Ballast Washer Fluid for Ballast

[blueberryman]

Hi I'm looking a new tractor and went over this with my sales rep. He recommends rimguard. no tubes, more enviro. friendly ( made from beet juice).
It can be reused if you have to change tires, he said they pump it out, change tires,pump it back in.

You can also use wheel weights.

 

[dknarnd]

I already have two 105lb wheel weights on each side but that isn't nearly enough weight. If I add another 200 - 300 lbs of fluid in each tire I should be good for normal use. Then I'll attach some weight on the back when I need more. My JD has one weight and cal/chlor in the tires for normal use, without a loader.

My first task with the loader was moving stone and I had to take small bucket loads because the rear was to light.

 

[Soundguy]

Hi I'm looking a new tractor and went over this with my sales rep. He recommends rimguard. no tubes, more enviro. friendly ( made from beet juice).
It can be reused if you have to change tires, he said they pump it out, change tires,pump it back in.

You can also use wheel weights.

He should have said enviro. friendly* With the * meaning that high concentrations of rimguard introduced into a small waterway containing fish will cause a fish kill ( same as dumping molassis into a lake ).. or if you make a puddle of it ont he ground.. it will kill most non hardy grasses... ( should be ok for incidental animal intake.. )

Still.. more eco friendly than CACL or eth-glyc AF.

Soundguy

 

[john_bud]

I already have two 105lb wheel weights on each side but that isn't nearly enough weight. If I add another 200 - 300 lbs of fluid in each tire I should be good for normal use. Then I'll attach some weight on the back when I need more. My JD has one weight and cal/chlor in the tires for normal use, without a loader.

My first task with the loader was moving stone and I had to take small bucket loads because the rear was to light.

In the old days, they used to tell you how much counterweight you need for a loader. It was about 110% to 125% of the rated lift of the loader. Wheel weights, fluid or implement should add up to that amount. That will tell you how much to shoot for.

Oh, don't use the liquid mercury in the tires. It's too expensive! Just make a mold of the tire, melt down a couple old Buicks and cast a solid iron tire. Built to last! Might be a wee bit hard on the lawn, especially when wet...

jb

 

[deereguy]

I have WW fluid in my rear tires and had no problems at all, its been 6 years. I was doing some field mowing for a neighbor and "sharpened" a "T" post with the hog then ran over it with the rear industrial tire when I was backing up. It made a (you guessed it) "T" puncture in the tire and fluid went everwhere. I was able to get back home and get the puncture on top so more didn't leak out. I called the mobile tire repair truck he came out, pumped the fluid into my garbage cans, booted the puncture, and repumped the tire (no tubes). A few days later the tire was leaking again, he came out and found that the alcohol in the WW fluid had eaten the adhesive of the boot. He installed a tube, re-booted, and re-pumped fluid back in. He did accidently spill one of the cans that was full of WW fliud and we promptly got a hose and diluted it with water, then he topped off the tire with cal/chloride. The WW fluid didn't kill grass or anything in the field where I was mowing and make easy clean up on the tractor.

 

[Dusty]

You could always use mercury to fill the tires. At about 110 pounds per gallon you could add some serious weight to your tractor.

What could go wrong?

I believe that a steel flask of mercury (Symbol: HG), which is about 1 quart weighs about 75 pounds, plus the weight of the steel flask. It is very difficult to handle, because the mercury is always sloshing around inside the steel flask. The flask tare weight is around 25 pounds. As a child, I used to play with mercury. Back then it wasn't considered harmful. That must account for my eccentricity.
Dusty

 

[goaliedad]

doesn't mercury expand with tempature changes? that's how a thermometer works, right? that could be interesting in a tractor tire!!!

 

[DeereNut]

I purchased my first John Deere about two montsh ago, and the dealer put Rim Guard in both of my rear tires. The tractor is a 3120. I live in MI and Rim Guard is a local company. I am new to all of this but the non corrosive benefits sounds good to me.

 

[Dusty]

If you like beets, you will love Rim Guard

 

[Harry c]

Guys if you check, I think you'll find that both your tire and tractor manufacturers approve the use of Calcium Chloride in tubeless tires. In fact my new Kubota comes from the factory that way. Just make sure you fill the tire to 75% so the inside of the wheel is always covered with the liquid.
Calcium Chloride is significantly different than "salt" which is Sodium Chloride. It's far less corrosive and far less damaging to grass etc. For those reasons, it's used extensively for ice removal even though the cost is higher than salt.

