filling tires with water & antifreez?

JimBinMI · Aug 6, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

Cleev,

I'm in south central lower Michigan and my dealer put Beet Juice (also known as Rim Guard) in my rear tubes on my TC18 last November. It works well in colder climates, is safe for the environment and is pretty heavy - I forget what it weighs but believe it is closer to the salt solution than any of the other alternatives. I have noticed much better traction and it worked well with the large amounts of snow that we got last December.

Good Luck,
JimBinMI

Bird · Aug 6, 2001

Re: filling tires with windshield water fluid

John, the neighbor I mentioned had tubes in the tires, but when you get a leak, some of whatever liquid you have in them gets between the tube and tire. A lot of the previous discussions have indicated that you won't rust out the wheels for many, many years, and I assume that may be right. The tractor in question was over 20 years old. So maybe calcium chloride is the right thing for some people, but for my own personal hardheadedness, I'd never buy a used tractor that it had been in without new tires and wheels coming with it, and there'll never be any of it in my tractor. And while I'm using antifreeze and water, if I had it to do over again, I'd either use the non-toxic antifreeze OR the windshield washer fluid (depending on which I could get cheapest).

Bird

Anonymous Poster · Aug 7, 2001

I live in Minnesota and just purchased a TC40D with R4s and and FEL. I had a lenghty discussion about rear tire fluid with my dealer. This dealership is one of the largest NH in my state and they do their own fluids. Many dealers farm the task out to local farmers co-ops etc to complete the job. Anyway, my dealer no longer recommends sodium cloride. Inspite of tubing the tires, the rims eventually rust according to him. He is now recommending windshield washer fluid if you must have fluid. For me however, NH rear wheel weights were just the same cost as the fluid/tubing. So I ordered the tractor with the TC40 factory wheel weights. In the end I did not spend any more money and have the added flexibility of being able to remove some or all if I ever needed to do so. Good luck! Let us know what you decide to do!

Boondox · Aug 10, 2001

Absolutely fill the tires! Ballast is fantastic stuff. The only question is what to fill them with. I don't like NaCl not only for the rust issue stated earlier, but a friend of mine punched a hole in his sidewall and the salt nuked a good part of his garden before he noticed. He literally salted the earth!

The choice for my L3010 boiled down to windshield washer fluid or non-toxic antifreeze (ethanol-based) as I have several dogs. At any rate, loading the tires made a world of difference. I'd never drive a tractor without them.

Pete in northern Vermont

www.GatewayToVermont.com

John_Mc · Aug 13, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

Anyone know just what the weight of Rim Guard / beet juice is as compared to water or Calcium Chloride solutions?

Also any info on what the freezing point is?

If I can find any in my area, I was thinking of trying it on my TC33D. It's either that or non-toxic antifreeze (or maybe windsheild washer fluid?) I'd rather not kill my dog or rust out my rims if I spring a leak.

[EDIT] **** Just got a call from my dealer. He just spoke to his tire guy. They had never heard of "Rim Guard" (beet juice) and were interested in finding out more. Any idea where they can find a supplier of it and some of the specs on it? If you have any info, I need it ASAP, since they'll be filling my tires this week unless I tell them to hold off.

John

Edited by John_Mc on 08/13/01 12:49 PM (server time).

Bird · Aug 13, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

John, I know nothing personally about the Rim Guard, but if you do a "search" for it, you'll find quite a bit. Here's one quote that might help you find it (from Richh).

Here is the info on the juice. Weighs 10.7 to 11.3 LBS. per gal. and is good to -35 below zero. This guy is in Lansing, MI. Agri-Indutrial Sales Inc. 517-351-6470. I would think they mite be able to find a dealer in your area. Now I thought I rember someone say that this was less $$$$ than the nasty stuff?? Up here at the end of the world it cost more! This could just be our location

And another from JimBinMI:

My dealer is Bates Ford Tractor in Coldwater, MI
(517) 279-9179

At least it's a couple of places you might call for information.

Bird

John_Mc · Aug 13, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

Bird -
Thanks for the info. Still learning how to use this board... I didn't have my search set for the right forums to find this info.

John

Bird · Aug 13, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

Yeah, John, I'm still not very good at finding what I'm looking for when using the "search" function. I just nearly always go to "All forums".

Bird

cleev · Aug 14, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

Thanks Guys,

I appreciate the input. I wound up using antifreez. I hope I did the right thing.

Cleev

Dan_Ives · Aug 15, 2001

Re: filling tires with Beet Juice

CLEEV

I posted this a fue months back but, I didn't get any replies. here it is again.

I just loaded my tires on my JD4700, 16.9x24 R1 tires with a new product called rim guard. It's made from sugar beets and looks like molasses and won't freeze. It's 1/2 lb. heavier than calcium chloride per gal. At 11lbs. and cost $1.50 to $1.75 per gal. + labor. I used 122 gallons, 75% full =1342 lbs. That should hold me down when I'm using the backhoe. The nice thing about this stuff is that it's nontoxic and environmentally safe and it wont (RUST). Also before I had them do it I had the tire guy put little short valve stems in the rim, like less than a 1/2 inch long. It should help from getting ripped off in the woods.

Dan