Loading tires

[Dieselbob]

I finally started the process of loading my back tires tonight (RV antifreeze). Somehwere I found a chart that said they would hold about 8 1/2 gallons each, and planned accordingly. Imagine my surprise when it took around 12 gallons to fill the first tire. Now I have to scrounge up more fluid.

 

[skeets]

Bob,, a dumb question, when you filled your tire was it on the axel or laying down? Reason I ask is because if its laying down it will take more juice to fill it,,, but it also takes away the air space that should be in the tire to cushion the tie for bumps and turns and such , other wise it would be like riding on a foam filled tire, and a soil filled liquid tire might be a tad more prone to damage as well since there is no give

 

[Dieselbob]

No, I did it the correct way, with the tire on the tractor and the valve stem at 12:00. The good news is that the ballast will now weigh more than I was figuring on. I will post pictures of the method I am using when I do the other tire. There's really nothing to it, it just takes time to get the air displaced in the tire.

 

[olthumpa]

Easiest way to load your tires.

Put one liter of your favorite high octain alcohol beverage in each tire, POOF loader tires.

 

[nickelplated5s]

I've got loaded tires and thanks to OTT I found the chart for their rough weights. My question is how hard will it be to flip them around for a narrower stance? Can two of us do it? I'm guessing around 500lbs each. Rationale is to fit inside a tiller track, offset tillers are spendy.

 

[olthumpa]

I've got loaded tires and thanks to OTT I found the chart for their rough weights. My question is how hard will it be to flip them around for a narrower stance? Can two of us do it? I'm guessing around 500lbs each. Rationale is to fit inside a tiller track, offset tillers are spendy.

My tires are over 500lbs and I move them around by myself, you just have to be careful about keeping them upright and do not rush. Also, make sure you have some place to get out of the way if they get too much to one side and you can not control the weight. The last thing you want is that tire falling on top of you.

 

[nickelplated5s]

Thanks. The escape route makes sense. I doubt I get to it today, the farm girl here wants her custom split rail finished. I actually had a good idea, it looks nice.

 

[D2Cat]

A word of caution when moving heavy tires. If you're on concrete be real careful of anything on the surface.

Know someone who was working at the local Co-op working on a big tire. When he had it off and moving it he stepped on some soy beans, lost control and was severely injured.

 

[Dieselbob]

Here is the loading method I used. I jacked up the tractor, removed the valve core, screwed on a Slime brand liquid filling adapter, screwed a garden hose adapter to it, slid on a piece of 5/8" heater hose and stuck it on a transmission funnel. I then put the funnel on the funnel stand I had previously made and started pouring in the liquid. After the first couple of gallons, the tire must be burped every 1/2 gallon or so. The bleeder on the adapter did nothing for me, so with the funnel about 1/3 full, I would lower the jack and let the tire compress, pushing the air up through the funnel. It burbles pretty hard, so I would put my hand over the funnel to try to contain the mess. Then I would jack the tire back off the ground. You can also push in the tire to collapse it with your foot. Just be sure there is enough fluid in the funnel that the tire can't suck in air when it re-expands. On the first tire, I kept taking the adapter off after 8 gallons to see if the tire was full or not. On the second, I just put in 12 1/2 gallons and then drained the tire back down to the proper amount. With the tire jacked up, a gallon jug and a funnel fits nicely to catch any spillage when you unscrew the adapter. The first tire took over an hour as I learned what worked and what didn't. The second one would have taken 35-45 minutes if I had not been interupted in the middle of the job.

 

[ShaunBlake]

Thanks, Dieselbob, that's a great write-up!

You're so clever (love that 'funnel stand'!) -- how about coming up with a vent, maybe in your Slime adapter, to let air out without the burps? (I'm envisioning a flexible tube about the size of a coffee stirrer that would stick in the tire a bit and could be bent to exit the apparatus -- maybe through the side of the Slime adapter, or the hose adapter, or even the hose itself.

I sorta wish mine weren't filled, I'd be duplicating your apparatus this afternoon (You guys out west, close your eyes *now*!) when the rain starts.

 

[Dieselbob]

I got my first real workout yesterday with the loaded tires and the 2" wheel spacers. The stability with a loaded loder bucket is quite dramatic, and makes operations much faster, easier and safer. On the other hand, if you have any illusions that loading turf tires will increase traction, I would say that is a big NO. In fact, in really muddy conditions, I think it actually makes it WORSE. It's like trying to push a lawn roller out of a mud bog. My only loaded tire experience is with N-series Ford tractors, which when used with Ag tires, makes a HUGE traction difference, because the ags will dig down until they hit something solid enough to power you out. With the BX with turfs, once the tread fills with mud, it's pretty much game over. I thought it MIGHT help somewhat on dry ground, but that didn't really seem to be the case either. I'm still glad I did it, because the stability will help a LOT on my hilly ground, and make bucket operations better, but I guess I was hoping for a little too much on the traction. I would like to hear from BX guys with loaded R4s and R1s and see what their experience has been.

