Tires fluid filled tires and Harley Power Rake?

[gregp]

I have a TC24DA NH tractor and use a T5 power rake and the front end loader. My question is how much of an improvement in traction is it when you fill the tires? I dont really need extra traction with the power rake but i lose traction on a regular basis when i use the front end loader. The other day i moved 50 yards of gravel. I couldnt move as much as i thought i should have been able to at a time due to lack of traction. I find myself using the differential lock alot even when in 4x4.
After i spread the gravel around a bit i use the power rake to make the area look table top smooth. The power rake makes me look better than i really am.LOL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
If i where to fill the tires would windshield washer fluid be a good choice. I live in Alaska and need freeze protection. And at .79 cent a gallon should be cheap to do.
One more thing. Would the increase in weight cause me grief on lawns, etc. I dont mow but may cross a lawn to get where i need to be.

 

[JerryG]

The fluid would make a tremendous amount of difference. If the soil is soft and / or wet there would be a higher chance of damage to it. Have you thought about adding rear wheel weights? With wheel weights you wouldn't have to worry about freezing at the temperatures that you may encounter in Alaska. I don't know how extreme the low temperatures are where you are at. Also you could remove the weights if you didn't need them for a sensitive job.

 

[gregp]

I thought about wheel weights but i have been told they are real expensive. I would ask my dealer here in AK about them but i know freight would be huge not counting the price of the weights themselves.

 

[BadDog]

I have CaCl-filled rear tires AND 400lbs of wheel weights. I use a heavy-duty (and heavy) grapple bucket and I have only just enough counterweight to keep the rear tires on the ground with a full bucket of gravel. You *need* lots of rear weight for the FEL... otherwise you're going to eat the ring&pinion in your front end.... I've already done it twice!!!

 

[Bigorange121]

What about a weight box for the 3 point hitch. Then you can be light when your harley raking and have the weight when your using the FEL

Kent

 

[wushaw]

The winter blend windshield washer fluid where I live only goes down to 0 deg. I would imagine that the Alaskan washer fluid should go lower than that but be sure to check.
You will get better traction with filled tires unless you get a ft. and rear tire in the air on some rough ground.

 

[DmansPadge]

Most (not all) of the windshield wiper fluid I've seen will protect atleast a bit below 0F. You could always fill with water and antifreeze if you need to protect against really low temps. I dought that would cost much if any more than straight wiper fluid. Don't know how much the tires hold... but say 15 gallons of WW fluid at $1 a gallon would be $15. 2 gallons of antifreeze and tap water would cost about the same and probably provide better freeze protection. Those aren't exact numbers of course. But you can find antifreeze/water charts that will tell you how much AF and water you need to protect against a certian temp.

 

[gregp]

I will check to see how cold wwf is good to. Sounds like i really should add fluid to my tires. Baddog, how does the ring and pinion gear go bad?

 

[_RaT_]

Greg, are you talking about moving the gravel in the loader? If so, are you using a counter weight like a box scraper or the Harley. I have found that while adding fluid to my tires increases the traction im my soil some, I much prefer using my 1000lb box scraper or 1600lb Harley rake. Having that much weight, that far back does wonders. The disadvantage for me using fluid in the tires is I feel I loose some of the nimbelness of the tractor when I mow. With my mower, I always remove the loader to add to its agility. It's a noticeable difference having the tires filled while mowing, especially going up hill. If all I did was earthwork, I would probably fill.

 

[gregp]

Rat, I always have my Power rake on the tractor when i move material. I use the loader for the bulk of the work and then make i pretty with the HPR. I do not mow anything and never take the loader off. I was wondering if fluid in the tire would help in addition to the counter weight. And how much would it help on a scale of 1-10 for the sake of description.

 

[JerryG]

He was my solution to the hight cost of factory wheel weights. Home made wheel weights
They use bar bell weights. I have 200 lbs on each side.

 

[Larstan]

There's another reason for filling the tires. It also lowers your center of gravity quite a bit, the tractor will feel alot more stable on slopes and rough ground not to mention the traction increase. Talk to a couple tire shops in your area to see what they charge to fill them and what they use most. I used AF, this also helps on the corrosion side but I don't know if WWF helps any with that.

 

[gregp]

Larstan, I will talk to my local tire shop. What is (AF)? I had not thought of the corrosian aspesct of wwf. Water, even with soap will corrode.

 

[Bigorange121]

My dealer uses methanol, no corrosion at all and no freezing.

 

[Larstan]

gregp,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What is (AF)? )</font>

AntiFreeze, I have been told that calcium causes problems down the road. I have no clue as to the wwf's long term issues so AF seemed like the logical choice.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I had not thought of the corrosian aspesct of wwf. )</font>

If there are any chips or nicks on your rims then you will have a corrosion problem with adding water, I don't know if wwf has any anti corrosive properties, but I do know that AntiFreeze does. It's just like a compressor, it will rot from the inside out and you won't know till you go to change a tire or it fails......
I am sure one of your local tire shops fills tractor tires, I think the going rate up here was about a buck a gallon. I got them to do it for .60 a gallon and I thought that was still high plus the cost of the AF. Took 44 gallons each in the rear and 4 each up front, cost me 60 bucks for the fill plus 2 cases of AF. But the handling was night and day, it might be a little nimbler without but I have alot of rolling pasture with gully's and some steep slopes. Keep the seat side up /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif