So my new tires will be here Monday, once I get them mounted up, I’ll be looking at liquid ballast options. So the usual is water/calcium chloride. I’ve seen others post elsewhere that they use windshield washer fluid or alcohol. My new rear tires are bias ply R-1’s with inner tubes. Would a regular cooling system anti-freeze mix work without killing the tubes? Or would calcium chloride solution be best? How many gallons does a 12.4x24 tire hold?
Tire ballast choices
- Thread starter Selkirk_D
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85Hokie
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IF you have tubes - you can go the CaCl with no fear for the lifetime of the tires/tubes/rims.
Many use beet juice - the other side of the "it will not freeze when it gets real cold" - common name is Rimguard. It is expensive.
YOU could go antifreeze mix too - BUT if you puncture a tire...... and you will probably will over time, it could be licked up by an animal and that will kill them!!!!!!!!
I used WWW Fluid - cheap and easy to fill - HOWEVER, you will get a much heavier weight with the salt or the beet juice. About 30-40% heavier per gallon.
As far as gallons per tire. YOU should be about 30 gallons per tire at a fill rate of approx 70-75% or valve stem at 12 o'clock. Per tire depending on fluid - 350 lbs or more PER tire.
Many use beet juice - the other side of the "it will not freeze when it gets real cold" - common name is Rimguard. It is expensive.
YOU could go antifreeze mix too - BUT if you puncture a tire...... and you will probably will over time, it could be licked up by an animal and that will kill them!!!!!!!!
I used WWW Fluid - cheap and easy to fill - HOWEVER, you will get a much heavier weight with the salt or the beet juice. About 30-40% heavier per gallon.
As far as gallons per tire. YOU should be about 30 gallons per tire at a fill rate of approx 70-75% or valve stem at 12 o'clock. Per tire depending on fluid - 350 lbs or more PER tire.
Awesome! Thanks for the insight. I’m new to tractors so this sites information sharing is invaluable to me. Also the new wheel hoops are powdercoated, so if there’s a leak, there’s some inherent rust resistance to the CaCl when compared to paint. We’ve seen -20+ here more than once.
Elliott in GA
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LX 2610SU w/535,LP RCR1860,FDR1660,SGC0554,FSP500, DD BBX60005
RV Antifreeze will provide more freeze protection (-40) than wiper fluid for about the same cost, and it is not toxic.
North Idaho Wolfman
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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Do Not Use regular antifreeze!
Rim Guard
Windshield washer fluid
RV antifreeze
CaCl is the bottom on my list.
Rim Guard
Windshield washer fluid
RV antifreeze
CaCl is the bottom on my list.
OntheRidge
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Kubota L47 TLB, Homestead 55" grapple, LP 1684 rear blade, WR Long 84" snowplow
Tire Fill Tools | Rim Guard
Find out how many gallons of beet juice tire ballast you need in your tires. Our Tire Fill Tool has data for over 2,200 different tire sizes.
www.rimguardsolutions.com
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
curious, and yes, I know you said 'liquid ballast options' but... why did you eliminate 'wheel weights' and 'weight box' ?
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
well, OK... use wheel weights..but, sigh...
yeah it gets tricky... some only need 'offset' weight for loader....so carryall works great for that
some need 'traction' but want to cut grass with MMM.
nother option....buy a 2nd tractor !
ALL WWW is toxic, has alcohol in it, well, pretty sure....
setting up a tractor for 'all purposes' ain't possible, that's why I had 4, same make/model ,all keyed alike !
yeah it gets tricky... some only need 'offset' weight for loader....so carryall works great for that
some need 'traction' but want to cut grass with MMM.
nother option....buy a 2nd tractor !
ALL WWW is toxic, has alcohol in it, well, pretty sure....
setting up a tractor for 'all purposes' ain't possible, that's why I had 4, same make/model ,all keyed alike !
85Hokie
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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Unless you are pulling something - anything on the 3 point IS ballast to the tires - physics works even better the further out you go too!
