Winter Tire Experience

[Yankee]

Just decided to post my experience this winter. I moved from VA to NH last Fall. I finally got the tractor (B7610) trucked up here at the end of the year at a reasonable delivery price ($500 !) due to the considerable help of my local VA dealer, who also kindly stored it for me for a couple of months without charge. The dealer, by the way, is Cavalier International in Ashland - HIGHLY recommended.

Well, I used the tractor lightly a few times, then one very cold morning went out to the garage to warm the tractor hydraulics up in order to plow. As soon as I moved, both rear tires (R4s) popped their rims, with the resulting washer fluid flood going all over. It was probably the combination of cold and pressure being too low to begin with.

The bottom line was that I got the local tire company out, re-seated the tires with NO fill this time, and though I've had to keep the box on the back in order to use the FEL in snow, have noticed no other difference whatsoever. Fill? Never again - just as easy to put some weight on the back, plus I'm looking forward to a lighter footprint in the yard this year.

FWIW

 

[Thomas]

Figure the odds of both tires popping at once...whew.
I also like rear ballast,and thanks for reminding me time take it off...no more snow!!
Enjoy the warm weekend down there,and I hope you folks dry out.

 

[teachdocs]

Just decided to post my experience this winter. I moved from VA to NH last Fall. I finally got the tractor (B7610) trucked up here at the end of the year at a reasonable delivery price ($500 !) due to the considerable help of my local VA dealer, who also kindly stored it for me for a couple of months without charge. The dealer, by the way, is Cavalier International in Ashland - HIGHLY recommended.

Well, I used the tractor lightly a few times, then one very cold morning went out to the garage to warm the tractor hydraulics up in order to plow. As soon as I moved, both rear tires (R4s) popped their rims, with the resulting washer fluid flood going all over. It was probably the combination of cold and pressure being too low to begin with.

The bottom line was that I got the local tire company out, re-seated the tires with NO fill this time, and though I've had to keep the box on the back in order to use the FEL in snow, have noticed no other difference whatsoever. Fill? Never again - just as easy to put some weight on the back, plus I'm looking forward to a lighter footprint in the yard this year.

FWIW

Tires probably froze to the ground. Ol' Timers always told me to park the rear wheels on a piece of wood to prevent mud from freezing to tires.

In addition, you should always start out in Reverse gear to avoid flipping over backwards if the wheels are frozen to the ground.

 

[crd]

I don't know if you really meant "washer fluid" was used in your tires, but I think my dealer put in calcium chloride. Somewhere around 3.5-5.0 pounds of calcium chloride per gallon will not freeze solid above -50F to -75F.

If it was washer fluid, then a lot of pre-mixed stuff is rated to only -20F, which you could easily experience on a very cold morning.

Welcome to NH!

 

[thcri]

Tires probably froze to the ground. Ol' Timers always told me to park the rear wheels on a piece of wood to prevent mud from freezing to tires.

In addition, you should always start out in Reverse gear to avoid flipping over backwards if the wheels are frozen to the ground.

A good thought that all should remember.


murph

 

[Charliebrn]

Dang...yea, something to remember alright. Never occured to me that this could happen...

A good thought that all should remember.


murph

 

[gf5205]

In addition, you should always start out in Reverse gear to avoid flipping over backwards if the wheels are frozen to the ground.

I'm not sure, because I often figure these things out wrong, but I think that backwards is the dangerous direction.
Greg

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'm not sure, because I often figure these things out wrong, but I think that backwards is the dangerous direction.
Greg

Nope, in rotating the tires the tractor has a force trying to rotate it in the opposite direction.
larry

 

[gf5205]

Nope, in rotating the tires the tractor has a force trying to rotate it in the opposite direction.
larry

Got it, you don't pop a wheelie going backwards.

 

[Yankee]

I don't know if you really meant "washer fluid" was used in your tires, but I think my dealer put in calcium chloride. Somewhere around 3.5-5.0 pounds of calcium chloride per gallon will not freeze solid above -50F to -75F.

If it was washer fluid, then a lot of pre-mixed stuff is rated to only -20F, which you could easily experience on a very cold morning.

Welcome to NH!

Thanks. Could have been CC, I guess, but "washer fluid" was what the dealer called it. To another poster's reply, I guess I might have had the tires frozen to the garage (non-attached) slab. I don't remember anything looking unusual, but then again, I wasn't looking for that, either! And it WAS COLD! (may 0 to -5 worst, though)