Keep front wheels straight when filling bucket!

[5030]

I run bias on my tractors not because of the radial difference but because bias holds up better in corn stubble....and they are cheaper.

 

[TripleR]

Well, I am afraid of breaking my shiny new toy So far 90% of my use has been with the loader and with only 26 hours of loader work on my tractor I don't know better than the manual just yet, but soon I guess I will try things and not get burned and I guess that will become my new SOP. I think if you guys reread your manuals you'll find they have all sorts of warnings of what not to do as well. But you guys run your tractors how you like and I'll run mine and hopefully none of us break down.

It would be a mistake to think those of us who operate our machinery outside the parameters set forth in the Operator Manual have not read it and in fact go back periodically to reread it.

Operator Manuals for most machinery are written to provide useful information on operation and maintenance, but also to protect the manufacturer from law suits and with an eye towards warranty work.

If I operated my ATV or Rhino per manual, I could barely take it out of the yard. One section warns against going up a grade of more than 15 degrees. I am also not supposed to go across slopes etc. We won't even go into firearms. I carried a gun on my job that according to the manual wasn't supposed to be loaded unless I was on the range and our instructors/trainers had us doing stuff specifically prohibited by the maker.

Years of experience has shown many of us that we can safely and effectively operate beyond what is indicated in the Operator Manual. I am in the process of filling in washouts on very hilly ground and have been since this spring. If I go by the manual, I can't even get to the washouts and if I could, because nothing is level, couldn't do anything if I got there. I am hauling rock and dirt as well as digging crossings and pushing trees, brush etc.

Based on your experience you are operating your tractor as you should. It may surprise you to know that until I become acquainted with a new tractor, I too am pretty conservative; well relatively speaking.

Agreed, we should operate our tractors as we see fit and be willing to accept the consequences whether that be increased repair costs or diminished productivity. We have different needs/expectations and as long as they are met and we are happy then all is well.

As mentioned previously, for me if a tractor won't stand up to how I use it, I'll buy one that will.

 

[slowzuki]

I run the lowest practical pressure in the fronts on my tractors as I don't enjoy getting beat up in the field. I do air up for loader work, or pick up something that weighs a few thousand lbs on the 3 point.

I have rolled a tire off the front rim, and yes you need to clean clean clean to keep it from leaking. If it leaks at all it won't self seal over time in my experience.

 

[DennisFolsom]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

I had to work my "day job" today, so no tractor work. The tire still looked like it had pressure when I walked by it tonight. I have not put a gauge on it tonight. Before I use the tractor again (probably Friday), I'll air it up.

There was sand and gravel around when I rolled the tire off. I used my blow gun all around both beads, and wiped what I could reach of the rim. There still may have been some grit that I missed, though.

I think it was some kind of glycerin mix that the tire guys in my area used. When I had my inherited tire changer, I had a pot of it, with a mop brush for applying it around the bead.

If I continue to have trouble with the tire, I will probably have another attempt at cleaning up and reseating the bead before I put a tube in it. If that fails, I'm probably going with a tube.

Yes, I will be checking the pressure regularly on the fronts from now on. My rears are filled, with calcium I believe. I once read in another thread that you can get a special tire gauge for filled tires. I've got to pick up one of those.

 

[oldballs]

IMO the last thing you want is tubes in a tire! You probably got dirt in the bead is all . So dismount, clean both bead surfaces. I have seen grease used on the bead. And also have used Either to seat beads. Air up the front tires to max recommended air pressure and dig on ! I bet you will keep an eye on air pressure after this!:thumbsup:

I get the part about dirt in bead, grease, ether and air pressure but what's the problem with having tubes in a tractor tire?

 

[GILLYS CHILLI FARM AUSTRA]

Someone earlier on in this Thread said they did loader work in 4WD, but someone else I know told me just today that you dont because he did it and cost him a few hundred on repairs...so who is right on this question. 2WD OR 4WD ?

 

[GILLYS CHILLI FARM AUSTRA]

Will putting water in the front tires help with keeping tires in place during loader work?

