Anyone regret filling your tires?

[LouNY]

I do not like to fill tires, my 8050 and 574 do not have filled tires, the 574 doesn't have a loader and being a "light" tractor with very well worn R1 tires it doesn't tear up the lawn. On the farm some of the tractors have filled tires,but the majority do not. We find that with adequate iron bolted on and not having to make one tractor do every thing and having larger one for heavy lifting that we do not need the liquid fill. We do a lot of road work between farms, liquid filled tires will adversely effect the hauling ability, the braking ability, the ride suffers on the road and in fields. Then the major deterrent for use is the cost aggravation and time and equipment to repair a flat when field work has to be done, a plug or a gallon or two of slime type products or if it's a slowleak just airing it up allows the work to get done rather then spending hours pumping down cleaning repairing refilling acquiring more fill liquid and the cost and time of repairing a filled tire if paying to have it repaired is huge. Also there have been members on here that have had the tires spin on the rims when using the beet juice products. I have 1300 lbs of wheel weights on the 8050, the Puma has even more, a couple of the bigger tractor have more and the Magnums have a full front rack and no rear weights and work quite well.
Many members here seem to believe that the tractors can't work without filled tires and are unsafe, maybe theirs are, the ones that I run are capable without liquid fill and it's associated costs including on severe side hills and grades. The only plus for liquid fill is the initial cost after that it's just minus's.

 

[Citydude]

I regretted filling my tires with rim guard the moment it sprayed all over me after puncturing a tire on a grounding rod while mowing. Had the tire fixed and refilled. So, I'm sure one day I will regret it again.

 

[oosik]

When I bought my first tractor - new in '82 - the rears were filled with salt water - I regret that. It, in later years, became a REAL PITA. The salt solution ate out the inner core of the valve stems annually.

So when I bought my new Kubota in 2009 - had the rears filled with Rimguard. No regrets what-so-ever. I've alway( 36+ years) had to go thru the "filled tire routine" when checking air pressure anyhow.

I've added a short step to checking air pressure in filled tires.. Valve stem to the High Noon position - a couple short blasts of air into the stem to force any/all product back into the tire - THEN, take your pressure readings. Haven't spilled a drop in years. Haven't "gummed up" a pressure gage either.

 

[3gunr]

Iwent a long time without filled tires until last year when i bought a new mahindra 2538. I had been reading about the benefits here on this site,So i filled them with rv fluid.The difference was amazing,I cant believe i went all those yrs without it.I just filled the rears on my old 2810 also

 

[swnoel]

I haven't regretted it because I didn't load them with anything. No need to make a mess.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Here's my :2cents:. I believe that it is good that you did not fill your tires. For ANYONE that is not all that familiar with tractors, this is a good thing in my opinion.

Reason being is NOW you will be able to really appreciate the difference it makes when you do fill your tires. It will change your tractor into what seems like a different machine.

You mentioned that you have a 4000lb machine and you have not had any problems so far and you may not.

My first new tractor weighed in at about 9700lbs. While very capable, it just could not get it's power to the ground. I first added wheel weights after about a years use, basically worthless, simply not enough weight. I then filled the tires, all 4 of them. OH MAN, this became a different machine, by far more stable, rode far smoother and actually had traction. I found another set of wheel weights and added them. By adding over 2500lbs of ballast I finally was able to get the FULL capabilities out of my tractor. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

My second new tractor was a smaller tractor that weighed about like yours, around 4000lbs. We were going to use it in multiple locations, so figured no ballast for a lighter transport. Well that lasted exactly 1 week, knowing what a benefit it was to have the tires filled and feeling that the tractor simply was not performing to is capabilities, I filled the tires, again all 4. Again, what an increase in the over all performance of the machine.

So while you are satisfied with the performance of your machine, it could be so much more.

Again, just my :2cents:, others will vary.

 

[Piston]

Mtnviewranch makes a good point. You don’t truly notice just how much of an improvement it is until operating your tractor without filled tires, and THEN with them.
Like others said, you don’t “need to” and it’s not like your tractor is unsafe without it, it’s just that it makes it considerably more capable, and stable, with filled tires. That’s not an opinion, it’s physics and principles of stability.

I had mine for a year before filling the rears, after adding rimguard I literally felt like I just went up a frame size, it helps that much!

 

[mikester]

On my last two tractors I regretted using calcium in the tires after the rims and metal valve stems started corroding and leaking. I didn't regret the added weight or traction on those tractors.

I did not load my new tractor tires for that reason. If I need ballast for heavy lifting I put the backhoe on.

 

[flewism]

Mine are filled with rim guard (beet juice) and I didn't have much of a choice. When I ordered it with a loader filled rear tire was part of the gig. I'm certain they have saved me at least a couple of times.

 

[Deere Dude]

If I was going to just use the tractor for mowing and light lifting I would save my money. I filled mine with RG when almost new and now can lift long heavy trees on inclines and other precarious situations where I would not be able to without fluid. But when I do that I also throw on the weight box for even more weight.