Prices for wheel weights, tire loading and ballast

[Buckie]

Afternoon. I just got price quotes from my local dealer for wheel weights (plastic), tire loading and a ballast box with kit for the IMatch. The wheel weights came to almost $600 and the dealer wants $200 to load the tires. The ballast box with the adaptor kit and freight is about $220. I am not going to buy the wheel weights. The price for the ballast box is higher than what I have seen on TBN. What are reasonable prices for loading the tires? The quote for the tire loading seems ridiculously high to me.
This is for counterbalancing FEL on a new JD 2210.

 

[JDFANATIC]

Jackie,

I just posted my cost of $118 to load the tires of my 2210 on your last post. Now I need to correct that. The material (20 gal's) cost $118 (they missed this in the 50 hr. servicing bill that I had done at the same time). The labor in the 50 hr. service bill came to 3.9 hrs @ $75/hr -- I have no idea how much of that went towards loading the tires.

 

[RalphVa]

Prices for both ballast box and loading the tires back in October were about $160-180 each. Wheel weights were about $1/pound.

I went with the loaded tires (with windshield washer fluid) on my JD 4010, which is the same weight as the 2210 and probably near the same size base bucket. They'll ask you to sign a waiver and probably buy the ballast box if you don't let them load the tires.

Even with loaded tires, you'll need some extra ballast on the 3 ph if you move much dirt or gravel in the bucket on uneven surfaces or hills. Mine was fine with a soil ripper AND soil bags on the ripper but could have been tippy without that stuff back there. The 2210 may not be quite as tippy but it won't negotiate very uneven territory either, with the reduced ground clearance. I was coming back up hill over trees and stuff lying around.

Ralph

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Well, none of your prices seem far off, for dealer installed.

If it were me, I would get a good heavy box blade instead of the ballast box. (the $220 would go a long way toward the price...) You might need to add weight to the ballast box still. It would not be hard to add weights using weight lifting free weights. Frontier boxblades run a little high, but might work out if you get one with your tractor. Corriher seems to be very competitve, with great shipping, although you might be within easy driving distance... They will do stuff in JD green, no less.

If filling the tires makes sense, I would fill them myself with a $6 fill adapter from NAPA or TSC.

 

[Henro]

In addition to what was said above...

You can fill the tires yourself and all it costs (if you have a 1.4" electric drill) is $6 or less for a simple drill pump, a couple bucks for some plastic hose, and a hose clamp to hold the hose on your valve stem...

Price for WW fluid is about a buck a gallon, depending where your live and the time of year.

A box blade or outher useful implement can add a nice amount of ballast to the back as well. The advantage of some kind of ballast, that is specific for that purpose, is that it usually is not as wide as a double-duty implement.

I actually (like many otheres here) enjoyed filling my tires myself. Not hard at all. And buying something like a box blade that does double duty, sure seems like a better use of money than paying for a ballast box.

Just a couple thoughts...we are all different and works for one may not be best for another... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Buckie]

ok, folks. I think I can fill the tires myself If someone could tell me the tools I need. I do have the drill, but not something called a "drill pump", or an adaptor. ? Also, could someone tell me the mixture to pump? I have air compressor, good guages, standard tools.....but don't know how to do the tires. I would MUCH prefer to learn how to do this myself, correctly, than to pay the dealer $200 and still have no clue myself how to do it the next time, if ever. Is there something already on it site that is a step-by-step guide? I can follow instructions and get whatever tools, implements, mixture, that I need with specific instruction.
Thanks to everyone for all the help!

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

One of the real fun parts of doing commercial bush hogging is I get to repair about a dozen flat tires a year. 3 or 4 of them end up being rear tires. After a couple $250 "field service calls", I bought the things I needed to do my own tires. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I run windshield washer fluid in mine. (I HATE rusted rims) /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Here is my "tool list" and proceedure for filling tires. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

First, I bought a Teel chemical pump through W.W. Grainger. It is a small electric (rebuildable) stainless steel pump with a rubberized impellor. (You get extra impellors with it... In 3 years of use, I haven't needed to replace any yet) The Teel pump has fittings to use 1/2 NPT fittings AND to hook a garden hose to the inlet and/or outlet. Then I got the $7.50 Napa fitting to attach the hose to the tractors valve stem. Most GOOD tractor tubes are made where the Schraeder valve portion will unscrew from the valve stem, leaving a much larger opening. That speeds the entire operation considerably. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OK... Get yourself a clean barrel (I use the good ol' blue plastic kind) Fill it up with washer solution. Take the inlet side of the pump, hook a hose to it, and submerge the hose in the barrel. Hook a hose from the outlet side of the pump to the valve fitting, then connect it to the tractor tube. I get the valve stem to the 12:00 position. Let ALL the air out of the tube/tire. Start pumping. As you fill the tire, the fluid will displace any remaining air. You will need to stop the pump, and bleed of some of that pressure every now and then. I fill until the fluid covers the valve stem at the top of the wheel. Be sure to leave some air cavity at the top. It takes that to be able to inflate the tire to proper operating pressure. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The same pump will aid in removing the fluid, should you ever need to do such. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[surfran]

Buckie,

Here is a link to a previous post that also has a couple other links in it. If you still have questions, I'm sure several people will be more than happy to lend an opinion /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Tire Filling Thread

 

[Buckie]

got it. that's exactly what i needed to know! will tackle this tomorrow. thanks!!!

 

[milkman]

Your tires are the same size as mine, here's how I handled the situation and didn't have to buy pump, hose, etc.

There are more than one way to fill the tires, being small, I took one of the rear wheels off the tractor and let all the air out, then I broke loose from the rim, the side with the valve stem. I used anti freeze and water mix and poured it around the rim till it was almost full, leaving some space for air. If I remember correctly, they weigh about 148 lbs after filling so I had to manuver the jack to get the lug bolt holes aligned to reinstall. I know it's not recommended, but I also filled the fronts the same way. Hope this helps.