Will you operate on hills?
Safe hillside operation requires four wheel drive (4-WD). Tractors have brakes only on the rear wheels. When going down hill, weight distribution shifts forward, decreasing rear tire grip. With 4-WD engaged tractor feigns four wheel braking. Without 4-WD engaged, on a steep slope, an uncontrolled descent may occur.
Safe hillside operation demands more tractor weight than level land operation. Tractors optimized for hill work have liquid installed in the rear tires, rather than air. Loaded tires are filled to 75% capacity with liquid, which increases tractor weight low down ~~500 pounds to 700 pounds~~ for two loaded rear tires. Heavier rear tires lower the tractor's center-of-gravity, making the tractor more stable and increasing rollover resistance.
Kubota MX tractors are excellent, NO FRILLS tractors. Few are purchased with 2-WD. If 2-WD and 4,000 pounds bare tractor weight meets your needs, lack of 4-WD will give you advantageous negotiating leverage.
The upside to an MX with 2-WD is front axle width is adjustable for row crop work.
Some areas in Texas report a high volume of tire punctures due to thorns. Changing loaded tires, and even more loaded tires with wheel weights, can be time consuming and hazardous. Consider foaming the tires to eliminate lost time due to flats.
Polyurethane Foam/Flat Fill
This ballast method is essentially a run-flat polyurethane fill that is injected into the tire through the valve stem. Two liquid components are pumped into the tire and they react with one another so that 24-36 hours later, you are left with a solid rubber core – the air inside the tire is completely displaced. The term “foam” is a bit misleading – the core is actually very much a black solid. It is sometimes called foam because air bubbles are injected into the mix to control the density of the end product.
This ballast method obviously adds serious weight gains to each tire and also has the nice benefit of eliminating flat tires and associated repair costs. Because the tire is run-flat there is no risk of corrosive/toxic ballast spraying all over your tractor and scorching vegetation if you do spring a leak.
Advantages
high weight/volume ratio (about 20-50% more than water depending on type of fill)
cannot freeze
tire is run-flat
simple – have it done once, ballasted forever
Disadvantages
may not be available in all locations
high cost – prices range around $0.95-1.25 lbs injected, or $300+ per tire
tire must be cut off rim after tread wears out – best for new or nearly new tires
if performed on steering tires, heavy duty weight gains will put more stress on steering components
no air in tires to absorb humps and bumps so you will get a very rough ride – could be jarring for long distance travel
FULL ARTICLE:
Comparing Types of Liquid Tire Ballast | OrangeTractorTalks
