Tire Balast

[rScotty]

What should I get, beet juice or non corrosive? This may be the same thing and I'm confused.

It sounds like you have already made the decision to put ballast in the tires. But it's not always the answer. It depends on how you use your tractor.

Most tractors will work just fine without filling the tires. It's less stress on the tractor and light weight is kinder to the soil. But adding tire weight definitely allows the operator to work the tractor faster and more aggressively in average conditions.

Also more ballast is not so good working in deep snow or mud - for both of those conditions machines benefit most from larger of tire contact area for the weight plus more traction in the form of tire chains - that is a combination that is pretty much the opposite of adding weight by filling the tires.

I've run tractors for a lot of years now and prefer not to put anything in the tires. A lot of that has to do with the soil that I have. It suffers if compacted. A couple of times I have added extra wheel weights to tractors that just felt "out of balance". Your typical wheel weights aren't as heavy as filling the tires.
good luck,
rScotty

 

[RSKY]

I added ballast to my rears after watching my wife backing the tractor over a small hump in the yard with a stump hanging from the bucket. She went across the hump at an angle and the uphill rear came about 6" off the ground. Scared the pooey out of me. I started screaming at her to drop the bucket and she did. I got on the tractor and moved the stump myself going straight across the hump. That was when the tractor was new and it was the last time I used the bucket without an attachment on.

The tires were loaded the next week.

This is a CK20 Kioti and the rears are small but the tractor does feel more stable with the 3-400 pounds more weight in them.

RSKY

 

[Oldoak]

I believe most owners here and dealers will agree that it is a bigger advantage operational wise and safety wise to have the rear tires loaded than it is a disadvantage.

I think loaded rear tires even make a tractor more stable than wheels weights. Liquid ballast puts more weight below the centerline of the axle which should help make the tractor even less likely to tip over. Naturally, in many situations nothing will prevent a rollovers.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Really, for all the bigger the tractor is I wouldn't worry about compaction unless you are doing a production growing operation. I have rim guard in my 5083E tires (around 800lb/tire) and even with wheel weights(90lb/tire IIRC) its not enough. Once I throw on the 1700lb concrete counter weight or 10' brush hog, the tractor feels secure. YMMV.

 

[Oldoak]

That too! What RedNeckRacin said.

 

[Cavjock22]

I finally got around adding combo water & tire slime to my M 6060 Kubota. i’m in deep South Texas I don’t think freezing should be a problem. I wish I would’ve added the water sooner. The ride is so much better and it handles my offset disk so much better as well. I only added about 50%. The valve stem’s were at 3 o’clock.

 

[Ffphil]

Thanks all, we currently have a 22hp tractor with no balist and it can be Tiiiiipy!!! Way too small for our needs. That's why we are going bigger. Haven't heard too many cons for it, and I don't grow anything so ground compaction doesn't matter. Was thinking of driving it without for awhile then adding later if I feel I need it. But now just thinking of just filling the rears and be done with it.

 

[Jam242ti]

This winter I purchased my first tractor a Yanmar SA 424 with a front end loader. Yanmar specifies tires must be filled by dealer before delivery I had no choice. I am glad they are filled, my property is full of dead or dying mature ash trees and I have been cutting and moving the logs to out of the way spots on the property. The little 424 can lift 1,200 lbs with the loader so the extra weight really helps keep it planted.

 

[FTG-05]

This winter I purchased my first tractor a Yanmar SA 424 with a front end loader. Yanmar specifies tires must be filled by dealer before delivery I had no choice. I am glad they are filled, my property is full of dead or dying mature ash trees and I have been cutting and moving the logs to out of the way spots on the property. The little 424 can lift 1,200 lbs with the loader so the extra weight really helps keep it planted.

Filled with what?

 

[Jam242ti]

Rim Gaurd