North Idaho Wolfman
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No, but windshield washer fluid poured on the ground or in any water will disperse or evaporate, it's considered non toxic in that event.
It's really only toxic if you drink it.
Animals are not attracted to it like they are coolant, so that's really not an issue.
That's why it's a good alternative to other toxic non dissipating fluids.
CaCl is actually more toxic to ground and especially bodies of water.
Beet juice / Rim Guard is the only completely non toxic fluid of the list.
I went with Rimguard because I hadn't heard any downsides other than the one time cost. My dealer also recommended it without me asking. As much as I spent for the tractor, it seems like a reasonable cost to me to be nontoxic.
I put some wiper fluid on the ground a while back and tried to light it. It does burn.
Now I always think about that when I'm using my little massey to push stuff into the burn pile.
It is, after all, a mix of water and Methanol (well most of the cheap stuff is anyway). Methanol (99.9% pure) is what I run in the race car for fuel.. During the day you can't see it burn. Pale blue flame at night. Extinguished with plain old water. But the danger is that you cannot see the flame during the daylight, just the results of the heat given off from combustion (burning grass, etc) and sometimes you can see the heat signature above the 'fire'. Also Methanol can cause blindness if you somehow ingest it. Yeah don't drink it, wrong kind of alcohol. After a day at the races I can feel the effects of just the fumes. Nasty stuff but it runs great in the engines. And runs cooler than gas. Fumes are nasty.
they put antifreeze in them at the kubota dealer I was working at. I didn't think it was a great idea but my ideas didn't matter since I was just a dumb grease monkey for the last 2 1/2 years I did it.
Prior to that (different owners) they sent them to a shop across the street and the put calcium chloride in them. Never had any issues.
I will say this. The last couple year when they were using antifreeze, they were only using a gallon per tire in the smaller R4's (L3301, etc) and 2 gal in the bigger M's. Had a very well known gentleman purchase an M7060 for his place, and wanted the tires loaded so boss said 2 gal per tire, fill with water. Guy had about a 1 1/2 mile run from the barn, down a road, to where he was putting out hay for the cattle. Got cold, tires froze, and running down the road at any speed, the tractor was uncontrollable. Took him for a pretty good ride. Yeah, don't do that. If you're gonna use antifreeze mix it correct or use it straight. OR better yet don't use it at all.
Now I always think about that when I'm using my little massey to push stuff into the burn pile.
It is, after all, a mix of water and Methanol (well most of the cheap stuff is anyway). Methanol (99.9% pure) is what I run in the race car for fuel.. During the day you can't see it burn. Pale blue flame at night. Extinguished with plain old water. But the danger is that you cannot see the flame during the daylight, just the results of the heat given off from combustion (burning grass, etc) and sometimes you can see the heat signature above the 'fire'. Also Methanol can cause blindness if you somehow ingest it. Yeah don't drink it, wrong kind of alcohol. After a day at the races I can feel the effects of just the fumes. Nasty stuff but it runs great in the engines. And runs cooler than gas. Fumes are nasty.
they put antifreeze in them at the kubota dealer I was working at. I didn't think it was a great idea but my ideas didn't matter since I was just a dumb grease monkey for the last 2 1/2 years I did it.
Prior to that (different owners) they sent them to a shop across the street and the put calcium chloride in them. Never had any issues.
I will say this. The last couple year when they were using antifreeze, they were only using a gallon per tire in the smaller R4's (L3301, etc) and 2 gal in the bigger M's. Had a very well known gentleman purchase an M7060 for his place, and wanted the tires loaded so boss said 2 gal per tire, fill with water. Guy had about a 1 1/2 mile run from the barn, down a road, to where he was putting out hay for the cattle. Got cold, tires froze, and running down the road at any speed, the tractor was uncontrollable. Took him for a pretty good ride. Yeah, don't do that. If you're gonna use antifreeze mix it correct or use it straight. OR better yet don't use it at all.
When we bought our mx5400 here in Kansas our dealer put bio-ballast in our rear tires.
tinyurl.com
Tire Ballast - EnviroTech Services
tinyurl.com
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,