Has anyone filled their tires with fluid and regretted it?

[GreensvilleJay]

re: wheel weights.

If you do use them, check OFTEN that the nuts/bolts are TIGHT ! I've got 3 'centers' here with cracks coming from the square holes the 'pie' weights were mounted to. Current theory is the nuts got a little loose and clunk,clink,clunk,.... the stress tore the steel.
yes, an easy fix...zap,zap, grind BUT avoidable IF the nuts had been TIGHT


re: changing loaded tires

Be sure to RESPECT the tire ! If it wants to fall down, let it go! If it wants to roll away, down the hill ,into the thorny brambles, let it go ! THAT's what tomorrow is for.... recovering the 600# beastie that decided to go 'walkabout'. All day, and I swear those tires are getting heavier every year......

 

[SDT]

I recently acquired an l2501 and added a grapple. It didn't take me long to recognize that some weight in the back would be beneficial. I'm debating filling the tires at some point but I wanted to know if there's any downside to it. Of course I get that the tractor is simply heavier which has its consequences at times but is there anything else?

You will regret it the first time that you have a puncture or other leak.

I use ballast boxes.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I recently acquired an l2501 and added a grapple. It didn't take me long to recognize that some weight in the back would be beneficial. I'm debating filling the tires at some point but I wanted to know if there's any downside to it. Of course I get that the tractor is simply heavier which has its consequences at times but is there anything else?

Filled and happy with all of my tractors. Now marriage took some work.....

Dan

 

[Virtual Guy]

Ok so a question for those of you with filled tires. How do you fix a leak? I have a tire shop near by but I doubt they're willing to manipulate a several hundred pound tire and I SURE won't want to try.

Also, I like the idea of adding weight to my box blade. Is there a reason I can't just hang weights on it?

 

[mikester]

I recently acquired an l2501 and added a grapple. It didn't take me long to recognize that some weight in the back would be beneficial. I'm debating filling the tires at some point but I wanted to know if there's any downside to it. Of course I get that the tractor is simply heavier which has its consequences at times but is there anything else?

Every tractor I've owned with calcium in the wheels developed leaks, corroded the rims and destroyed tire valves. I didn't load my M59 tires.

 

[Trustable]

I was in the same boat as you and was looking into loading my tires, but with all the mud I have in the woods where I am working, and after talking to some people that own tractors near me, I dont think its a good idea, plus its just gonna rip up my driveway more than it already does with ag tires. (I need a ton more gravel but its too expensive). What I am doing is getting a 55 gallon plastic drum set up with a draw bar and top link connector and fill it with concrete. I still need to fill it up with concrete but Im not sure how much, I think a full barrel is about 900 pounds, but I'm not sure if that is too much.

 

[mikester]

Ok so a question for those of you with filled tires. How do you fix a leak? I have a tire shop near by but I doubt they're willing to manipulate a several hundred pound tire and I SURE won't want to try.

Also, I like the idea of adding weight to my box blade. Is there a reason I can't just hang weights on it?

Whenever I had a leak / puncture / valve problem I called the local farm tire service guy who does on site service. He comes with a pump and large old inner tube storage bladder, pumps all the stuff into his innertube, fixes the tire, then pumps it back in to my tire. Also has a portable crane for large tires. Messy, heavy work. I'm happy to pay him to skin his knuckles, I skin mine enough on my own.

No reason why you can't add weight onto your box blade provided your tractor can pull it.

Loaded tires do help wth traction and stability. I don't like the mess and corrosion so I just use my backhoe as a counter weight these days for heavy lifts.

 

[TGKY]

I second all the comments so far. I have loaded rears and the only thing I'll add is chose a non-corrosive alternative. I had an old tractor that had a calcium based fluid and had the same problems mentioned above.
My dealer used a water diluted methanol mix. I had rim guard (beat juice) in an older tractor. It's kind of expensive and a little gross if you have to mess with a tire, but if not for the cost, I would have gone with it again.
I ran my 4701 for a couple weeks without ballast is R4's because I was waiting on R1's to come in and get filled, that tractor could not hardly keep traction in the field with that R4 no ballast set up, so I see it as necessary for my application, where I'm usually hooked up to somthing so a ballast box isn't an option but I need to maintain traction.

