many gallons of calcium chloride or some other corrosive leaking into my yard and soil or wherever the thing might be parked. I know there would be a big argument at my house over it since my wife is a garden professional. The Kubota dealer in my area just uses Rimguard now for that possibility and the possibility of rim corrosion.

Not to mention the CaCl salt water squirting all over your inner fenders as the tire rotates when your tire springs a leak until it goes flat. I fought rust issues for a while. The CaCL was in an innertube as it should be, but that does not solve the dumping salt water everywhere problem..If you want to use CaCl, then by all means please do, I know a lot of people still do. It is just not for me.

James K0UA

 

[bucktaker]

pulled the trigger today on filling my tires. 110 gals of product to fill my 17.5-24 tires
I pick it up, install myself
Rv antifreeze 55 gal drum $209 each 418 plus tax
Washer fluid 110 gal 1.67 per gal 183.1plus tax

take tractor or farm call
Rimguard 110 gals 3.00 per gal $330 opted for $79 dollar service charge instead of trailering tractor 80 miles total no tax farm use $409.00


I chose Rimquard to install in my driveway on friday

 

[psdx]

I'm thinking of filling my rear tires on my Kubota B3030 with Rim Guard. Has anyone used this product and how does it workout?

I have a B3030 with Rim Guard in the rear tires. It made an amazing difference in traction, and stability with the loader. I seldom use 4wd with a land plane anymore.

 

[ljohnson778]

You must have requested the dealer to add the tubes as tractor tires have been coming without tubes for about twenty years now. We have added them for different customers when adding fluid upon their request. When the tires are sealed properly it doesn't make to much difference liquid is in them as once the oxygen is gone the rims won't rust. We have seen them go over fifty years without needing to be replaced.

Once again I will state if you don't need it, the whole machine will work longer and cost you less! We are filling less then 40% of the tractors we sell. Those that are still filling them are old school farmers that don't like new technolgy or just to change and often quote "thats the way dad did it and it's got to be good enough for me". Good thing they did away with the crank before dad passed away!

Modern tractors are designed to run comfortably with liquid tire ballast, old school or not. What I have noticed is that dealers that don't 'believe' in liquid tire ballast are either not equipped to install it, or don't make enough off of it. There is no doubt that for most tractor tasks, some form of liquid ballast is beneficial. The debate rages as to which product is better, for my money it is rimguard. Most of your comment is a bit condescending...

 

[johnk]

Modern tractors are designed to run comfortably with liquid tire ballast, old school or not. What I have noticed is that dealers that don't 'believe' in liquid tire ballast are either not equipped to install it, or don't make enough off of it. There is no doubt that for most tractor tasks, some form of liquid ballast is beneficial. The debate rages as to which product is better, for my money it is rimguard. Most of your comment is a bit condescending...

I am glad I put Rimguard in mine and I am sorry I didn't do it sooner after having a lot of rear wheel liftings in off camber situations. I feel a lot safer with it in the rear and I know it's non corrosive which is a plus......

 

[OrangeToys]

A little off topic....So is filling the tires harder on the tractor axle/bearings and stuff?

 

[like2wheel]

I have noticed is that dealers that don't 'believe' in liquid tire ballast are either not equipped to install it, or don't make enough off of it.

Wondering how you could possibly notice that a dealer was not making enough off of it...

 

[radioman]

I got rimguard in mine and love it. never looked back since.

 

[20 20]

Calcium chloride is a corrosive fluid and should be installed in tubes rather than straight into tires. "Calcium chloride can corrode tubeless rims if the rim is not completely covered with solution (about 90 percent fill) when the tractor is parked," says Randy Taylor, Extension Agricultural Engineer at Kansas State University. Calcium chloride accidentally sprayed on sheet metal can cause it to corrode. Punctures or sloppy filling will release calcium chloride onto the soil. The mixture is a salt brine toxic to crops and other foliage.

This is an article that I found on Calcium chloride filled tires. Notice tire must be 90% full tubeless tire, but most will say go no more then 75% for mecahincal and handling reasons. I quess it's a personal choice, but for me, with all the toxins already being thrown onto our planet, why make or take a chance of making things worse? There are better options that are close enough in price.

 

[k0ua]

A little off topic....So is filling the tires harder on the tractor axle/bearings and stuff?

I dont see how, as most of the weight would be carried by the tire into the ground, not by the axle. Maybe just a very little that is above the axle line ? Is that the way you see it?

James K0UA