Ballast To load or not to load. That is the question.

[oldpilgrim]

Since its summer you have time to sample it for awhile with tires empty. - Then fill with water and check out the difference. ... Then, depending, drain and fill with beet juice; or just drain. I anticipate youll decide to load. :confused3:

Disagree. Get them loaded at the dealer before you bring it home. Then you won't be posting a question here about how to mount those heavy loaded tires on your tractor.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Disagree. Get them loaded at the dealer before you bring it home. Then you won't be posting a question here about how to mount those heavy loaded tires on your tractor.

I disagree with your disagreement. The tires do need to be loaded, no question in my mind, if not just for a superior ride. But for him to actually know and feel the difference between the two, run it dry and then fill. As most of us know, it becomes a totally different machine. As far as filling, fill them on the tractor, no reason to take them off.

Just my experience with both of my utility tractors, 32hp & 75hp.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I disagree with your disagreement of my disagreement.

I did as you suggest, getting it without the loading. Just because I didn't want to spend the money at the time and wasn't sure if I'd need it. After a few days of using it, I wished I had sprung for it at purchase.

I took my wheels off, and brought them to the dealer. Fortunately my brother has a tractor to lift them into my truck and take them out again when I got them back. They are a beast to handle.

I could have dragged the whole tractor back, as I have a trailer but chose not to pull it back there through quite a bit of city traffic.

I'm just suggesting the OP do it when he gets the thing and save himself the big trouble of either unmounting/remounting or dragging the tractor back to the dealer, because he will NEED them filled.He might as well take care of it before it becomes a hassle to do it.

If he chooses to fill them himself, that's another issue, but most people don't do it.

 

[holeycow]

Have them filled, why screw around? The experiment has been done. Let those other guys fart around with a light rearend and bouncy tires. Although it IS nice to know the difference...it is apparent and obvious the first time you use the loader and the first time you use road gear.

Get a block heater installed at the dealer too. Just a regular frost plug heater is fine (as long as it is correct for your block). No need to have a circulating heater in the rad hose.

Make sure you have changed over to winter fuel in time for winter. Most fuel is gradually changed over to "full winter" by about the middle to the end of November (around here anyway). You need to be changed over by then too...

WooHoo! New tractor on the way!

 

[k0ua]

But filling them yourself with WW fluid or RV antifreeze is pretty easy. Not so much with beet juice because I don't think they sell it to you... maybe some places. Water fill is even easier. But water doesn't work well here in the winter.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I disagree with your disagreement of my disagreement.

I did as you suggest, getting it without the loading. Just because I didn't want to spend the money at the time and wasn't sure if I'd need it. After a few days of using it, I wished I had sprung for it at purchase.

I took my wheels off, and brought them to the dealer. Fortunately my brother has a tractor to lift them into my truck and take them out again when I got them back. They are a beast to handle.

I could have dragged the whole tractor back, as I have a trailer but chose not to pull it back there through quite a bit of city traffic.

I'm just suggesting the OP do it when he gets the thing and save himself the big trouble of either unmounting/remounting or dragging the tractor back to the dealer, because he will NEED them filled.He might as well take care of it before it becomes a hassle to do it.

If he chooses to fill them himself, that's another issue, but most people don't do it.

I guess it comes down to if he actually is curious to know and feel the difference, or if he wants to just take our word for it, that it is the way to go. Also if he is not up to filling himself, than forget it and just get them filled. I am very happy that I operated both of my utility tractors without filled tires. That way I know for a fact how superior they are with filled tires. This applies to both size machines, day and night difference in both comfort and tractor capabilities. :thumbsup:

 

[IXLR8]

I have a DK40 with loaded rears, when doing loader work I can easily lift the rear tires if I don't have at least 400lbs of ballast on the rear.

 

[kas2960]

I called the dealer and I am having the tires filled. As I searched more on the net. There is just to much compelling evidence to fill the tires and/or load the rear end with ballast. Not going to screw around with this. The problem, as I see it, when I find out that I should have filled them, it will not be a positive moment in my life I suspect I'm not going to chance it. I will however, not rush out to get rear ballast, I will carefully experiment to see what the limits are. Tractor is hopefully going to be delivered on Friday

 

[oldpilgrim]

 

[kromc5]

Loaded tires are wonderful, for few years I used a king kutter dirt scoop to dig and move dirt. My 4320 had trouble in our pipe clay land. Did not have the loader or loaded tires and struggled to get traction even with the 4wd and diff lock with the dirt scoop. I'm sure the loader helps a lot but was very surprised even on down hill how much traction I got on the nx.