 

[Trustable]

I second all the comments so far. I have loaded rears and the only thing I'll add is chose a non-corrosive alternative. I had an old tractor that had a calcium based fluid and had the same problems mentioned above.
My dealer used a water diluted methanol mix. I had rim guard (beat juice) in an older tractor. It's kind of expensive and a little gross if you have to mess with a tire, but if not for the cost, I would have gone with it again.
I ran my 4701 for a couple weeks without ballast is R4's because I was waiting on R1's to come in and get filled, that tractor could not hardly keep traction in the field with that R4 no ballast set up, so I see it as necessary for my application, where I'm usually hooked up to somthing so a ballast box isn't an option but I need to maintain traction.

I'm not sure if you have dirt/gravel driveways, but do you find that the loaded r1's rip them up? Im not ruling out loading them in the future, but thats one of main concerns besides sinking in mud. Also anyone loaded theirs with windshield washer fluid, I heard that is an option too, I'm not sure how effective that is.

 

[dhcole99]

Loaded my M760 rear tires with Ag fluid. Huge difference in stability. Well worth the money.

 

[TGKY]

I'm not sure if you have dirt/gravel driveways, but do you find that the loaded r1's rip them up? Im not ruling out loading them in the future, but thats one of main concerns besides sinking in mud. Also anyone loaded theirs with windshield washer fluid, I heard that is an option too, I'm not sure how effective that is.

My farm roads are dirt and my driveway is gravel, I haven't had any problems tearing them up , and I haven't had any problems sinking in mud. For my uses, the bigger risk for me is losing traction when Im bushogging or tilling. I typically mow my farm fields in the winter, and it will track up a little from time to time if the ground happens to not be frozen, but nothing that freeze/thaw wont eliminate over the years. Relatively speaking my L4701 isn't that heavy of a machine compared to a larger utility, so I just don't see the same degree of damage. For my purposes I would only want Loaded R1's.

 

[Trustable]

My farm roads are dirt and my driveway is gravel, I haven't had any problems tearing them up , and I haven't had any problems sinking in mud. For my uses, the bigger risk for me is losing traction when Im bushogging or tilling. I typically mow my farm fields in the winter, and it will track up a little from time to time if the ground happens to not be frozen, but nothing that freeze/thaw wont eliminate over the years. Relatively speaking my L4701 isn't that heavy of a machine compared to a larger utility, so I just don't see the same degree of damage. For my purposes I would only want Loaded R1's.

Okay, good to know. Thank you!

 

[mcmxi]

The local dealer puts beet juice in ALL rear tires of any tractor they sell unless the owner specifically asks them not to. I have beet juice and wheel weights on both tractors, and just ordered a third (and final) set of wheel weights for the M6060. I bought the M6060 at a dealer 600 miles from where I live and had the local dealer add beet juice to the rear tires once I had trailered the beast home. I was ok with that since I didn't want to haul 1,000lb of beet juice 600 miles if I didn't have to.

I don't have a ballast box for my tractors and don't see a need for one. I can always hook up to a 900lb implement if necessary, but so far, with the ballast and wheel weights neither tractor has been unstable lifting heavy objects. This disc harrow weighs in excess of 1,000lb, maybe closer to 1,500lb and the M was stable as could be.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Back when I was young, 1970's and 80's, we filled the rear tires with water. In California, freeze was never an issue. Loved the traction.

Now that I'm old and living in freeze conditions, I'd prefer filled tires. But if I need to remove a rear tire, I can't do it myself. With wheel weights or ballast, I can remove 80 or 100 lbs at a time to get into removing a tire.
If you live in non-deep freeze conditions, I'd wager fill the tires with water and call it done. I don't think corrosion would be an issue for 20 years.
Up north, if you're old. I'm going with wheel weights.
If you're up north and young or have a good connection with a tire guy with a truck crane, go beat juice or similar.

