Snow To fill or not to fill

[check]

Yes I am a total newbie to tractor ownership. I have read up on filling the tires now. I think if I do it I will hire it done. I assume based on the discussion a weight box on the 3 point will not be sufficient. The ones I have seen the box itself weighs about 150 pounds and hold 450 pounds of weight. So 600 pounds weight or so.

More than enough, and remember that weight will be farther back than the filled tires. I always have something on the back of my tractor, such as a BH, a box scraper, or snowthrower, so I have never bothered filling the tires.

 

[GPintheMitten]

If you fill the weight box you should be fine. I filled the tires because sometimes I have a light weight implement like a light duty back blade. The advantage of using a heavy implement or ballast box is you can lighten up the tractor for mowing the lawn. But I wasn't too worried about the weight on the lawn.

 

[4570Man]

More than enough, and remember that weight will be farther back than the filled tires. I always have something on the back of my tractor, such as a BH, a box scraper, or snowthrower, so I have never bothered filling the tires.

650 pounds is pretty light. My box blade and loaded tires is a little light for my taste. I use my backhoe and loaded tires which is over 3,000 pounds.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Theman, Maybe the tractor you bought is bigger than I thought. Mine is fairly light. Maybe you need both?

 

[AchingBack]

My Mahindra owner's manual says when tractor is equipped with a front end loader, rear tires must be filled for safe operation.

 

[k0ua]

How to fill your rear tires:

Step 1, buy the fill/burp valve. Available at tractor supply, Gemplers, Amazon and other places. Look up the 75% fluid fill for your tire and set out just that amount of fluid.

Step 2: Get a 5 gallon bucket, some short pieces of garden hose and a small pump. I used the $8 drill pump from Home Depot. it is crap but will last for this job.

Step 3: Make sure the valve stem is at 12 o'clock. Jack up one side of tractor so that tires is just barely sitting on the ground. Not free to spin but almost no weight on it. The reason for this is so the tire bead will not be broken when we let most of the air out of tire.

Step 4. hook up pump and pour your liquid in the 5 gallon bucket and dump in the inlet hose , hook up drill pump and fill valve, and get your valve stem removal tool ready.

Step 5: remove valve stem core, let most of the air out but not all. Hold thumb over hole to retain some air pressure while screwing on the fill adaptor. I also put a simple garden hose on/off ball valve in line with the adaptor to make it easier to control the loss of air pressure after getting the fill valve on. So to recap, I put the fill adapter on immediately after removing the valve stem core. Then let most but not all of the air out with my inline ball valve. The reason for leaving some air in is to prevent the bead from unseating on the rim. Also see step 3 above.

Step 6, Start the drill pump and start pumping in the fluid. As the fluid goes in the air pressure remaining in the tire will increase. The will build up a "head pressure" the pump will not be able to overcome, and the pump will labor and the fluid transfer rate will go down. Time to stop and burp some more air out of the tire using the little burp button included on the fill adapter. Let some air out, not all.

Step 7: Pump in some more fluid. With the little junky drill pump, I had to stop and burp at about every 3 gallons of fluid. Just use common sense. Pump burp, pump, burp until the measured amount of fluid for 75% fill is pumped into the tire.

Step 8. Get valve core ready, and remove fill adaptor and get core screwed back in and air up tire to your manuals normal air pressure. Mine is at 20 lbs.

Step 9: Let down jack and repeat procedure for other tire.

Step 10: Enjoy increased traction and stability.

 

[TheMan419]

Thanks!

 

[MD09]

Just bought a boomer 24. Planning to use the FEL to move snow. I live in N Indiana do dead flat land. Drive is gravel and ~200 feet.

Do I need to bother with chains or filling tires?

As a curiosity how does one fill tries?

Had a T1110 (28 hp NH) plowed snow for many years without weight in the tires. Lifting snow is different from lifting dirt, rock, etc There weight is not there. If you are using the FEL to "plow" you are really moving snow to a pile or off the side. Filling your tires will add weight but you don't need it for the application you are intending. The small tractors work just as well with weight boxes installed.

Chains, you have 4wd and that will do rather well until it ices up. If you are moving heavy snow ( Ice layer) you will not have to battle ice for traction. If the surface is Ice and then it snows, different story. I plowed 2.5 miles of road (24ft wide) and ten driveways each season with my T1110 and a 60inch blade. No loader, no chains, turf tires. Never got stuck. Tires spin, yes. heaviest snow did make it a bit rough to plow. You are using a loader and a bucket I assume. Scooping and pushing? Easy stuff, when it get heavy and stop you pick it up and dump to the side.

Lifting weight you need to be carful not to tip the machine. Use the seat belt and make sure the ROPS is up.

Filling tires, The dealer did not recommend filling the T1110 tires and your are smaller. Glycal mix is pumped in thru a valve and then a small amount of air pressure is added. simple operation with the right fittings and equipment.

 

[ovrszd]

Had a T1110 (28 hp NH) plowed snow for many years without weight in the tires. Lifting snow is different from lifting dirt, rock, etc There weight is not there. If you are using the FEL to "plow" you are really moving snow to a pile or off the side. Filling your tires will add weight but you don't need it for the application you are intending. The small tractors work just as well with weight boxes installed.

Chains, you have 4wd and that will do rather well until it ices up. If you are moving heavy snow ( Ice layer) you will not have to battle ice for traction. If the surface is Ice and then it snows, different story. I plowed 2.5 miles of road (24ft wide) and ten driveways each season with my T1110 and a 60inch blade. No loader, no chains, turf tires. Never got stuck. Tires spin, yes. heaviest snow did make it a bit rough to plow. You are using a loader and a bucket I assume. Scooping and pushing? Easy stuff, when it get heavy and stop you pick it up and dump to the side.

Lifting weight you need to be carful not to tip the machine. Use the seat belt and make sure the ROPS is up.

Filling tires, The dealer did not recommend filling the T1110 tires and your are smaller. Glycal mix is pumped in thru a valve and then a small amount of air pressure is added. simple operation with the right fittings and equipment.

The heck with filled tires,,,, let's talk about your Avatar MD09?????

 

[TheMan419]

Yes I am using the loader to "plow" for now. Future we might get a rear mount blower, but who knows. I will be pushing it like one would do with a plow and I will have R4 tires.

Obviously once spring/summer hits and dirt, horse manure, rock etc will be moved I will be adding a weight box for sure.

Yes, ROPS and seat belt will be used.

Thanks for the tips