L2501 - Liquid Ballast Options

[GigaRift]

Down to votes now? I would go with windshield washer solution.
1. mild for the environment and the rim
2. Not too expensive - my tires each hold 30 gallons and the cold weather stuff would put roughly 470 lbs per tire - the -20f stuff can be had on sale for $1.50 a gallon at Walmart and other places or you can buy it by the 55 gallon drum for about $130 (plus shipping) here
3. Wheel weights are also great, if you can find them to fit but they are costly
4. I like having loaded tires myself, they help with FEL work but are NOT the end all/be all for a CUT with a heavy 4n1 bucket or grapple - when I take my BH off to swap it to my snow blower, for example, I find that my unloaded 4n1 (admittedly a bit too big for my tractor) makes my loaded rear tires so light that they can't gain traction in the snow and I have to move to 4wd to make way to my blower - I can't imagine how it would be without the loading.

Windshield wash is what ill be going with, no tubes. Also you said 30 gallons per tire, mine will take 29 i think. but windshield wash is roughly the same weight as water which is 8.35lbs/gallon. So 30 gallons would only be 250lbs per tire. Are my calculations wrong?
Im in Canada, so the link you provided does not ship to Canada. I can get it at walmart for 2.88 gallon, so taxes and all i can load the tires for around $200.
Thanks for all the help.

 

[flingwing1969]

Yes, your calculations are correct, I mis-posted my figure. I have corrected it. What I meant to say was for both tires and I'm giving a bit of space for air and a little for slightly less mass for the solution than with pure water. Thanks for catching that for me.

 

[fried1765]

Windshield wash is what ill be going with, no tubes. Also you said 30 gallons per tire, mine will take 29 i think. but windshield wash is roughly the same weight as water which is 8.35lbs/gallon. So 30 gallons would only be 250lbs per tire. Are my calculations wrong?
Im in Canada, so the link you provided does not ship to Canada. I can get it at walmart for 2.88 gallon, so taxes and all i can load the tires for around $200.
Thanks for all the help.

Not quite correct.
Windshield washer fluid is part methanol, and methanol is significantly lighter than water.
Water is 8.33 lbs./gal., WWF fluid is 7.6 lbs./gal.
With 29 gallons in each tire, your weight will be approximately 220 lbs./tire.

 

[GigaRift]

I have considered making my own wheel weights but as i said im new to tractors and unsure how this is usually done. My rims dont have any holes in them besides the ones for mounting the tire. So could i just acquire longer bolts and mount it with the tire. Also should i use all 6 bolts or maybe just 4?

Would mounting this way put extra stress on the axles?

Also wheel weights vs loaded tires, does either one have benefit over the other for less stress or wear on axles. Im going to be using the tractor on uneven ground acquiring firewood and logs so i know that loaded tires is lower to the ground so that would help with stability.
Any thoughts would be great! I will upload some pictures of the rims and mounting shortly.

 

[GigaRift]

I could make easily fit a cylinder with 12" diameter and 12" depth.
So if i made them out of concrete i could get 118 pounds per tire, but i could pour them out of lead and get 555lbs per tire. I was thinking that i could leave 2 bolts in the tire and add threaded rod in place of the other 4 and just tighten them with a nut and then make lead plates that could slide on the threaded rod and be tighten down.

So if i load my tires with 220lbs per tire and then add wheel weights, how much could i add per tire without causing stress or damage to the tires or tractors?

 

[flingwing1969]

Not quite correct.
Windshield washer fluid is part methanol, and methanol is significantly lighter than water.
Water is 8.33 lbs./gal., WWF fluid is 7.6 lbs./gal.
With 29 gallons in each tire, your weight will be approximately 220 lbs./tire.

Thanks. I knew it had less mass but didn't do the math I just figure 470 for the pair, but that was a WAG. Overshot by 30 pounds I guess.

 

[ovrszd]

Thanks. I knew it had less mass but didn't do the math I just figure 470 for the pair, but that was a WAG. Overshot by 30 pounds I guess.

YOU'RE FIRED!!!!