 

[Clint from Flint]

Ok so a question for those of you with filled tires. How do you fix a leak? I have a tire shop near by but I doubt they're willing to manipulate a several hundred pound tire and I SURE won't want to try.

Also, I like the idea of adding weight to my box blade. Is there a reason I can't just hang weights on it?

Hang some suitcase weights on it...problem solved

 

[jyoutz]

Hang some suitcase weights on it...problem solved

Any tire shop that works on AG or equipment tires will fix a filled tire leak (methanol excepted). I found that I can keep the tire upright and roll it onto the trailer. Chain it up to keep upright. If it falls over, you will need some help to upright it.

 

[BigG]

The local dealer puts beet juice in ALL rear tires of any tractor they sell unless the owner specifically asks them not to. I have beet juice and wheel weights on both tractors, and just ordered a third (and final) set of wheel weights for the M6060. I bought the M6060 at a dealer 600 miles from where I live and had the local dealer add beet juice to the rear tires once I had trailered the beast home. I was ok with that since I didn't want to haul 1,000lb of beet juice 600 miles if I didn't have to.

I don't have a ballast box for my tractors and don't see a need for one. I can always hook up to a 900lb implement if necessary, but so far, with the ballast and wheel weights neither tractor has been unstable lifting heavy objects. This disc harrow weighs in excess of 1,000lb, maybe closer to 1,500lb and the M was stable as could be.

View attachment 84965

You need to use a weight on the rear of the 3 point. If you stop to figure the amount of weight that you are adding to the front axle when used as shown you will quickly realize that you are overloading the axle. The rear weight will transfer some of the weight to the much stronger rear axle.

Yes it will pick up the load but at what cost? Weighted tires and wheel weights improve the stability of the tractor but they do nothing to reduce the strain on the front axle.

 

[TheOldHokie]

You need to use a weight on the rear of the 3 point. If you stop to figure the amount of weight that you are adding to the front axle when used as shown you will quickly realize that you are overloading the axle. The rear weight will transfer some of the weight to the much stronger rear axle.

Yes it will pick up the load but at what cost? Weighted tires and wheel weights improve the stability of the tractor but they do nothing to reduce the strain on the front axle.

The tractor and front axle are designed to handle a loader and nothing in the Kubota docs says you need a counterbalance to unload the front axle. I think this is a total red herring.

One could speculate that by adding a counterbalance you are doubling the effect of the loader and overloading the rear axle.

Dan

 

[BigG]

The tractor and front axle are designed to handle a loader and nothing in the Kubota docs says you need a counterbalance to unload the front axle. I think this is a total red herring.

Dan

Why would you want to argue about physics? The weight hanging off the three point will reduce the weight on the front axle. Look at any tractor with a front end loader. All the weight is transferred to the front pivot that holds the axle to the body of the tractor no matter the brand of the tractor. Now move the tractor and drop into a hole or hit a bump the shock load is transferred to the small load bearing surface. The result is wear and tear on a machine that could easily be avoided and prolong the life of the machine.

The additional weight also caused wear on the FWD gears and the weight bearing surfaces of the front spindles. In addition the weight of the 3 point attachment improves the braking ability of the tractor in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Why would you want to argue about physics? The weight hanging off the three point will reduce the weight on the front axle. Look at any tractor with a front end loader. All the weight is transferred to the front pivot that holds the axle to the body of the tractor no matter the brand of the tractor. Now move the tractor and drop into a hole or hit a bump the shock load is transferred to the small load bearing surface. The result is wear and tear on a machine that could easily be avoided and prolong the life of the machine.

The additional weight also caused wear on the FWD gears and the weight bearing surfaces of the front spindles. In addition the weight of the 3 point attachment improves the braking ability of the tractor in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

I am not arguing about physics - in fact it was my major in college. I am suggesting the Kubota engineers designed the front axle to handle the additional loads that come with a front loader. Why would you think otherwise?

Dan