Tires Fill Tires or Add Weight?

[Farmwithjunk]

If you can completely dismount and remount a rear tire on a full size Ag tractor by yourself, well, you're three times the man than me, my farmer friend and his farmer buddy.

Or 3 times CHEAPER I hate to hand my money to someone else. And I came about that honestly. My dad was tighter with his funds than I am. From the time I can first remember, I've been changing tractor tires by myself when they need changing or repairs. Under "NORMAL CIRCIMSTANCES" it takes a couple hours for me to pump down the fluid, break the bead, pull the tube, remove the tire, then go back with it. I keep a couple plastic 55 gallon drums on hand. They're used for other tasks from time to time, but essentially, they're here for tire repair. I bought a Teel stainless steel 110V chemical pump, a couple 15' length's of garden hose, a NAPA fill valve (air bleeder) four 24" tire spoons, a beada-cheata, and an 8# tire hammer. I use dish soap to lube the beads.

NO, I wouldn't want to do it for a living. But aside from the convenience factor of being able to repair a flat with no waiting, I save $100 or more with each repair. My total investment in tire tools was around $300. With the mowing business, there were approx. 10 tire repairs this summer. (only 4 fluid filled tires) Also I bought new rubber for my Massey 150 and changed them myself. (Which WAS a horror story. One tire hadn't been dismounted since new 20+ years ago. It was BONDED to the rim)

Like my dad always said, "Poor people have poor ways".

 

[N80]

Like my dad always said, "Poor people have poor ways".

Well, that's my brother-in-law all over. He's not really poor he just acts that way. You'd think you were looking at a junkyard to look at the tractors he uses everyday on his ranch. And he does not like to pay anyone to get work done.

Now, in regard to our tire changing, we did get both tires done (with three people) in about an hour. And we put new tires on it. That was one of the hard parts, the new ones did not wnat to go on. I guess if the other guy and I had not been there he might have tackled the job himself, but I don't think he could have done it. It took one of us to hold a spoon in place, another with another spoon and the other guy with the tire hammer. Maybe he could have done it at 2 hours per tire, maybe not.

I guess for those who have to recover the fluid it is a bigger deal. When you can dump it out and hose it back in, it just isn't that much trouble.

Here is a question. Someone mentioned a plug. I've plugged car tires many times. Can you plug bias ply R1s with no tube (which is the way I run mine)?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Here is a question. Someone mentioned a plug. I've plugged car tires many times. Can you plug bias ply R1s with no tube (which is the way I run mine)?

Yep! You sure can. With or WITHOUT fluid. Put the leak at 12 o:clock so it's in the air pocket if there's fluid. Plug, air up to operating pressure and go.

 

[RalphVa]

I frequently use the FEL with a very light weight (like my 160# chipper/shredder or very light rear blade) on the 3ph. Therefore, I would not want to use the tractor without filled rear tires. Unless you buy a ballast box, the dealer has to fill the tires; I think. Ballast box just wouldn't work for me.

Just think. You're plowing snow with your rear blade. Every time you want to use the FEL to move some snow around, you gotta shuck the rear blade and go put on the ballast box. Or, I'm shredding stuff. Then want to toss the mulch pile around. Gotta go remove the shredder and put on the ballast box.

Can't see that you can be safe without filling the rear tires, and you need BOTH filled tires and SOME weight on the 3ph. I've sometimes removed an implement from the 3ph and saw something that needed moving with the FEL. Lifted it and more times than not, will end up lifting one rear wheel on a slope. Gotta always have something back there and the heavier the better if I'm doing ANY heavy lifting with the FEL.

Ralph

 

[art]

Ralph, when we have added three of the cast weights per side on the wheels no one has come back and asked for more.

 

[N80]

Off topic, but here's us changing those tires. You can see its wet in places. That's how we disposed of the fluid. Low tech but effective.

 

[jake98]

George (and the rest of you knuckeheads), How about when you put a tractor on a trailer? I don't think I want another thousand pounds...
Jake

 

[jake98]

Sorry Farm w/junk, I didn't see your note about 'not overweighting'. The rest of you guys keep aregueing. (I think that's the french spelling...)

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Sorry Farm w/junk, I didn't see your note about 'not overweighting'. The rest of you guys keep aregueing. (I think that's the french spelling...)

I'm always striving to be different!

Don't just think outside of the box, think "why does there have to be a box in the first place"?

 

[N80]

George (and the rest of you knuckeheads), How about when you put a tractor on a trailer? I don't think I want another thousand pounds...
Jake

I'm not sure what to think about someone calling me a knucklehead who can't spell knucklehead!

Seriously, I think that's the reason so many folks here have said its a personal thing. Trailering is an issue. But, do you remove wheel weights every time you trailer? Do you leave the 3 pt ballast at home? What if you need your wheel weights and/or ballast where you are taking the tractor?