Question on adding ballast to rear tires

[TripleR]

We fill our tires and use a ballast on the 3PH, works for us.

 

[whistlepig]

Thankyou to everyone for your input. I will have them filled rather than risk going over on my side.

If you have driven your tractor for a while with unfilled tires and then fill them you will notice a big difference. Especially on hills. The tractor will feel (and also be) much safer.

 

[k0ua]

We fill our tires and use a ballast on the 3PH, works for us.

This is what I do also.. Filled rears and proper ballast on the 3pt too. Much more stable. and when the ballast is off of the 3pt, like when you have a grader blade on. the liquid ballast in the tires allows for better traction when pulling material. When I get serious about FEL work the 3pt ballast goes back on. As you have discovered a "bare" tractor as it comes off of the truck without anything on the 3pt and no tire ballast or wheel weights is darn near useless and unsafe for FEL work.

James K0UA

 

[Bluegill2]

Like these guys are saying, filled tires are nice and help, But they do not take the place of ballast on the 3 point hitch. Very important!

 

[murphy1244]

Backhoes make very good ballast!:thumbsup:

 

[oosik]

I use my fel a lot so my tires are filled with rimguard and I always have a heavy implement(back blade 99% of the time) on the three point. I had calcium chloride filled tires on the previous tractor and at least annually I had to replace the valve stem. I would never again use CaCl - its just to caustic on steel parts.

 

[JOHNINMA]

I will definitely get the tires loaded ASAP. I have been using it for years with just 3 point mounted implements for rear weight and although it has felt a little light once in a while when lifting heavy loads it never actually attempted to go over until now. Fortunately I am very cautious when moving heavy loads and go very slow with the load almost touching the ground. I read that one poster used antifreeze in his tires and I am curious what else can be used if anything that will not harm my rims over time?

 

[murphy1244]

I will definitely get the tires loaded ASAP. I have been using it for years with just 3 point mounted implements for rear weight and although it has felt a little light once in a while when lifting heavy loads it never actually attempted to go over until now. Fortunately I am very cautious when moving heavy loads and go very slow with the load almost touching the ground. I read that one poster used antifreeze in his tires and I am curious what else can be used if anything that will not harm my rims over time?

you also can use windshield washing fluid or rim guard,

 

[dragoneggs]

Backhoes make very good ballast!:thumbsup:

Amen to that! :thumbsup: I am doing a bunch of FEL work and BH work cutting into my hill to put in retaining walls. I can't imagine not having a bunch of weight on rear. I want to take the BH off to do some grading with a back blade but I am afraid that I will want it right back on my little BX just because of the great ballast and traction I am getting not to mention how useful the BH is for me right now.

 

[whistlepig]

I will definitely get the tires loaded ASAP. I have been using it for years with just 3 point mounted implements for rear weight and although it has felt a little light once in a while when lifting heavy loads it never actually attempted to go over until now. Fortunately I am very cautious when moving heavy loads and go very slow with the load almost touching the ground. I read that one poster used antifreeze in his tires and I am curious what else can be used if anything that will not harm my rims over time?

Rimguard is a little expensive but I consider it the best fill. It's worry free as far as to damage to valves and rims. I have lost some rims from calcium chloride. Calcium chloride first eats out the valve stems then the seeping fluid eats out the rims. It's a slow, miserable, expensive process. First I had to replace tire tubes from the calcium chloride eating the valve stems a couple of times. Then I had to replace the rims. Perhaps there are substitutes as good as Rimguard. It wasn't worth the hassle to me to go down the wrong path a second time. I spent the extra few dollars for Rimguard.