Ballast Filled tires, tubes or not?

[Tireted]

Toby Sexton Tire In Loganville GA has ton of options for everything. A guy named Grant (770)466-1060 helped me put aircraft tires on my tractor and my batwing deck and I have not had a flat in over a year.

 

[pmsmechanic]

My opinion is that if your tractor is under 50 hp and 4x4 you have no need for fluid of any kind. For heavy front end loader work a bit of weight on the three point is more than enough to counter balance. Many tractor owners on this forum have their tractors ballasted a lot more than necessary.

That is my opinion and I have come to that conclusion through my own experiences with my tractors while using them. More than once I have removed ballast from an over ballasted tractor and had very positive results.

Edited to add: Most times I find I have a lot less problems with flat tires on smaller tires if they have a tube installed. Consequently the front tires on my 4410 (26x12x12) and the drive (24x12x12) and steering tires on my F-935 have tubes.

 

[RSR]

My opinion is that if your tractor is under 50 hp and 4x4 you have no need for fluid of any kind. For heavy front end loader work a bit of weight on the three point is more than enough to counter balance. Many tractor owners on this forum have their tractors ballasted a lot more than necessary.

That is my opinion and I have come to that conclusion through my own experiences with my tractors while using them. More than once I have removed ballast from an over ballasted tractor and had very positive results.

Edited to add: Most times I find I have a lot less problems with flat tires on smaller tires if they have a tube installed. Consequently the front tires on my 4410 (26x12x12) and the drive (24x12x12) and steering tires on my F-935 have tubes.

What about the stability benefits (lower center of gravity) of loaded tires in hilly terrain?

 

[pmsmechanic]

What about the stability benefits (lower center of gravity) of loaded tires in hilly terrain?

Well I was talking from a traction viewpoint. As far as stability goes this is how I do it. I wish I know how to fix the picture but I don't so you'll just have to imagine that the roll bar is up.

 

[Shaneard]

Well I was talking from a traction viewpoint. As far as stability goes this is how I do it. I wish I know how to fix the picture but I don't so you'll just have to imagine that the roll bar is up.

I can’t imagine bush hogging what I bush hog with that much rubber pushing everything down. Love my loaded tires with 2 sets of wheel weights and I bush hog some hilly stuff.

 

[bridge4]

My opinion is that if your tractor is under 50 hp and 4x4 you have no need for fluid of any kind. For heavy front end loader work a bit of weight on the three point is more than enough to counter balance. Many tractor owners on this forum have their tractors ballasted a lot more than necessary.

That is my opinion and I have come to that conclusion through my own experiences with my tractors while using them. More than once I have removed ballast from an over ballasted tractor and had very positive results.

Edited to add: Most times I find I have a lot less problems with flat tires on smaller tires if they have a tube installed. Consequently the front tires on my 4410 (26x12x12) and the drive (24x12x12) and steering tires on my F-935 have tubes.

My opinion is you've never drove one of those tractors up a hill or you'd have a different one. I have a 38hp I just bought and it wouldn't go up a slight hill without a huge struggle. I filled them and it goes up way tougher stuff without hesitation now, a totally new tractor. Not all of us live in wide open prairies.

 

[bridge4]

My opinion is that if your tractor is under 50 hp and 4x4 you have no need for fluid of any kind. For heavy front end loader work a bit of weight on the three point is more than enough to counter balance. Many tractor owners on this forum have their tractors ballasted a lot more than necessary.

That is my opinion and I have come to that conclusion through my own experiences with my tractors while using them. More than once I have removed ballast from an over ballasted tractor and had very positive results.

Edited to add: Most times I find I have a lot less problems with flat tires on smaller tires if they have a tube installed. Consequently the front tires on my 4410 (26x12x12) and the drive (24x12x12) and steering tires on my F-935 have tubes.

My opinion is you've never drove one of those tractors up a hill or you'd have a different one. I have a 38hp I just bought and it wouldn't go up a slight hill without a huge struggle. I filled them and it goes up way tougher stuff without hesitation now, a totally new tractor. Not all of us live in wide open prairies. And I can't add 3 feet or more of width and fit woods trails. So 10 tires on the rear (way more expensive and PIA) isn't a good solution.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Not all of us live in wide open prairies.

Part of my earnings with the tractor is done mowing irrigation ditches. They might be in the prairies but the banks are defiantly not level.

So 10 tires on the rear (way more expensive and PIA) isn't a good solution.

It cost me about $700 to install the duals not counting labor to make the spacers and the clamps. I don't know how that compares to cast or fluid. It's also a lot more convenient to remove a set of duals than the fluid or wheel weights when I want a light tractor, which is most of the time.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I can稚 imagine bush hogging what I bush hog with that much rubber pushing everything down. Love my loaded tires with 2 sets of wheel weights and I bush hog some hilly stuff.

I usually mow back and forth and one set of duals is already on the mowed grass so there is really only 14" of extra grass being compacted down. When I come back the action of the mower lifts up the compacted grass and I actually get quite a nice cut.

I've mowed irrigation ditches where I ran out of room because of a fence and was situated so steep that I had to lift the mower a bit to get the rear tires to come back down onto the grass enough to move forward. I can't imagine that loaded tires would be preferable in a situation like that.

 

[bridge4]

Part of my earnings with the tractor is done mowing irrigation ditches. They might be in the prairies but the banks are defiantly not level.

It cost me about $700 to install the duals not counting labor to make the spacers and the clamps. I don't know how that compares to cast or fluid. It's also a lot more convenient to remove a set of duals than the fluid or wheel weights when I want a light tractor, which is most of the time.

I will always need the weight for my use, so I think this boils down to usage. For you it does seem to make more sense to go about it the way you did.