 

[texasjohn]

My Kubota manual says do NOT fill front tires.

IMHO, and in the opinion of many, many TBN members, FEL work is EXACTLY when you need 4wd...assuming that the surface you are working on has some give to it, as generally the case when not on pavement.

I'll give you that if using FEL on hard pavement use of 4wd is not advised....my manual says to NOT use 4wd when on hard, ungiving pavement.

 

[NHmitch]

Will putting water in the front tires help with keeping tires in place during loader work?

I think that it depends on what your manufacturer recommends. I have my front tires loaded, and they have been for 30 years with 4 wheel drive with no issues, but it depends on how Hefty your front gears, and set up is. The extra ballast helps me quite a bit, but it helps with the weight that I have on the back, not for a front end loader in my case.

 

[GILLYS CHILLI FARM AUSTRA]

thanks for you opinion NHmitch. Wat weight do you have on the back of yours?

i like your NO FARMS...NO FOOD BANNER..very true...

 

[MHarryE]

Rubbery and hydrocarbons do not mix. The glycerine product you mention is probably the product mades especially for mounting. A thick soapy solution is a good alternative - cleans the rim, and when the water evaporates it is not really slippery. We have knurled surfaces on the bototm of the bead on all our wheels to prevent tire slippage. Sealing is really on the corner and side so you really need to brush both the wheel and tire super clean. Most tire companies publish their load/inflation tables on the web. Your operator's manual - does it specify the inflation pressure as being in all conditions or just base unit? For my machines I measured weight for all options and created a table in the manual with different pressures using different combinations. My Kubota takes the easy way out - it lists inflation pressure as the maxumum shown on the tire sidewall. It is rougher riding than any other tractor I run but I can imagine how Kubota would find it nearly impossible to figure out all the possible configurations.

 

[pat32rf]

My Kubota takes the easy way out - it lists inflation pressure as the maxumum shown on the tire sidewall. It is rougher riding than any other tractor I run but I can imagine how Kubota would find it nearly impossible to figure out all the possible configurations.[/QUOTE]

When my JD was delivered those were the pressures in the tires. Soon found that the seat safety switch kept killing the engine, even on my driveway. When I complained to the dealer he explained that it is easier for the customer to REDUCE the pressure until the comfort/traction point is reached. A lot of CUTs are used on pavement or for lawn cutting. They can run harder tires than us bush runners....

If you do much of your own tire work, it pays to buy a tin of bead sealer. Looks like rubber cement but is designed for tire work.
I normally run 30psi in the front of my JD 4300, but the left front has a "30 day" leak. Every 30 days it gets down to 12 psi and I add more. Gonna fix it before the snow comes...

 

[RoyJackson]

Someone earlier on in this Thread said they did loader work in 4WD, but someone else I know told me just today that you dont because he did it and cost him a few hundred on repairs...so who is right on this question. 2WD OR 4WD ?

No one is "right"...or "wrong" for that matter.
It just depends on the chore (what you're loading or carrying), the type of surface you're working on and a modicum of common sense. I use the front wheel assist when I need it...not just to use it.

Boy, this is a pretty old thread!

 

[IndyIan]

Someone earlier on in this Thread said they did loader work in 4WD, but someone else I know told me just today that you dont because he did it and cost him a few hundred on repairs...so who is right on this question. 2WD OR 4WD ?

I guess there's two things to watch for, pushing and lifting at the same time can put the whole tractors weight on the front axle and its not really made to transfer all the tractors power with all the extra traction. Trying not to scoop into the pile from the bottom can help avoid this.
Then having a full bucket plus rear ballast can give the tractor a huge amount of traction so sharp turns definetly put some force on the drivetrain with the front and back tires fighting each other.
If I'm just moving gravel around on level ground I don't use 4wd as I don't need it at all. On slopes or for hard packed dirt then I use 4wd.

 

[evan price]

I'd rather have a tube in a low speed, high load type application. I have tubed all my tractor tires, mower tires, wheelbarrow tires, some trailer tires...
Get a little dry rot in the tire, it won't hold air, but it will still do the job with a tube in it for a while to come.