Weight in your tires

[jdboy4410]

my dealer strongly recommended not using w/w fluid.john deere produced a bulletin on the dangers of it,w/w fluid is flammable.i am going to fill mine with RV anti freeze.regular anti freeze is very expensive anymore,$10 plus per gallon.i have heard about bead slipping with rim guard too.i will just wait till it goes on sale at walmart and make the buy. hey Roy,still got that rig laying around for filling them ? if you got the tools,i've got the beer ! :licking::thumbsup:

 

[RoyJackson]

my dealer strongly recommended not using w/w fluid.john deere produced a bulletin on the dangers of it,w/w fluid is flammable.i am going to fill mine with RV anti freeze.regular anti freeze is very expensive anymore,$10 plus per gallon.i have heard about bead slipping with rim guard too.i will just wait till it goes on sale at walmart and make the buy. hey Roy,still got that rig laying around for filling them ? if you got the tools,i've got the beer ! :licking::thumbsup:

I know I've still got the air/liquid adapter and the valve tool. The drill pump is long gone (they're basically disposable items) and the lengths of hose I used are gone.

Did you ever buy chains for your 4410? I know we PM'd about this back in Feb. I did get a set. Heavy SOB's!!!!
BTW, no longer have the 790. Got a 4400 now.

As far as WW fluid...yeah, it's got some methane in it, but I've never heard of a tractor tire blowing up (unless someone was welding on a wheel) or any cars catching fire from using WW fluid.

 

[Dusty1]

Yeah, I would probably worry more about the death-box filled with diesel leaking or blowing up before I worried about a tire filled with WW fluid.

 

[Rob-D]

As far as WW fluid...yeah, it's got some methane in it, but I've never heard of a tractor tire blowing up (unless someone was welding on a wheel) or any cars catching fire from using WW fluid.

That's a good point Roy. I wonder jus how flammable that stuff really is. My only concern would be it leaking somewhere it could cause damage like the gardens.

Rob

 

[dt.2448]

I know many of you run weight in your tires and I'm considering doing it myself. I need to get some added stability into my 770 because some of my mowing is on some ground with some slope.

The book says to fill the tires with Calcium Chloride to a level so that the tops of the rims are always covered, to prevent corrosion. Stopped at the dealer today and he suggested only filling halfway (up to about the level of the axle). The salesman didn't instill a lot of confidence in me, as he seemed to be guessing on most answers.

Calcium Chloride worries me; I've seen what that crap can do to wheel rims.

I'm also looking to put a ballast box on the back of the tractor to balance my FEL.

Anyway, on to my questions.

1) What do you guys use in your tires? Calcium Chloride? Foam? Anti-freeze of some sort?

2) Does it take special equipment to put the fluid in or is there a way to do it at home? (I live a long way from the dealer and would rather not have to trailer the thing if I don't need to).

3) Do those of you with weighted tires also use a ballast box with your FEL?

I'm just trying to put a plan together here.

Thanks

When I had my 770 with filled tires the inside tire would still spin on a slope in my yard. I had some spacers made from billet aluminum. They not only made the tractor WAY more stable but improved the looks as well to me. I think they were 2.5" ea. I found they were WELL worth the money for me. (200.00 I believe) Hope this helps

 

[Rob-D]

When I had my 770 with filled tires the inside tire would still spin on a slope in my yard. I had some spacers made from billet aluminum. They not only made the tractor WAY more stable but improved the looks as well to me. I think they were 2.5" ea. I found they were WELL worth the money for me. (200.00 I believe) Hope this helps

I highly caution people against this. What happens when you move the tires out is that the tractor load capability is greatly reduced.

Why? Hold a bowling ball in your hand with your arm bent and the ball next to your body. Now stretch your arm out and see how far you can go and still hold the bowling ball. That's what you're asking your tractor to do. If a manufacturer doesn't spec spacers, don't use them.


Rob

 

[k0ua]

I just filled mine with RV antifreeze.. it is not toxic. Polyethelene Glycol, you can drink small amounts of this stuff, Non Corrosive, Non flamable, No bead slip problems, No tubes needed/can plug leaks. Only downside cost. I paid $4 per gallon at Tractor supply. I used the "Roy" method of filling, It sure was easy to do. I bought pump at home depot. $6, and air/liquid fill valve at Tractor supply, put 24 gallon and about 1 gallon of water in each 15-19.5. Sure helps a lot. I know some dealers wont send out a tractor with loader without loading the tires, I think they have the right attitude, why not start a "newbie" out with a safer, more useful tractor? Without a rear counterweight and/or loaded tires a "bare" tractor is unsafe/useless. Of course if you have a good heavy implement on the rear you are ok. But loading tires gives a margin of safety when you are sidehilling makes it worth while for me. I loaded only to about 55-60 percent to keep most of the weight below the axle. My 2 cents worth:thumbsup:
James K0UA

 

[etcallhome]

I used winter washer fluid close to 4 yrs in my first JD425. I had a leak that I could not get stopped so I took tire off the wheel..I noticed upon doing so there was rust in several places on the inside of the rim. I have not used anything in the rims since then..
As for spacers I wouldn't go with 2.5" alum. but I did buy JD spacers sold for my 2305 I think they were 3/4 or 1". I will agree just adding the spacers made a world of difference.. Without the spacers I couldn't put chains on because of subframe of BH.

 

[Raspy]

Roy,

Why did you use windshield washer fluid in your tires?

The cheap stuff you mentioned has no antifreeze, if I remember correctly. I've used that very stuff and had the washers freeze on my truck.

If it's corrosion resistance, what in that stuff helps with corrosion?

How is it better than water?


Thanks, John

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy,

Why did you use windshield washer fluid in your tires?

It did have a low freezing point, well below zero. I got it cheap in bulk when on sale. BTW, by "bulk", it was gallon containers in cases (4 containers to a box).
Although the 670 was garaged, I also used it in my vehicles which were left outside. Never had a freeze up even when the vehicle or vehcles sat for a few days.
As far as why, at that time (2001) folks were getting away from CaCl and windshield washer fluid was a quite popular substitute (at least in CUTs). I don't think Rimguard or RV antifreeze was commonly available at that time.
If I had to do it today, I'm not sure what I'd use but I'm sure I'd base the decision primarily on cost.