DIY Tire Ballast Fill B7100HST

[TerryKing]

Hi Guys,

OK I just filled my Kubota B7100HST-D rear Turf tires with Windshield Washer Fluid -20F . Got 55 gallon drum from O'Reilly's for $140

They rolled the drum into the back of my Tahoe. Back home I put down a strap and rolled it up to my bucket:

Strap from hole in blade to chain hook.

Moved it to About Where I'd use it, put it down. Repositioned strap near top, hooked with a chain, tightened. Lifted to upright position, put it down with a couple back-forth trips.

Started to get set up together with pump, hose, fittings. UH OH don't have a barrel bung opener. Well, guess I do, sorta:

So here's the setup. SEE the FLAMMABLE LIQUID label??

OK so 1/2 OD soft copper tubing 3 ft long. 1/2 " heater hose. RV drinking water pump, RV fittings to 1/2" 8Ft long grounding cable..

Tractor Supply Slime adapter
8 foot wires with battery clips on pump. Here's the setup.
I figured: 33 inches of fluid = 55 Gallons so 1.66 gallons per inch. So I put the pickup tube down 10" and held it with visegrips. (Say 17 Gallons?) Jacked the wheel barely off the floor.

The adapter has a "burp" valve. I ran about 2 min sessions of pump, stop, burp. Ran 8 minutes of pump time. Checked and level in barrel almost at end of pickup so I stopped.. Removed hose connect end of adapter. Small spitout. Tire valve reinstalled, filled air to 20PSI.

Here's the pump I used: notice I connected negative lead to metal frame so it's grounded to tractor.

Happy to answer anything I can. I got lotsa help here!

OTHER: I had A Funny Thing Happen on the other tire; probably NOT typical. I'll pick that up on my other B7100HST tire fill questions thread.

Thanks, Terry

 

[D2Cat]

I never knew windshield fluid was flammable! I never messed with a ground wire. Here's how I did it. Jack the rear tires up an inch to take the weight off. The gallon jugs fit perfectly in the fill hole for the 15 gal tank. I bought the fitting designed to fill liquid into the tires at NAPA and never used it. With pump on spray tank each tire took about 10-15 minutes. I pumped a few gallons, then removed the hose to let it burp. Did that three or four times on each tire.

(Maybe this information will be easier for others to discover!)

 

[FTG-05]

I used RV antifreeze. On sale at Walmart since it was early spring. I used 6 gallons of the RV AF per rear tire the rest of the of 47 gallons (per the Rimguard chart) was simple tap water. I used the $15 burping valve from TSC, a five gallon bucket and a sump pump I already owned. Went pretty easy.

 

[TerryKing]

(Maybe this information will be easier for others to discover!)

Hi Cat,
Yes that will help some people. All the Sticky was pretty old. Seems we may all have our different pumps!

I have a 5 Gallon sprayer with electric pump; I thought it would take a LONG time.. As the saying goes.. "Whatever Works" .

 

[Mitjam]

I never knew windshield fluid was flammable! I never messed with a ground wire. Here's how I did it. Jack the rear tires up an inch to take the weight off. The gallon jugs fit perfectly in the fill hole for the 15 gal tank. I bought the fitting designed to fill liquid into the tires at NAPA and never used it. With pump on spray tank each tire took about 10-15 minutes. I pumped a few gallons, then removed the hose to let it burp. Did that three or four times on each tire.

(Maybe this information will be easier for others to discover!)

I’m gonna fill my tires on my Lx either RV antifreeze or washer fluid. The question I have is once you remove valve stem and air do you just lift tire off the ground and start filling there is no chance the bead will break? Once its almost filled I think I read the 12.4-16 tire should take 20-22 gallons

 

[fried1765]

I’m gonna fill my tires on my Lx either RV antifreeze or washer fluid. The question I have is once you remove valve stem and air do you just lift tire off the ground and start filling there is no chance the bead will break? Once its almost filled I think I read the 12.4-16 tire should take 20-22 gallons

Check the pricing.
RV fluid will likely be twice the cost of WWF.
In Alberta, you will need the -30F Peake brand WWF, unless you can find -40

 

[Mitjam]

Check the pricing.
RV fluid will likely be twice the cost of WWF.
In Alberta, you will need the -30F Peake brand WWF, unless you can find -40

Thank you. Ya I’m gonna call tomorrow and see what a drum of washer fluid is priced at.

