Ballast Tire ballast types

491ton · Jan 2, 2016

What different fluids can be used for ballast?

motownbrowne · Jan 2, 2016

RV antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, calcium chloride solution, beet juice (rimguard), and probably maple syrup or anything else that won't freeze where you live. So probably Jack Daniels too.

jeff9366 · Jan 2, 2016

What's in yours? Where is it parked?

PILOON · Jan 2, 2016

LOL,--- Jack Daniels as well---
but watch out for the pot heads as they will siphon it and you'll find your tractor with 2 flats!

lostcreekranch · Jan 2, 2016

At about $100 / gallon, Jack would not be my first choice for tire ballast but, it is my first choice for Rick ballast. ;-)

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roadhunter · Jan 2, 2016

PILOON said:
LOL,--- Jack Daniels as well---
but watch out for the pot heads as they will siphon it and you'll find your tractor with 2 flats!

Why would a pot head steal whiskey from your tractor tires?

jeff9366 · Jan 3, 2016

Nor should a siphon be necessary. Just a core tool and a pint cup.

woodchipper · Jan 3, 2016

Both my tractor's tires are filled with calcium. Good to go down to minus 40 degrees.
Never a single problem,exept for a leaking valve corroding the rim.
All those tires have a inner tube.
In my opinionm ballast is a must for serious tractor work. Traction and balance beeing part of the equation.

k0ua · Jan 3, 2016

Methanol aka Methyl Alcohol is also a common fill. Usually mixed with water to some degree. Methanol is the active anti-freeze ingredient in Windshield Washer Fluid.

joefromga · Jan 5, 2016

Has anyone ever tried a dry material like sand or even lead shot? It would be hard to get inside but seems like it would work well.

I'm sure someone has tried it.

Texasmark · Feb 11, 2016

joefromga said:
Has anyone ever tried a dry material like sand or even lead shot? It would be hard to get inside but seems like it would work well.

I'm sure someone has tried it.

Never did but going to bet that it will pack on one side more than the other and make for irregular tractor motion. If you had steel marbles, maybe they'd work, but it's have to be a tubeless tire and then it's still be a trick getting at least half the tire filled and then back on the rim. Still think there would be a time delay causing irregular movement.

Neatest thing I heard of was ww fluid. At about a buck a gallon not too bad full strength.

Here in N. TX. the local sales and service, any kind of tire, with farm, fleet and road service, 5th generation family, put 6 gallons of cheap ethyl-gly in a 55 gallon drum and filled her with water. That's went into each rear on my 6530. Long way from what you put in your radiator but he said that as long as you don't have ice chunks to slit your tube you are good to go. Said slush is ok. Well if he didn't know I guess no one would. So 6 gal at the $9-10 I paid him works out to about the same as full strength ww fluid and a lot of that is advertised down to 0F which surely would be lower than what I have. Also you don't have the (potential) corrosion problem like with CC. Back when I changed tires on my JD 4020, He pulled out 2ea 55 gallon drums of CC and water. I wanted them dry so I had no place to put it. So I put it in my 3000. Been lucky I guess. No visible problems, course, I haven't had any leaks nor flats either. I guess one of these days I ought to put in a couple of new valve stems.

On sloshing, I have noticed a slight amount immediately after abrupt stops. But generally, don't even know they're loaded.