Ballast Question regarding filling the tires w/fluid

[kubota4me]

Will filling the tires with fluid eventually rust out the wheels? I'm thinking about leaving the FEL on when I mow.

 

[art]

There is calcium which will make anything rust and then there is Rim Gaurd that is also a liquid but not as corrosive. I like wheel weights for ride as well as traction. It takes less weight if you use solid weight on the rim or else where on the tractor to equal the loaded tires.

 

[Goog]

I just purchased an adapter from Napa for about $10.00 and filled mine 80% with water. Not as caustic as calcium. I also live in WA and my tractor is garaged so freezing is not an issue. May be different for you.

I can say that it made a huge difference in the way the tractor rides and operates. Much less bouncy even though I typically leave my box scraper on the back. I wish I had filled my tires right away. Brian

 

[ejnichol]

There is calcium which will make anything rust and then there is Rim Gaurd that is also a liquid but not as corrosive. I like wheel weights for ride as well as traction. It takes less weight if you use solid weight on the rim or else where on the tractor to equal the loaded tires.

OK I gotta ask. Why would 100lbs of water weight be any different from 100lbs or wheel weight. I know water might slosh if theres some air in their but what else would be different?

I'm getting ready to take delivery of a bx24 and the dealer asked me if I wanted them to fill n/c.

I decided not since bh will be on most of the time early on and someone said that kubota warned against bh and water fill.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Concur. From a COG standpoint, if you put the weight anywhere on the wheel axis, it would make little difference where as long as it is evenly applied. Filling may even have a slight advantage (# for #) since the air is always at the top of the tire and the COG of the tire itself would then be a little BELOW the axle as a result. But # for #, Mr. Ejnichol is correct. As long as the net affect of the weight is on the center of the axle (as it is in the wheel-weight vs. filling debate).

The net side-side affect would be identical with suitcase weights at the rear (or some hunk of something hanging off the 3PH) if the COG of the attached items were at the same elevation as the rear axle. The real advantage there would be the fore-aft benefit of the weight being BEHIND the rear axle.

Myself, I have wheel weights. They work fine and make the machine generally more stable. Although I have considered removing since my BH purchase...800# hanging 2 feet off the back makes a BIG difference...I can jerk the front wheels off the ground if I don't have anything in the FEL. And FORGET it if you take the FEL off with the BH still on.

I guess I leave them on for stability in mowing. Don't know. They don't seem to hurt anything. I'm running an ~60# disk on each side.

I like the simplicity vs. filling. Don't have to worry about rusting and if I have a flat (haven't had one in 1.5 years...knocking on wooden head) I can plug it using conventional means without wasting any time.

 

[art]

OK I gotta ask. Why would 100lbs of water weight be any different from 100lbs or wheel weight. I know water might slosh if theres some air in their but what else would be different?

I'm getting ready to take delivery of a bx24 and the dealer asked me if I wanted them to fill n/c.

I decided not since bh will be on most of the time early on and someone said that kubota warned against bh and water fill.

With farm tractors when pulling they found that to be 20% less weight with cast would give the same traction results as the liquid in the tire for traction. The big plus is you don't loose cast weights with a flat! Plus you burn less fuel and don't put as much stress on the drive train.

 

[chrisjbell]

I love the filled tire thing, but do be aware that if you fill your tires with water the rims *will* rust. I've got tubes in mine but one has a pinhole leak in it that doesn't generally affect my inflation but once in a while will spit a bit of water / air out. That has been enough to get some rust started in my rim .

 

[ejnichol]

Wheel weights seems to give you more flexibility. Plus I like the point about a leak causing your ballast to go bye bye.

Keep adding weight to a bx24 and it finds a sinkhole to hide out in. At some point the **** thing got to collapse from hauling around so much blankin weight.

I was takin aback by how much the complete unit weighs. One dealer said something like 2700 lbs.

 

[KeithInSpace]

For a BX: If you have the MMM mounted with the BH and FEL, 2,800# is more like it...closer to 3,000# with wheel weights or filled tires. Amazing it hauls all that weight around so effectively. In "dirt" mode without the MMM, I figure I'm closer to 2,500#. Of course, if you replace the BH with a BoxBlade, you can be a lithe 1,800 to 1,900#.

What is really fun is to strip EVERYTHING off (down to 1,200#) and take it for a spin. Feels like a sports car.

What's coolest is even with all that weight (say 3,400# with a big stump hanging out in the FEL), I still don't leave any marks in the yard, even when turning sharp. And with the BH weighting down the back, I don't need 4WD nearly as often.

All very off the subject, but fun nevertheless.

 

[yatesfire]

I recently got a b7800 with backhoe and loader. I also live right on the coast of washington. The dealer said they fill the tires with canola oil to prevent corrosion; I thought that was pretty good. Don't know how it will hold up. Any experience out there?