Windshield washer fluid usually contains ethanol or methanol. Both attack rubber... I'm not aware of any corrosion inhibitors in WW fluid. the alchohol would do a good job of removing any corrosion inhibitor that might already be on the wheel. Still, it probably won't hurt a thing as it's not very concentrated.

Just a tip, If you garage your tractor or live in the south where it doesn't stay cold long enough to freeze your tires, just fill them with water. It's really easy to adapt an air chuck to a water hose, turn on the faucet and fill'er up! When you don't need the weight, just unscrew the valve core and let it out. Works great. I have some old IHC wheels with water for 15 years. Had CaCl in them for 10 before that. Tubeless of course.

 

[Soundguy]

Add some rv antifreeze to that or better yet..eco safe af and you are set.. no freeze.. and enviro safe.. and has corrosion inhibitors..

Soundguy

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Guys if you check, I think you'll find that both your tire and tractor manufacturers approve the use of Calcium Chloride in tubeless tires. In fact my new Kubota comes from the factory that way. Just make sure you fill the tire to 75% so the inside of the wheel is always covered with the liquid.
Calcium Chloride is significantly different than "salt" which is Sodium Chloride. It's far less corrosive and far less damaging to grass etc. For those reasons, it's used extensively for ice removal even though the cost is higher than salt.

Windshield washer fluid usually contains ethanol or methanol. Both attack rubber... I'm not aware of any corrosion inhibitors in WW fluid. the alchohol would do a good job of removing any corrosion inhibitor that might already be on the wheel. Still, it probably won't hurt a thing as it's not very concentrated.

Just a tip, If you garage your tractor or live in the south where it doesn't stay cold long enough to freeze your tires, just fill them with water. It's really easy to adapt an air chuck to a water hose, turn on the faucet and fill'er up! When you don't need the weight, just unscrew the valve core and let it out. Works great. I have some old IHC wheels with water for 15 years. Had CaCl in them for 10 before that. Tubeless of course.

2 things I'd like to comment on. 1st, the CaCl being "far less corrosive and far less damaging to grass". On a couple occasions, I've punctured tires containing CaCl. By the time I got the tractor parked where I could change the tube, a few gallons sprayed out of the hole and all over the tractor. The VERY NEXT DAY, any scratches or worn painted areas were solid rust. While it may be SOMEWHAT LESS CORROSIVE than plain salt, it is still HIGHLY corrosive. And it will kill grass in short order as well as "sterilizing" the soil for a good while. There's no such thing as "slightly dead grass".

As far as windshiel washer fluid attacking rubber? I've got one tractor that's had 70 gallons of WWF in each rear tire (16.9"X30") for the better part of 15 years now. Tires are almost worn out, but there's been no "attack" from with-in. No troubles with the tubes or the tires. (Methanol base)

 

[Soundguy]

I have to agree 100%.

When my 8n lost a rear tire and tube early last year, the insid eof the rim was pristine old metal when i parked her. By the next day when i broke the rim down to head to the tire store, she had surface rust all over her. There was white curst on my concrete where the 11.4-28 tire had drained and run off the concrete to the grass. A 1' margin of grass where the water ran off was brown the next morning... Like Farm says.. there is no ' partially dead' grass.

I've also used WW fluid in tubes with no more problems than plain water.. actually.. less problems with valve stems using the ww fluid or water and AF mix being the best.... etc.

Soundguy

2 things I'd like to comment on. 1st, the CaCl being "far less corrosive and far less damaging to grass". On a couple occasions, I've punctured tires containing CaCl. By the time I got the tractor parked where I could change the tube, a few gallons sprayed out of the hole and all over the tractor. The VERY NEXT DAY, any scratches or worn painted areas were solid rust. While it may be SOMEWHAT LESS CORROSIVE than plain salt, it is still HIGHLY corrosive. And it will kill grass in short order as well as "sterilizing" the soil for a good while. There's no such thing as "slightly dead grass".

As far as windshiel washer fluid attacking rubber? I've got one tractor that's had 70 gallons of WWF in each rear tire (16.9"X30") for the better part of 15 years now. Tires are almost worn out, but there's been no "attack" from with-in. No troubles with the tubes or the tires. (Methanol base)

 

[wrenchturner]

I had the same experience with calcium chloride. Bought a used tractor and a local farmer pointed out my rim was so rusty the tube was buldging out. He told me he has had rims to come apart while in the field. I let the fluid out and everywhere it sprayed on the tractor it rusted. I had to buy two rims. I pumped used antifreeze into the new rims. Ask your local garage owner if you can have his used antifreeze. He should let you have it bacause he has to pay to have it disposed of.