Ballast in Tires

[HR_Mutt]

StoneHeartFarm
I called my dad and asked how he did it as I was on an out-of-state service call. He removed valve stem, layed tire flat and broke the tire away from rim and just poured it in/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.Another thing (he's got special formulas for everything/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif was a white, non hardening tire sealant from quality farm and fleet.50# of #8 Lawrence brand hi-antimony shot was used in all four tires. He did wreck a tire on a tree stump(his AC) and replaced without loading, stated it is nowhere near as good without it. Guess I'll grab a couple bags of shot and go visit. Thanks for the question, gave me a chance to check in with him.Oh, btw, there is no noise from the tires, even a highway speed/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
regards
Mutt

 

[Boondox]

Wow, yet another Vermonster! I have all four corners of my L3010 loaded with antifreeze. I use the ethanol-based stuff, not the ethylene glycol stuff that kills animals if they drink a spill. Offered some to my four retrievers just to see if it attracted them; they turned up their noses and sneezed, so I figured it was safe.

I live in north central Vermont, in Lamoille County, right next to a ski resort so my weather is much the same as yours. My tractor owning friends are evenly split on anti-freeze and WW fluid. Nobody around here has ever reported frozen fill. I'd suggest you use whatever is readily available in your neck of the woods.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[wurso]

Thanks very much for your post. It's great to see so many people who live in the colder, more remote areas of New England. Where my place is in Northern New Hampshire (Millsfield, population 12) , it isn't quite the end of the earth.... But I can see the end from my place!

--Wayne

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Tire sealant must keep the shot from moving around real quick. Does the tire have a tube? Seems like the shot would all bunch up in one spot and go "splat, splat" when the tractor moved, or stick to the inside and sometimes be up, down or in the middle as the tire turned. Would this effect the CG?

SHF

 

[HR_Mutt]

StoneHeartFarm
He stated the white stuff was some type of lubricant. In our experience with 2 tractors using it, it's great. When I bought the L4610, the dealer threw in the Rimguard ballast for hardly any extra $$ so I saved the time of us loading it with the shot which I certainly would of. Bet those big o.s. turfs would hold a lot more that 50 lbs. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.The hi-antimony shot is very round and hard. There is NO WAY to tell they're loaded except for the great results/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
regards
Mutt

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Lubricant makes sense, otherwise the lead shot rattling around inside the tires would cause wear on the inside of the tread face. (Sort of like a rock tumbler). Any idea how many pounds of shot go in a tire?

SHF

 

[HR_Mutt]

StoneHeartFarm
I am kind of curious about the internal wear also.I guess if after all these years, if they did wear thru I wouldn't sweat it.The tires look and work great. If your serious about trying this maybe get a wheel the size you have, stand it up, start filling w/ shot and roll it around. Observe how the shot flows around and decide. I'm sure a shotshell reloader would love to have the shot if you decide not to use it/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
regards
Mutt