 

[ShaunBlake]

I got my first real workout yesterday with the loaded tires and the 2" wheel spacers ...
On the other hand, if you have any illusions that loading turf tires will increase traction, I would say that is a big NO. In fact, in really muddy conditions, I think it actually makes it WORSE. It's like trying to push a lawn roller out of a mud bog ...
With the BX with turfs, once the tread fills with mud, it's pretty much game over. I thought it MIGHT help somewhat on dry ground, but that didn't really seem to be the case either...

Crum! DieselBob, I am very sad to hear this; my B6100 is a lighter, less powerful machine so you have around 300# on me, and prolly more like 400#, given the way you loaded your tiers. I'm running Ags and often find traction a problem, and "rutting" (git yer mind outta de gutter, skeets!) so much a problem that I don't even take the Kub out in the rain, or even a day or two after the rain stops. I've had an intention to get wide rims and some turf tires when I could but based on your experience, I think the best I could do is move "up" to Industrials.

Since I can't possibly employ a bigger tractor, it seems the "ultimate" upgrade would be Industrial dualies, "overloaded" as you've done.

Not what I wanted to hear, yet grateful for the information.

 

[ShaunRH]

Industrials are a step DOWN from AG tires in loose surfaces. Their intent is harder packed surfaces or a need to 'float' on a surface (like sand) so their treads are shallower but wider than AG tires.

Mud is the enemy of about every tire out there, even AGs. I think only hovercraft laugh at mud. Even tracked vehicles get bogged down in mud...

I would not load turfs for anything but ballast, as you've found, it's not going to change traction much. More weight will push ruts into wet grass, so to be honest, I wouldn't have done the approach you did. Turfs are for mowing and low damage ground engagement, I'd only have turfs on for that purpose. For harder work, I'd have a set of AGs or Industrials. To match the size and I wasn't running heavy ground engagement implements, I'd probably choose Industrials. If I was running ground engagement stuff, I'd probably go AG's. The trick would be always changing the tires around, and doing that safely is a royal pain in the...

 

[Daren Todd]

Industrials are a step DOWN from AG tires in loose surfaces. Their intent is harder packed surfaces or a need to 'float' on a surface (like sand) so their treads are shallower but wider than AG tires.

Mud is the enemy of about every tire out there, even AGs. I think only hovercraft laugh at mud. Even tracked vehicles get bogged down in mud...

I would not load turfs for anything but ballast, as you've found, it's not going to change traction much. More weight will push ruts into wet grass, so to be honest, I wouldn't have done the approach you did. Turfs are for mowing and low damage ground engagement, I'd only have turfs on for that purpose. For harder work, I'd have a set of AGs or Industrials. To match the size and I wasn't running heavy ground engagement implements, I'd probably choose Industrials. If I was running ground engagement stuff, I'd probably go AG's. The trick would be always changing the tires around, and doing that safely is a royal pain in the...

Thats the truth with switching tires gramps got a good deal on a tiller. Was smaller then the width of the tires. Backs were loaded with cc. Two seasons I went over and swapped his tires in the spring so he could till. Two weeks later I would swap them back took a floor jack, bottle jack, jack stands and a balancing act to get them on. Third year I was out of town for work and he attempted to swap them by himself and realized what a pain it was. Pulled the right side tire, put it right back on. Sold the tiller to a buddy with a smaller tractor and bought a bigger tiller

 

[Billdog350]

Just so you guys have some perspective. I just looked online for RV antifreeze and its between $7-9 per gallon depending on if you get the concentrate or premix. My 13.6-16 tires are approx 31 gallons ea according to Pete's tire barn. If I bring the rims (or tractor) to Pete's they will load BOTH tires for $190 with Rimguard (beet juice) that's biodegradable, 11lbs per gallon (heavier than water) and non corrosive. If I use the RV antifreeze it will be about $217 EACH tire....so more than twice the rim guard with less weight. I don't know about where you guys are all from and how far you are from a Pete's or similar...but I know its not worth me doing anything myself, I'll definitely let them do it!

 

[ShaunRH]

Walmart tends to have sales on the gallon jugs of RV antifreeze this time of year (spring). I've seen it as low as $1.97 per gallon.

 

[Dieselbob]

Yeah, I bought some RV antifreeze at Menards for less than $2.50 per gallon.

 

[BadDog]

And I don't think you need to run it straight.

 

[olthumpa]

. . My 13.6-16 tires are approx 31 gallons ea according to Pete's tire barn. If I bring the rims (or tractor) to Pete's they will load BOTH tires for $190 with Rimguard (beet juice) that's biodegradable, . . .

I have 12.4 x 24 and they take 30 gallons. I was quoted $260 per tire to have them filled. For $190 for both, I would have put rimguard in them.

And I don't think you need to run it straight.

You can run in circles and squiggly lines also.

 

[MadMax31]

150.00 for both. Beet juice... 33x12.5-15. Good to know someone