 

[fried1765]

Thank you. Ya I’m gonna call tomorrow and see what a drum of washer fluid is priced at.

I thought a drum might be least expensive, but in the US, it turned out that a discount store had a much better individual gallon price. (I only needed -20F fluid)
Try Canadian Tire, or even Home Hardware, for a per gallon sale price.
Maybe even Princess Auto?
Make sure that you do get the lowest freezing point fluid available.

 

[Mitjam]

I thought a drum might be least expensive, but in the US, it turned out that a discount store had a much better individual gallon price. (I only needed -20F fluid)
Try Canadian Tire, or even Home Hardware, for a per gallon sale price.
Maybe even Princess Auto?
Make sure that you do get the lowest freezing point fluid available.

You are prob right looking at a tote of washer fluid being $298 cnd for that price I would go beat juice I was quoted $325 but Walmart sometimes has -40 washer fluid for 3.78 for a gallon so stock up on that

 

[D2Cat]

I’m gonna fill my tires on my Lx either RV antifreeze or washer fluid. The question I have is once you remove valve stem and air do you just lift tire off the ground and start filling there is no chance the bead will break? Once its almost filled I think I read the 12.4-16 tire should take 20-22 gallons

Start by lifting the tires off the ground.

You want the tires off the ground just an inch or less, just so the tractor weight is not putting pressure on the tires.

I found -20 deg WS washer fluid on sale at Wal-Mart in the spring for $1 a gallon. Bought 84 gallons in two stores. (Store manager told me they mark it down because folks don't buy winter washer fluid when winter is over!)

 

[Mitjam]

Start by lifting the tires off the ground.

You want the tires off the ground just an inch or less, just so the tractor weight is not putting pressure on the tires.

I found -20 deg WS washer fluid on sale at Wal-Mart in the spring for $1 a gallon. Bought 84 gallons in two stores. (Store manager told me they mark it down because folks don't buy winter washer fluid when winter is over!)

Thank you for the reply. Seems simple enough. I wish there was factory wheel weight options for the smaller compact tractors

 

[fried1765]

You are prob right looking at a tote of washer fluid being $298 cnd for that price I would go beat juice I was quoted $325 but Walmart sometimes has -40 washer fluid for 3.78 for a gallon so stock up on that

You should also consider the rather meaningful weight difference, when comparing cost.
"Beet juice" weighs nearly 11 pounds per gallon.
WWF weighs only 7.6 pounds per gallon.
A 45% per gallon weight advantage, when opting for "beet juice".

 

[D2Cat]

I did compare beet juice to washer fluid. Cost here was ridiculous. Cost of fluid, Cost for installation, cost for road fee to show up. Wouldn't sell bulk. Need special pump to pump it.

 

[fried1765]

I did compare beet juice to washer fluid. Cost here was ridiculous. Cost of fluid, Cost for installation, cost for road fee to show up. Wouldn't sell bulk. Need special pump to pump it.

I do understand that the cost of "beet juice" is ridiculously high in the USA.
The OP is in Canada, though, and cost difference may be different.
Usually, .....costs are higher for everything in Canada, but maybe not, for "beet juice"

 

[Mitjam]

I do understand that the cost of "beet juice" is ridiculously high in the USA.
The OP is in Canada, though, and cost difference may be different.
Usually, .....costs are higher for everything in Canada, but maybe not, for "beet juice"

Cost was 325 or 400 depending on place plus labour I think total cost with “shop supplies” was $700

 

[Tim Horton]

When I lived in far north west Canada I filled 2 sets of tractor tires DIY with -25C washer fluid and concentrated auto anti freeze... I didn't want calcium chloride and Rim Guard wasn't available.. I watched sales at farm supply, hardware, and grocery stores to get fluids as cheap as possible.. The first tire took about 1 1/2 hours to fill, the rest took 45 minutes each..

The formula was 25-30% anti freeze to WW fluid.. It worked well..