2015 Tire Fluid Question

[knukey]

So we had a blizzard in my area recently. I had 18"+ on my driveway. The 2015 with no fluid did fine until I got to a hill. I was scooping snow out and dumping to the side. Once I got to the hill (around 12% slope) I got stuck in the road. I could not back up the incline with the loader filled and eventually I got stuck (couldn't push myself out with loader). I'm Monday morning quarter backing now on the merits of filling the tires with ballast. I'm thinking antifreeze and water. The chart I found for my R4 tires show 15 gal (or 160 #/wheel) rear and 5.5 gal ( or 59 #/wheel) would be obtained by filling. The question is would the ballast help?

 

[Jabonee]

Not a big fan ballasting the tires. Seen too many tractors of all brands with premature ware and failure of axles and final drives. I would recommend a 3pt mount ballast box.:thumbsup:

 

[MMagis]

Weight will help, but my guess is a set of chains may have helped even more.

Not a big fan ballasting the tires. Seen too many tractors of all brands with premature ware and failure of axles and final drives. I would recommend a 3pt mount ballast box.:thumbsup:

That defies logic.

 

[reeltime]

If you're removing snow from asphalt I would not go chains

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[AchingBack]

So we had a blizzard in my area recently. I had 18"+ on my driveway. The 2015 with no fluid did fine until I got to a hill. I was scooping snow out and dumping to the side. Once I got to the hill (around 12% slope) I got stuck in the road. I could not back up the incline with the loader filled and eventually I got stuck (couldn't push myself out with loader). I'm Monday morning quarter backing now on the merits of filling the tires with ballast. I'm thinking antifreeze and water. The chart I found for my R4 tires show 15 gal (or 160 #/wheel) rear and 5.5 gal ( or 59 #/wheel) would be obtained by filling. The question is would the ballast help?

Any dealer who sells a tractor with a loader and allows it to leave the lot without loaded tires is negligent. The manual for my 106 Mahindra loader specifically states: Add recommended level of liquid to rear tires, or wheel weights, for added stability.

If I really had the need, I would also ballast the front tires, as others have done here. Don't mind Jabonee's comment, in fact, one of Mahindra's biggest selling points is superior axle size/strength. Obviously Jabonee wasn't referring to Mahindra. Or was he? He said he has seen it, (axle failure, final drive failure) happen in all brands. I've been on this forum long enough to know no one has ever discussed broken Mahindra axles, etc.. due to liquid weight being added. Perhaps it did happen but it was a tractor owned by a person not on TBN.

 

[MMagis]

Tire ballast places the weight on the ground, 3pt ballast transfers the weight through the tractor before it gets to the ground. Any axle failure he’s seen didn’t come because of filled tires. If anything is going to cause premature axle failure (which is extremely rare), it’s adding 3pt ballast.

 

[mcfarmall]

Rim Guard with chains and you'll be unstoppable.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Whatever you choose to fill them with, just do it. They should all come filled.

You'll be surprised at the difference it makes.

I could not back up the incline with the loader filled

did you use 4 wd ? That should have done it for you.

 

[alafarm]

Would not want my tires loaded for several reasons. One of the main reasons I bought a Mahindra. I am moving rock now with my 5035 with a 73 inch bucket. I can move all the rock I can get to stay on the bucket without any ballast at all on level ground. I would not want to raise the bucket up high while moving and on hills I have to use 4x4. I usually ballast with a piece of equipment but not absolutely neccesary. Safer, sure but I also use my tractor around the house and places in the wet and winter weather that I do not want a tractor that weighs 10,000 lb running around the yard. The main reason I decided against the Kubota was the empty bucket on the 5100 would almost lift the rear off the ground without loaded tires. To each his own, but I would not want a dealer loading my tires automatically. Also, makes it a bear to trailer the weight.

 

[s219]

Not a big fan ballasting the tires. Seen too many tractors of all brands with premature ware and failure of axles and final drives. I would recommend a 3pt mount ballast box.:thumbsup:

Ballast inside the tires cannot load or wear the axles, etc. However, a ballast box certainly could. But really, any serious tractor should be capable of handling a ballast box without atypical wear.